As Israel’s operation in Rafah, a southern city in Gaza, nears conclusion, there still remains strain along its northern boundary with Lebanon. Saudi Arabia has notably advised its nationals residing in Lebanon to leave at once–a warning recently echoed by other nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and Kuwait. While Israel has communicated its desire for a resolution to avoid full-fledged war, it bears readiness to face such an outcome. Right-wing finance minister Bezalel Smotrich made it known on Sunday that a quick, decisive war, aiming to eliminate Hizbullah from the picture, was inevitable.
The Israeli administration is currently facing escalating calls from evacuated residents of its northern border areas, roughly 60,000 individuals, to reestablish security and tackle the Hizbullah menace. Over 100,000 inhabitants from southern Lebanon have exited the area, and the mounting pressure on Hizbullah to prevent a severe conflict likely to wreak havoc on the country’s infrastructure.
Iran’s representatives to the United Nations, meanwhile, have warned that an Israeli attack on Lebanon could trigger a devastating war against Israel. In Gaza, Israel’s military reported the killing of around 40 Hamas militants attempting to regroup in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Shejaiya, where troops had reentered on Thursday.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu emphasised, during a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, that Israeli forces are actively engaged in all areas of the Gaza Strip including Rafah and Shejaiya. He added that every day they are neutralizing a significant number of terrorists, citing a challenging battle occurring both above and below ground. He highlighted that Hamas was restraining the release of Israeli captives and committed to bringing them all home, alive or dead.
The Gaza health ministry, operated by Hamas, reported that more than 37,800 Palestinians have lost their lives since the start of the war on October 7th. Israel reported a surprise Hamas attack on that day resulted in 1,200 deaths and the capture of 253 hostages. It added that 120 hostages remained with Hamas, although the number still alive remains uncertain.
Israel has sanctioned five settler camps in the West Bank that were previously considered illegal, as a reaction to decisions by Ireland and other European Union countries to identify a Palestinian state and encourage actions against Israel in international courts located in The Hague. Along with this, a set of sanctions, including travel restrictions, was placed upon prominent officials of the Palestinian Authority, barring them from leaving the country.
The US, in correspondence with Israel, proposed subtle adjustments to the proposal for Gaza’s ceasefire and negotiations for hostage release after weeks of stagnation in discussions. Hamas, pressured by mediators from Qatar and Egypt to resolve the situation, still mandates an Israeli pledge to cease warfare as a critical part of the agreement. A senior official from Hamas, Osama Hamdan, emphasised the lack of progress in the negotiations.
An aid representative stated on Sunday that after the US-made terminal on Gaza’s coastline was dismantled due to adverse weather conditions, the United Nations were redirecting several tonnes of humanitarian support, predominantly food, from the pier to storage facilities. This statement was confirmed by Abeer Etefa, the spokeswoman for the World Food Programme.
There were demonstrations by vast numbers of Israelis over the previous weekend, demanding a new election and a successful negotiation for the freedom of hostages. The opposition party leader Yair Lapid criticised the Netanyahu-led government, accusing them of not seeking the secure release of the captives.