Israeli military claims about 20,900 attacks in Middle East in 2025

Tel Aviv, Jan 1 (IANS) The Israeli military has reported carrying out about 20,900 attacks across the Middle East in 2025, primarily targeting Gaza, Iran, Syria and Lebanon.

Israel continued multi-front fighting throughout the year, necessitating the mobilisation of additional troops. The military called up about 306,830 reservists, including 54,000 who had previously been exempt from service, according to figures it released at the end of the year.

In Gaza, where a ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Israeli forces carried out about 19,530 attacks, the military said.

According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israeli assaults have killed at least 415 people and injured 1,152 others since October 11. A total of 71,269 people have been killed by Israeli fire since October 2023, reports Xinhua news agency.

In June, Israel launched a 12-day military campaign against Iran beginning on June 13, with both countries exchanging missile strikes, marking a sharp escalation after years of shadow and proxy conflict.

The military said it attacked about 1,500 sites in Iran and killed 11 nuclear scientists and 30 senior officials, including Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.

The Northern Command carried out about 950 attacks, mainly in southern Lebanon, where Israel says it targets Hezbollah sites despite a ceasefire, and in Syria, where Israeli forces entered Syrian territory at the peak of Mount Hermon in late 2024, followed by frequent air and ground strikes.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is “an inevitable reality,” affirming that Palestinians are moving steadily toward freedom and independence.

In a statement carried by Palestinian news agency WAFA, Abbas stressed the realisation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside the return of refugees in line with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Israel has, however, not commented on the statement yet.

int/sd/