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Israel strikes Gaza’s al-Aqsa Hospital grounds, 200 targets in southern Lebanon

An Israeli airstrike on the al-Aqsa Hospital compound in central Gaza sent flames ripping through tents housing displaced people early on Oct. 14. (Video: Reuters)
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Israel’s military struck what it said was a Hamas command center embedded inside a hospital compound in the Deir al-Balah region of central Gaza early Monday. At least four people were killed in the attack within the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital grounds and 40 injured, including women and children, the Gaza Health Ministry said. A widely shared video of the fierce blaze appeared to show at least one person on a bed burning alive while onlookers shouted. Separately, Israel’s military said it struck 200 targets linked to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Biden administration he is willing to strike military targets rather than oil or nuclear facilities in Iran, two officials familiar with the matter told The Washington Post, suggesting a more limited counterstrike aimed at preventing a full-scale war.

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Middle East conflict

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for over a year, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding Middle East region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking civilian hostages. See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded. Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948. In July 2024, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack Hamas has blamed on Israel.

Hezbollah: Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant organization backed by Iran, have escalated over the past year, leading to an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. Israel’s airstrikes into Lebanon have grown more intense and deadly, killing over 1,400 people including Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s longtime leader. The Israel-Lebanon border has a history of violence that dates back to Israel’s founding.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.