US president Joe Biden is set to speak with Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s plans to strike Iran in response to a massive missile barrage launched at Israel by Tehran last week.
Biden is said to want to “shape the limitations” of Israel’s retaliation to ensure targets hit across Iran are “significant” without being disproportionate, White House officials said.
Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to respond to Iran’s attack last Tuesday, which saw almost 200 ballistic missiles fired at Israel.
It comes after Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant both suggested Hashem Safieddine, the man expected to replace former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut.
“We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of the replacement,” Netanyahu said.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah targeted Israeli forces near the Lebanese border village of Labbouneh with artillery shells and rockets on Wednesday, injuring three soliders.
The conflict in Lebanon has escalated dramatically in recent weeks after Israel launched ground operations into southern Lebanon on 1 October that expanded further this week.
Key Points
- Hezbollah steps up rocket fire targeting Haifa in Israel
- Fate of Nasrallah’s alleged successor unknown, says Israel military
- Iraqi militant group claims drone attack on Israel
- Biden and Netanyahu to speak today about Iran retaliation
In pics: Smoke rises over Beirut airport as Israel strikes Dahieh
06:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iraqi militant group claims drone attack on Israel
06:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Iraqi wing of the Islamic Resistance has claimed responsibility for a drone attack on southern Israel.
The group claimed the kamikaze drones were fired “in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon” as it pledged to continue targeting “the enemy’s strongholds”, in a reference to Israel.
The Israeli military last night said it intercepted a drone “launched from the east”, referring to Iraq.
The military said no air raid sirens were activated before the interception “in accordance with protocol”.
Hezbollah steps up rocket fire
05:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hezbollah fired another barrage of rockets into Israel and the militant group’s acting leader vowed to keep up the pressure that has forced tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes near the Lebanese border.
Dozens of rockets fired by Hezbollah were aimed as far south as Haifa, and the Israeli government warned residents north of the coastal city to limit activities, prompting the closure of more schools.
The Israeli military said Hezbollah launched about 180 rockets across the border.
The Israeli military said it sent more ground troops into southern Lebanon and that a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in an airstrike.
Fate of Nasrallah’s alleged successor unknown, says Israel military
05:23
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The fate of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s successor was unknown, said an Israeli military spokesperson, contradicting prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement.
Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said Israel was still checking the status of Hashem Safieddine, the man expected to replace Nasrallah, and accused Hezbollah of trying to hide details of a recent strike in Beirut on a location where he was believed to have been.
“When we know, we will update the public,” he said late last night.
In a statement addressed to the people of Lebanon, Netanyahu called Hezbollah “weaker than it has been for many, many years.”
He added: “We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself, and Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of his replacement”, without naming them.
On the ground: Gaza hostage families blast air raid siren outside Netanyahu’s home as wake up call to agree release deal
05:00
Bel Trew, in Jerusalem
Biden and Netanyahu to speak today about Iran retaliation
04:45
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Joe Biden will call Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu today to discuss any plans to strike Iran, according to a report.
“We want to use the call to try and shape the limitations of the Israeli retaliation,” a US official was quoted as saying by Axios.
The website cited three US officials as saying that Washington wants to make sure Israel attacks targets in Iran that are significant without being disproportionate.
Mr Netanyahu has promised that arch-foe Iran would pay for its missile attack, while Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with “vast destruction”, raising fears of a wider war in the oil-producing region which could draw in the US.
Naim Kassem: The former teacher now leading Hezbollah
04:23
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Sheikh Naim Kassem has been the acting head of Hezbollah since its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed as part of an Israeli offensive that has taken out many of the Lebanese militant group’s senior officials.
Kassem made a defiant televised speech on Tuesday, claiming that the group’s military capabilities are intact and Israelis will only suffer further as fighting continues.
Like Nasrallah, Kassem is one of the founding members of the Shiite political party and armed group, but he is widely seen as lacking the former leader’s charisma and oratory skills.
More here.
On the ground: NHS medics volunteering in Gaza warn of catastrophic collapse of healthcare system
04:00
Bel Trew, in Jerusalem
NHS medics volunteering in Gaza have warned of the “catastrophic” collapse of the healthcare system one year into the war, as they described trying to treat the wounded and sick amid shortages of everything from paracetamol to surgical gauze.
Nurses and doctors working in field hospitals run by the British medical charity UK-Med have called for immediate delivery of supplies and for health workers and facilities to be protected, as the world marks the grim milestone of one year at war.
UK-Med, which runs two facilities in the centre of Gaza, has treated 200,000 people and sees around 1,400 patients a day, but is struggling with overwhelming demand and a punishing lack of supplies.
Pictured: Aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut
03:00
Alexander Butler
Watch: Wife of journalist killed in Gaza wears husband's press vest as she continues his work
02:00
Alexander Butler
Watch: ‘This is a tense life’: Teenager speaks from Gaza's bombed humanitarian zone
01:00
Alexander Butler
Comment: Could the unremitting fury over October 7 be the end of Israel?
Wednesday 9 October 2024 00:01
Alexander Butler
Comment: Peace in the Middle East is possible – but we need to act now
Tuesday 8 October 2024 23:00
Alexander Butler
Hezbollah officials drop Gaza truce as condition for Lebanon ceasefire
Tuesday 8 October 2024 22:07
Athena Stavrou
Hezbollah officials are no longer demanding a truce in Gaza as a condition for reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon, rowing back from an oft-repeated promise to keep fighting until Israel halts its offensive on Hamas.
Ever since Hezbollah began launching missiles across Lebanon’s border a day after the October 7, 2023, Hezbollah officials have consistently said they would not stop until Israel ended the war in Gaza.
But Naim Qassem, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, broke that link in a televised speech on Tuesday, even as he promised to continue to stand with Hamas and Palestinians in their battle with Israel.
Qassem, now Hezbollah’s top official after its chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike, said he backed efforts by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, to secure a truce - without setting a precondition.
“We support the political activity being led by Berri under the title of a ceasefire,” Qassem said. “If the enemy (Israel) continues its war, then the battlefield will decide.”
Two days earlier, two lower-ranking Hezbollah officials had also talked about a Lebanon truce without making a linkage with Gaza.
Hezbollah has not explicitly said it was shifting its position. The group did not comment for this story.
36 killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon on Monday
Tuesday 8 October 2024 22:05
Athena Stavrou
Lebanon’s health ministry has said 36 people were killed and 150 wounded in Israeli attacks on Monday.
The total number of people killed in Lebanon in Israeli attacks has now reached 2119 and 1019 have been wounded.
Comment: When their ambulance was hit, I had to salvage my colleagues’ bodies
Tuesday 8 October 2024 22:00
Alexander Butler
Israel's defense minister cancels visit to Washington
Tuesday 8 October 2024 21:58
Athena Stavrou
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has canceled a visit to the Pentagon on Wednesday, amid reports Benjamin Netanyahu wanted first to speak with Joe Biden.
The surprise cancellation on Tuesday comes amid soaring tensions between Israel and Iran as Israel weighs options to respond to Tehran’s missile attack last week, its second this year against Israel.
The Pentagon declined to say why Gallant canceled his visit, and referred reporters to Israel‘s ministry of defense. Offices for Netanyahu and Gallant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We were just informed that Minister Gallant will be postponing his trip to Washington,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told a news briefing. Israel‘s Ynet news outlet reported that Gallant had hoped his U.S. visit would strengthen coordination on Iran but hours before departure, Netanyahu set two preconditions: the call with Biden and cabinet approval of the response to Iran.
Biden and his aides have spoken of a possible call with Netanyahu since the end of September. But the White House did not immediately respond to a query on whether such a call had now been scheduled.
How Joe Biden helped fuel a Middle Eastern war and ‘collapse American credibility’
Tuesday 8 October 2024 21:00
Richard Hall
In the weeks following the brutal Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7 last year, Joe Biden made clear his two priorities. He said he wanted to ensure Israel had the means to go on the offensive against Hamas in Gaza, and to prevent a wider regional war that could drag in US forces.
He achieved the first by ensuring a steady flow of weapons and aid to Israel to the tune of $17.9 billion, without any conditions on their use. On the second, he failed dramatically.
In recent days, Israel has invaded Lebanon to its north and killed hundreds of civilians in a bombing campaign. The Houthis in Yemen are firing sporadic salvos towards Israel.
Iranian ballistic missiles rained down on Israel in the first week of October, and a fierce Israeli response is expected that could enflame the region further.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed by Israel in Gaza, many of them with US weapons, and the war still rages.
On the ground: Gaza hostage families blast air raid siren outside Netanyahu’s home as wake up call to agree release deal
Tuesday 8 October 2024 20:00
Alexander Butler
Relatives of hostages still held in Gaza marched to Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem at dawn, blaring an air raid siren to mark the exact time of the Hamas attack a year ago that altered so many lives forever, while warning they “won’t let [Netanyahu] rest until all of them are back”.
In the hopes of getting the Israeli prime minister’s attention, hundreds gathered outside his residence with a desperate plea for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
They sounded the haunting air raid siren for two minutes at 6.29am – the minute the act of terror by Hamas began, an attack which resulted in the killing of around 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251. An estimated 97 remain in Gaza, with the fate of most of them unknown.
In tearful speeches on the street outside, family members begged Mr Netanyahu to honour his promise of bringing their loved ones home. The Israeli leader has faced mounting criticism for the security lapses around the attack on 7 October and for not yet securing the release of the captives.
On the ground: NHS medics volunteering in Gaza warn of catastrophic collapse of healthcare system
Tuesday 8 October 2024 19:00
Bel Trew, in Jerusalem
NHS medics volunteering in Gaza have warned of the “catastrophic” collapse of the healthcare system one year into the war, as they described trying to treat the wounded and sick amid shortages of everything from paracetamol to surgical gauze.
Nurses and doctors working in field hospitals run by the British medical charity UK-Med have called for immediate delivery of supplies and for health workers and facilities to be protected, as the world marks the grim milestone of one year at war.
UK-Med, which runs two facilities in the centre of Gaza, has treated 200,000 people and sees around 1,400 patients a day, but is struggling with overwhelming demand and a punishing lack of supplies.
Netanyahu says Israel has 'taken out' Nasrallah's successors
Tuesday 8 October 2024 18:16
Athena Stavrou
Israeli forces have killed the would-be successors of late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, without naming them.
“We’ve degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities. We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah‘s replacement, and the replacement of the replacement,” Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message.
Earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Hashem Safieddine, the man expected to replace the slain Nasrallah, had probably been “eliminated”. It was not immediately clear who Netanyahu meant by the “replacement of the replacement”.
Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official, has not been heard from publicly since an Israeli airstrike late last week. He has been a prime target for Israel, nurtured as an influential leader and potential heir.
“Today, Hezbollah is weaker than it has been for many, many years,” Netanyahu said in the video message directed at the people of Lebanon.
“Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel also has a right to win. And Israel will win,” Netanyahu said.
He urged Lebanon to “take back your country” and return it to a path of peace and prosperity and take advantage of an opportunity that hasn’t existed in decades.
“If you don’t, Hezbollah will continue to try to fight Israel from densely populated areas at your expense. It doesn’t care if Lebanon is dragged into a wider war,” he added. “Christians, Druze, Muslims, Sunnis and Shiites” all of you are suffering because of Hezbollah’s futile war against Israel.
“Don’t let these terrorists destroy your future any more than they’ve already done,” Netanyahu added. “You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza. It doesn’t have to be that way.”
Comment: It’s time to get tough on Iran – and help the people overthrow their despotic leaders
Tuesday 8 October 2024 18:00
Alexander Butler
Recap: Main developments of today
Tuesday 8 October 2024 17:45
Alexander Butler
- The Israeli military moved its 146th reserve troops, supported by an artillery battalion, to southwest Lebanon as it expanded its offensive throughout the country on Tuesday morning.
- Hezbollah launched around 135 missiles over northern Israel, mainly targeting Haifa, as Israel claimed it destroyed Hezbollah positions across southern Lebanon.
- Israel claimed it was likely Hassan Nasrallah’s successor Hashem Safieddine was killed in an airstrike on Beirut overnight.
France, Qatar deliver urgent aid to Lebanon, foreign minister says
Tuesday 8 October 2024 17:30
Alexander Butler
France and Qatar delivered urgent humanitarian aid to Lebanon on Tuesday, France’s foreign minister said, as Paris pushes for broader humanitarian efforts and a ceasefire in the country.
“If we don’t do anything, then Lebanon tomorrow could resemble what Syria has become,” Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers in parliament. “(That is), a hub of instability for smuggling, terrorism and a point of departure for a large migration of civilians seeking refuge in Europe.”
French and Qatari military planes delivered some 27 metric tons of medicines and basic necessities, including blankets and hygiene kits, diplomatic sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Pictured: Aftermath of Israeli strikes on Beirut
Tuesday 8 October 2024 17:15
Alexander Butler
Naim Kassem: The former teacher now leading Hezbollah
Tuesday 8 October 2024 17:00
Alexander Butler
Israel tightens restrictions on civilians in Haifa area after rocket barrage
Tuesday 8 October 2024 16:45
Alexander Butler
Israel’s Home Front Command on Tuesday tightened restrictions on civilians in the Haifa area in the wake of a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“The activity scale will be changed from partial activity to limited activity, meaning educational activities are prohibited,” the military said, adding that the rest of the country’s guidelines remain unchanged.
Who is Hashem Safieddine, the Nasrallah relative seen as future Hezbollah leader?
Tuesday 8 October 2024 16:15
Alexander Butler
Israeli forces have claimed senior Hezbollah commander Hashem Safieddine was likely killed in an overnight airstrike on Beirut.
Safieddine was widely seen as the successor to his slain relative Hassan Nasrallah, who perished in an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital city on 27 September.
He was running Hezbollah alongside the group’s deputy secretary general Naim Qassem since Nasrallah’s assassination just under two weeks ago.
Safieddine has sat on the group’s Jihad Council - the body responsible for its military operations. He was also head of its executive council, overseeing financial and administrative affairs for the Iran-backed group.
While not as well-known to Israelis as Nasrallah, Safieddine is seen by Israel as a leading target in what it deems a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Iran.
Joe Biden called Netanyahu a ‘f***ing liar’, according to upcoming book
Tuesday 8 October 2024 16:00
Alexander Butler
US President Joe Biden called prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “f*****g liar” after IDF troops went into Rafah, according to an upcoming book by US journalist Bob Woodward.
After Israel entered Rafah, Biden said of Netanyahu: “He’s a f****** liar.” “That son of a b***h, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy,” said Biden privately, according to Woodward. “He’s a bad f*****g guy!”
Pictured: Smoke billows above ancient city of Tyre, southern Lebanon
Tuesday 8 October 2024 15:45
Alexander Butler
Pictured: Aftermath of Hezbollah rocket fire in Haifa
Tuesday 8 October 2024 15:30
Alexander Butler
Pictured: Commercial plane takes off as smoke billows across the Beirut skyline
Tuesday 8 October 2024 15:10
Alexander Butler
Health facilities in Lebanon ‘severely damaged’, WHO says
Tuesday 8 October 2024 14:45
Alexander Butler
Health facilities have been severely damaged by Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Lebanon as it seeks to uproot Hezbollah, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned.
There have been 36 attacks on health facilities, killing 77 health workers and injuring 74 others over the past year, according to the WHO.
Watch: Starmer’s blunt response to suspended Labour MP’s question on Israel arms sales
Tuesday 8 October 2024 14:30
Alexander Butler
Israeli air force strike school being used by Hezbollah, military claims
Tuesday 8 October 2024 14:15
Alexander Butler
The Israeli Air Force destroyed a school in southern Lebanon being used by Hezbollah to launch rockets at northern Israel, the Israeli military claimed.
“Over the past few hours, Israeli Air Force fighter jets have continued to strike Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including launchers, terrorist infrastructure sites, and anti-tank missile launchers,” the military said.
“During Israeli military operational activity in the area, the Israeli air force struck Hezbollah observation posts, anti-tank missile launchers, and ambush posts.”
Keir Starmer takes aim at ‘malign’ Iran and vows never to ban all arms sales to Israel
Tuesday 8 October 2024 14:00
Alexander Butler
Sir Keir Starmer used the first anniversary of Hamas’s barbaric terrorist attack on Israel to urge the international community to turn its focus on the “malign” regime in Iran.
In a carefully crafted statement in the Commons to commemorate the 7 October atrocity, which sparked war in the Middle East, Sir Keir’s message to MPs was that the ayatollahs who rule Iran must be held to account and forced to take responsibility for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
He said his government “will never stop selling weapons to Israel”, despite calls from French president Emmanuel Macron for a full arms embargo.
Read the full article here:
Pictured: Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel
Tuesday 8 October 2024 13:45
Alexander Butler
Pictured: Aftermath of Beirut strikes
Tuesday 8 October 2024 13:30
Alexander Butler
MI5 has thwarted 20 Iran-backed plots since 2022, chief says
Tuesday 8 October 2024 13:23
Alexander Butler
British intelligence has thwarted 20 Iran-backed plots that presented “potentially lethal threats” to British citizens since 2022, MI5’s chief said.
“Since 2022 we’ve seen plot after plot here in the UK, at an unprecedented pace and scale,” MI5 director general Ken McCallum said.
“As events unfold in the Middle East, we will give our fullest attention to the risk of an increase in – or broadening of – Iranian state aggression in the UK,” he added.
Supporters of Iran in UK will face full weight of state, MI5 warns
Tuesday 8 October 2024 13:20
Alexander Butler
Anyone acting on behalf of Iran, Russia or other hostile state actors in the UK will face the “full weight” of Britain’s national security apparatus, MI5 has warned.
MI5 chief Ken McCallum said: “To those tempted to carry out such tasks, I say this: If you take money from Iran, Russia or any other state to carry out illegal acts in the UK, you will bring the full weight of the national security apparatus down on you. It’s a choice you’ll regret.”
Pictured: Aftermath of Hezbollah rocket attacks
Tuesday 8 October 2024 13:15
Alexander Butler
UK facing heightened threat of ‘plot after plot’ from Iran, warns MI5 chief
Tuesday 8 October 2024 13:14
Tom Watling, in London
British intelligence is facing a “hell of a job” over rising threats from Iran and Russia, as well as the resurgence of Isis and Al-Qaeda, the head of MI5 has warned.
A day after Sir Keir Starmer called on the international community to focus on the “malign” regime in Iran, which supports proxies across the Middle East including Hamas and Hezbollah, Ken McCallum said British intelligence has thwarted 20 Tehran-backed plots that “presented potentially lethal threats to British citizens” since the start of 2022.
With fears growing of all-out war across the Middle East with Israel expanding a ground invasion in Lebanon against Hezbollah and a year-long war in Gaza against Hamas, after the 7 October terror attack, the director general of MI5 said British intelligence were “powerfully alive to the risk that events in the Middle East directly trigger terrorist action in the UK”.
Read the full article here: