Escalating Conflict in Gaza, West Bank, and Lebanon

Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have intensified, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 Palestinians, including a rescue worker, as homes and hospitals were targeted, leading to dire humanitarian conditions. Significant casualties and displacement have occurred in northern Gaza, with Palestinians accusing Israel of aiming to depopulate the area for a buffer zone, a claim Israel denies. Concurrently, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in the West Bank amid rising tensions and operations targeting suspected militants. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed three soldiers, reflecting fragile dynamics with Hezbollah and the Lebanese Armed Forces. The international community, including the UK, has condemned the humanitarian crisis and restrictions on aid into Gaza, urging ceasefires and adherence to international humanitarian law. The outgoing Biden administration has imposed sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers, potentially subject to reversal by the incoming Trump administration.