At least nine people have been killed after Israeli launched an airstrike in Beirut, targeting a building near the parliament, making it the closest an air assault has come to the central downtown district.
Lebanese health officials said seven people were wounded, while a photo circulated online showed a heavily damaged building with the first floor on fire.
It comes after Israel suffered its first military casualties in its ground invasion of southern Lebanon, with eight Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers killed in intense clashes against Hezbollah.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to defeat Iran’s “Axis of Evil”, saying: “We are at the height of a difficult war... we will stand together and with God’s help, we will win together.”
Hezbollah confirmed it was engaged in clashes with Israeli forces, claiming to have destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks. Lebanon’s health ministry reported 46 deaths from Israeli airstrikes in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden stated that the US will not support an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites, saying, “the answer is no” following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel after its invasion of Lebanon.
Key Points
- Seven health and rescue workers ‘killed in Beirut strike'
- Israeli millitary says it ‘eliminated’ head of Hamas government in Gaza
- Israel's PM pledges to defeat 'Iran's axis of evil' after 8 IDF soldiers killed
- Biden says he does not support attack on Iran's nuclear sites
- Plane evacuating Britons from Lebanon lands in UK
- UN responds to Israel banning its chief Antonio Guterres
Russia begins evacuating citizens from Lebanon
12:22
Holly Evans
Russia has started evacuating citizens from Lebanon and a special flight left Beirut on Thursday with the family members of Russian diplomats, Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov said.
About 60 people will arrive in Russia from Lebanon on Thursday, his ministry said.
“The evacuation is carried out on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” the ministry said.
Russia often also helps evacuate citizens from other former Soviet republics in such situations.
Second evacuation flight scheduled for Thursday afternoon
11:57
Simon Calder
A second UK government evacuation flight is on its way to Beirut. Up to 180 British citizens and their dependents are likely to board the charter jet to Birmingham via Bucharest.
Flight DN9999 will repeat the pattern of Wednesday’s first flight, and uses the same plane, belonging to the Romanian airline, Dan Air. It is a 15-year-old Airbus A320 – a standard low-cost jet equipped with 180 seats. After an overnight stop in Birmingham, it is heading back empty nonstop to Beirut.
On Thursday afternoon it is scheduled to depart from Beirut at 3.40pm, Lebanese time, with another technical stop at Bucharest to refuel and change crew.
More evacuation flights are planned. The government says they “will continue for as long as the security situation allows”.
Death toll from Beirut strike rises to nine
11:45
Holly Evans
Lebanon’s health ministry have said that at least nine people were killed in an Israeli strike in central Beirut.
DNA tests on remains are currently ongoing to identify those killed, while people were injured in the strike on an amartment building. Hezbollah said that seven paramedics and rescue workers from its medical arm the Islamic Health Committee were killed in the strike that hit its office in Bashoura.
Prior to the attack, the ministry said that 55 people were killed and 156 others were wounded in Israeli strikes over Lebanon on Wednesday.
Israeli military warns more southern Lebanon residents to evacuate
11:29
Holly Evans
The Israeli military have warned citizens in 25 more areas in southern Lebanon to evacuate and head north.
In a new update on social media, the Israel Defence Forces’ Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged civilians to “save your lives”.
#عاجل ‼️ تحذير عاجل لسكان القرى التالية في جنوب لبنان: الخرايب, ارزي, زرارية, عدلون, أنصارية, مزرعة دير تقلا, مزرعة الواسطة, مزرعة جمجم, قصيبه, جبشيت, نبطية, مزرعة سيناي, دوير الشرقية, كفر رمان, نبطية الفوقا, منزلة, ,حبوش ,الحمصية, بيصرية, السكسكية, لوبية, كفر تبنيت, أرنون, زوطر… pic.twitter.com/bcENOdWKN1
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) October 3, 2024
Netanyahu knows Western allies can do little about his Lebanon invasion – it is up to him how far this goes
11:25
Holly Evans
Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the UN General Assembly in New York last Friday was a bombastic defence of Israel’s war in Gaza and the cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah since 7 October.
The starkest message Netanyahu wanted to send was to Iran, Israel’s bitter enemy and supporter of both Hamas and Hezbollah. The Israeli leader warned that there was nowhere in Iran or across the Middle East at large that Israel’s military could not reach. It was a message that he would repeat on Monday just hours ahead of his forces crossing Israel’s northern border – the beginning of the first invasion into Lebanon since the 2006 war with Hezbollah.
But that UN speech would have sent an equally stark message to Washington. Less than 48 hours before his address, US officials were briefing that America, alongside a number of other allies, had thrashed out a proposal for a 21-day ceasefire. Washington felt secure enough to go public with it, with officials suggesting it would be a case of when, not if, both Israel and Hezbollah signed on.
Read the full analysis here:
UK government charters more flights to help UK nationals
11:15
Holly Evans
The UK government have chartered more flights to help UK nationals leave Lebanon, a day after an evacuation flight left Beirut.
The government said in a statement that the flights will continue as “long as the security situation allows” and that it’s working to increase capacity on commercial flights for British nationals.
Defence secretary John Healey visited a British military base on Cyprus on Wednesday, where around 700 troops, Foreign Office staff and Border Force officers have been deployed to help with evacuation plans.
British nationals and their spouses, partners and children under the age of 18 are eligible. Dependents who aren’t British nationals will need a valid visa granting a maximum six-month stay in the U.K.
Watch live: Lebanese refugees fleeing Israeli strikes arrive in Turkey
11:03
Holly Evans
At least 41,788 killed in Gaza, says health ministry
10:52
Holly Evans
At least 41,788 Palestinians have been killed and another 96,794 wounded by Israeli military action in Gaza since Oct. 7, the Palestinian enclave’s health ministry have said.
Ninety-nine Palestinians have been killed and 169 wounded in the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement.
Medics said scores of people were killed a day before in an Israeli strike that hit a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City, while another struck the Al-Amal Orphan Society, which also houses displaced persons.
Consultant to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard killed in Damascus
10:42
Holly Evans
A consultant working for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has died after an Israeli air attack on the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday, Iranian media has reported.
Iran’s Student News Network identified the advister as Majid Divani.
The attack appeared to be the same as one reported by Syrian state media, which said on Tuesday that three civilians were killed and nine others injured in the strike.
Syrian air defences intercepted “hostile targets” over the vicinity of Damascus three times in a row in one night, following explosions that were heard in the capital, state media said on Tuesday.
When asked about the reported attack, the Israeli military said on Tuesday that it does not comment on foreign media reports.
300 civilians take shelter inside Beirut nightclub
10:32
Holly Evans
Lebanon’s prime minister Najib Mikati said about 1.2 million Lebanese had been displaced by Israeli attacks.
More than 300 of those displaced have taken shelter in a Beirut nightclub, once known for hosting glitzy parties and where staff are now using their guest-list clipboards to register residents.
“We’re trying to keep strong,” said Gaelle Irani, who was formally in charge of guest relations at Skybar, taking a brief break from finding people a corner to live in.
“Its just overwhelming. So overwhelming and sad. But just as this was a place for people to come enjoy themselves, it’s now a place to shelter people and we are doing everything we can to help and be there for them.”
US Army testing roll out of gun-mounted robot dogs in Middle East
10:16
Holly Evans
The US Army is testing robot dogs mounted with AI-enabled rifles at a military facility in the Middle East amid rising tensions in the region, according to newly released images.
Photos shared by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) show one such four-legged robot going over “rehearsals” at the Red Sand Dunes area near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which has a joint military research facility.
The quadrupedal unmanned vehicle can be seen mounted with what appears to be an AR-15/M16-pattern rifle on a rotating turret and resembles the robot system the US Army tested at Fort Drum, New York in August.
Read the full article here:
Breaking: Israeli millitary says it ‘eliminated’ head of Hamas government in Gaza
10:12
Holly Evans
The head of the Hamas government in Gaza was “eliminated” three months ago, the Israeli military have said.
The IDF have said that Rawhi Mushtaha was killed along with senior security officials Sameh al-Siraj and Sami Oudeh in strikes earlier this summer.
They added that the three commanders had taken refuge in a fortified underground compound in northern Gaza that served as a command and control centre.
Mushtaha was a close associate of Yahya Sinwar, the top leader of Hamas who helped mastermind the 7 October attack. He is still believed to be alive and hiding inside Gaza.
Hamas has not immediately responded.
Seven health and rescue workers ‘killed in Beirut strike'
09:58
Holly Evans
Seven health and rescue workers were killed in the overnight airstrike in Beirut, an Islamic health organisation has said.
The Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Authority said in a statement that seven of its staff, including two medics, had died as a result of the air assaut. The airstrike in the residential Bashoura district targeted an apartment in a multi-story building that houses an office of the Health Society.
It was the closest strike to the central downtown district of Beirut, where the United Nations and government offices are located.
In pictures: Latest from Beirut as airstrike kills at least six people
09:32
Holly Evans
Around 15 Hezbollah members killed in attack, says IDF
09:25
Holly Evans
The Israeli military has claimed that around 15 Hezbollah members have been killed in an attack in southern Lebanon.
The IDF said that the fighters were killed in a muncipality building in Bint Jbeil.
In a statement on Telegram, they said the militant group had been operating and storing large quantities of weapons inside the building.
UK charters more flights to help British nationals to leave Lebanon
09:14
Holly Evans
More than 150 British nationals and dependants were on the first UK Government-chartered flight out of Lebanon on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said.
A “limited number” of further flights from Beirut will take place from Thursday, continuing as long as the security situation allows.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “Recent events have demonstrated the volatility of the situation in Lebanon.
“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our number one priority. That’s why we are announcing additional chartered flights to help those who want to leave.
“I urge all British nationals still in Lebanon to register with the FCDO (Foreign Office) and leave the country immediately.”
‘Anxiety and fear are omnipresent’ in Beirut, says UN official
09:04
Holly Evans
Israel’s strike on a building in the Bachoura district near the Lebanese parliament makes it the closest air assault they have launched to the city’s central downtown district.
A photo circulating on Lebanese WhatsApp groups, which has not yet been verified, showed a heavily damaged building with its first floor on fire.
“Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what’s next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent,” UN special coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said on X on Thursday.
Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what’s next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent.
— Jeanine Hennis (@JeanineHennis) October 3, 2024
Watch live: Smoke over Beirut as at least six dead in Israeli airstrike on Lebanon
08:48
Holly Evans
Countries organise transport to help their citizens leave Lebanon
08:39
Holly Evans
The first charter flight carrying British citizens out of Lebanon landed in Birmingham on Wednesday amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Foreign secretary David Lammy said earlier on Wednesday that more charter flights have been arranged for this week, while other nations follow suit.
On Thursday. Japan dispatched two Self Defence Force (SDF) planes to prepare for a possible airlift of Japanese citizens from Lebanon.
Two C-2 transport aircraft are expected to arrive in Jordan and Greece on Friday, Japan NHK national television reported.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday her government had booked 500 seats on commercial aircraft for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families to leave Lebanon on Saturday.
The seats are available to 1,700 Australians and their families known to be in Lebanon on two flights from Beirut to Cyprus, Ms Wong said.
Israel-Hezbollah-Hamas conflict timeline: Everything that’s happened since 7 October
08:07
Namita Singh
Israel has launched a ground offensive in Lebanon as fears of an all-out regional war in the Middle East continue to grow. A spokesperson for Israel said “limited” raids are being carried out in the south after months of conflict.
The raids come after the Israeli military launching fresh strikes on Lebanon in late September, causing the highest number of casualties for a single day since at least 2006.
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.
Is it safe to travel to Dubai right now?
08:06
Namita Singh
British holidaymakers in the UAE have been issued a new warning regarding potential risks stemming from escalating tensions in the region.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has highlighted the ongoing conflict involving Lebanon and Israel, warning that “ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region.”
The FCDO has advised travellers to closely monitor updates on the situation, encouraging them to follow FCDO travel on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They can also sign up for email notifications regarding changes to travel advice.
The FCDO offers guidance for those caught in crises abroad, detailing what constitutes a crisis, the assistance they can provide, and how travellers can prepare for emergencies.
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
08:05
Namita Singh
As Israel attacks targets in central Beirut, the UK Foreign Office has run the first evacuation fliight 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.
It is nine weeks since the foreign secretary, David Lammy, first urged UK nationals to leave Lebanon while they could. Sir Kier Starmer reiterated the call last month.
The preferred method is by a commercial flight. But options are extremely limited, with almost all airlines cancelling flights in and out of the capital, Beirut, writes our travel correspondent Simon Calder:
Uncertainty lies ahead, says UN after Israel’s deadly strike on Lebanon
07:54
Namita Singh
Israel bombed Beirut early on Thursday, killing at least six people, after its forces suffered their deadliest day on the Lebanese front in a year of clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what’s next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent,” UN special coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said on X on Thursday.
Three missiles also hit the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week, and loud blasts were heard, Lebanese security officials said.
Iran's UN ambassador says Tehran has 'consistently pursued peace and stability'
07:23
Namita Singh
Iran’s UN ambassador says Iran had to launch a barrage of missiles at Israel to “restore balance” after escalating Israeli violence in the region.
Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday that the missile attack on Tuesday was “a necessary and proportionate response to Israel’s continued terrorist aggressive acts over the past two months.”
He says Iran has “consistently pursued peace and stability” and that Israel sees Iranian restraint “not as a gesture of goodwill but as a weakness to exploit.”
“Each act of restraint taken by Iran has only emboldened Israel to commit greater crimes and more acts of aggression,” Iravani said.
“Consequently, Iran’s response was necessary to restore balance and deterrence.”He also accused the United States of complicity “in Israel’s crimes” by helping to arm the nation after the 7 October attacks by Hamas in southern Israel.
Israel's UN ambassador calls Iran a 'danger to the world'
07:20
Namita Singh
Israel’s UN ambassador said on Wednesday that the “the time for empty calls for de-escalation is over”.
Danny Danon told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that “Iran’s true face is one of terror, death and chaos”.
“This is no longer a matter of words,” he said. “Iran is a very real and present danger to the world, and if they are not stopped, the next wave of missiles will not be aimed solely at Israel,” he said.
He called Iran’s missile barrage aimed at Israel on Tuesday “a cold-blooded attack against 10 million civilians” and “an unprecedented act of aggression.”
Mr Danon stressed that Israel will not stop until all of the hostages taken by Hamas and other militants are back in Israel.“Let the world understand: Israel will defend itself, and we will do so with justice and strength,” he said.
What are countries doing to get nationals out of Lebanon?
06:49
Namita Singh
Australia has organised hundreds of airline seats for its citizens to leave Lebanon, and has flown military aircraft to Cyprus as part of a contingency plan. Its contingency plans could include evacuation by sea, though authorities have urged an estimated 15,000 citizens in Lebanon to leave while Beirut airport remains open.
Belgium’s foreign ministry has advised citizens to leave as soon as possible, the Belga news agency said.
China has safely evacuated more than 200 Chinese citizens, reported Xinhua news agency.
Canada will co-operate with Australia in evacuating nationals by sea. The plan involves contracting a commercial vessel to ferry out 1,000 people a day, reported the Toronto Star.
Cyprus has asked Greece to provide an aircraft to help evacuate its nationals who wish to leave. There are an estimated 1,000-1,500 Cypriots in Lebanon, though the number wishing to leave is estimated at far lower.
France has not issued an evacuation order, despite having had plans for several months. Present contingency plans centre on Cyprus and Beirut airport, while it is also discussing evacuations via Turkey. France has a warship in the region, while a French helicopter carrier will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in the coming days and take up position in case a decision is taken to evacuate foreign nationals from Lebanon.
Germany has evacuated non-essential staff, families of embassy workers and German nationals who are medically vulnerable from Lebanon and will support others trying to leave, the foreign and defence ministries said in a joint statement on Monday.
Greece has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid any travel there, with a frigate on standby in case assistance is needed.
Italy has cut diplomatic staff and beefed up security personnel at its Beirut embassy. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani has repeatedly urged nationals to leave the country and sought assurances from Israel over the safety of Italian peacekeepers in the area.
The Netherlands will send a military plane to repatriate nationals from Lebanon with two flights on 4 October and 5 October, the Dutch ministry of defence said on Wednesday. The flights to the military airbase in Eindhoven will also be available for people from other countries if there is enough room to accommodate them, it said.
Poland will limit staff numbers at its Beirut embassy, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that Warsaw would organise transport for citizens wanting to leave Lebanon.
Portugal’s prime minister Luis Montenegro has advised against travel to Lebanon, which assisted in the evacuation of a small number of Portuguese citizens living there.
Spain plans to send two military aircraft to evacuate as many as 350 citizens from Lebanon as early as Thursday .
Turkey is ready for a possible evacuation of Turks from Lebanon via air and sea, and is working with about 20 countries for a possible evacuation of foreign nationals via Turkey. About 14,000 Turkish citizens were registered at the consulate in Lebanon, but the number was not definitive.
Britain has urged nationals to leave immediately. It has moved about 700 troops to Cyprus, bolstering its military assets, including two Royal Navy ships. It also has two military bases on the island. Britain chartered a flight on Wednesday for its nationals, and additional charter flights are to follow, diplomatic sources said.
The United States has ordered dozens of troops deployed to Cyprus to help prepare for scenarios such as an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon. It is working with airlines to add flights out of Lebanon, with more seats for Americans, the State Department said on Tuesday.
UN responds to Israel banning its chief Antonio Guterres and declaring him ‘persona non grata’
06:46
Namita Singh
The United Nations on Wednesday called Israel’s ban on secretary-general Antonio Guterres entering the country a political statement by its foreign minister and stressed that the world body’s contacts with Israel will continue “because they have to”.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz deeming the UN chief “persona non grata” is also “one more attack on the United Nations staff that we’ve seen from the government of Israel”.
Report:
Air France passengers endure eight-hour trip to nowhere as Iran attack on Israel sparks flight diversion chaos
05:57
Namita Singh
Tens of thousands of airline passengers are waking up where they did not expect to be after carriers diverted many planes in response to Iran’s overnight attack on Israel.
The normal flightpath from Europe and North America to the Gulf and south Asia is to fly to the southeast corner of Turkey and then head southeast over either Iran or Iraq.
But as missiles were fired from Iran over Iraq towards Israel, the airspace of both countries was closed. Jordan’s skies were also closed temporarily.
The most extreme response was Air France flight AF218 from Paris to Mumbai – in which the passengers endured an eight-hour trip to nowhere.
Report:
Iran’s UN ambassador criticises US as he defends Tehran's attack
05:56
Namita Singh
Iran’s UN ambassador accused the United States, along with the United Kingdom and France, of cynically attempting “to justify Israel’s heinous crimes under the guise of self-defence, shifting the blame onto Iran.”
Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council Wednesday that the United States, which has continued to arm Israel since Hamas’ 7 October attacks on its south, is complicit “in Israel’s crimes.”
Iravani called Iran’s missile barrage targeting Israel on Tuesday “a necessary and proportionate response to Israel’s continued terrorist aggressive acts over the past two months.”
Lebanon’s health ministry raises death toll to six from airstrike near central Beirut
05:39
Namita Singh
Lebanon’s health ministry raised the death toll to six from an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building near the center of Beirut late Wednesday night.
It said seven people were injured in the attack.The airstrike hit near the residential Bashoura district. The previous death toll had been two with 11 people injured.
Residents reported a sulfur-like smell following the attack, and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency accused Israel of using internationally banned phosphorous bombs.
Human rights groups have in the past accused Israel of using white phosphorus incendiary shells on towns and villages in conflict-hit southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry says two killed in Israeli airstrike in central Beirut
Australia plans evacuation flights from Lebanon
05:24
Namita Singh
Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said on Thursday her government had booked 500 seats on commercial aircraft for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families to leave Lebanon on Saturday.
The seats are available to 1,700 Australians and their families known to be in Lebanon on two flights from Beirut to Cyprus, Ms Wong said.
“What I would say to Australians who wish to leave, please take whatever option is available to you,” the foreign minister told reporters in Geelong, Australia.
“Please do not wait for your preferred route,” she added.
UK government warns citizens to leave Lebanon as violence intensifies
05:17
Namita Singh
In a post to X, foreign secretary David Lammy reiterated calls for British citizens in Lebanon to leave while commercial flights are still available.
The Defence Secretary John Healey also met military personnel preparing for a potential evacuation of Britons from Lebanon, as he thanked RAF personnel involved in the operation to defend Israel from Iranian missiles.
The first charter flight taking British nationals out of Lebanon has now departed. We have arranged another flight for tomorrow, and further flights over the coming days for as long as there is demand and it is safe to do so.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) October 2, 2024
I urge all British nationals still in Lebanon to…
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has said that any further flights in the coming days will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground.Vulnerable British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18, will be prioritised.
Two Typhoon fighter jets, supported by a tanker aircraft, were involved in the operation although the Ministry of Defence said because of the nature of the attack “they did not engage any targets”.
Mr Healey told Sky News in Cyprus: “They were part of the wider effort to prevent further escalation and to show the UK’s steadfast support for Israel’s right to self defence and to security.
“They did not engage, but they were ready to do so, and nevertheless, they were playing a part in the wider efforts to deter the further conflict, and they will continue to do so.”
Ireland cannot unilaterally withdraw from Lebanon peacekeeping duties – Martin
05:16
Namita Singh
Ireland cannot unilaterally withdraw from peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, the Tanaiste has insisted.
There are currently 379 Irish Defence Forces personnel serving with the UN’s Unifil mission in south Lebanon.
Micheal Martin said the troops were currently bunkered down in camps amid the intensification of hostilities after incursions across the border by Israeli forces.
Report:
Plane evacuating Britons from Lebanon lands in UK as blasts heard in Beirut
04:55
Namita Singh
More British nationals are expected to be airlifted out of Lebanon on Thursday as further blasts hit Beirut.
An apparent Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building near the centre of the Lebanese capital on Wednesday, marking the second time Israel has struck the city this week.
The airstrike hit not far from the United Nations headquarters, the prime minister’s office and parliament and no warning was issued ahead of the blast, with the number of casualties unclear.
Report:
Israel's PM pledges to defeat 'Iran's axis of evil' amid escalating conflict
04:19
Namita Singh
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged victory in the country’s conflict with Hezbollah, following the deaths of eight soldiers in Lebanon.
“I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to the families of our heroes who fell today in Lebanon, may God avenge them, and may their memories be a blessing,” Mr Netanyahu said, paying tribute to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.
Mr Netanyahu emphasised that Israel is engaged in a “tough war against Iran’s axis of evil.” He reassured the nation, saying, “this will not happen. Because we will stand together, and with God’s help, we will win together.”
His remarks come as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate, with the Lebanese-based militant group posing a significant challenge to regional stability.
China urges UN Security Council to de-escalate Middle East crisis
03:59
Namita Singh
China called on the United Nations Security Council to take “urgent actions” to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East as Israel launched fresh air strikes in Lebanon.
China’s permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, said during a Security Council briefing on Wednesday, that it needed to make clear and unequivocal demands to stop the cycle of violence over the Israeli-Lebanon conflict.
“The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” the official Xinhua news agency reported Mr Fu as saying, noting that all parties concerned “must return to the track of political and diplomatic solutions”.
Israel’s latest missile strikes in central Beirut come after Iran fired more than 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday. Israel has also sent infantry and armoured units into Lebanon with reports of fighting with the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
Iran said on Wednesday its missile volley - its biggest ever assault on Israel - was over barring further provocation, but Israel and the United States promised to hit back hard.
Iran’s missile attack and Israel’s pledge of retaliation have raised concerns that the oil-producing Middle East could be caught up in a wider conflict.
Warning that the current situation is “hanging by a thread,” Xinhua cited Mr Fu as saying that any “passive procrastination would be irresponsible, and any rhetoric of condoning further military adventurism would send a wrong message”.
Mr Fu said the spreading Middle East conflict had already caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, with Gaza having become a “hell on earth,” and over 1.2 million people displaced in Lebanon.
Hezbollah says it fired surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli helicopter
03:00
Tara Cobham
Hezbollah says it fired surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli military helicopter flying over Beit Hillel in northern Israel, forcing it to retreat.
The Lebanese militant group didn't say if the helicopter was hit in the attack Wednesday, and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. It is the first time the group has said it fired a missile at a helicopter since hostilities between the two sides escalated two weeks ago.
Hezbollah and the Israeli military have clashed in southern Lebanese border towns since Israel launched its ground operation against Hezbollah.
Hezbollah earlier said it destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks heading towards Maroun al-Ras, and detonated an explosive device hidden in an abandoned building on the outskirts of Kfar Kila after Israeli soldiers entered.
Israeli airstrike in Damascus kills three, Syrian state-run outlet says
02:30
Tara Cobham
An Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in the Mezzeh area of Damascus Wednesday evening, killing three people and wounding at least three more, Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported.
An Associated Press journalist at the scene says the missile appeared to have targeted the bottom floor of a four-story apartment building.
There has been no comment from Israel, which frequently strikes targets linked to Iran or allied groups in Syria but rarely claims responsibility.
The strike comes amid a multi-front escalation in the ongoing war in the Middle East. Israel has launched a heavy aerial bombardment and what it describes as a limited ground incursion in Lebanon. It says that incursion aims to push the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah back from the border after nearly a year of low-level clashes.
On Tuesday, Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles into Israel, which it said was in retaliation for attacks that killed the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas — both backed by Iran — in Beirut and Tehran.
Hamas' military wing claims responsibility in Jaffa shooting
02:00
Tara Cobham
Hamas' military wing has claimed responsibility for a mass shooting in Tel Aviv that left seven people dead and wounded 16 more.
It said the two attackers, Mohammed Mesek and Ahmed Himouni, were its militants who hailed from the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Israeli police said the two opened fire Tuesday evening in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv, including shooting directly into a light rail carriage crowded with passengers that was stopped at a station. Police said the pair were shot and killed by security guards and armed pedestrians.
The attack came moments before Iran launched a massive barrage of rockets towards Israel, sending people into bomb shelters across the country.
It remains unclear how the two men entered Israel from the West Bank. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, is active in various cities and refugee camps in the West Bank.
On Wednesday, locals left flowers and candles at the train stop, where bullet holes peppered the signs and benches.
Maya Brandwine said she was at a coffee shop on th