Deadly raids in Gaza, “serious” incident against Netanyahu’s residence

Several dozen people were killed on Sunday by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, ravaged by more than a year of war between Hamas and Israel, whose army claimed to be targeting “terrorist targets” in the north of the territory. Palestinian. In the besieged and devastated enclave, at least 56 people were killed in Israeli raids, according to Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal. The deadliest strike took place in the middle of the night in Beit Lahia, in the north, on a five-story building. At least 30 bodies, including women and children, were pulled from the rubble and dozens of people were still missing, Bassal said. “The chances of rescuing more injured people (trapped under the rubble) are decreasing due to continuous shooting and artillery bombardment,” the spokesperson said. The Israeli army launched a major ground operation in northern Gaza on October 6 to, it said, prevent Hamas fighters from reconstituting their forces. “Terrorist activities continue in the Beit Lahia region,” the army said in a statement, adding that “several strikes” had been carried out overnight “against terrorist targets.” Twenty-six other people, including women and children, died in bombings in the south, in Rafah and Khan Younes, and in the center, in Nousseirat and al-Bureij, added Mr. Bassal. “An Israeli drone attack” in Khan Younes “targeted a group of unarmed people who were providing security for an aid delivery, killing six,” Civil Defense said. Jihad Eid, who lost a nephew in the raid on a house in al-Bureij, describes a “horrible” situation. “They were innocent children. »

Incident against Netanyahu’s residenceElsewhere, three suspects were arrested in Israel after two flares were fired Saturday evening near the private residence in Caesarea of ​​Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was not at the scene, said Sunday the police and the Shin Beth (internal security service). No information has filtered out on the identity of the suspects or their motivations. The court ordered a ban on the publication of information on the investigation or the identity of the suspects for a period of 30 days, the press release said.

Saturday evening, two flares landed in the courtyard in front of the Prime Minister’s residence, according to the police and the Shin Beth, who spoke of “a serious incident”. Israeli President Isaac Herzog then warned of “an escalation of violence in the public sphere” on the X network. Several ministers designated the protest movement against the government as responsible for this incident because of their speech. “There was no need to wait for these flares to understand the gravity of the violence by those who are trying to dismantle the country from within,” said the Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin, in a press release.

In opposition, Benny Gantz, former member of the war cabinet and leader of the National Union party (center right), also pointed to a drift in the protest movement. The judicial reform promoted by Mr. Netanyahu and his far-right allies deeply fractured the country in 2023, giving rise to one of the most significant protest movements in Israeli history. “If the suspicions are well-founded and if protest activists are behind the firing of flares at the Prime Minister’s house, it must be said clearly and unambiguously: this is not a protest, it is terrorism,” he wrote on X. “We will not accept any violent activity against state symbols. Each case will be treated with the greatest severity,” declared Shin Beth head Ronen Bar. If justice reform was suspended with the start of the war with Palestinian Hamas on October 7, 2023, the “anti -Bibi”, the nickname of the Israeli Prime Minister, continues to mobilize, even if the demonstrations are of lesser importance. The protest movement is calling for Mr. Netanyahu’s departure also because he is indicted in corruption cases. On October 22, the Prime Minister’s residence in Caesarea was already the target of a Hezbollah drone strike, which caused little damage. The Lebanese Islamist movement claimed responsibility for the attack.

Source: AFP