The Israeli government reported that a drone was launched toward the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, though no casualties were reported. This incident coincided with a declaration from Iran’s supreme leader that Hamas would persist in its conflict with Israel, following the death of the architect behind last year’s deadly attack on October 7.
On Saturday morning, sirens in Israel warned of incoming fire from Lebanon, including a drone aimed at Netanyahu’s house in Caesarea, as stated by the Israeli government. At the time of the incident, both Netanyahu and his wife were absent, and no injuries occurred, according to a spokesperson.
In Gaza, over 50 individuals, including children, were killed in several Israeli airstrikes within a 24-hour period, as reported by hospital officials and the Associated Press.
In September, Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion Airport as Netanyahu’s plane was landing. This missile was successfully intercepted.
On Saturday morning, 55 projectiles were fired in two separate salvos at northern Israel from Lebanon, as reported by Israel’s military. Four people sustained injuries, with one person moderately wounded by falling shrapnel, according to Israel’s medical services.
A 50-year-old man in northern Israel was killed by shrapnel while sitting in his car, as confirmed by Israel’s emergency services, which also noted that four others were injured. It remains unclear if the deceased man was among those previously reported as injured.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas supported by Iran, have increased in recent weeks. On Friday, Hezbollah announced plans to escalate hostilities by launching more guided missiles and explosive drones into Israel. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in late September, prompting Israel to deploy ground troops into Lebanon earlier in October.
Another development on Saturday involved the death of Hezbollah’s deputy commander in Bint Jbeil, a southern Lebanese town. Israel claimed that Nasser Rashid was responsible for overseeing attacks against the nation.
Additionally, the Lebanese health ministry reported an Israeli airstrike that struck a vehicle on a highway north of Beirut, resulting in two fatalities. The identities of the vehicle’s occupants were unclear at the time.
In Gaza, conflict with Hamas persisted, with both sides showing reluctance to conclude the war following the death of Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader. On Friday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, acknowledged Sinwar’s death as a significant loss but asserted that Hamas remained resilient despite the assassination of its leaders in the past.
Since the official announcement of Sinwar’s death by Israel, confirmed by a senior Hamas official on Friday, the group has maintained its refusal to release Israeli hostages until a cease-fire in Gaza is enacted and Israeli troops withdraw. This firm stance opposes Netanyahu’s declaration that Israeli military operations will continue until hostages are released, with troops remaining in Gaza to prevent Hamas from rearming.
Sinwar was a pivotal figure in the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and the kidnapping of 250 individuals. Israel’s subsequent counter-offensive in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who state that more than half of the casualties are women and children.
On Saturday, additional strikes targeted Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli strikes affected the upper floors of the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya and opened fire on the building and its courtyard, causing distress among patients and staff. At Al-Awda hospital in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, strikes impacted the structure’s top floors, injuring several staff members. Fares Abu Hamza, head of the health ministry’s ambulance and emergency service, stated that overnight strikes on three houses in Jabaliya killed at least 30 people, most of whom were women and children, and injured approximately 80 more.
In central Gaza, a strike in the town of Zawayda killed at least 10 individuals, including two children, according to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Another strike resulted in 11 fatalities from the same family in the Maghazi refugee camp, confirmed by the hospital. Associated Press journalists verified the casualties from both strikes on-site.
The ongoing hostilities have severely impacted Gaza, destroying large areas, displacing about 90% of its 2.3 million residents, and leaving them in dire need of basic necessities such as food, water, medicine, and fuel.
Sinwar’s death was reportedly a chance encounter with Israeli troops on a front line, potentially altering the conflict dynamics in Gaza as Israel advances its operations against Hezbollah and conducts airstrikes across the region. Israel is committed to politically dismantling Hamas in Gaza, with Sinwar’s assassination being a top military objective. However, Netanyahu emphasized in a speech on Thursday that the war is far from over.
Despite the ongoing conflict, some of Israel’s allies and residents of Gaza express hope that Sinwar’s death might foster progress toward ceasing hostilities. In Israel, families of hostages in Gaza urged their government to leverage Sinwar’s demise as a means to resume negotiations for the safe return of their loved ones. Approximately 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza, of which Israel claims around 30 are deceased.
