News in the Middle East: Four teenage IDF soldiers killed as Hezbollah attacks army base with drones; Israeli airstrike kills “at least 23” in Gaza school | World News

Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage. Before we move on, we’ve put together a larger overview of what you need to know as you start a new week.

The conflicts in the Middle East have developed rapidly in the last seven days. In Gaza, where Israel has been fighting a war with Hamas militants for a year, more areas in the north of the enclave have been ordered to clear, suggesting that further Israeli military action could be imminent in the area.

In Lebanon, where Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah fighters (which, like Hamas, is backed by Iran), attacks continued in Beirut, prompting people in more than 20 villages to leave the south of the country.

In addition, the world is also awaiting Israel’s response to an Iranian attack on the country more than a week ago, with Tehran warning that any retaliation would be met with harsher measures.

Four people are killed in a Hezbollah attack on an Israeli military base

Four IDF soldiers were killed in a drone strike on an Israeli military base in the northern town of Binyamina yesterday.

The strike reportedly hit the military base’s cafeteria during dinner when it was full of people.

Israeli emergency services declared the attack a mass casualty event and said 61 people were injured.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility and warned that this was only a “small fraction” of what Israel faces if it continues its attacks on Lebanon.

The attack failed to trigger Israel’s air defense warning systems, which Hezbollah said was part of a “qualitative and complex operation” to circumvent those systems.

It is described as the Iran-backed militant group’s biggest attack since it stepped up its aggression against Israel in solidarity with Hamas a year ago.

Our Dominic Waghorn, International Affairs Editor says the attack is Israel’s “first major setback” after two weeks of advances in Lebanon.

The number of victims increases dramatically

According to the Lebanese government, more than 2,100 people have been killed and 10,000 injured in the country’s year-long fighting, especially in recent weeks.

The death toll has risen dramatically in recent weeks after Israel launched an intensive bombing campaign in Lebanon last month and limited ground operations in the south of the country.

The Israeli military says those attacks helped kill much of Hezbollah’s leadership, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

An Israeli airstrike kills “at least 23” at a school

An Israeli airstrike killed at least 23 people yesterday on a school housing displaced people in central Gaza.

Women and children were reportedly among the dead following the strike in Nuseirat.

The Israeli military has regularly accused Hamas operatives of hiding in school buildings where displaced people have sought refuge – allegations that Hamas has repeatedly denied.

People in the northern Gaza Strip are being urged to evacuate as the IDF launches its third offensive in the refugee camp

Most of the fighting in Gaza last week took place in and around the Jabalia refugee camp, which was bombarded by jets and artillery.

Residents said they were trapped in their homes and shelters.

Our Dominic Waghorn, International Affairs Editor said Israel had launched its third ground offensive in Jabalia.

People in the northern Gaza Strip were ordered to leave their homes by the Israeli military as troops continued to battle Hamas militants.

Meanwhile, hunger warnings for the region were raised again after the United Nations World Food Program said no food aid had reached the region since October 1.

Since the war between Hamas and Israel began, 42,227 people have been killed and more than 98,464 injured in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

Waiting for the Israeli response to the Iranian attack

The region is still preparing for Israel’s response to an Iranian attack that occurred nearly two weeks ago.

U.S. officials said Israel narrowed down the targets in Iran, describing them as military and energy infrastructure targets.

They said there were no signs that Israel would attack nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, but it appears no final decisions have been made yet.

Iran fired a barrage of rockets into the country in retaliation for Israeli attacks in Lebanon and Gaza and the assassination of a Hamas leader in Iran.

Last week, ours Security and Defense Editor Deborah Haynes submitted this analysis of the challenges facing the Israeli military as it fights on multiple fronts – and the dangers of overdoing it…

Five UN peacekeepers injured

Within three days, five UN peacekeepers were injured in Lebanon, sparking condemnation from the international community – you can read the full context in our post at 5.56am.

Israel marks one year of Hamas attacks on October 7th

Last Monday, Israel marked the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, when Hamas gunmen rampaged across the south of the country, killing 1,200 people.

According to Israeli figures, a total of 251 people were taken hostage, 97 of whom are still missing in Gaza.

Memorial services and protests were held to mark the anniversary, with families of the hostages calling on the Israeli government to do more to bring them home.