JERUSALEM/GAZA/BEIRUT, March 23 – Israeli forces killed a senior Hamas official in Gaza and at least seven people in Lebanon on Saturday, while the United States launched fresh airstrikes in Yemen, intensifying conflicts across the Middle East.
In Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, Israeli troops killed Salah al-Bardawil, a top Hamas official, amid a day of heavy bombardment that claimed at least 34 Palestinian lives, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said the operation targeted militants it accused of planning attacks.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave has now killed at least 49,747 Palestinians and wounded 113,213 since it began. The Gaza Government Media Office provided a higher toll, estimating more than 61,700 deaths, including thousands missing under rubble and presumed dead.
In Israel, the conflict traces back to Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,139 people and saw more than 200 taken captive, sparking the current war.
Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed at least seven people following what Israel described as a rocket assault by Hezbollah. The attacks threaten a fragile ceasefire brokered four months ago between Israel and the Iran-backed group. Lebanese officials said the strikes hit residential areas, raising fears of a broader escalation.
Across the region, the United States conducted three airstrikes on Hodeidah airport and one on the Red Sea port of as-Salif in Yemen, Yemeni media reported. The U.S. military has not immediately commented, but the strikes align with its ongoing campaign against Houthi rebels, who have targeted shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians.
The latest violence underscores the interconnected nature of Middle East conflicts, with Israel battling Hamas and Hezbollah while the U.S. targets Houthi forces in Yemen. International calls for de-escalation have so far failed to stem the rising death tolls.
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