Israel intensifies Lebanon attacks, bombs Gaza on October 7 anniversary

Hezbollah rockets hit Israel's third largest city Haifa early on Monday as the country looked poised to expand ground incursions into southern Lebanon on the first anniversary of the Gaza war, which has spread conflict across the Middle East

Israel's military stated that fighter jets targeted Hezbollah's Intelligence Headquarters in Beirut, including intelligence-gathering assets, command centres, and additional infrastructure sites.

Also read: Israel says targeted Hezbollah intel HQ in Lebanon

Over the past few hours, the airstrikes struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the area of Beirut, the military said, adding that secondary explosions were identified after the strikes, marking the most intense bombardment of the Lebanese capital, indicating the presence of weaponry.

Large fireballs illuminated the darkened skyline, and booms reverberated across Beirut. The capital’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah is headquartered, were hit by air strikes around midnight as Israel pursued nightly raids on the once-densely populated district.

Airstrikes also hit Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa area, including weapons storage facilities, infrastructure sites, a command centre, and a launcher, the military said.

Israeli aggression on Lebanon

Hezbollah on Monday vowed to keep up the fight against Israeli "aggression", on the anniversary of the October 7 attack that triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

What began as limited daily exchanges has escalated into bombardments of Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut and a ground offensive into border villages meant to stamp out its fighters there.

Israel's assault, which has killed well over 1,000 people in the past two weeks, has triggered a mass flight from southern Lebanon, where more than one million people have been displaced.

Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli troops in a south Lebanon border village on Monday, as the Israeli army said it had deployed another division to participate in operations in Lebanon.

Israel steps up Gaza bombing

Israel stepped up its air and ground offensive in Gaza with more attacks on Monday as both sides marked the first anniversary of a war that has destroyed much of the territory and changed Palestinians' lives forever.

On Monday, Israeli tanks advanced into Jabalia, the largest of Gaza Strip's eight historic urban refugee camps, after encircling it, residents said. Soon after the rocket volley, the Israeli military expanded evacuation orders in Jabalia to cover areas in the northern towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya.

Residents said Israeli forces pounded Jabalia from the air and the ground, and medics said several Palestinians had been killed, with rescuers unable to reach some of the victims.

October 7: A year on

As Israeli forces intensified the attack, people around the world held vigils, ceremonies and protests on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack.

Ceremonies and protests in Jerusalem and southern Israel began around 6:29 a.m., the hour when Hamas launched rockets into Israel at the start of last year’s October 7 attack, which resulted in nearly 1,200 deaths and about 250 hostages taken to Gaza, according to Israeli figures.

In Jerusalem, families of hostages took to the streets near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence. At the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of partygoers and staff were killed and scores others taken hostage, President Isaac Herzog joined grieving families and friends.

War toll on Gaza: A humanitarian crisis

The death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza continues to rise, reaching alarming levels. According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 41,909 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, with another 97,303 injured. The densely populated coastal enclave has been devastated, with most of its 2.3 million residents displaced.

The destruction of healthcare and sanitation infrastructure has compounded the crisis, with projections suggesting that indirect casualties due to starvation and disease could push the death toll significantly higher.

According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, approximately 70,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Gaza during the six-month period from October 7 to April 24. This figure far surpasses the combined bombing of Dresden, Hamburg, and London during World War II and is 4.6 times the explosive force of Hiroshima.

Even if Israel's bombing campaign were to stop, the death toll in Gaza is expected to soar. The Lancet projects that the death toll could surpass 186,00 0 from indirect causes like starvation, and destroyed healthcare and sanitation. 86,000

According to the health ministry, at least 902 families have been totally wiped from civil registry.

In a speech marking the anniversary, Khaled Meshaal, who leads Hamas' political office in exile in Qatar, urged Arab and Muslim countries to launch "new fronts of resistance" against Israel.

Israel on high alert

Security forces were on high alert across Israel on Monday, according to the military and police, anticipating possible attacks planned for the anniversary.

Hamas meanwhile targeted Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv with a missile salvo, the group said, setting off sirens in central areas of the country.

Israel has dealt blows to Hamas and Hezbollah with a series of assassinations of its leaders and commanders, - part of Iran's "Axis of Resistance" that also includes Yemen's Houthis and armed groups in Iraq to fight Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East.