The Israeli mililtary has said it is on high alert after claiming to have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike in Beirut, in a major development amplifying fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
The airstrike was carried out as Hezbollah’s leadership met at their headquarters in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh. Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front was among several commanders also killed in the attack, the Israeli military claimed.
The Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes – which levelled six apartment buildings.
Nasrallah has lead Hezbollah for more than three decades. There was no immediate comment from the group.
On Saturday morning, the Israeli military maintained its barrage of strikes in southern Beirut and eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, as Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles across northern and central Israel and the Israel-occupied West Bank.
Israel also said it had called up three more battalions of reservists, after earlier sending two brigades to northern Israel to train for a possible ground invasion.
Key Points
- Breaking: Israeli military claims to have killed Hezbollah leader
- Hezbollah missile commander Muhammad Ali Ismail ‘killed'
- In Pics: Israel strike Beirut in a pre-dawn attack
- At least 720 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon in one week
Lebanon prevents Iranian aircraft from entering airspace after Israeli threat, source claims
11:06
Andy Gregory
Lebanon’s transport ministry told an Iranian aircraft not to enter its airspace after Israel warned air traffic control at Beirut airport that it would use “force” if the plane landed, a source at the ministry told Reuters.
The source said it was not clear what was on the plane, adding: “The priority is people’s lives.”
Israel ‘ready for a wider escalation’, military says
10:55
Andy Gregory
No new instructions have been given to Israeli civilians regarding home front readiness, Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters, as current guidelines already put much of the country on high alert.
“Hezbollah has been escalating this for a year ... Iran is obviously behind this, it’s no secret,” the Israeli military spokesperson said. “They’re backing Hamas, they’re backing Hezbollah and other proxies. They even attacked us directly in April.
“So are we ready for a wider escalation? Yes. We’ve been in a wider escalation, a multi-front war, for a year. Our forces are on high alert, our intelligence is up and looking for these types of threats.”
Israel on high alert for broader conflict after killing Hezbollah chief, military official says
10:40
Andy Gregory
Israel is on high alert for a broader conflict after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, but hopes his death will cause the Iran-backed group to change course, a military spokesperson has said.
“We hope this will change Hezbollah’s actions,” Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in a media briefing after the military claimed it had killed Nasrallah.
But he claimed there was still more to be done to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities.
“We’ve seen Hezbollah carry out attacks against us for a year. It’s safe to assume that they are going to continue carrying out their attacks against us or try to,” he said.
Lebanon says it is retaliating with attacks in northern Israel
10:37
Andy Gregory
In the wake of Israel’s claims to have killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the militant group said it had targeted Israeli sites – including Rosh Pina in the north – with missiles in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanese cities, villages and civilians.
Who is Hassan Nasrallah?
10:32
Andy Gregory
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group’s central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the group for 32 years.
During Nasrallah’s decades in charge, Hezbollah has grown into a regional force that has projected Tehran’s influence across the Middle East.
His death would not only mark an enormous blow to Hezbollah, but also to Iran, whose Revolutionary Guards founded the group in 1982.
Bassem Mroue has more on the Hezbollah leader here:
Iran’s Khamenei ‘moved to a secure location’
10:21
Andy Gregory
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place, Reuters has quoted two regional officials briefed by Tehran as saying.
The sources said Iran was in constant contact with Hezbollah and other regional proxy groups to determine the next steps after Israel announced that it had killed the Lebanese militant group’s chief Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on south Beirut on Friday.
Claimed death of Nasrallah ‘not the end of our toolbox’, Israeli military chief says
10:05
Andy Gregory
The Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said the elimination of Nasrallah was “not the end of our toolbox,” indicating that more strikes were planned.
He said that the strike targeting Hezbollah leadership was the result of a long period of preparation.
Contact with Nasrallah ‘lost’ since Friday evening, source close to Hezbollah says
09:57
Andy Gregory
A source close to Hezbollah told Agence France-Presse that contact with the group’s chief Hassan Nasrallah had been “lost” since last evening, after Israel said it had killed him in a strike in southern Beirut.
“Contact with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been lost since Friday evening,” the source said. He did not confirm whether Nasrallah had been killed.
Israel mobilises three reserve battalions ahead of Jewish holidays
09:55
Andy Gregory
Israel’s military said it was mobilising three reserve battalions to bolster the defences of its central command, whose areas of operation include the occupied West Bank.
The decision was made ahead of a period of Jewish holidays when tensions often escalate in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where conflict with Palestinian militants has resurged during Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
“In accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF [Israel Defence Force] is calling up three reserve battalions for operational activities and to strengthen the defence in the Central Command,” the military said.
Nasrallah ‘will no longer be able to terrorise the world'
09:43
Andy Gregory
Hassan Nasrallah “will no longer be able to terrorise the world”, Israel’s military wrote on social media, following the strike which levelled six apartment buildings as Hezbollah’s leadership met at their headquarters in the suburb of Dahiyeh.
Israel maintains barrage of strikes in Lebanon and calls up reservists
09:29
Andy Gregory
Israel has maintained a heavy barrage of airstrikes against Hezbollah this morning and Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets toward Israel – as the country’s military claimed to have killed the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
And the Israeli military said it was mobilising three additional battalions of reserve soldiers, after earlier sending two brigades to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.
Breaking: Israeli military claims to have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
09:14
Andy Gregory
Israel's military claims to have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike in Beirut today.
The military said that it carried out a precise airstrike while Hezbollah leadership met at their headquarters in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut.
Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders, were also killed in the attack, the Israeli military said.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said that six people were killed and 91 injured in the strikes – which levelled six apartment buildings.
Israel says it killed head of Hamas in southern Syria
08:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Israeli army today claimed it eliminated the head of the Palestinian Hamas’s network in southern Syria, whom it referred to as Ahmad Muhammad Fahd.
The military said Fahd was responsible for directing attacks on troops through mostly rockets fired on Golan Heights. “Fahad was eliminated while he was planning to carry out another terror attack in the immediate time frame,” Israel said.
Israel strikes Lebanon’s mountain town of Bhamdoun
08:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
An Israeli strike hit the Lebanese mountain town of Bhamdoun, southeast of Beirut, early this morning, a Lebanese lawmaker for the area Mark Daou said.
He told Reuters that the extent of damage was not immediately clear.
Who is Hassan Nasrallah?
07:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has led the Lebanese militant group for the past three decades and transformed it into one of the most powerful paramilitary groups in the Middle East.
Israeli airstrikes yesterday knocked out six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburb of Harek Hreik, the largest strike in the Lebanese capital in nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli military said the strike, which killed and wounded dozens of people, hit the headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut. Three major Israeli TV channels said Nasrallah was the target of the strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which has not been officially confirmed by Israel. Hezbollah officials did not comment.
More here
Israel launches new wave of attack on Lebanon today
07:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Israeli military launched a fresh wave of pre-dawn attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut in Lebanon today.
Israel Defence Force warned residents living near “Hezbollah interests” in the Dahiyeh district of southern Beirut to evacuate immediately by at least 500m.
The military claims it attacked Hezbollah “in the Bekaa, deep in Lebanon”. It also bombed Burj el-Barajneh, al-Kafaat, Hadath, Laylaki, Choueifat, and Ghobeiry areas in southern Beirut, as well as targets near Beirut airport, Al Jazeera reported.
Norway issues warrant for Indian-origin man in relation to pager explosions in Lebanon
06:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Police in Norway are searching for an Indian-origin Norwegian man in connection with the sale of pagers to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that exploded last week.
At least 39 people, including children, were killed and 3,000 injured after hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon in what is widely suspected to have been an Israeli attack.
Authorities have issued an international search warrant for Rinson Jose, the 39-year-old founder of a Bulgarian company that is alleged to be part of the pager supply chain.
Mr Jose’s company claimed he had been missing since traveling to Boston last week for a conference. “I can confirm that we have an employee who went to a conference in Boston whom we have been unable to contact since Wednesday last week,” Amund Djuve, chief executive of DN Media group, told Onmanorama.
What is the proposed Lebanon-Israel ceasefire deal?
06:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The UK has joined the US and France and several other allies in calling for a 21-day ceasefire in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
At least 720 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon this week, as Israel carried out an extensive bombing campaign days after a pair of attacks caused pagers and walkie-talkies to explode.
The UK, US, France, have been joined by nine other countries – Australia, Canada, European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar – in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.
In a joint statement, they described the situation in Lebanon as “intolerable” and in “nobody’s interest”.
“It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety,” the statement said.
Alex Croft has more.
In Pics: Israel strike Beirut in a pre-dawn attack
05:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least 720 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon
05:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least 720 people, including dozens of women and children, have been killed in Israel’s week-long airstrike on Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said.
The Israeli military has struck Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and leveled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.
The biggest blast to hit the Lebanese capital in the past year appeared likely to push the escalating conflict closer to full-fledged war, and at least six people were killed and 91 were wounded, according to Lebanon officials.
The toll is likely to rise significantly as teams are still combing through the rubble of six buildings.
Breaking: Israel ‘intercepts’ number of rockets fired from Lebanon
04:54
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Israeli military today said it detected the launch of 10 rockets fired at Upper Galilee in northern Israel and intercepted some of them.
The military in a post on X said it “continues to attack, damage and degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities and infrastructure in Lebanon”.
Benjamin Netanyahu vows to keep ‘degrading Hezbollah’
04:30
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled to the world from the UN that the multiple conflicts in the Middle East were far from resolved, and he vowed to continue battling Hezbollah in Lebanon and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until “total victory”.
“Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Mr Netanyahu said. “We’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met,” he said.
Shortly after his speech, blasts rocked Beirut and the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah’s headquarters.
The attack appeared to target Hezbollah’s leader and prompted Mr Netanyahu to cut short his trip to New York by a day and make unusual travel on the Jewish Sabbath to get home.
No confirmation of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah’s death
03:58
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A fresh wave of air raids hit Beirut’s southern suburbs today as Israel stepped up attacks on Hezbollah, after a massive strike on the Iran-backed movement’s command centre that apparently targeted leader Hassan Nasrallah.
There was no immediate confirmation of Nasrallah’s fate.
But a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters he was not reachable, and the Lebanese armed group had not made a statement.
“I think it’s too early to say... Sometimes they hide the fact when we succeed,” an Israeli official told reporters when asked if the strike on Friday had killed Nasrallah.
Jordan accuses Netanyahu of heading to full war
03:30
Jane Dalton
Jordan’s foreign minister said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to be stopped because he was driving the region to a full-fledged war.
“It is time to face the truth, and the truth is, unless Netanyahu is stopped, unless this government is stopped, war will encompass all of us,” Ayman Safadi told reporters before a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the airstrikes had increased the risk of the situation spiralling out of control.
“We believe very, very, very strongly that a ceasefire is necessary, that the guns are not going to solve anything, that we need to move towards a peace in our region, and that peace is firmly rooted in addressing the Palestinian issue,” bin Farhan said.
Hezbollah deny weapons being stored in residential blocks destroyed by Israeli airstrikes
03:03
Barney Davis
The death toll of Israel’s strike on Beirut rose to at least six people killed and 91 injured, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.
Beirut strike was aimed at Hezbollah leaders, says Israeli aide
02:15
Jane Dalton
Top Hezbollah commanders were the target of Israel’s strike on the group’s central headquarters in Beirut’s suburbs on Friday but it was too early to say whether the attack took out its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a senior Israeli official has said.
“I think it’s too early to say, but, you know, it’s a question of time. Sometimes they hide the fact when we succeed,” the official said when asked if the Israeli strike on Friday had killed Nasrallah.
The Israeli military said it had targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut.
Asked how long it might take to determine the fate of Nasrallah, the senior Israeli official said: “Certainly if he’s alive, you’ll know it very immediately. If he’s dead, it may take some time.”
The official, who was briefing reporters in New York on condition of anonymity, said: “We cannot survive if we don’t stop this and reverse it,” referring to the threat to Israel from Iran-backed militia in the region.
“It’s impossible to reverse it without a general war. That was the assumption, a general war with Hezbollah, which, of course, entails the possibility of a broader war with Iran.”
Choices will have profound consequences for years, Blinken warns
01:30
Jane Dalton
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the choices all parties in the Middle East make in the coming days will determine which path the region takes and have profound consequences for years to come.
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the United States’ top diplomat said Washington had made clear it believed the way forward was through diplomacy, not conflict.
Hezbollah missile commander Muhammad Ali Ismail ‘killed'
Saturday 28 September 2024 00:36
Andre Langlois
Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday that it has killed commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit Muhammad Ali Ismail and his deputy Hossein Ahmed Ismail in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu warns Iran Israel can strike anywhere
Friday 27 September 2024 23:45
Jane Dalton
Full report:
Pictures of latest Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon
Friday 27 September 2024 23:17
Barney Davis
Latest from IDF after new strikes in Lebanon
Friday 27 September 2024 23:13
Bel Trew
An Israeli Defence Force spokesperson said in a statement: “The IDF is currently conducting targeted strikes on weapons belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization that were stored beneath civilian buildings in the area of Dahieh in Beirut.”
Joe Biden has directed the Pentagon to adjust US forces in Middle East after another Israeli strike in Lebanon
Friday 27 September 2024 23:08
Barney Davis
President Joe Biden has directed the Pentagon to “assess and adjust as necessary US force posture” in the Middle East, the White House said after Israeli strikes in Beirut.
“He has directed the Pentagon to assess and adjust as necessary U.S. force posture in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection, and support the full range of U.S. objectives,” the White House said in a statement.
Israel said they had targeted the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group in fresh strikes across southern Lebanon.
Israeli military says it has unleashed more strikes on southern Beirut
Friday 27 September 2024 23:04
Barney Davis
The Israeli military said Friday it was striking in southern Beirut, in a statement released by the military.
Beirut attacks targeted terrorists, says Israeli UN ambassador
Friday 27 September 2024 22:32
Jane Dalton
Israel’s attack on southern Beirut that caused huge explosions targeted a “meeting of bad people” planning more attacks on Israel, the country’s UN ambassador Danny Danon has said.
“When I said this was a meeting of bad actors, Nasrallah is a bad actor. He’s a terrorist. He has the blood on his hands for many Americans, thousands of Israelis, so I think he should be punished for that. I cannot confirm now whether he was at that meeting or not, but when I speak about bad actors, he’s one of them,” Mr Danon said.
Lebanon’s health ministry said there were two dead and 76 wounded from the Israeli strikes, describing it as a preliminary toll.
Top Hezbollah leaders ‘unreachable'
Friday 27 September 2024 22:28
Jane Dalton
Hezbollah’s senior leadership was unreachable following Israel’s strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday evening, a source close to the Lebanese armed group told Reuters.
Hours after the strikes, Hezbollah had not made a statement on the fate of its head, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
We will strike at Hezbollah in Beirut again so get out, Israel warns residents
Friday 27 September 2024 22:12
Jane Dalton
Israeli military chiefs have warned they will strike Hezbollah “assets” in southern Beirut in the coming hours.
The army warned residents in certain neighbourhoods to get out of three buildings it says Hezbollah uses to hide weapons.
Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said In a televised address that residents should evacuate “as soon as possible” because Israel was about to strike them and that the buildings could collapse from secondary explosions.
Israel hopes not to have to invade Lebanon, official says
Friday 27 September 2024 21:44
Jane Dalton
Israel hopes it will not have to proceed with a ground invasion against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a senior Israeli official has said after Israel attacked the group’s central headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters it was too early to say whether the attack hit Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli army warns occupants of Beirut areas to flee
Friday 27 September 2024 21:28
Jane Dalton
The Israeli military has called for an immediate evacuation of certain buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs for the first time, according to an army spokesperson.
Avichay Adraee posted a message on social media to residents of particular buildings, saying: “You are located near Hezbollah interests and for your safety and the safety of your loved ones, you are obliged to evacuate the buildings immediately and move away from them at a distance of no less than 500 metres.”
#عاجل ‼️ الى سكان الضاحية الجنوبية في بيروت:
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) September 27, 2024
⭕️ حي الليلكي، مبنى منير شديد والمباني المجاورة وفق ما يعرض في الخارطة
⭕️حي الحدث، مبنى شيت والمباني المجاورة وفق ما يعرض في الخارطة
⭕️حي الحدث، مبنى كومبلس السلام والمباني المجاورة وفق ما يعرض في الخارطة
انتم متواجدون بالقرب من… pic.twitter.com/oT1esh56FP
Iraq cancels flights to Beirut
Friday 27 September 2024 21:20
Jane Dalton
Iraqi Airways suspended all its flights to and from Beirut until further notice due to “the deteriorating security situation in Lebanon”, Iraq’s transportation ministry said following the latest Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah has said it fired a salvo of rockets on the city of Safed in Israel, its first announced attack since Israeli strikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut hours earlier.
US did not know about Israeli ‘targeting Nasrallah’, Biden says
Friday 27 September 2024 20:20
Jane Dalton
The United States had no knowledge of or participation in the actions of the Israeli Defence Forces, President Biden has insisted.
Asked by reporters calling out questions whether he supported Israel’s decision to try to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, he replied: “The United States had no knowledge of or participation in the IDF action.”
He added: “We’re gathering information,” and “Need to get more information.”
Netanyahu cuts short US visit
Friday 27 September 2024 19:58
Jane Dalton
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly cut short a visit to the United States and was returning home overnight on Friday, instead of waiting until the end of Sabbath on Saturday evening, his office said.
Israeli politicians do not normally travel on the Sabbath except for matters of great import, and there were suggestions the decision reflected the latest airstrikes were significant.
Hours earlier, Mr Netanyahu had told the UN that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah would continue, further dimming hopes for a ceasefire. News of the blasts came as he was briefing reporters travelling with him. A military aide whispered into his ear, and he quickly ended the briefing.
Iran promises punishment on perpetrator after strike on Beirut
Friday 27 September 2024 19:16
Barney Davis
Iran’s embassy in Lebanon said on X that Friday’s Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs represents a dangerous game-changing escalation that will “bring its perpetrator an appropriate punishment.”
At least two people are dead and 76 were wounded in an Israeli strike on Haret Hreik, in the Dahieh suburbs of Beirut.
The death toll was expected to rise as the removal of rubble continues.
GCHQ issues alert over cyber attackers working on behalf of Iranian government
Friday 27 September 2024 19:06
Barney Davis
The GCHQ has issued a new alert warning of a threat from targeted phishing attacks being carried out by hackers working on behalf of the Iranian government.
The National Cyber Security Centre, which is a part of the GCHQ, said cyber attackers working on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are using social engineering techniques to gain access to victims’ personal and business accounts online.
Sian Elvin reports:
Two dead 76 wounded in latest Israeli strike on Beirut
Friday 27 September 2024 18:42
Barney Davis
Two people are dead and 76 were wounded in an Israeli strike on Haret Hreik, in the Dahieh suburbs of Beirut, according to the preliminary toll from the Lebanese ministry of health.
The death toll was expected to rise as the removal of the rubble continues.
Al Jazeera reporter Zeina Khodr said from the scene of the devastation: “This attack was massive. I have covered a lot of the aftermath of Israeli air strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, but nothing like this.
“The smoke is still billowing. The area of devastation is so large and wide. We’re talking about at least six to seven residential buildings levelled to the ground.”
US not warned over Beirut strike
Friday 27 September 2024 18:27
Barney Davis
The United States did not have advanced warning of an Israeli strike in Beirut, a Pentagon spokesperson said on Friday.
“The United States was not involved in this operation and we had no advanced warning,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.
It was revealed that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart as the operation was ongoing.
Singh declined to say what Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Austin about the operation and whether it indeed targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Pentagon also declined to speculate on whether the Hezbollah leader was still alive.
Horror video shows desperate scramble for survivors after Beirut strike
Friday 27 September 2024 18:22
Barney Davis
Lebanese news channel Al-Mayadeen is reporting that the Israeli raids targeted residential neighbuorhoods in Haret Hreik, where six buildings including a residential block were “levelled to the ground”.
The Lebanese Civil Defense confirmed that its teams are working to extinguish the fire that broke out in the scene of destruction and are working to evacuate the injured and retrieve bodies.
"دمار كبير ومبانٍ سُوّيت بالأرض"
— الميادين لبنان (@mayadeenlebanon) September 27, 2024
في مكان الاعتداء الإسرائيلي على #الضاحية_الجنوبية لبيروت.
مراسل #الميادين عباس صباغ#لبنان#الميادين_لبنان@abbas_sabbagh pic.twitter.com/CHqb72yVw0
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah was target of strike
Friday 27 September 2024 17:45
Rachel Hagan
Lebanon‘s Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the latest Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, multiple news websites are reporting.
AFP and Iranian state news are both reporting that he is safe and survived the assassination attempt, but still no official word from the group.
Attacks show Israel ‘does not care’ about global calls for ceasefire, PM says
Friday 27 September 2024 17:40
Rachel Hagan
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Israel's attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday show it "does not care" about efforts to bring about a ceasefire.
Mikati's press office sent a statement while he was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where the U.S. and other countries had made a call for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Photos from strike show levelled buildings
Friday 27 September 2024 17:34
Rachel Hagan
Strike took place around 700m from school where displaced people sheltering
Friday 27 September 2024 17:23
Rachel Hagan
The huge strike in Beirut took place only about 700 to 800m from a school where displaced people from the south of Lebanon have taken refuge, the BBC reports.
Nafiseh Kohnavard was reporting from the school, where more than 1000 displaced people are staying, when she suddenly heard huge booms.
She said women and children were screaming and crying and she saw some people faint, falling on the ground.
Israel says Hezbollah intentionally built HQ under civilian buildings
Friday 27 September 2024 17:13
Rachel Hagan
Israel’s military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video statement that the Hezbollah HQ was “intentionally built under residential buildings” in the city’s southern Dahieh area “as part of Hezbollah’s strategy of using Lebanese people as human shields”.
He said: “Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they had a terror organisation that seeks their destruction on their border, taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely.”
Pictures of the huge strike in Beirut
Friday 27 September 2024 16:59
Rachel Hagan
Fresh airstrike on Lebanon as Netanyahu claims Israel ‘yearns for peace'
Friday 27 September 2024 16:39
Barney Davis
Israeli military says it carried out a “precise strike” on the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut.
An airstrikes hit one of Beirut’s heavily-populated southern suburbs on Friday as blasts were heard throughout the Lebanese capital sending thick black smoke billowing across the sky.
The strike came an hour after thousands of people attended the funeral of a top Hezbollah commander who was killed the day before.
Israeli Prime Minister has today told the UN that Israel “yearns for peace” and “will make peace again” but added that it must defend itself against “savage” enemies.
More than 700 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks this week as calls for ceasefire grow
Friday 27 September 2024 16:18
Barney Davis
Israel will press on with discussions on ceasefire proposals for Lebanon in the days ahead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, but after an intense week of fighting the two sides kept up cross-border fire, killing at least 25 in Lebanon.
Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and continued airstrikes that have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and heightened fears of a regional war.
Lebanon’s health minister, Firass Abiad, said the death toll in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the early hours of Friday was 25. One attack killed nine members of a family, including four children, in the border town of Shebaa, mayor Mohammad Saab told Reuters.
More than 700 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday, according to a tally of official tolls.