On October 17, a report from a Chinese news agency highlighted significant recent events in Lebanon and Israel. According to foreign media, on October 16, Israeli forces conducted an airstrike on the municipality building in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals, including the mayor, and injuring another 52.

Lebanese officials condemned the attack, asserting it reflects a shift in Israel’s target from Hezbollah to the Lebanese state itself. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that the Israeli strike was a deliberate attempt to disrupt a meeting being held by the city’s municipal council, during which they were discussing local services and rescue operations.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced via social media that on the same day, they attacked several Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh region, claiming that Hezbollah had positioned these targets near civilian structures and was using civilians as “human shields.”

Additionally, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that on October 16, an IDF tank fired on a lookout tower near a village in southern Lebanon where UNIFIL is stationed, damaging two cameras and the tower itself. The statement called this incident another “direct and deliberate” attack on UNIFIL positions.

Furthermore, the Italian Ministry of Defense reported that Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and France’s Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu co-hosted a video conference on October 16. Countries within the European Union that have deployed personnel to UNIFIL agreed to apply maximum political and diplomatic pressure on Israel to prevent further attacks.

Bassem Naeem, a senior official from Hamas, stated to Reuters on October 16 that the resolution of the rapidly escalating conflict, which has spread to Lebanon and beyond, hinges on addressing the crisis in Gaza. He emphasized that even if a ceasefire were reached between Israel and Hezbollah, peace would remain elusive because key issues related to Lebanon and Palestine remain unresolved.

CNN reported that on the same day, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani noted that negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza have been stagnant for nearly a month, with no significant dialogue or engagement over the past three to four weeks.

According to the Palestinian news agency, in the past 24 hours, Israeli forces have launched six attacks on the Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 65 fatalities and 140 injuries.