BEIRUT: The Israeli army admitted that its five soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon, taking to 19 the number of troop deaths announced since Israel started offensive into Lebanon last month. Western and Arab media reported that five Israeli soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah said that fighters entering ‘escalating’ phase of war with Israel. In a statement, the group has announced that it will transition to a new and escalating stage in the war with Israel, which will become more clear in the next days.
Al Jazeera cited the group as saying that Israel’s army losses have reached around 55 troops killed and over 500 wounded since the start of Israel’s offensive in Lebanon on October 1.
Hezbollah also claimed that it had destroyed around 20 Israeli Merkava tanks, 4 military bulldozers and two surveillance drones in recent confrontation.
On the other hand, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with the United Nations and other relief organizations warning of severe food shortages. A UN-backed assessment released on Thursday stated that around 345,000 Gazans could face “catastrophic” hunger this winter due to reduced aid deliveries.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched a brutal bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 42,438 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the territory’s health ministry stated. According to the health ministry, the death toll included 29 people killed in the last 24 hours alone. The ministry also reported that 99,246 people have been wounded in Gaza since the conflict began.
