Israel’s military chief has suggested a ground invasion of Lebanon could be imminent as Israel bombarded the south of the country for a third day running.
“You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day,” General Herzi Halevi told troops. “This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.”
The Israeli military also says it is activating reserve troops in response to rising tensions with Hezbollah.
The militant group fired a missile towards Tel Aviv for the first time, claiming to have targeted the headquarters of the Mossad spy agency in Tel Aviv, an escalation in the conflict with Israel that moved the arch-foes another step closer to war.
At least 51 people were killed on Wednesday in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, a minister said. In all, air strikes there have killed more than 560 people in three days, health minister Firass Abiad said.
United Nations experts say more than 90,500 people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes this week.
Around 700 British troops are being sent to Cyprus to prepare for a possible rescue of up to 10,000 Britons from Lebanon.
Key Points
- Israeli military chief suggests Lebanon ground invasion ahead
- All-out war possible - but so is peace, says Biden
- Starmer calls on UN to demand immediate ceasefire and hostages release
- At least 51 people killed in strikes on Lebanon, minister says
- More than 90,000 people in Lebanon displaced, UN says
Watch: Lebanon resident calls for mother as explosions ring out
20:35
Jane Dalton
Opinion: I watched terrified Britons flee Lebanon in 2006 and I fear it will happen again
20:00
Jane Dalton
Caroline Gammell witnessed the evacuations 18 years ago in Beirut, and says the government should take heed of a blueprint that worked:
British citizens fear being trapped in Lebanon as conflict escalates
19:25
Jane Dalton
Israel expands strikes on Lebanon - full report
19:00
Jane Dalton
Israeli leader vows to bring back citizens forced from homes
18:30
Jane Dalton
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeated a vow to return the tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from northern border areas to their homes.
And he said the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement was being hit harder than it could imagine.
“I can’t go into detail about everything we do, but I can tell you one thing: We are determined to return our residents in the north safely to their homes,” he said in a brief video message that made no comment on US-led efforts to secure a ceasefire deal.
On Tuesday, he urged Lebanese civilians to flee to safety.
All-out war possible, says Biden
17:50
Jane Dalton
US president Joe Biden has said an all-out war was possible in the Middle East but there was also the possibility of a settlement in Israel‘s conflicts in Gaza and with Hezbollah.
“An all-out war is possible, but I think there’s also the opportunity - we’re still in play to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region,” Mr Biden said in an appearance on ABC.
Starmer calls on UN to demand immediate ceasefire and hostages release
17:28
Jane Dalton
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has demanded the UN Security Council ask for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
He said: “We need a political route to that agreement which provides a bridge to a better future.
“A credible and irreversible path to a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure state of Israel. That is the only way to provide security and justice to both Israelis and Palestinians.”
Read more:
In pictures: Damage in Israel after Hezbollah fires rockets
17:20
Jane Dalton
No more excuses, Starmer tells Israel
17:18
Jane Dalton
Prime minister Keir Starmer has told lsrael there must be “no more excuses” while calling on Hamas to let the hostages go.
Calling October 7 “the bloodiest of days for Jewish people since the Holocaust”, he said: “I utterly condemn the terrorist actions of Hamas.”
He added: “I say again let the hostages go. We must face up to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza that deepens by the day.
“Israel must grant humanitarian access to civilians in line with obligations to international law.
“There can be no more excuses. Israel must open more crossings allow vital life-saving aid to flow and provide a safe environment for the UN and other organisations to operate.”
Read more in our politics live blog.
Recap: Israel intercepts Hezbollah’s farthest strike yet in 11 months
17:01
Jane Dalton
Israel-Hamas war latest: Israel intercepts Hezbollah's farthest strike yet in 11 months of exchanges
US leads peace drive at UN
16:45
Jane Dalton
The United States is spearheading a new diplomatic effort to end hostilities in both Gaza and Lebanon, linking the two conflicts as part of a single initiative, six sources familiar with the initiative told Reuters.
Details are being hammered out at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to two Lebanese officials, two Western diplomats, a source familiar with Hezbollah’s thinking and a source briefed on the talks.
Israeli military chief suggests Lebanon ground invasion ahead
16:14
Jane Dalton
Israel’s military chief has told troops that air strikes in Lebanon would carry on, in order to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure and to prepare the way for a possible ground operation by Israeli forces.
“You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day,” General Herzi Halevi told troops on the border with Lebanon, according to a statement from the military. “This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.”
Risk of escalation acute, says Blinken
15:46
Jane Dalton
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the risk of escalation in the Middle East was acute and that both Washington and its allies were working tirelessly to avoid a full-blown war between Israel and Iran-aligned armed group Hezbollah.
“We meet at a time of high tension,” Mr Blinken said at the start of a meeting with senior officials and ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council in New York. “Risk of escalation in the region is acute. The best answer is diplomacy, and our coordinated efforts are vital to preventing further escalation,” he added.
At least 51 people killed in strikes on Lebanon, minister says
15:11
Jane Dalton
At least 51 people were killed and 223 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon today, the Lebanese health minister Firass Abiad has told journalists.
Watch live: Funeral for Hezbollah commanders killed in Beirut
15:07
Jane Dalton
Israel calls up reservists
14:38
Jane Dalton
The Israeli military says it is activating reserve troops in response to rising tensions with the Hezbollah militant group.
The announcement indicates that Israel is planning even tougher action against the Lebanese group.
Hours earlier, Hezbollah fired a missile towards Tel Aviv for the first time.
The army said it was calling up two reserve brigades for “operational missions in the northern arena”.
“This will enable the continuation of combat against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation,” it said.
Israeli military says it hit 60 Hezbollah intelligence targets
14:36
Jane Dalton
The Israeli military says it has hit 60 targets belonging to Hezbollah’s intelligence directorate.
“The strikes destroyed intelligence-gathering tools, command centres, and additional infrastructure used by the enemy to build an intelligence situational assessment,” the military said in a statement.
At least 90,530 newly displaced people reported in Lebanon
14:31
Jane Dalton
At least 90,530 newly displaced people have been reported in Lebanon, including nearly 40,000 in 283 shelters, the UN’s International Organization for Migration has said.
Israel expands strikes on Lebanon as Hezbollah targets Tel Aviv with missile
14:15
Jane Dalton
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
14:06
Jane Dalton
'At least 22 people’ killed in in Israeli air strikes
13:23
Jane Dalton
At least 22 people have died in Lebanon as a result of Israeli strikes today, according to a Reuters tally of health ministry statements.
We have more photos from Lebanon as Israel carries out airstrikes
13:01
Tom Watling
Israel extends strikes on southern Lebanon
12:39
Tom Watling
The Israeli military has announced that it is extending it’s strikes on southern Lebanon to inlcude Nabatea.
The area is located south of the Bekaa valley towards the centre of Lebanon.
Mapped: Where have Israel’s missiles hit Lebanon as 500 killed
12:13
Tom Watling
Update: nearly 41,500 Palestinians killed in Gaza, says health ministry
11:49
Tom Watling
The Gaza health ministry has issued an updated death toll in the Strip as it nears a year of Israel’s war on Hamas in the region.
At least 41,495 Palestinians have been killed, the Hamas-run ministry said, adding that 96,006 have been injured.
While Israel fires on what it says are Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, the number of deaths in Gaza has decreased.
A dozen Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli attacks in Gaza on Monday, compared with 24 on Sunday and 40 on Saturday.
A civil defence spokesperson in Gaza, Mahmoud Basal, said on Monday that the number of strikes had reduced three-fold in recent 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,” he told The Washington Post.
Pope Francis, back from flu, calls airstrikes on Lebanon 'unacceptable'
11:23
Tom Watling
Pope Francis called Israeli strikes on Lebanon a “terrible escalation” of the Middle East conflict on Wednesday at the end of his weekly general audience at the Vatican, which went ahead two days after he cancelled meetings over mild flu.
The pope said the attacks, in which Israel says it has been striking targets affiliated with the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, were “unacceptable” and urged the international community to do everything possible to halt the fighting.
Francis did not specifically identify Israel, but said he was “saddened by news from Lebanon in recent days that bombardments have caused much destruction and many victims”.
The 87-year-old pontiff, who has suffered bouts of ill health in recent years, appeared in good form through his audience although he coughed lightly a few times while speaking.
Keir Starmer warns Middle East on brink of all out war ahead of UN debut
10:59
Tom Watling
Here are some of the latest photos from Lebanon
10:31
Tom Watling
Below are some of the latest photos from Lebanon as Israel launches “extensive strikes” over the border for the third day in a row.
Three killed in Israeli strike on Lebanese town in Christian-majority region, ministry says
10:26
Tom Watling
Three people were killed and nine others injured in an Israeli strike on the Lebanese Shi’ite town of Maaysrah in the Christian-majority Keserwan region, the country’s health ministry said on Wednesday.
It was the first time the area was struck in recent hostilities between the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Strike on Lebanese Shi'ite town in Christian-majority Keserwan region, say media, resident
10:03
Tom Watling
A strike on Wednesday hit the Lebanese Shi’ite town of Maaysrah, state media and a resident there said, referring to a place in the mountains of the Christian-majority Keserwan region.
There were no immediate reports of casualties but it was the first time the area was struck in recent hostilities between the Israeli military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Killing valuable Hezbollah members will not beat it, Iran says
09:44
Tom Watling
Killing valuable members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah will not bring it to its knees, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said, as cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah increase fears of all-out war in the Middle East.
In a message on X, formerly Twitter, he added: “Hezbollah is the victor.”
Israel launches ‘extensive strikes' on southern Lebanon
09:24
Tom Watling
The Israeli military has announced it is firing rockets across southern Lebanon and in the Bekaa valley that runs along the border with Syria.
The military posted on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “The [Israeli military] attacks widely in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, more details below.”
An Israeli military spokesperson added that they had launched “extensive strikes”.
عاجل| تغطية صحفية: طيران الاحتلال ينفذ غارات على البقاع الغربي وبلدات البازورية وكفرمان وتبنين في لبنان. pic.twitter.com/9TWYSkzGsn
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) September 25, 2024
UK nationals told to leave Lebanon immediately as 700 troops sent to Cyprus
09:15
Tom Watling
The UK is sending around 700 troops to Cyprus in case an emergency evacuation of Lebanon is required, as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate.
Britons have been urged to leave Lebanon but with airlines suspending flights to the country because of the violence, commercial escape routes could be cut off as the situation deteriorates.
The deployment to Cyprus comes as the government begins the first stage of its contingency plan, with the military team supported by Border Force and Foreign Office officials.
More here.
Starmer calls for de-escalation in Middle East
09:02
Tom Watling
Sir Keir Starmer has called for de-escalation in the Middle East as Israel ramps up its strikes on Lebanon.
“I have long supported Israel’s right to self-defence and that has been absolutely clear and consistent with everything I’ve ever said,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“But the point we’re at now is very close to the bone and that’s why we need to de-escalate.
“It doesn’t mean we walk away from the problems, it doesn’t mean we don’t recognise the threat that Israel is under, which is very real, but this escalation is getting to a point where the right thing now to do is to de-escalate, have a ceasefire and make sure we can progress in a different way.”
Here are the latest photos from northern Israel and Lebanon
09:00
Tom Watling
Israeli jets intercept drone from Syria, military says
08:45
Tom Watling
The Israeli military has said its fighter jets intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that crossed from Syria.
“The UAV was intercepted ... south of the Sea of Galilee. No damage or injuries were reported,” it said.
Analysis: Routes out of Lebanon are narrowing as Starmer urges Brits to evacuate
08:31
Chris Stevenson, International Editor
The foreign secretary David Lammy and the defence secretary John Healey have been calling for British citizens to leave Lebanon for days, with commercial flight operators cancelling flights and options for people to make their own way out narrowing.
Those warnings have now been repeated by the prime minister, with Israel intensifying its strikes across Lebanon, as it aims to hit Hezbollah. More than 560 people have now died around the country, with around 2,000 injured, heightening fears of an all-out war.
Although commercial flights are still operating for now, there are concerns that Israel could bomb the international airport in Beirut – or the roads to it – like it did in the 2006 war against Hezbollah, which could cut off British citizens from their only means of escape.
Ministers have been preparing for a possible evacuation of the up to 10,000 Britons in Lebanon, with 700 troops being deployed to Cyprus to ensure they are ready if an emergency airlift is needed. Moving at this speed – and making it clear to the public what is happening – has likely been informed of the chaotic scenes during the UK troop withdrawal/evacuation from Kabul when the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021.
The scenes of people trying to claim onto the wheels of planes while thousands rushed to cram up against fences to plead for help will be seared into the minds of the government, they will not want a repeat.
While such an evacuation is unlikely to be imminent, ministers will know the situation can change quickly. There would be an obvious preference to conduct any emergency evacuation via military planes – as it would be fastest. But UK forces may end up needing to rely on Royal Navy ships waiting in the area, depending on how the clashes between Israel and Hezbollah progress.
Sir Keir Starmer: Britons should leave Lebanon immediately
08:07
Tom Watling
Sir Keir Starmer has urged Britons still in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as Israel intensifies its strikes against Hezbollah.
Speaking on a flight to the United Nations HQ in New York, Sir Keir said: "The most important message from me to British nationals in Lebanon is to leave immediately. It is important that we’ve been really, really clear: now is the time to leave.”
Starmer says Netanyahu wrong to criticise arms export suspension
08:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Sir Keir Starmer rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism of the UK government’s decision to suspend some arms export licences to Israel amid concerns of violation of humanitarian law.
The Israeli prime minister called the decision “misguided” after the new Labour government suspended about 30 out of a total of 350 arms export licences to Israel.
The licences were suspended after a UK assessment suggested they could be used to breach international rules.
Sir Keir told LBC ahead of his UN General Assembly speech that Israel was an “important ally” but said Britain had to comply with international rules.
“I have long supported Israel’s right to self-defence and that has been absolutely clear and consistent with everything I’ve ever said,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“But the point we’re at now is very close to the bone and that’s why we need to de-escalate”.
“It doesn’t mean we walk away from the problems, it doesn’t mean we don’t recognise the threat that Israel is under, which is very real, but this escalation is getting to a point where the right thing now to do is to de-escalate, have a ceasefire and make sure we can progress in a different way.”
Hezbollah fires rocket toward Tel Aviv
07:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv as a single surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by Israel's air defence systems after it was detected crossing from Lebanon, the military said.
The warning sirens also sounded in other areas of central Israel, including Netanya City. There were no reports of damage or casualties and the military said there was no change to civil defence instructions for central Israel.
This is the first time Hezbollah has targeted Tel Aviv in central Israel since it began launching attacks on the north of Israel late last year following the 7 October Hamas attack and Benjamin Netanyahu’s retaliatory war on Gaza.
The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants have fired hundreds of missiles and rockets at Israel in recent days as months of conflict across the border with southern Lebanon has intensified sharply.
The Israeli military has been conducting its heaviest air strikes of the war this week, targeting Hezbollah leaders and hitting hundreds of targets deep inside Lebanon that have killed more than 560 people and wounded more than 1,800.
Hezbollah confirms death of missile chief in Israeli strike
07:27
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A top Hezbollah commander was killed during Israel’s airstrikes on Lebanon, the militia group confirmed this morning.
The Iran-backed group said Ibrahim Mohammad Qobeissi, the alleged commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit, was killed in a strike on a southern suburb of Beirut. He was 62.
The group in a statement said Qobeissi “achieved martyrdom on the path to Jerusalem”.Israel said Qobeissi had orchestrated a 2000 attack when three Israeli soldiers were abducted and killed.
Israel-Hezbollah conflict timeline: Everything that’s happened since 7 October
07:15
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah are growing, with the Israeli military launching fresh strikes on Lebanon after the deadliest day for the country since at least 2006.
A rapid escalation has taken place following a series of exploding device attacks last week, in which pagers and walkie-talkies blew up around Lebanon. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the attack.
Fifty children are among more than 560 dead so far this week following Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
The Independent takes a look at the recent timeline of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and an ally of Hamas in Gaza.
Senior Hezbollah commander killed in rocket strike
06:55
Barney Davis
An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior commander of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon on Tuesday as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war.
“We seek peace for all and have no intention of conflict with any country ... Iran opposes war and emphasizes the need for an immediate cessation of military conflict in Ukraine,” Pezeshkian said.
Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran since the start of its war with Ukraine and has said it is preparing to sign a wide-ranging cooperation agreement with the Islamic state.
Iran has brokered secret talks between Russia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels to transfer anti-ship missiles to that militant group, three Western and regional sources said, a development that highlights Tehran’s deepening ties to Moscow.
Hezbollah confirms launching missile at Tel Aviv
06:51
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hezbollah said it launched a surface-to-surface rocket targeting Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv, saying the Israeli intelligence agency was responsible for assassinating its commanders and blowing up its pagers and walkie-talkies.
The Iran-backed group said it fired a Qadr-110 medium-range ballistic missile to target the headquarters this morning, in its first attack on central Israel since the Gaza war began last October.
Israel said the projectile was intercepted by its air defences.
The Israeli military has been conducting its heaviest airstrikes of the war this week on Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah leaders and hitting hundreds of targets deep inside the country. More than 560 people were killed and 1,800 wounded in strikes on Monday and Tuesday alone.
Turkey’s Erdogan compares Netanyahu to Hitler
06:45
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has compared Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler at the UN General Assembly, urging world leaders to stop what he described as the Israeli prime minister’s aggression in the Middle East.
“Just as Hitler was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his murder network must also be stopped by the alliance of humanity,” Mr Erdogan said yesterday as he criticised the UN for becoming “a dysfunctional structure”.
“I call out the United Nations Security Council, what are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza? To put a stop to this cruelty and this barbarianism?” he asked.
Israel’s airstrikes have killed more than 41,400 Palestinians and injured over 95,800 others in Gaza in 11 months. The war began in retaliation against Hamas’s surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October, which killed nearly 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians.
Lebanon journalist hit by Israeli airstrike during live broadcast
06:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A journalist in Lebanon sustained injuries after his house was struck by an Israeli projectile while he was broadcasting live.
Fadi Boudia, the editor-in-chief of the Maraya International network, suffered injuries when the blast shattered the windows of his house in eastern Lebanon’s Al-Bekaa region.
The video of the incident is now viral on social media.
Mr Boudia was speaking live on the Iraqi channel iNews about Israel’s bombings in Lebanon, which has killed more than 560 people, Middle East Monitor reported.
BREAKING:
— sarah (@sahouraxo) September 23, 2024
Lebanese journalist Fadi Boudia was hit by Israel while reporting live on air. pic.twitter.com/5U3SWkXXly
Protests in US over Biden’s support for Israel
06:15
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Protesters in some US cities demonstrated yesterday against American military support for Israel amid concerns of a wider war in the Middle East, with anti-war activists demanding an arms embargo against the US ally.
Dozens of protesters gathered in Herald Square in New York City on Tuesday evening and carried banners that read “Hands off Lebanon now” and “no US-Israeli war on Lebanon,” according to the ANSWER coalition group, which stands for “Act Now to Stop War and End Racism”.
Protesters chanted “Hands off the Middle East”, “Free Palestine” and “Biden, Harris, Trump and Bibi; none are welcome in our city,” referring to US president Joe Biden, vice president Kamala Harris, former president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A smaller protest with similar slogans and banners was also seen near the White House in Washington last evening.
“Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and the ongoing siege and genocide in Gaza are made possible by the huge amount of bombs, missiles and warplanes provided by the US government,” the ANSWER coalition group said in a statement.
It said protests were also being organised in other cities including San Francisco, Seattle, San Antonio and Phoenix.
Macron calls on both sides to stop attacks
20:00
Jane Dalton
French president Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was dispatching his foreign minister to Lebanon as part of efforts to prevent a full-fledged war, calling on Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah to immediately stop hostilities.
“There cannot be, must not be war in Lebanon,” he said in a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.
France has historical ties with Lebanon and prior to the recent flare-up had worked for months on proposals to defuse tensions between the two sides.
“We are firmly calling on Israel to stop the escalation in Lebanon and Hezbollah to stop firing towards Israel,” Mr Macron said.
He said his newly appointed foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot would travel to Lebanon at the end of the week.
Which bases will 700 troops go to to help Brits evacuate?
06:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The UK already has a significant diplomatic and military presence in the region, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and British ships RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan, which have remained in the eastern Mediterranean over the summer.
The Royal Air Force has planes and transport helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary.
The deployment to Cyprus comes as the government begins the first stage of its contingency plan, with the military team supported by Border Force and Foreign Office officials.
Mapped: Where have Israel’s missiles hit Lebanon as nearly 500 die in one day
05:45
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire of thousands of rockets, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes, with the Israeli strikes on Lebanon being particularly intense, leaving more than 550 people dead and 1,800 injured in less than two days.
The Israeli military said warplanes struck 1,600 targets on Monday, claiming that they were being used by the Iran-backed Hezbollah Many, the military said, were hidden in residential areas and they called on resiudents to evacuate. Israeli warplanes resumed aerial attacks in the early hours of Tuesday.
Pictured: Scenes on the ground in Lebanon
05:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Breaking: Israel intercepts ‘missile fired from Lebanon’
05:09
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Rocket sirens were sounded across Tel Aviv this morning as the Israeli military said it intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired from Lebanon.
This is the first time Hezbollah has targeted Tel Aviv in central Israel since it began launching attacks on the north of Israel this year following Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Gaza.
Israel’s two-day-long bombing of Lebanon has killed more than 560 people, including 50 children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry