Israeli airstrikes sever key Lebanon-Syria border crossing, kill 42 in Gaza

Israeli warplanes struck the Al-Qaa Jousieh border crossing between Lebanon and Syria for the second time in a week, Lebanese military sources said. Four air-to-ground missiles hit the Syrian side of the crossing in the northeastern Hermel region, creating a crater 10 m long and 4 m deep, the sources told Xinhua news agency on condition of anonymity.

The strike rendered the crossing inoperable after it had been partially reopened following an earlier raid. Israel has targeted the Masnaa border crossing and five other official crossings, along with numerous unofficial routes along the Lebanon-Syria border since 4 October, according to Lebanese officials.

The strikes come amid intensifying cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah since 23 September, which have raised fears of a wider regional conflict as the Israel-Hamas war continues in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported. The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the conflict on 8 October 2023 has reached 2,968, while injuries went up to 13,319, the Lebanese health ministry reported on Saturday.

The Israeli military has accused the primarily Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group of using the crossings to move weapons and military equipment from Syria to Lebanon. But humanitarian officials say the closure of the crossings has intensified an already severe humanitarian crisis by blocking key routes for supplies and impeding access for those fleeing to safety.

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said this week that around 430,000 people had crossed from Lebanon into Syria over the past month since Israel launched a major aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Lebanon as part of its push against Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials give a higher estimate of more than half-a-million people. Rula Amin, a spokesperson for UNHCR, voiced concern over the damage to the crossings, calling them "a main lifeline for people escaping the conflict".

Meanwhile, at least 42 Palestinians were killed and more than 150 injured in Israeli air and artillery bombardment on Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said. The Israeli army has been bombarding inhabited houses in Nuseirat with both aircraft and artillery since Friday morning, Palestinian security sources said on Saturday.

The Gaza government media office condemned the strikes, describing them as the "deliberate targeting of civilians, including children and women", and called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt these actions against Gaza's civilians.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that it conducted operations in Rafah and central Gaza to kill militants, dismantle militant infrastructure, and locate weapons.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack across the southern Israeli border on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were reportedly killed and nearly 250 taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 43,314, according to a statement from Gaza-based health authorities on Saturday.

In a related development, representatives from Fatah and Hamas have begun talks in Cairo to discuss forming a committee to manage the affairs of the Gaza Strip, Egypt's State Information Service said, citing an Egyptian security official. The committee will be established by presidential decree from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the official said on Saturday, adding that it will include independent figures.

According to the security official, the Egyptian-sponsored meeting aims to achieve Palestinian unity and prevent the separation of the West Bank from the Gaza Strip, Xinhua news agency reported. He added that Hamas insists on addressing all issues related to the conflict comprehensively, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the prisoner exchange, and the entry of humanitarian aid. Hamas fears that if these issues are handled separately, Israel may resume its attacks on Gaza after securing the release of Israeli hostages.

The official affirmed that Egypt is making intensive efforts to resume negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire, which have been suspended since July, adding that Cairo continues to work with Palestinian and Israeli parties to secure a truce and facilitate increased humanitarian aid into Gaza.