Beirut has been rocked by huge explosions with a Lebanese government source claiming at least one Israeli strike had come close to the city’s airport.
Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, who is widely regarded as the successor to slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, was a target of the strikes, US news site Axios reported.
Civilians were fleeing the series of massive blasts in Beirut’s southern suburbs last night, with state media reporting there were more than 10 consecutive airstrikes.
Witnesses said they saw smoke near Beirut’s international airport while a source in Lebanon’s transport ministry said an Israeli strike had come down outside the perimeter this morning.
Earlier at least nine people were killed and 14 wounded in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut, targeting a building near the parliament.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people, including children, in the occupied West Bank in one of the deadliest attacks in two decades, the Palestinian health ministry said.
The Israeli military said that it had conducted a strike on Tulkarm which killed the head of the Hamas network in the city.
Key Points
- Senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine targeted in Israeli strikes - report
- 18 killed in Israel’s deadliest attack on West Bank in decades
- Biden says he doesn’t believe there will be an ‘all-out war’
- Israeli strike hits ‘outside perimeter of Beirut airport'
Iran says it will not back down from Israel
10:51
Alexander Butler
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Tehran and its regional proxies will not back down from Israel.
It came just hours after an Israeli attack on Beirut that is thought to have targeted the successor apparent to Iran-backed Hezbollah’s slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah.
“The brilliant action of our armed forces a couple of nights ago was completely legal and legitimate”, Khamenei said.
Iran’s “axis of resistance” comprises a group of violent proxies across Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Palestine, coordinated by Iran’s Quds Force, the foreign arm of the IRGC.
The Quds Force’s aim is to export Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution abroad. The US assassinated the former head of the Quds Force, Qassem Solemaini, in January 2020.
Iran says 7 October attack was ‘legitimate'
10:39
Alexander Butler
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Hamas’s 7 October attack which killed 1,200 Israelis was legitimate.
Khamenei said the barbaric attack was the “minimum punishment” for Israel against their “astonishing crimes” on Friday.
He also called Israel a “vampire” regime, and its chief ally, the United States, a “rabid dog”.
Mapped: Israel ordered civilians to take cover in bomb shelters as Iran launches missiles
10:00
Alexander Butler
How ironclad is Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system?
09:30
Alexander Butler
Since Israel activated the Iron Dome in 2011, the cutting-edge rocket-defense system has intercepted thousands of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, including on Tuesday night when Iran launched a large scale missile attack.
The system has given residents a sense of security, and Israelis can often be seen watching the projectiles flying through the skies and destroying their targets overhead.
But the current war with Hamas, which has led to direct confrontations with Iran, might be its stiffest challenge yet.
Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei to give first Friday sermon in 5 years
09:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei will deliver a public sermon during today’s prayers, which could shed light on the country’s plans after firing 200 missiles at Israel.
Today’s sermon would be the Ayatollah’s first in almost five years and comes three days before the one-year anniversary of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Khamenei will lead the prayer at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran, which will follow “a commemoration ceremony” at 10.30am (local time) for slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
What are Israel and Iran’s attack and defence capabilities?
08:42
Alexander Butler
Pictured: Israelis gather around Iranian missile debris
08:40
Alexander Butler
Israel intercepts more rockets fired from Lebanon
08:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Israel Defence Force today said it intercepted some of the 20 rockets fired by Lebanon toward the Haifa area.
While most projectiles were intercepted, others struck open ground, the military said.
What are Israel and Iran’s attack and defence capabilities?
08:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Fears are rising of an all-out war across the Middle East in the wake of lran launching almost 200 ballistic missiles in an attack on Israel, marking a major escalation in the conflict between the two bitter enemies.
Figures published by the think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) show that Israel has 169,500 active personnel, with a reserve army of 465,000. Those currently in service include 126,000 in the army, 9,500 in the navy and 34,000 in the air force.
Meanwhile, Iran has 610,000 active personnel, which includes 350,000 in their army, 190,000 in the IRGC, and 15,000 in air defence and 18,000 in the navy.
They also have an additional reserve of 350,000 with conscription mandatory for Iranian men over 18, while Israel conscripts most young men and women over 18 with a few exemptions.
Holly Evans reports.
Israel strikes near Russian air base in Syria - report
07:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Suspected Israeli rockets struck near a Russian airbase in Syria, which is believed to house weapons for Iran, according to a report.
About 30 missiles were fired at a target near Khmeimim air base overnight, triggering a series of huge explosions, The Telegraph reported.
The strikes were launched an hour after an Iranian Qassem Fars Airlines cargo plane allegedly delivered weapons at the base, according to the report.
Purported video from the strikes showed streaks of bright orange lighting up the night sky as air defences attempted to intercept the missile.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told The Telegraph that Russian and Syrian air defences attempted to intercept missiles for at least 40 minutes in Latakia but failed.
Boris Johnson claims bugging device found in bathroom after Netanyahu visit
07:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A bugging device was found in Boris Johnson’s bathroom after a visit by Benjamin Netanyahu when he was foreign secretary, the former prime minister has claimed.
Mr Johnson alleged that his security team had made the discovery when they did a sweep of the toilets after the Israeli premier had used them during a meeting in 2017.
Writing in his memoir, “Unleashed”, the former Tory MP said Mr Netanyahu had excused himself during talks at his old office to use the washroom, described as “a secret annex… a bit like the gents in a posh London club.”
More here.
Israeli strike ‘closes off road' used to flee Lebanon to Syria
06:44
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
An Israeli strike this morning near Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing with Syria cut off a road used by hundreds of thousands of people to flee Israeli bombardments in recent days, Lebanon’s transport minister said.
Ali Hamieh told Reuters that the strike hit inside Lebanese territory near the border crossing, creating a 12ft wide crater.
An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) military spokesman had accused Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Thursday of using the crossing to transport military equipment into Lebanon.
“The IDF will not allow the smuggling of these weapons and will not hesitate to act if forced to do so, as it has done throughout this war,” IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X.
UAE flight delays: How is the conflict affecting international flights?
06:20
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The late afternoon Emirates flight from London Heathrow to Dubai has an advertised connection to Bangkok of just one hour.
Normally 60 minutes is sufficient for extricating passengers (and, separately, their checked baggage) from the world’s biggest passenger plane, the A380, and enabling them to board another SuperJumbo at a different gate at the airport that handles more international travellers than any in the world, all in the early hours of the morning.
But the remarkable, unrelenting choreography that allows millions of passengers to connect every day at Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and many other hubs is under severe strain as a result of the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.
With Russian and Ukrainian skies closed to Western aircraft, the options for flying from Europe to Asia seem to be narrowing by the day.
Simon Calder reports.
Israel strikes Masnaa border crossing between Syria and Lebanon - report
06:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Israeli military has struck the Masnaa border crossing between Syria and Lebanon with two missiles, halting traffic between the two nations, according to reports.
All departures and entry of passengers and cargo activities were suspended at the border this morning until further notice, authorities said.
Israel has accused the Iran-backed Hezbollah of smuggling weapons from Syria through the border crossing.
Oil jumps over 5 per cent a barrel amid supply worry
05:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil prices surged yesterday as concerns mounted that a widening regional conflict in the Middle East could disrupt global crude flows.
Brent crude futures settled up £2.83, or 5.03 per cent, at £59.13 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled up £2.75, or 5.15 per cent, to £56.15.
Market fears are rising over the possibility that Israel might target Iranian oil infrastructure, which could provoke retaliation.
“Markets are in a state of suspense, bracing for Israel’s anticipated retaliation against Iran - a move that could catapult oil prices skyward,” independent markets analyst Stephen Innes, told AFP.
US president Joe Biden said “we’re discussing that” when asked if he would support Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities.“There is nothing going to happen today,” he added.
In Pics: Israel fires barrage of missiles toward Beirut in Lebanon
05:08
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Children among 18 killed in Israel’s deadliest attack on West Bank in decades
04:23
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people, including children, in the occupied West Bank in one of the deadliest attacks in two decades, the Palestinian health ministry said.
“Eighteen martyrs following the bombing of the Tulkarm camp by the occupation,” the ministry said on Telegram.
Last night’s attack reportedly levelled an entire building. An activist in the area told AFP that the airstrike “hit a cafeteria in a four-storey building”.
He added there were “many victims in the hospital”.
The Israeli military earlier said it conducted a strike in Tulkarm in a joint operation with its Shin Bet security service and killed the head of Hamas in the refugee camp.
It said the strike also killed “multiple other significant terrorists”.
Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa called the attack a “massacre” and accused Israel of ignoring “global calls for justice”.
Biden says he doesn’t believe there will be an ‘all-out war’
04:11
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Joe Biden said yesterday he did not believe there is going to be an “all-out war” in the Middle East, amid Israel’s assault on Lebanon and Gaza and rising tensions with Iran.
Asked how confident Mr Biden was that such a war can be averted, he told reporters: “How confident are you it’s not going to rain? Look, I don’t believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it.”
“But there is a lot to do yet, a lot to do yet,” he added.
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options?
03:56
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
As Israel attacks targets in central Beirut, the UK Foreign Office has run the first evacuation flight from Lebanon to help British citizens, their spouses and children under 18 to leave the country.
The plane from Beirut touched down at Birmingham airport on Wednesday evening carrying “more than 150 British nationals and dependents”, according to the Foreign Office.
More evacuation flights are planned. The government says they “will continue for as long as the security situation allows”.
But the Foreign Office warns: “Do not rely on FCDO being able to evacuate you in an emergency.”
Simon Calder has more.
British man ‘will be stranded in Israel for weeks as there are no flights out’
03:00
Tara Cobham
A British man has said he will be stranded in Israel for weeks because of a lack of commercial flights out of the country to the UK.
Keith Ottaway, 46, originally planned to return to the UK on September 24 after visiting his partner in Israel, but successive flights were cancelled.
He said the next available ticket with Israeli flag carrier airline El Al is not until 21 October.
Sam Hall reports:
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon stay put despite Israel asking them to move
02:15
Tara Cobham
United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon remain in place - despite Israel asking them to move - and provide the only communications link between the countries' militaries, the UN peacekeeping chief said on Thursday.
"Peacekeepers continue to do their best to implement their Security Council mandate in obviously very difficult conditions," UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters, adding that contingency plans were ready for both good and bad outcomes.
The mission, known as UNIFIL, is mandated by the Security Council to help the Lebanese army keep the area free of weapons and armed personnel other than those of the Lebanese state. That has sparked friction with Iran-backed Hezbollah, which effectively controls southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military asked UN peacekeepers earlier this week to prepare to relocate more than 5 km (3 miles) from the border between Israel and Lebanon - known as the Blue Line - "as soon as possible, in order to maintain your safety," according to an excerpt from the message, seen by Reuters.
"The peacekeepers are currently staying in their position, all of them," Lacroix told reporters. "The parties have an obligation to respect the safety of and security of peacekeepers, and I want to insist on that."
Lacroix said UNIFIL was continuing to liaise with both countries, describing the mission as "the only channel of communication" between them. The mission was working to protect civilians and support the safe movement of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid.
The UN peacekeepers operate between the Litani River in the north and the Blue Line in the south. The mission has more than 10,000 troops from 50 countries and about 800 civilian staff, according to its website.
Israel's military told residents of more than 20 towns in south Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately on Thursday as it pressed on with its cross-border incursion and struck Hezbollah targets in a suburb of Beirut.
UN Security Council backs Guterres after Israel bars him from country
01:30
Tara Cobham
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday expressed its full support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel's foreign minister said he was barring him from entering the country.
The 15-member council said in a statement that any decision not to engage with the UN Secretary-General or the United Nations is counterproductive, especially in the context of escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The statement did not name Israel. Such statements by the council are agreed by consensus.
Watch: British man takes shelter as air-raid sirens sound near Tel Aviv in Israel
Friday 4 October 2024 00:45
Tara Cobham
US backs Israel's operations in Lebanon despite risk of expanding conflict
Friday 4 October 2024 00:00
Tara Cobham
The Biden administration believes it is appropriate for Israel to continue with its ground and air attacks on Hezbollah for now, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday, even as he acknowledged the risk of the operation in Lebanon expanding beyond Israel's current aims.
Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday after two weeks of intense airstrikes in a worsening conflict that has drawn in Iran and risks sucking in the United States.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Miller said the nature of all conflicts was "fluid" and "unpredictable" and therefore it was impossible to say how long it would take Israel to achieve its stated goal of clearing Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, allowing it to return Israelis displaced from their homes across the border by months of rocket fire.
"We do ultimately want to see a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution, but we do think it's appropriate that Israel, at this point, is bringing terrorists to justice," Miller said.
Washington has repeatedly warned Israel against escalating the conflict, but a three-week ceasefire proposal put forward by the US and other countries last week was quickly dismissed by Israel in favor of intensified operations.
More than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced by Israeli attacks, and nearly 2,000 people have been killed since the start of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the last year, most of them in the past two weeks, Lebanese authorities said.
The United States has continued to provide Israel with arms despite tensions during the past year over the conduct of its war in Gaza, which started when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October, 2023.
Washington has raised concerns about the civilian toll of that conflict and at times urged Israel to restrain its forces to calm international outrage.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill 37 in past 24 hours, health ministry says
Thursday 3 October 2024 23:20
Tara Cobham
Israeli strikes on Lebanon have left 37 people dead and 151 wounded in the past 24 hours, the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement early on Friday.
Israeli strike on Beirut targets senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, Axios reporter says
Thursday 3 October 2024 23:18
Tara Cobham
An Israeli strike on Beirut targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a post on social media platform X early on Friday, citing an Israeli source.
Safieddine is the man widely regarded as the heir of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Reuters could not confirm the information in the social media post and there was no immediate official statement from any side.
BREAKING: The target for the Israeli strike in Beirut was Hezbollah senior leader Hashem Safi a-Din - who was Hassan Nasrallah's likely successor, Two Israeli officials tell me
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 3, 2024
Pentagon says it's talking to Israel about response to Iran's attack
Thursday 3 October 2024 23:15
Tara Cobham
The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was in discussions with Israeli officials about their possible response to Iran's missile attack earlier this week but declined to offer more details on those talks.
"We are certainly talking to them about their response, but what their response might be, I'm just not going to speculate further on. But we do continue to engage with them," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh.
Israeli military says it killed head of Hamas network in West Bank's Tulkarm
Thursday 3 October 2024 22:41
Tara Cobham
The Israeli military said early on Friday it killed the head of the Hamas network in a strike on West Bank's Tulkarm.
In a statement, the military identified the Hamas operative as Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi.
Israeli strike hits outside perimeter of Beirut airport, transport ministry source says
Thursday 3 October 2024 22:31
Tara Cobham
At least one Israeli strike hit outside the perimeter of Beirut's international airport early on Friday, according to a source in Lebanon's ministry of transport and public works.
A series of loud explosions were heard near Lebanon's Beirut airport, with smoke seen nearby after jets were heard overhead, Reuters witnesses said.
Israel’s ambassador to UN: ‘We have a lot of options with Iran'
Thursday 3 October 2024 22:30
Tara Cobham
Israel has a lot of options when it comes to striking back at Iran in response to its missile attacks earlier this week, the country's ambassador to the United Nations told CNN on Thursday.
"We have a lot of options ... so it's (up to) us to decide where and when we want to attack, but they are vulnerable. They know that," said Danny Danon.
G7 statement renews calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Thursday 3 October 2024 21:45
Tara Cobham
The G7 statement renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the leaders vowed to "continue to be in close contact with all actors" to seek to restore peace and stability.
It added: "We are also deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon. We recall the need for a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible to create space for a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
"This is the only path to durably de-escalate tensions, stabilise the Israel-Lebanon border, fully restore the sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Lebanon, and return displaced citizens to their homes with safety and security on both sides.
"We urge all actors to protect civilian populations. We are committed to providing humanitarian assistance to address the urgent needs of civilians in Lebanon."
At least 14 killed in Israeli strike on Tulkarm in West Bank, Palestinian Health ministry says
Thursday 3 October 2024 21:39
Tara Cobham
At least 14 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said on Thursday.
The Israeli military earlier said in a statement that it had conducted a strike on Tulkarm, without providing more details.
The Palestinian Red Crescent, separately, said that at least five people were killed in the strike on Tulkarm.
Violence has surged in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, with almost daily sweeps by Israeli forces that have involved thousands of arrests and regular gunbattles between security forces and Palestinian fighters.
Israeli military conducts strike on Tulkarm in Occupied West Bank, statement says
Thursday 3 October 2024 21:01
Tara Cobham
The Israeli military said in a statement on Thursday that it has conducted a strike on the West Bank city of Tulkarm.
G7 leaders warn of ‘dangerous cycle of attacks’ leading to ‘uncontrollable escalation’ in Middle East
Thursday 3 October 2024 20:57
Tara Cobham
G7 leaders warned of a "dangerous cycle of attacks" leading to "uncontrollable escalation" in the Middle East as conflict spirals in the region.
In a joint statement released on Thursday, they expressed "deep concern" about the deteriorating situation and called for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
"We, the leaders of the G7, express deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and condemn in the strongest terms Iran's direct military attack against Israel, which constitutes a serious threat to regional stability," it said.
"We unequivocally reiterate our commitment to the security of Israel. Iran's seriously destabilising actions throughout the Middle East through terrorist proxies and armed groups - including the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas - as well as Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, must stop. Yesterday we discussed co-ordinated efforts and actions to avoid escalation in the area.
"A dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks fuelling uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East, which is in no-one's interest. Therefore, we call on all regional players to act responsibly and with restraint. We encourage all parties to engage constructively to de-escalate the current tensions. International humanitarian law must be respected."
As he pursues a fight on five fronts, does Netanyahu even want peace?
Thursday 3 October 2024 20:30
Tara Cobham
One year on from the invasion led by Hamas terrorists that has been called the greatest trauma in Israel’s history, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government claims sudden success.
For much of the past year, it has been accused by Israelis of failing to defeat Hamas, capture its leaders or return the hostages. The 7 October attacks left the reputation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the intelligence agencies in tatters. Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza, which has led to the deaths of more than 40,000 Palestinians, has shredded its international reputation.
In just two weeks, Israel has killed the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, destroyed the communications network of the group, and now, sent forces into southern Lebanon. Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate for Iran’s missile strikes on 1 October (which were, in turn, retaliation for the assassination of Nasrallah).
Bronwen Maddox writes:
Israel orders evacuation of Lebanese communities north of UN buffer zone
Thursday 3 October 2024 19:45
Tara Cobham
The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of villages and towns in southern Lebanon that are north of a United Nations-declared buffer zone established after the 2006 war.
The warnings issued on Thursday signalled a possible broadening of Israel's incursion into southern Lebanon, which until now has been confined to areas close to the border.
Israel has told people to leave Nabatieh, a provincial capital, and other communities north of the Litani River, which formed the northern edge of the border zone established by the UN Security Council after the 2006 war in a resolution that both sides accuse the other of violating.
Just after the warning, the Lebanese Red Cross said an Israeli strike wounded four of its paramedics and killed a Lebanese army soldier as they were evacuating wounded people from the south.
It says the convoy near the village of Taybeh, which was accompanied by Lebanese troops, was targeted on Thursday despite co-ordinating its movements with UN peacekeepers.
It came after Lebanon's health ministry has said that at least nine people had been killed in an Israeli strike in central Beirut.
It also said it is running DNA tests on remains they have obtained to identify others.
Civilians bear brunt in 'catastrophic' Lebanon conflict, UN official says
Thursday 3 October 2024 19:05
Tara Cobham
Civilians are bearing the brunt of a "truly catastrophic" situation in Lebanon, a senior UN official said, urging respect for the rules of war nearly two weeks since Israel launched a major offensive against the armed group Hezbollah.
With around 1 million people in Lebanon impacted, Imran Riza, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said the pace of displacement since Sept. 23 had exceeded worst case scenarios, and too much damage was being done to civilian infrastructure.
"What we saw from 23 September on is truly catastrophic," Riza said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday. He was referring to the day when Israel dramatically ramped up airstrikes in Lebanon, killing more than 500 people in a single day, according to Lebanese government figures.
"The level of trauma, the level of fear amongst the population, has been extreme," he said.
Israel says its campaign against the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah aims to secure the return home of Israelis evacuated from areas near the Lebanese border as a result of nearly a year of Hezbollah fire into northern Israel.
The Lebanese government says around 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, the southern suburbs of Beirut and other parts of the country. Some have been killed in Israeli strikes after having been displaced.
"You've got people being displaced from one place to another, thinking they were going to a safe place, and then that being struck," Riza said.
Riza said 97 medical and emergency workers had been killed - the majority of them in the last 10 days. There has been too much damage to civilian infrastructure, and civilians have been "bearing the great brunt of what's been going on", he said.
He noted that international humanitarian law requires that humanitarians be allowed to access people in need, and that civilian infrastructure and water systems be protected.
"This is what we call for when we're saying respect the rules of war in this," he said. "Unfortunately, we are seeing a situation where we have to go back to everybody and advocate for these basics in terms of protecting civilians."
Israeli soldier killed in combat in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Israeli military says
Thursday 3 October 2024 18:17
Tara Cobham
An Israeli soldier was killed in combat in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the Israeli military has said.
Full story: Israeli strikes on Beirut kill at least nine as military calls for more Lebanon evacuations
Thursday 3 October 2024 18:15
Tara Cobham
Strikes by Israel on Beirut have killed at least nine as the military called on citizens in southern Lebanon to evacuate more than 20 more towns in a sign of a potential expansion of its ground and air assault on Hezbollah.
The latest warnings took the number of southern towns subject to evacuation calls to 70 and included the provincial capital Nabatieh, suggesting another Israeli military operation was imminent, further stoking fears of an all-out regional war.
Into Thursday, Israel bombed central Beirut in an attack the Lebanese health ministry said killed nine people. A Hezbollah-linked civil defence group said seven of its staff, including two medics, were killed in the Beirut attack. In response, Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy accused Israel of a possible breach of humanitarian lae: “Not only civilians are victims of attacks, including in densely populated areas, but they are deprived of emergency care. I condemn this violation of IHL [international humanitarian law],” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Israel denies all such accusations.
Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew and International Editor Chris Stevenson report:
Russian deputy foreign minister and Israeli envoy discuss situation in Middle East in Moscow
Thursday 3 October 2024 17:40
Tara Cobham
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held a meeting with the Israeli envoy to Moscow Simona Halperin on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry said Bogdanov and Halperin discussed the situation in the Middle East, including Gaza and Lebanon, but provided no details.
Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it attacked target in southern Israel
Thursday 3 October 2024 17:34
Tara Cobham
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has said it has attacked a target in southern Israel in a statement issued on Thursday.
Israeli military says it intercepts drone in southern Israel
Thursday 3 October 2024 17:20
Tara Cobham
The Israeli military has said it has intercepted a drone in southern Israel.
It added that no injuries have been reported.
In pictures: Israel launches airstrikes on Lebanon
Thursday 3 October 2024 17:00
Tara Cobham
Watch: Girl, 9, calls for end to violence from hospital bed in Lebanon
Thursday 3 October 2024 16:40
Tara Cobham
Biden says US ‘discussing’ Israeli oil field strikes
Thursday 3 October 2024 16:33
Tara Cobham
US President Joe Biden has said “we are discussing that” when asked whether he would support Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities.
Reporters put the question to Biden as he left the White House on Thursday, with the US president appearing to hesitate at the end of his answer.
The BBC reports Biden’s words caused the price of crude oil to surge 5 per cent to $77 a barrel.
NEW here are President Biden’s words on “discussing” Iran oil facilities, leaving the White House - caused an oil price spike - he seems to hesitate at the end: pic.twitter.com/WTCqPsDXU2
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) October 3, 2024
Dozens of health workers killed in Lebanon over past day, WHO says
Thursday 3 October 2024 16:20
Tara Cobham
At least 28 on-duty medics have been killed in the past 24 hours in Lebanon, where Israel has launched airstrikes and sent troops to fight Hezbollah in an escalating conflict, the World Health Organization chief said on Thursday.
"Many (other) health workers are not reporting to duty and fled the areas where they work due to bombardments," Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an online press briefing, calling for stronger protections for health workers.
"This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and continuity of health services," he said.
The global health agency will not be able to deliver a large planned shipment of trauma and medical supplies to the country on Friday due to flight restrictions, he added.
WHO's representative in Lebanon Dr Abdinasir Abubakar told the briefing that all of the healthcare workers killed in the past day had been on duty, helping with the wounded.
A total of nearly 2,000 people have been killed, including 127 children, and 9,384 injured since the start of Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the last year, the country's health ministry said.
"Hospitals have been already evacuated. I think what I can say for now is the capacity for mass casualty management exists, but it's just a matter of time until the system actually reaches its limit," said the WHO's Abubakar.
Israel fires at Lebanese army post and Lebanese forces ‘fire back for first time’
Thursday 3 October 2024 16:08
Tara Cobham
Israel has fired at a Lebanese army post in southern Lebanon, with Lebanese forces reportedly firing back for the first time.
The Israeli fire in the town of Bint Jbeil on Thursday killed a Lebanese soldier, raising to two the number of members of the Lebanese military killed.
The Telegraph reported a military official told AFP this was the Lebanese army’s first response to Israeli fire since last October and came about because the post was “directly” hit.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that troops "open fire at the source of" the attack. It did not elaborate.
A Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of regulations, said that the army post was hit by artillery fire.
Rockets, missiles and the Iron Dome: who calls the shots in the Middle East?
Thursday 3 October 2024 16:00
Holly Evans
Escalating retaliatory strikes signify the severity of the situation between Israel and Iran. Tuesday’s strike was more aggressive than the April response by Iran to the Israeli strike on their consulate in Damascus, which killed Mohammed Zahedi, the IRGC commander of the Quds Force.
April’s attack consisted of 300 drones, which were largely neutralised by Israel’s Iron Dom