IDF claims it's killed another Hezbollah leader as Blinken says Gaza death toll 'too high'
Lord Cameron told MPs on Tuesday that two Britons are still being held by Hamas in the Middle East and that Israel may have broken international law during its attacks. John Ray reports
An Israeli airstrike has killed another Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, according to the Israel Defence Force (IDF).
Israeli officials claim they killed Ali Hussein Barji, who is said to be in charge of Hezbollah’s drones in the south, as well as three other members.
However, a Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the group’s regulations, said he was only a fighter.
It comes a day after a similar attack killed Hezbollah commander Wissam al-Tawil, a veteran of the Iranian-backed Lebanese force who took part in the 2006 cross-border kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers that triggered the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, an official in the group said.
Hundreds of people have been killed in recent days as the Israeli offensive’s focus shifts to the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza.
The entire 2.3 million population is in a food crisis, with 576,000 people at catastrophic or starvation levels.
It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls on Israel to take steps to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza.
He stated that the daily toll on civilians, especially children, is "far too high".
The US politician also implored that Israel work with moderate Palestinian leaders, saying regional countries would only invest in the reconstruction of Gaza if there is a “pathway to a Palestinian state.”
In the wake of the destruction, South Africa has filed a case with the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide - something Mr Blinken dismissed, calling it a "distraction".
Since the war began, Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,200 Palestinians, roughly 1% of the territory’s population, and more than 58,000 people have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
About two-thirds of the dead are women and children.
Meanwhile, the UK foreign secretary said on Tuesday that two UK nationals remain hostage amid the conflict in the Middle East.
Lord David Cameron confirmed the figure during his first appearance before MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee since returning to Cabinet.
“There are two British nationals who remain as hostages. I don’t want to make any further comment on them,” he said.
Asked if it is known whether the two people are still alive, the minister said: “I just don’t want to say any more. We don’t have any information to share with you.”
An estimated 240 people were taken prisoner in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7 attacks against Israel.
During a ceasefire in November, 105 were released.
Lord Cameron further declined to say whether he had seen any Foreign Office legal advice stating that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in Gaza.
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