By Middle East Correspondent
LONDON, (The Muslim News): At least 33 civilians have been killed and 90 wounded in Lebanon over the past 24 hours following intensified Israeli airstrikes, according to the Health Ministry, bringing the country’s total death toll from Israeli attacks to 1,072, with 2,966 injured. Overnight, British troops operating in a “high-threat area” – meaning the Gulf – took out 14 ‘kamikaze’ drones – the highest number of drones that they have downed in a single night.
But Lebanon is only one front in an increasingly wide and deadly conflict driven by Israeli and Iranian military action across the region.
In Iran, more than 1,340 people have been killed since US-Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, including the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Among the dead are 230 students and teachers, with at least 177 others injured, according to Iranian officials.
The violence has also spread into northern Iraq, where six Peshmerga fighters were killed and 30 wounded after Iranian ballistic missiles struck military positions in Erbil’s Soran district. Officials said the attack directly targeted the headquarters of key infantry divisions.
In Bahrain, a civilian contractor working with the UAE armed forces was killed when an Iranian missile struck during what authorities described as a routine mission. Five Emirati personnel were also wounded in the same strike.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, a 13-year-old boy, Khaled Saif al-Din Suleiman Arada, was killed when Israeli gunfire hit the tent where he was sheltering in Khan Younis, according to medical sources.
Beyond the immediate death toll, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage is mounting.
Iranian authorities say at least 114 historical and cultural sites have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes, including museums and heritage areas across cities such as Tehran and Isfahan.
Officials warned the attacks may breach international law, citing the 1954 Hague Convention, which prohibits the targeting of cultural heritage during conflict. Iran has lodged multiple complaints and called on UNESCO to take stronger action.
Humanitarian services have also come under fire. The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that 94 ambulances, 17 bases and several rescue helicopters have been hit in US-Israeli airstrikes, raising alarm over the targeting of emergency responders.
Diplomatic tensions are escalating alongside the violence. Lebanon has expelled Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Reza Shibani, declaring him persona non grata and ordering him to leave by March 29. Beirut has also recalled its ambassador to Tehran, Ahmad Sweidan, alleging violations by Iran of diplomatic norms.
Elsewhere, Qatar has begun restoring normal operations after weeks of disruption caused by Iranian attacks. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the decision followed security consultations, adding that “life cannot be disrupted indefinitely.”
In Tehran, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr has been appointed to a senior security role, replacing Ali Larijani, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli airstrike earlier this month.
Meanwhile, violence continues in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian residents reported attacks by Israeli occupiers in villages including Beit Imerin and Al-Tuwani in the Masafer Yatta area. Homes were set on fire and property vandalised, according to activist Fouad Amour.
Palestinian officials say 511 such attacks were carried out by Israeli occupiers across the West Bank in February alone.
Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and around 172,000 wounded, as a result of Israeli military operations, with vast areas of civilian infrastructure destroyed. In the West Bank, over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 11,700 injured and around 22,000 arrested.
Even a ceasefire has failed to halt the violence. Since October 10, hundreds more have been killed and over 1,800 wounded in continued Israeli attacks, according to health officials.
Adding to mounting international pressure, the International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and called for the evacuation of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
[Photo: Iranian woman being consoled as her home bombed by U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted the Enderzgu district of the Iranian capital Tehran at dawn, causing severe damage as half of an eight-story building collapsed and the remaining part became unusable, while nearby structures were heavily damaged and many vehicles were rendered inoperable, on March 23, 2026.
Photojournalist: Fatemeh Bahrami/AA]
