by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel carried out large-scale strikes in both southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip as part of renewed operations against remnants of Hezbollah and Hamas, killing scores of people despite a cease-fire that was meant to be holding, authorities and investigators said Wednesday.
At least 25 people were killed in Gaza, according to Hamas-linked Palestinian sources, even though a truce declared on October 10 was supposed to remain in effect.
It was not immediately clear how many of those killed were militants, but the Israeli military said it targeted Hamas operatives and infrastructure “embedded among civilians.”
In southern Lebanon, Israeli warplanes struck what the military described as Hezbollah positions near the border, including the villages of Deir Kifa and Aainata. Lebanese officials reported at least one civilian killed and several wounded, while Hezbollah claimed that some of its fighters were also hit but released no figures.
Israel’s military said the attacks came in response to “ongoing terrorist activity” and cross-border fire by Hezbollah, which it views as part of Iran’s regional proxy network.
CLUSTER-MUNITION ALLEGATIONS
The strikes coincided with a new Guardian investigation suggesting Israel used widely banned cluster munitions during its 13-month conflict with Hezbollah.
Photographs of munition remnants found in three valleys south of the Litani River—Wadi Zibqin, Wadi Barghouz, and Wadi Deir Siryan—were reviewed by six independent arms experts.
They identified fragments from at least two advanced Israeli cluster systems: the 155mm M999 Barak Eitan and the 227mm Ra’am Eitan guided rocket. If confirmed, this would be Israel’s first known use of cluster munitions since the 2006 Lebanon war, and the first known deployment of these newer models.
Cluster munitions disperse dozens of small submunitions over a large area, and up to 40 percent may fail to explode on impact—posing long-term danger to civilians.
“Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate,” said Tamar Gabelnick of the Cluster Munition Coalition, arguing that their use “cannot comply with international humanitarian law.”
Israel, which is not a signatory to the international ban on cluster munitions, said it “uses only lawful weapons, in accordance with international law and while mitigating harm to civilians.”
HAREDI CONSCRIPTION DEADLOCK
As clashes continued, the ultra-Orthodox faction Degel HaTorah, part of the United Torah Judaism alliance, announced that it would support a revised military service bill that preserves draft exemptions for full-time yeshiva students.
The legislation—now advancing through the Knesset—would allow men enrolled in approved religious seminaries to avoid army service until around age 26, maintaining long-standing exemptions for those engaged in full-time Torah study.
However, the bill sets new enlistment targets for ultra-Orthodox men not studying in yeshivas, aiming for roughly half of eligible Haredi men outside full-time study to enter the army or national service within five years.
Critics argue that enforcement is weak and most exemptions will remain, while supporters say the bill balances Israel’s security needs with religious commitments.
The decades-long dispute over Haredi conscription has repeatedly destabilized Israeli governments and triggered early elections.
Degel HaTorah’s support for the revised bill marks a possible breakthrough in resolving the years-long political and legal deadlock.
DIPLOMATIC STRAINS SEEN
Tensions also grew Wednesday over a planned meeting between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Hamas officials.
The meeting was canceled under pressure from Israel, according to officials familiar with the talks.
The gathering had reportedly been part of efforts to shore up the fragile Gaza cease-fire.
Without the talks, analysts warn that intensifying Israeli strikes on multiple fronts—and new allegations of cluster-munition use—could destabilize not only the cease-fire but also broader regional security.
Hezbollah’s response remains unclear, but significant retaliation by the group—or by Hamas—could widen the conflict beyond Gaza and Lebanon, critics of the Israeli strikes say.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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