West Asia continues to remain a volatile hotspot as Israel's military campaign in Gaza and Lebanon. Israeli forces killed 12 Palestinians in an airstrike on Jabalia al-Balad in northern Gaza on Wednesday. In Lebanon, three Lebanese troops were killed in an Israeli airstrike on an army base in the southern town of Sarafand, while at least 17 civilians were injured, according to the country's military and Ministry of Public Health.
This brings the total number of people killed in Lebanon since the war began between Hezbollah and Israel to 3,544, with over 15,000 injured.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 43,972 Palestinians and wounded 104,008 since October 7, 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Here are the latest updates from West Asia:
UN to vote again on Gaza truce: The UN Security Council is expected to vote on another draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in its latest attempt to exert pressure to end the war. However, the draft could be blocked by the United States, Israel's main ally.
The latest draft of the resolution demands "an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire" in Israel's war on Gaza and "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages."Netanyahu offers $5m reward for captives freed from Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated an offer to pay Gazans who turn over Israeli hostages, increasing the reward to $5 million for each captive, after previously suggesting Israel would pay “several million” for their recovery.
“To those who want to leave this entanglement, I say: Whoever brings us a hostage will find a safe way out for himself and his family,” the prime minister said. “We will also give $5 million for every hostage. Choose. The choice is yours, but the result will be the same. We will bring them all back.”
Netanyahu’s visit to Gaza: Netanyahu announced the reward offer during a brief visit to Gaza on Tuesday, where he was shown the Israeli military's Netzarim Corridor, a major access road and buffer zone built by Israel's army to separate northern Gaza from southern Gaza. In a video of the visit later released by Netanyahu's office, the prime minister stated that IDF troops in the enclave had "achieved excellent results towards our important goal—that Hamas will not rule in Gaza. We are destroying its military capabilities in a very impressive manner, and we are moving on to its ruling capabilities… Hamas will not be in Gaza.”
Over 200 children killed in Lebanon, says UN: The UN said on Tuesday that over 200 children have been killed in Lebanon since Israel escalated attacks on the country in September. "Despite more than 200 children killed in Lebanon in less than two months, a disconcerting pattern has emerged: their deaths are met with inertia from those able to stop this violence," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency, UNICEF, told reporters.
"Over the last two months in Lebanon, an average of three children have been killed every single day," he said. "Many, many more have been injured and traumatised," he added, highlighting that in the past two months, more than 1,100 children had been hurt.
Iran warns Against pushing IAEA censure: Iran has warned European powers against going ahead with plans to submit a resolution to the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censuring Tehran for its lack of cooperation with inspectors, the country’s Foreign Ministry said.
During talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, top Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi said the resolution would “complicate matters” and contradict the “positive atmosphere created between Iran and the IAEA,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.
