Israeli strikes on Gaza, Lebanon kill 25, deepen ceasefire crisis

Israeli Defence Forces carried out a new wave of strikes focused on Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday (November 19), killing 25 people and injuring 77, according to Al Jazeera. The attacks hit densely populated areas in the enclave, adding to a rising casualty toll despite the existence of a US-brokered ceasefire framework.

Strike on refugee camp in Lebanon

A day earlier, Israeli aircraft launched airstrikes on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. These cross-border strikes underscored how the confrontation has spilled beyond Gaza, heightening tensions along Israel’s northern frontier with Lebanon.

Alleged ceasefire violations

Al Jazeera has reported that Israel has conducted 393 attacks on Gaza in defiance of the US-mediated ceasefire, killing around 280 people and injuring about 672. These figures highlight how the ceasefire has been repeatedly punctured by military action rather than serving as a durable halt to hostilities.

Earlier strikes and US coordination

Last month, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed nine people after Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, CNN reported. Before the latest escalation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had instructed the military to “immediately carry out forceful strikes in the Gaza Strip,” and Israel had informed the United States in advance of its decision to resume large-scale attacks.

Justification and escalating tensions

Israeli military officials have said that Hamas militants attacked Israeli forces, using this as justification for the renewed operation despite the ceasefire framework. With each new round of strikes and counterclaims, the truce appears increasingly fragile, and civilians in Gaza and in parts of Lebanon remain at severe risk as the conflict grinds on.