The UN denounces an Israeli attack on peacekeepers in Lebanon.

BarcelonaThe United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) denounced this Wednesday that Israel attacked its personnel in the south of the country. Israeli drones reportedly launched four grenades at the UN peacekeepers in what the organization described as "one of the most serious attacks" since the ceasefire was announced last November. One landed less than 20 meters from its personnel and UN vehicles, and three others a hundred meters southeast of the town of Marwahin, according to a statement. The drones then reportedly returned behind the so-called Blue Line, which marks the border between Lebanon and Israel.

UN peacekeeping personnel were working to remove obstacles blocking access to a UN position near the dividing line at the time of the attack, according to the statement, but the Israeli army had been previously informed of the operation. Following the incident, they suspended work in the area "out of concern for the safety of the peacekeepers."

The fact that the Israeli army was warned lends credence to the hypothesis of a deliberate attack to prevent anyone from approaching the border areas. In fact, since the ceasefire, Israel has established positions inside Lebanese territory along this Blue Line, creating a security zone. This has prevented tens of thousands of people from returning to their villages, even to rebuild homes or clear debris.

Israel has long denounced UNIFIL as useless, an argument also adopted by the US administration of Donald Trump. In fact, the peacekeeping mission is only guaranteed a presence in Lebanon until the end of next year, after which it must withdraw its troops. Lebanon, on the other hand, maintains that it needs UNIFIL to fulfill its commitment to completely disarm Hezbollah.

Israel advances into Gaza City

The irreverence of the Israeli army in Lebanon is even more evident in the Gaza Strip, where its troops are steadily advancing into the capital, ignoring repeated international calls to halt the offensive. This morning they had advanced as far as Sheikh Radwan, one of the largest and busiest neighborhoods in the city center, and are now just a few kilometers from the center of Gaza City. In their wake, the army has destroyed buildings and tent camps that had housed thousands of displaced Palestinians.

At least three Palestinian civilians were killed and dozens more wounded on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire on a group of people waiting for humanitarian aid in the north of the city of Rafah, located in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources cited by the Al Jaze radio station. More than fifty people were injured. The latest incident took place near the distribution center of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation –the entity created by Israel and the United States to replace the NGOs operating on the ground– in the Al Shakoush area.

The incident is added to the humanitarian tragedy suffered by the civilian population trapped by the Israeli military offensive. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, in the hands of Hamas, including those killed in Rafah, at least 20 people have lost their lives this Wednesday in different attacks. Fifteen of the victims died in Gaza City, subjected to aerial and artillery bombardment throughout the night. However, the figures vary depending on the sources gathered through news agencies, as local hospitals warn that since midnight more than 50 Palestinians have died in this city alone. Other sources, linked to Hamas, also indicate that among the deceased, six died from malnutrition.

In this context, fleeing to the south is increasingly difficult and expensive. The displaced explain that they must pay between $700 and $800 for a trip, around $1,000 for a tent—if available—and commissions of 30 or 40% to intermediaries. "We have no work and no food. Flour costs me more than $200," a Gaza resident told Al Jazeera on a broadcast this morning. United Nations estimates indicate that 20,000 people have managed to flee the city in the past two weeks, but nearly a million residents remain trapped. Humanitarian officials warn that the impact of a full-scale offensive will be "beyond catastrophic."

Incidents outside Netanyahu's residence

Meanwhile, pressure is also growing within Israel. Early Wednesday, a group of protesters climbed onto the roof of the National Library in Jerusalem and demonstrated outside the home of Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, demanding that the government reach an agreement for the return of the hostages. In the same city, several attacks were reported near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded punishment for the protesters, accusing them of "inciting hatred and civil war."

But Benjamin Netanyahu's government is not halting its war machine. Israel has already begun mobilizing thousands of reservists—between 40,000 and 60,000, according to various sources—to reinforce the ground offensive on Gaza City, as part of the operation. Gideon's Chariots II, with which it claims to now control 75% of the territory. Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday that the goal is to "conquer all of Gaza, defeat Hamas, and free all the hostages." According to Israeli authorities, the Islamist organization is still holding 48 people, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.