In an unsurprising turn of events, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged missiles over the weekend. Hezbollah’s volley included 250 rockets, which ended up wounding seven Israelis on Sunday when some of the missiles landed in the Tel Aviv area. The rocket barrage was a response to an Israeli attack on Saturday, which killed at least 29 people and injured 67 more in the central Beirut area. Another Israeli attack on Sunday – this time targeting a southwestern Lebanese army center – killed one person while injuring 18 others.
Meanwhile, the IDF ordered the evacuation of more parts of northern Gaza over the weekend, forcing hundreds of Palestinians to flee the area. The Israeli attacks only add to the hellish situation in northern Gaza, according to multiple international aid agencies – tens of thousands of people in the area are unable to access water, sanitation, food, and medical supplies thanks to Israel’s sustained offensive. Over the weekend, a senior member of Israel’s security cabinet said that the IDF would be stationed in Gaza “for years,” stating, “Gaza will never be a threat to the state of Israel, no matter how long it is going to take … I think that we are going to stay in Gaza for a long time … I think most people understand that that will be years.”