Singaporean activist and founder of Love Aid Singapore, Gilbert Goh, recounted his experience of spending a night in a car park with the displaced individuals in Lebanon in an Instagram post on Wednesday (23 Oct).

The car park, home to approximately 300 people, serves as a temporary shelter for those Goh and his team are endeavouring to assist.

Goh explained that he had missed the last bus home following a late-night food distribution at Saida Lebanon.

Describing the experience, he noted that the freezing temperatures characterised the night, as the location is situated near the Mediterranean seafront, where a strong draft made for an uncomfortable sleep.

To stay warm, Goh borrowed a thin jacket and wrapped himself in two thick blankets while lying on a foam mattress at the side of the car park.

He observed that many of the displaced individuals huddled together under thick, form-less blankets, with most having at least one to keep warm.

Around the middle of the night, a commotion broke out when a woman screamed for attention, causing everyone to awaken and assess the situation.

Goh, a light sleeper accustomed to a familiar sleeping environment, struggled to find rest, waking frequently from the cold rather than any other disturbances.

The consistent draft circulated throughout the open-air car park, exacerbating the discomfort.

As dawn broke at approximately 5 am, people began waking up to wash and prepare for another long day ahead.

When Goh departed around 7.30 am, he noticed that more than 70% of the individuals were still asleep, oblivious to the bustling sounds of early risers.

A few motorbikes roared to life as their riders set off for work, attempting to make productive use of their time.

Urgent Need for Safe Haven Before Winter

Goh mentioned the potential involvement of a charity group that is considering offering shelter for the displaced homeless, although no firm plans had been established yet.

With winter approaching, he expressed hope that these individuals would soon find a suitable place to rest, as conditions are expected to worsen by November.

“Let’s hope that they will get somewhere decent to rest their bodies soon as winter approaches and things will get very difficult by November,” he wrote.

Throughout the night, Goh noted the frequent sounds of coughing and sneezing, raising concerns about the health of the frail individuals with poor diets, who may be more susceptible to illness over time.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Amidst Intensified Airstrikes

The escalating conflict and intensified Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon are inflicting a devastating toll on civilians, prompting an increasing number of people to flee to Syria.

Each day, more individuals are displaced, adding to the growing humanitarian crisis in the region.

On 14 October, evacuation orders were issued for 20 villages in southern Lebanon, with approximately a quarter of the country now under Israeli military evacuation directives.

In response to these orders, many families are seeking refuge in open public spaces, desperately trying to escape the bombings while struggling to find adequate shelter.

The Government of Lebanon has estimated that around 1.2 million people have been displaced due to the ongoing violence, underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and a resolution to the conflict.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gilbert Goh (@loveaidsg)

The United States is investigating a reported unauthorized release of classified documents detailing Israel’s military plans against Iran.

House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed the inquiry on 20 October 2024, following the appearance of top-secret documents on the Middle East Spectator Telegram channel.

The leak has raised significant concerns over US intelligence security, particularly due to the sensitive nature of the information related to Israeli defence preparations in response to a recent Iranian missile attack.

The leaked documents, which reportedly originated from the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, assess Israel’s military positioning in preparation for a potential strike against Iran.

Israel’s military activities were in response to a 1 October 2024 ballistic missile attack by Iran.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the documents were shared within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—comprising the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—and were first reported by CNN and Axios on 19 October, after being posted to Telegram on 17 October.

The documents in question appear to be highly classified, containing satellite imagery and analysis typical of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

They also bear similarities to previous leaks from Jack Teixeira, a former US Air National Guardsman, who pled guilty earlier this year to leaking sensitive documents related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Mike Johnson, speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, confirmed that an investigation is underway.

“There’s a classified-level briefing … we are following it closely,” he stated, though no further details were provided.

The White House declined to comment, directing questions to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which also refrained from offering a statement.

Spokespeople from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the FBI also withheld comment, although a US official confirmed the legitimacy of the documents to AP.

As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities are examining whether the leak originated from a deliberate insider or occurred via a cyber breach.

Efforts are being made to determine who had access to the documents and whether any other classified information may have been compromised.

Middle East Spectator, the Telegram channel where the documents were first posted, claimed the documents were obtained from “an informed source within the U.S. intelligence community.”

However, the channel later distanced itself from this claim, alleging that the documents first appeared in a smaller private Telegram group before being sent to them.

On 20 October, Middle East Spectator issued a formal statement addressing the leak and responding to media speculation.

“As a response to various media inquiries, we express that Middle East Spectator is not aware of any additional leaked classified U.S. documents,” the channel stated.

“We also reiterate that we have no connection to the original source, which we assume to be a whistleblower within the U.S. Department of Defense.”

The channel further clarified that the documents were first noticed in a private Telegram group with around 7,000 members, and that the documents reached Middle East Spectator via an anonymous direct message (DM), which had also been sent to other individuals and news outlets.

Additionally, the channel rejected claims made by outlets like Axios and The Jerusalem Post that it is affiliated with Iran. “Middle East Spectator is a tight-knit team of fully independent journalists,” the statement emphasised.

Despite US diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israel-Iran conflict from escalating, particularly in Lebanon, the US continues to provide Israel with substantial military and financial support.

In August 2024, the US Department of State announced an additional US$3.5 billion in funding for Israel, intended for the purchase of US-made weapons and military equipment.

This financial and military backing has been provided without any conditions, even as the US has urged Israel to seek opportunities for a ceasefire after the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and amidst the blocking of aid into Gaza and various apparent war crimes committed.

The Pentagon acknowledged the reports of the leaked documents but refrained from offering further comment.

The Israeli military has similarly remained silent on the matter. According to the leaked information, Israel had been moving military assets in preparation for a possible retaliatory strike following Iran’s missile attack.

Israeli officials have consistently stated that they will not allow Iran’s aggression to go unanswered, despite US pressure to avoid further escalation that could widen the conflict.

As the investigation unfolds, US authorities are working to assess the full scope of the breach and its potential implications for US and Israeli security. The leak has exacerbated concerns about internal security lapses in the US intelligence community, particularly in light of Israel’s already delicate situation in the Middle East.