Palestinians flee homes as Israel pounds northern Gaza

Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel trade heavy fire, target border towns

Beijing, Apr 24: China on Wednesday blasted the latest package of US military assistance to Taiwan on Wednesday, saying that such funding was pushing the self-governing island republic into a “dangerous situation.”

China claims the entire island of Taiwan as its own territory and has threatened to take it by force if necessary. The mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the aid “seriously violates” US commitments to China and “sends a wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces.” — AP

Gaza, Beirut, April 24: Some Palestinian civilians were fleeing their homes in northern Gaza on Wednesday just weeks after returning because of an Israeli bombardment which they said was as intense as those at the start of the war.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets at an Israeli border town on Wednesday and sources in Lebanon reported heavy Israeli airstrikes on a Lebanese town just across the frontier, following an escalation of violence in recent days.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have been waging their worst hostilities in nearly two decades since war erupted in Gaza last October, stirring concern about the risk of a wider and more destructive conflict between the heavily armed foes.

Much of the shelling was focused for a second day on Beit Lahiya on the northern edge of Gaza, where the Israeli military gave evacuation orders to four neighbourhoods on Tuesday, warning they were in a “dangerous combat zone”.

After weeks of relative calm, Israel intensified its attacks overnight on Monday, focusing on areas — particularly in the north — from where it had previously withdrawn troops, saying the Palestinian militant group Hamas was no longer in control.

Israel’s military said on Wednesday it was ready to

The Gaza Strip could surpass famine thresholds of food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality in six weeks.

●

Iran has reduced its military footprint in Syria after a succession of strikes blamed on Israel.

● launch a ground assault on Rafah, which it regards as Hamas’ last bastion and which is the only part of Gaza not yet subjected to a ground offensive.

The operation will proceed when the military receives government approval. — Reuters