An Israeli strike on a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza has reportedly killed 16 people, including children. The school was sheltering displaced Palestinians when it was hit by more than one missile. Al Jazeera reported that the injured were being taken to nearby hospitals. Gaza’s civil defence agency stated that it can no longer provide first responder services in the north of the territory following threats from Israeli forces.
In response to the escalating conflict, French President Macron has called for an end to the fighting in Lebanon and criticized Israel’s incursion into the country. Hosted by Macron, an international conference in Paris aims to bring together humanitarian and military aid for Lebanon. France has pledged €100m in humanitarian aid, while Germany has pledged €96m in aid for Lebanon.
Hezbollah has claimed to have destroyed at least one Israeli tank in direct clashes in southern Lebanon, while Israel reported that 95 rockets were launched at it from southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister expressed support for a 21-day ceasefire proposal and called for international resources to bolster the country’s armed forces.
At the Brics summit in Kazan, Iran’s president stated that Israel is the main threat to peace in the region and vowed a decisive response to aggression. Russia’s president warned that the Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale war. France is spearheading efforts to support Lebanon in the midst of the ongoing conflict.
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