As Israel turns to Lebanon, Gazans get a reprieve but plead for help

CAIRO - Israeli strikes in Gaza have decreased over the past two days, Gazan officials said, as Israeli forces have stepped up their military operations in Lebanon.

“There were only four” Israeli strikes in Gaza on Monday, Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said by phone Tuesday, “compared to an average of at least 15 in previous days.”

He added that there used to be drones over Gaza’s skies “around-the-clock, but for the last two days, their presence and noise have diminished. At least now we can sleep without the constant sound of drones.”

Israeli forces dramatically ramped up their strikes across Lebanon over the past week, signaling a shift in their focus from fighting Hamas in Gaza to fighting the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Hundreds of Israeli airstrikes Monday left more than 550 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Displaced Gazans expressed sympathy for Lebanon amid the intense Israeli bombardments and heavy casualties, but said they were frustrated by the ongoing challenges in Gaza.

“They need to find a solution to the war in Gaza first before engaging in new confrontations,” said Najwa Dahman, 40, who has lived in a tent west of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, for the past seven months, referring to the parties involved in the conflict.

“There’s no doubt we are following the events in Lebanon,” said Dahman, “but what we’ve been enduring in Gaza for nearly a year cannot be compared to anywhere else in the world.”

Israeli officials, who signaled last week that they were increasing their focus on their shared border with Lebanon, say they are striking sites linked to Hezbollah. The militant group has in turn ramped up its operations against Israel, including targeting over the weekend an air base in northern Israel with dozens of missiles, in what appeared to be its deepest barrage into the country since the Gaza war began.

Mohammed al-Wawi of Khan Younis has been displaced eight times during the war. “Lebanon has become the most prominent story in the news and the focus of politicians, while Gaza has been sidelined, left waiting without anyone paying attention,” the 51-year-old said.

“I do not wish for what happened in Gaza to happen in Lebanon,” he added. “I hope there are wise individuals who can stop the current events and prevent the situation from escalating into a senseless war.”

It has been nearly a year since Hamas militants stormed through the Israel-Gaza border fence, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 others hostage. In the aftermath of that attack, Israel launched an operation in Gaza that has killed some 41,467 Palestinians and injured 95,921, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants - fueling an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Since Israel ramped up its bombardments in Lebanon, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported lower-than-average daily tolls. Twelve people were killed and 43 injured by Israeli strikes on Monday, it reported Tuesday, after 24 deaths on Sunday and 40 on Saturday.

Months-long attempts to bring about a cease-fire deal in Gaza and release the remaining hostages, spearheaded by the United States, have failed so far, and the escalation in Israel-Hezbollah tensions dealt another blow to U.S. and global efforts to cool tensions in the region.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that President Joe Biden remains committed to a cease-fire in Gaza and securing a hostage deal, while also seeking to de-escalate tensions in Lebanon.

“He absolutely hasn’t given up,” Sullivan said in an interview with MSNBC, Reuters reported, ahead of Biden’s address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The United States will be deploying “a small number” of additional U.S. forces to the Middle East, the Pentagon said Monday. “We definitely want to see temperatures be reduced,” said Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, as global officials scramble to cool regional tensions.

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Suliman reported from London.