The UK has joined the US, France and other allies in calling for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to create space for broader negotiations and prevent a larger conflict.
The joint statement said: “It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes. The exchange of fire since 7 October, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”
The proposed agreement would not affect the war in Gaza.
This follows the prime minister’s Wednesday address to the UN Security Council, urging an end to the violence in Lebanon and Gaza.
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.
Key Points
- Britain joins US, France and allies in call for 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
- US and France call for 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
- Israeli military chief suggests Lebanon ground invasion ahead
- Blinken says Israel has ‘legitimate problem’ with Hezbollah on border
- All-out war possible - but so is peace, says Biden
- Starmer calls on UN to demand immediate ceasefire and hostages release
Britain joins US, France and allies in call for 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
07:15
Maroosha Muzaffar
The UK has joined the US, France and a host of allies in calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, warning the escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah is “intolerable”.
In a joint statement, the 12-strong bloc calls for a 21-day ceasefire “to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement”, as well as a ceasefire in Gaza.
The statement says: “The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8th, 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation. This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon.
“It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety.
“Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.”
Read the full report here:
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
07:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
The prime minister has urged Britons in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as Israel intensifies its bombing campaign against Hezbollah. Sir Keir added that he believes the conflict between Israel and Lebanon is on the “brink point”.
It comes as 700 British troops are being sent to Cyprus to prepare for a possible evacuation of up to 10,000 Britons from Lebanon.
The Foreign Office says: “FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon. If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave, while commercial options remain available.
“Tensions are high and events could escalate with little warning, which could affect or limit exit routes out of Lebanon. In the event of deterioration in the political or security situation, commercial routes out of Lebanon could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice, and roads across the country could be closed. “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign Office.
Read the full report here:
US expects ceasefire deal to take effect ‘in coming hours’
06:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
Senior US officials have said that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border is expected to take effect “in the coming hours”, Sky News reported.
One administration official was quoted as saying by the outlet: “The ceasefire will be for 21 days along the blue line (demarcation line dividing Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights).
“During those 21 days, the parties will negotiate towards a potential resolution of the conflict that has been ongoing since Hezbollah launched the attack on October 8, and to reach a comprehensive agreement along the blue line that allows for residents to return to their home in both Lebanon and Israel.”
The US and France have called for a 21-day ceasefire to negotiate a broader resolution to the conflict.
“It buys some time and space to try to pursue an arrangement in Gaza along the lines of the hostage deal we’ve been discussing,” the US official said.
He continued: “We believe, regardless of what has happened on the battlefield over the last several days, the moment we feel is now to achieve that diplomatic resolution; to get there.”
Blinken says Israel has ‘legitimate problem’ with Hezbollah on border
06:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
US secretary of state Antony Blinken defended Israel’s right to seek security by removing Hezbollah from its northern borders after the militant group began firing rockets into Israel.
“Israel’s got a legitimate problem here. Starting on 8 October, Hezbollah in the north, from southern Lebanon, started lobbing rockets and missiles into Israel,” he said. “People living in northern Israel had to flee their homes – about 70,000 – and Israel understandably, legitimately, wants a secure environment so people can return home.”
He added: “The best way to get that is through diplomacy, an agreement to pull back forces, allow people to return home in northern Israel – also many Lebanese in southern Lebanon forced from their homes. We want to get people back home. The best way to do that is not war; it’s diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, the Lebanese foreign minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, called the US’s approach “not promising”. He said: “The US is the only country that can really make a difference in the Middle East with regard to Lebanon.”
‘Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon’, UN chief warns
05:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon” as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, with exchanges of fire intensifying along the UN-patrolled border.
In a statement, Mr Guterres urged both sides to respect Lebanese sovereignty and called for Lebanon to have “full control of its weapons” throughout the country.
Nearly 200,000 Lebanese and over 60,000 northern Israelis have been displaced since Hezbollah began launching rockets across the border in support of Hamas in Gaza. Hundreds have been killed in the escalating conflict.
The communities on both sides “must be able to return to their homes and live in safety and security, without fear”, the secretary-general said.
“Civilians must be protected. Civilian infrastructure most not be targeted…To all sides, let us say in one clear voice: stop the killing and destruction. Tone down the rhetoric and threats. Step back from the brink,” he said.
Israeli military chief says troops preparing for possible ground invasion of Lebanon
05:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
Israel’s top general has indicated that the country is preparing for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, as airstrikes targeting Hezbollah continue into a third day.
Israel’s chief of staff, Maj Gen Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops during a visit to the country’s north: “We are preparing the process of a manoeuvre, which means your military boots, your manoeuvring boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points and launchpads into our territory [from which to] carry out attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Mr Halevi’s remarks come as the US increased pressure for a pause in the fighting, with Joe Biden warning of the urgent need to prevent an “all-out war” in the region.
“An all-out war is possible,” the US president told ABC, adding that he believed an opportunity also existed “to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region”.
US and France call for 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
04:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
The US and France have called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to create space for broader negotiations and prevent a larger conflict. This follows a heavy three-day Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon that has killed over 600 people.
The ceasefire proposal, endorsed by several global powers — like Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — aims to allow civilians to return to their homes on the Israel-Lebanon border safely. It does not, however, apply to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The joint statement issued by Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron said: “It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes. The exchange of fire since October 7th, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”
The two leaders said they worked on a temporary ceasefire “to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border”.
Biden says conflict could turn into ‘all-out war’: full report
04:00
Jane Dalton
We’ve wiped out Hezbollah command centres, says Israel
03:00
Jane Dalton
The Israeli defence forces claim their strikes in Lebanon have wiped out intelligence-gathering tools, command centres and other infrastructure used by Hezbollah.
60 Hezbollah Intelligence Directorate targets were struck by the IAF.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 25, 2024
The strikes eliminated intelligence-gathering tools, command centers, and additional infrastructure used by the terrorist army to build an intelligence situational assessment.
Here you can see all the… pic.twitter.com/Vzhv5JzsR5
Residents of northern Israel’s largest city face Hezbollah fire
01:30
Jane Dalton
Haifa, a seaside city of nearly 300,000 people, has increasingly come into Hezbollah ‘s sights since fighting with Israel escalated this week - and residents are bracing for what many fear will be the worst round of violence since a war nearly two decades ago pounded the city with rockets:
How safe it is to travel to Jordan, and your rights if you have booked
Wednesday 25 September 2024 23:59
Jane Dalton
US and France in talks over peace deal, says Cypriot leader
Wednesday 25 September 2024 22:50
Jane Dalton
The United States and France are trying to hammer out an interim accord to halt hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah with a view to opening broader diplomatic talks, Cyprus’ president, Nikos Christodoulides, has said.
“I don’t see that we can have a [broad] agreement but a form of interim agreement in order to avoid further escalation. This is the effort right now especially from the United States and France,” Mr Christodoulides told Reuters at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is the closest European Union member state, to Lebanon - about 160 miles away, and has been at the forefront of maritime aid efforts for Gaza.
Mr Christodoulides said: “During the last days there are a lot of deliberations to avoid further escalation, especially with Lebanon. There is a diplomatic initiative from the United States and France.”
Thousands are pouring into Syria, fleeing conflict
Wednesday 25 September 2024 21:55
Jane Dalton
Families fleeing Lebanon poured into Syria in growing numbers on Wednesday, waiting for hours i to reach the relative safety of another war-torn country:
Israel denies Hezbollah missile struck Mossad HQ
Wednesday 25 September 2024 21:15
Jane Dalton
Israeli officials said a heavy missile had headed towards civilian areas in Tel Aviv, not Mossad’s HQ, as Hezbollah had claimed, before being shot down.
Israel has expanded the zones in Lebanon that it had been striking since Tuesday night, with attacks for the first time on the beach resort of Jiyyeh, just south of Beirut.
As many as half a million people may have been displaced in Lebanon, its foreign minister said. In Beirut, thousands of people displaced from southern Lebanon were sheltering in schools and other buildings.
More than 60 people were forced to leave the Christian town of Alma Chaab, along the border, following strikes overnight.
“At least two houses were completely destroyed but thankfully they were empty and we had no deaths,” said Milad Eid, a resident.
Israeli authorities said the Galilee region of northern Israel was hit by heavy Hezbollah barrages on Wednesday morning.
Watch: Lebanon resident calls for mother as explosions ring out
Wednesday 25 September 2024 20:35
Jane Dalton
Opinion: I watched terrified Britons flee Lebanon in 2006 and I fear it will happen again
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 19:25
Jane Dalton
Israel expands strikes on Lebanon - full report
Wednesday 25 September 2024 19:00
Jane Dalton
Israeli leader vows to bring back citizens forced from homes
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 17:20
Jane Dalton
No more excuses, Starmer tells Israel
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 15:07
Jane Dalton
Israel calls up reservists
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 14:15
Jane Dalton
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
Wednesday 25 September 2024 14:06
Jane Dalton
'At least 22 people’ killed in in Israeli air strikes
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 13:01
Tom Watling
Israel extends strikes on southern Lebanon
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 12:13
Tom Watling
Update: nearly 41,500 Palestinians killed in Gaza, says health ministry
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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'
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 10:59
Tom Watling
Here are some of the latest photos from Lebanon
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
Wednesday 25 September 2024 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
