Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says talks for a ceasefire in Lebanon will continue as he prepares to the address the UN General Assembly on Friday - with Western leaders pushing for deal before his speech.
Hours after the Lebanese foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib told the assembly that his country was “enduring a crisis which is threatening its very existence”, international pressure continues for a pause in the fighting.
Sir Keir Starmer strengthened calls for a temporary ceasefire in his address to the UN last night, with the UK, US and the EU proposing an immediate 21-day pause in fighting “to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement”.
On Friday morning, Mr Netanyahu said talks would continue over the coming days following meetings with US officials on Thursday, as he prepares to address the UN General Assembly at 2.30pm.
He said: “Our teams met [on Thursday] to discuss the US initiative and how we can advance the shared goal of returning people safely to their homes. We will continue those discussions in the coming days.”
It comes amid continued targeting of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon by Israeli forces. Nearly 700 people have been killed in the country this week as a result of the attacks, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Key Points
- Netanyahu rejects international calls for ceasefire
- Air force commander killed in Beirut strike named
- Israel strikes Beirut again
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calls out US government at UN summit
- Israel claims to have hit 75 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
- Britain joins US, France and allies in call for 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week - country’s health ministry
09:24
Alex Ross
Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel has dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capacities and senior Hezbollah commanders.Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israel‘s actions in Gaza since Oct. 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.The International Organization for Migration estimated Thursday that more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war. Lebanon says a total of 1,540 people have been killed within its borders in that time.
ICYMI: Blinken tells Israel escalation will make civilian return more difficult
09:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
US secretary of state Antony Blinken warned Israel that further escalation of the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon would make it harder for civilians on both sides of the border to return home.
“The Secretary discussed the importance of reaching an agreement on the 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border,” the state department said in a statement referring to talks between Blinken and Israeli minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer.
“He underscored that further escalation of the conflict will only make that objective (of civilian return) more difficult.”
Despite global calls for a ceasefire, including from the US and France, Israel has continued its military strikes in Lebanon, heightening fears of a wider regional war.
White House defends ceasefire proposal
08:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
The White House has defended its ceasefire proposal, saying they believed Israel was open to considering it, especially for the Lebanon border.
Global calls for a 21-day ceasefire, led by US president Joe Biden and France’s Emmanuel Macron, have been dismissed by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters: “He and his cabinet and the Israeli people have every right to want to thwart that threat,” Mr Kirby said.
“We still believe an all-out war is not the best way to get people back in their homes. If that’s the goal, an all-out war, we don’t believe is the right way to do that.”
ICYMI: Israel-Hezbollah conflict: Why is Lebanon being attacked and will there be a ceasefire?
08:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate as Israel ramps up its assault on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Beginning with a major bombardment on 23 September, Lebanon has now experienced its deadliest attack since the end of the 1975 - 1990 Civil War, with over 90,000 civilians displaced from their homes.
Israel has called the bombardment a “new phase” of its war on Gaza, striking more than 1,000 targets in Lebanon which it says were Hezbollah strongholds or military facilities in homes.
Since the 7 October Hamas attack where over 240 Israeli hostages were taken, Hezbollah has been striking Israel from Lebanon on the country’s northern border in support of Hamas. Israeli forces have continued to respond with strikes on the paramilitary group which regularly fired missiles and rockets to intercept military technology like drones or tanks.
Read the full story here:
‘Sirens’ heard across central Israel after ‘missile launched from Yemen’
07:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
The Israel Defence Forces said that sirens were sounding across central Israel late on Thursday. In a post on X, the IDF attributed the alarms to “a missile launched from Yemen”.
“The missile launched from Yemen was successfully intercepted by an ‘Arrow’ interceptor,” they said in a post on X.
⭕️A missile was fired from Yemen toward Israel and successfully intercepted by the "Arrow" Aerial Defense System.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 26, 2024
Sirens and explosions were heard following the interception and falling shrapnel. https://t.co/CGzsJxNvNb
“The alarms and explosions that were heard are the result of the interception process and the interception fragments.”
Mahmoud Abbas calls out US government at UN summit
07:00
Alex Croft
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said the “entire world is responsible” for events in Gaza and the West Bank.
He opened his speech at the UN general assembly in New York by telling the members: “We will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave.”
“Palestine is our homeland. It is the land of our fathers, our grandfathers. It will remain ours. And if anyone were to leave, it would be occupying usurpers.”
Abbas added, according to The Guardian: “Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue.”
He also called out the US for their failure to vote for a ceasefire in the UN security council and their veto of full Palestinian membership in the UN.
“This is the United States, the very country that was the only member in the security council that voted against granting the state of Palestine for membership in the UN,” Abbas said.
“We don’t deserve membership in the eyes of America, so they use a veto against it.”
Norwegian police search for missing man linked to pager explosions
06:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
Norwegian police have issued an international search warrant for Rinson Jose, a 39-year-old Norwegian-Indian man, in connection with the sale of pagers to Hezbollah.
These pagers exploded recently, killing dozens of people in Lebanon. Jose, who founded the Bulgarian company Norta Global Ltd., allegedly part of the pager supply chain, went missing during a work trip to the US.
Oslo police said: “Yesterday, the Oslo police district received a missing person report in connection with the pager case. A missing persons case has been opened and we have sent out an international warrant for the person.”
Jose’s employer also reportedly lost contact with him after he left for a Boston conference on 17 September.
Scotland’s First Minister says a binding ceasefire across the Middle East is ‘essential’
06:00
Alex Croft
Scotland’s First Minister has said the situation in the Middle East is cause for the “deepest concern” as he called for a binding ceasefire in the region.
UK citizens are being urged to leave Lebanon after Israel launched an intense series of air strikes earlier this week.
The UK has joined the US, France and other allies in calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, warning the escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah is “intolerable”.
Writing on X, John Swinney said: “The worsening situation in the Middle East is a cause of the deepest concern.
“It is essential that there is a binding ceasefire now to end the suffering in Gaza and to act to avoid escalating conflict in Lebanon.”
Protesters gather outside UN headquarters ahead of Netanyahu’s visit
05:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
Protesters in New York gathered ahead of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly address, voicing opposition to the ongoing war in Gaza.
The protests were led by Jewish and Israeli groups calling for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution, with participants criticising Netanyahu’s leadership and demanding the release of hostages taken by Hamas.
A New York-based rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum told The Guardian: “It’s outrageous that Netanyahu is here on this world stage. He has been an obstacle to ending this war, bringing the hostages home.”
“This isn’t a sports game,” Mr Kleinbaum added. “There isn’t a winner and a loser, and people who imagine there’s going to be one side wins if the other side loses … that’s not where I stand at all. I believe in a shared future, and I want to protest the dehumanisation of either side, and both peoples have terrible leaders.”
Blinken tells Israel escalation will make civilian return more difficult
05:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
US secretary of state Antony Blinken warned Israel that further escalation of the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon would make it harder for civilians on both sides of the border to return home.
“The Secretary discussed the importance of reaching an agreement on the 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border,” the state department said in a statement referring to talks between Blinken and Israeli minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer.
“He underscored that further escalation of the conflict will only make that objective (of civilian return) more difficult.”
Despite global calls for a ceasefire, including from the US and France, Israel has continued its military strikes in Lebanon, heightening fears of a wider regional war.
Opinion: I watched terrified Britons flee Lebanon in 2006 and I fear it will happen again
04:30
Alex Croft
The Independent’s Assisstant Editor Caroline Gammell witnessed the evacuations 18 years ago in Beirut, and says the government should take heed of a blueprint that worked:
Netanyahu rejects international calls for ceasefire
04:04
Maroosha Muzaffar
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected international calls for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, despite pressure from allies like the US and France.
“We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we reach all our goals – chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes,” Mr Netanyahu said.
The prime minister’s office said that Mr Netanyahu had “directed the Israel Defense Forces to continue fighting with full force, according to the plan that was presented to him. The fighting in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war have been achieved”.
ICYMI: Israeli military chief says troops preparing for possible ground invasion of Lebanon
04:01
Alex Croft
Israel’s top general on Wednesday indicated that the country is preparing for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, as airstrikes targeting Hezbollah continue into a fourth day.
Israel’s chief of staff, Maj Gen Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops during a visit to the country’s north: “We are preparing the process of a manoeuvre, which means your military boots, your manoeuvring boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points and launchpads into our territory [from which to] carry out attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Mr Halevi’s remarks come as the US increased pressure for a pause in the fighting, with Joe Biden warning of the urgent need to prevent an “all-out war” in the region.
“An all-out war is possible,” the US president told ABC, adding that he believed an opportunity also existed “to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region”.
‘Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon’, UN chief warns
03:05
Alex Croft
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon” as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, with exchanges of fire intensifying along the UN-patrolled border.
In a statement, Mr Guterres urged both sides to respect Lebanese sovereignty and called for Lebanon to have “full control of its weapons” throughout the country.
Nearly 200,000 Lebanese and over 60,000 northern Israelis have been displaced since Hezbollah began launching rockets across the border in support of Hamas in Gaza. Hundreds have been killed in the escalating conflict.
ICYMI: Netanyahu’s office says reports of ceasefire with Hezbollah are “not true”
02:03
Alex Croft
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a possible ceasefire deal on Thursday.
In resonse to reports that Tel Aviv was open to negotiating, the Prime Minister’s office said: “The news about a ceasefire – not true.
“This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.”
Netanyahu will meet fellow world leaders at the United Nations this week.
The bombing campaign in southern Lebanon has continued, with over 600 people in Lebanon killed so far, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Netanyahu has instructed the military to continue fighting at full power for the moment, Reuters news agency reported.
He added that the fighting in Gaza would continue until Israel has achieved its war aims.
01:02
Alex Croft
Report: What is the proposed Lebanon ceasefire deal – and can Israel be convinced to accept it?
The UK has joined the US and France and a number of other allies in calling for a 21-day ceasefire in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
More than 600 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 causing Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies to explode. Around 600 people have been killed and thousands more wounded in the strikes.
US President Joe Biden is among the Western leaders to express fears of an all-out war and UN secretary-general António Guterres, has told a UN security council meeting that “hell is breaking loose”.
The UK has now joined calls for a 21-day ceasefire. But what does this actually mean, and will Israel accept it?
Read the full report below:
Australia urges its citizens to leave Lebanon as Beirut airport may close soon
Friday 27 September 2024 00:04
Alex Croft
Australia has urged its 15,000 citizens in Lebanon to leave due to the escalating conflict, warning that Beirut airport may close soon.
With Israel intensifying airstrikes and the possibility of a ground assault, Australia is preparing contingency plans, potentially including evacuations by sea, according to Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.
He refused to give more details on the evacuation plan.
“We’re looking at every option, but there’s obviously national security issues,” he told Sky News in an interview.
“Given the large numbers we are talking about, this situation will be difficult to resolve,” Mr Albanese said on ABC Television.
“We’ve been meeting on this through appropriate bodies over a period of time, including engaging with our friends and allies,” he added.
Foreign minister Penny Wong also said there is a risk Beirut airport may close for an extended period, and urged Australians who live in Lebanon — around 15,000 — to leave now.
UN chief attacks Security Council for failure of leadership to end wars
Thursday 26 September 2024 23:31
Alex Croft
Israel claims to have hit 220 Hezbollah sites
Thursday 26 September 2024 22:01
Jane Dalton
Israel’s air force has struck about 220 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon the past day, the military says.
Among the targets struck were infrastructure sites, launchers from which projectiles were fired toward Israeli territory, Hezbollah operatives and weapons storage facilities in Lebanon, it said.
“The IDF is continuing to operate to degrade and dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure,” the Israeli Defence Forces said.
Pictured: Relatives mourn the death of an Iraqi killed in Lebanon
Thursday 26 September 2024 21:53
Alex Croft
Blinken: World is calling for ceasefire
Thursday 26 September 2024 21:30
Alex Croft
The US Secretary of State has spoken out on the international efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The world is speaking clearly on the need for a ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border - otherwise known as the Blue Line - he told MSNBC.
Report: Why is Lebanon being attacked and will there be a ceasefire?
Thursday 26 September 2024 21:08
Alex Croft
Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate as Israel ramps up its assault on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Beginning with a major bombardment on 23 September, Lebanon has now experienced its deadliest attack since the end of the 1975 - 1990 Civil War, with over 90,000 civilians displaced from their homes.
Israel has called the bombardment a “new phase” of its war on Gaza, striking more than 1,000 targets in Lebanon which it says were Hezbollah strongholds or military facilities in homes.
Read the full report from The Independent’s Albert Toth:
Israel strikes Lebanese-Syrian border crossing
Thursday 26 September 2024 20:46
Alex Croft
An Israeli strike has hit a border crossing bridge between Syria and Lebanon, Lebanese transport minister Ali Hamieh said.
The strike on Thursday hit the Syrian end of the small bridge, Hamieh told Reuters, but it is unclear whether the bridge is still usable.
Israel says its fighter jets hit infrastructure on the border to stop the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
It said it will “continue to strike” on Hezbollah’s attempts to arm itself.
ICYMI: Netanyahu’s office says reports of ceasefire with Hezbollah are “not true”
Thursday 26 September 2024 20:26
Alex Croft
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a possible ceasefire deal on Thursday.
In resonse to reports that Tel Aviv was open to negotiating, the Prime Minister’s office said: “The news about a ceasefire – not true.
“This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.”
Netanyahu will meet fellow world leaders at the United Nations this week.
The bombing campaign in southern Lebanon has continued, with over 600 people in Lebanon killed so far, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Netanyahu has instructed the military to continue fighting at full power for the moment, Reuters news agency reported.
He added that the fighting in Gaza would continue until Israel has achieved its war aims.
Nearly two dozen Syrian refugees killed in Israeli strike
Thursday 26 September 2024 20:25
Alex Croft
Twenty-three Syrian refugees were killed in Lebanon after an Israeli airstrike destroyed a building housing workers, Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported.
Four more Syrians and four Lebanese were wounded in the airstrike late on Wednesday in the village of Younine.
It comes as Israel’s military chief prepares troops for a potential ground invasion following a heavy bombing campaign across southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has fired dozens of rockets across the border into northern Israel, most of which have been intercepted by Israeli defence systems.
Israeli strikes killed more than 72 people on Wednesday, bringing the death toll since Monday to more than 630 with more than 2,000 wounded.
Mother of British teacher shares relief at his escape
Thursday 26 September 2024 20:02
Alex Croft
The mother of a British teacher in Beirut has shared her “relief” at her son’s escape from Lebanon.
Charlie Peters, 24, from Highgate in north London, worked in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon’s capital and has fled the country after the UK government urged British citizens to leave.
His mother, Nicola, said: “I’ve spent three days with the jitters and the jumps and not wanting really to look at the news, but also having to look at the news, and that’s really tricky.
“All those stages of, ‘are you at the airport? Have you got your boarding pass? Are you at gate?’ Because you’re waiting for that sort of news to come through the airport is shot.
“What Charlie was really keen to do is that he did not want to be evacuated
“He was like, ‘we’re edging towards emergency evacuation here. I don’t want to be somebody who’s left it to the point where that’s my only option.”
Nicola said that her son had to wrestle with the decision to leave Lebanon.
“What you have to understand for these people who work in these sort of refugee camp systems is you’re leaving people behind who have no choice,” she said.
Charlie hopes to arrive at London Heathrow this afternoon.
Scotland’s First Minister says a binding ceasefire across the Middle East is ‘essential’
Thursday 26 September 2024 19:38
Alex Croft
Scotland’s First Minister has said the situation in the Middle East is cause for the “deepest concern” as he called for a binding ceasefire in the region.
UK citizens are being urged to leave Lebanon after Israel launched an intense series of air strikes earlier this week.
The UK has joined the US, France and other allies in calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, warning the escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah is “intolerable”.
Writing on X, John Swinney said: “The worsening situation in the Middle East is a cause of the deepest concern.
“It is essential that there is a binding ceasefire now to end the suffering in Gaza and to act to avoid escalating conflict in Lebanon.”
Thousands are pouring into Syria, fleeing conflict
Thursday 26 September 2024 19:16
Alex Croft
Families fleeing Lebanon poured into Syria in growing numbers on Wednesday, waiting for hours to reach the relative safety of another war-torn country:
Iran foreign minister says Israel has ‘crossed all red lines’
Thursday 26 September 2024 18:55
Alex Croft
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, says Israel has “crossed all red lines” and called for the UN Security Council to “intervene to restore peace and security”.
Mr Araghchi said the region was on the brink of a “full-scale catastrophe” and that Israel’s “attacks on Lebanon must stop”.
He also said that Iran supported Hezbollah in its “just cause” to defend Lebanon against Israeli “atrocities” and “occupation”.
Opinion: I watched terrified Britons flee Lebanon in 2006 and I fear it will happen again
Thursday 26 September 2024 18:35
Alex Croft
The Independent’s Assisstant Editor Caroline Gammell witnessed the evacuations 18 years ago in Beirut, and says the government should take heed of a blueprint that worked:
Israeli military chief says troops preparing for possible ground invasion of Lebanon
Thursday 26 September 2024 18:15
Alex Croft
Israel’s top general on Wednesday indicated that the country is preparing for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, as airstrikes targeting Hezbollah continue into a fourth day.
Israel’s chief of staff, Maj Gen Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops during a visit to the country’s north: “We are preparing the process of a manoeuvre, which means your military boots, your manoeuvring boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points and launchpads into our territory [from which to] carry out attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Mr Halevi’s remarks come as the US increased pressure for a pause in the fighting, with Joe Biden warning of the urgent need to prevent an “all-out war” in the region.
“An all-out war is possible,” the US president told ABC, adding that he believed an opportunity also existed “to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region”.
‘Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon’, UN chief warns
Thursday 26 September 2024 17:52
Alex Croft
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon” as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, with exchanges of fire intensifying along the UN-patrolled border.
In a statement, Mr Guterres urged both sides to respect Lebanese sovereignty and called for Lebanon to have “full control of its weapons” throughout the country.
Nearly 200,000 Lebanese and over 60,000 northern Israelis have been displaced since Hezbollah began launching rockets across the border in support of Hamas in Gaza. Hundreds have been killed in the escalating conflict.
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
Thursday 26 September 2024 17:30
Alex Croft
The prime minister has urged Britons in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as Israel intensifies its bombing campaign against Hezbollah. Sir Keir added that he believes the conflict between Israel and Lebanon is on the “brink point”.
It comes as 700 British troops are being sent to Cyprus to prepare for a possible evacuation of up to 10,000 Britons from Lebanon.
The Foreign Office says: “FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon. If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave, while commercial options remain available.
“Tensions are high and events could escalate with little warning, which could affect or limit exit routes out of Lebanon. In the event of deterioration in the political or security situation, commercial routes out of Lebanon could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice, and roads across the country could be closed. “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign Office.
Read the full report here:
Australia urges its citizens to leave Lebanon as Beirut airport may close soon
Thursday 26 September 2024 17:08
Alex Croft
Australia has urged its 15,000 citizens in Lebanon to leave due to the escalating conflict, warning that Beirut airport may close soon.
With Israel intensifying airstrikes and the possibility of a ground assault, Australia is preparing contingency plans, potentially including evacuations by sea, according to Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.
He refused to give more details on the evacuation plan.
“We’re looking at every option, but there’s obviously national security issues,” he told Sky News in an interview.
“Given the large numbers we are talking about, this situation will be difficult to resolve,” Mr Albanese said on ABC Television.
“We’ve been meeting on this through appropriate bodies over a period of time, including engaging with our friends and allies,” he added.
Foreign minister Penny Wong also said there is a risk Beirut airport may close for an extended period, and urged Australians who live in Lebanon — around 15,000 — to leave now.
ICYMI: US and France call for 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
Thursday 26 September 2024 16:46
Alex Croft
The US and France have called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to create space for broader negotiations and prevent a larger conflict. This follows a heavy three-day Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon that has killed over 600 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Israeli war cabinet have since rejected the ceasefire proposal.
The ceasefire proposal, endorsed by several global powers — like Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — aims to allow civilians to return to their homes on the Israel-Lebanon border safely. It does not, however, apply to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The joint statement issued by Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron said: “It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes. The exchange of fire since October 7th, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”
The two leaders said they worked on a temporary ceasefire “to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border”.
UN chief attacks Security Council for failure of leadership to end wars
Thursday 26 September 2024 16:24
Alex Croft
Mahmoud Abbas calls out US government at UN summit
Thursday 26 September 2024 16:01
Alex Croft
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said the “entire world is responsible” for events in Gaza and the West Bank.
He opened his speech at the UN general assembly in New York by telling the members: “We will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave.”
“Palestine is our homeland. It is the land of our fathers, our grandfathers. It will remain ours. And if anyone were to leave, it would be occupying usurpers.”
Abbas added, according to The Guardian: “Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue.”
He also called out the US for their failure to vote for a ceasefire in the UN security council and their veto of full Palestinian membership in the UN.
“This is the United States, the very country that was the only member in the security council that voted against granting the state of Palestine for membership in the UN,” Abbas said.
“We don’t deserve membership in the eyes of America, so they use a veto against it.”
Israel says it killed Hezbollah air force commander in Beirut strike
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:34
Alex Croft
Israel says it killed “Muhammad Hossein Surur, the commander of the air unit”, in a strike in Beirut.
Two Lebanese security sources also said Surur was killed, according to Reuters.
בהכוונה מודיעינית מדוייקת של חיל-האוויר ואגף המודיעין, מטוסי קרב תקפו בביירות וחיסלו את מחמד חסין סרור, מפקד היחידה האווירית של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה.
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) September 26, 2024
המחבל סרור קידם, הכווין ופיקד על מתווי טרור אוויריים רבים ובהם פיגועי רחפנים, טילי שיוט וכלי טיס בלתי מאויישים שכוונו לעבר עורף… pic.twitter.com/NyiA9MIj10
Air force commander killed in Beirut strike named
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:24
Alex Croft
The commander of one of Beirut’s air force units who was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut has been named as Mohammad Surur, Reuters reported two security forces as saying.
The attack is one of a number of strikes on the Lebanese capital since Monday, amid an Israeli bombing campaign which has seen over 630 people killed in Lebanon.
Breaking: Head of air force unit killed in Beirut strike
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:12
Alex Croft
The head of Hezbollah’s air force unit was killed in Israel’s strike on Beirut, Reuters news agency reported two security sources as saying.
We’ll bring you the latest details as they come in...
Fourteen killed in Israeli strike on Gaza school, medics say
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:09
Alex Croft
The Israeli military is continuing to wage its war in Gaza despite turning much of its focus to its conflict with Hezbollah in the north.
Palestinian medics say 14 Palestinians were killed in a strike which local media says hit Hasfa al Faluja school - where displaced people are said to be sheltering.
The Israeli air force said it had struck a command centre used by Hamas. In a post on Telegram, it said it took “numerous steps” to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.
Israel’s air force says it has conducted a precise strike on a command centre used by Hamas.
Pictured: Israel strikes Beirut again
Thursday 26 September 2024 14:52
Alex Croft
Israel has struck Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut a number of times this week.
The strike hit the southern suburbs, near where several of hezbollah’s facilities are located - but also where many civilians live and work.
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV broadcast images of a damaged upper floor of a building.
Report: Israel gears up for Lebanon ground invasion after another day of heavy strikes
Thursday 26 September 2024 14:25
Alex Croft
Israel is preparing for a potential ground invasion of Lebanon, army chiefs said on Wednesday, as US president Joe Biden admitted “all-out war” is possible and Sir Keir Starmer urged British nationals to leave the area immediately.
Airstrikes in Lebanon are laying the groundwork for a possible operation to push Hezbollah back and “safely return” displaced Israeli citizens, said Israeli army general Lt Gen Herzi Halevi.
Read the full report by Rachel Hagan and Tom Watling:
The Blue Line - the temporary border between Israel and Lebanon
Thursday 26 September 2024 14:15
Chris Stevenson
What is the Blue Line?
As part of the 21-day ceasefire proposal - which has been rejected by Israel - mediators refer to ending the fighting along the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.
The Blue Line is a provisional border between Israel and Lebanon - and is not yet viewed as a permanent border.
Drawn in 2000 and monitored by UN peacekeepers, the Blue Line was seen as a temporary solution to demarcate the border between Israel and Lebanon, while a peace agreement still had not been signed.
UN Security Council resolution 1701, which was passed after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, called for “full respect” for the Blue Line by troops on both sides.
But not only have both Israel and Hezbollah been firing rockets and airstrikes across the line, the Israeli military is now gearing up to stage a ground invasion, according to a top army general.
Hezbollah are supposed to remain behind the Litani river, 20 miles from the Blue Line, but for years have been slowly moving forwards.
Israel ‘targeting Hezbollah leader'
Thursday 26 September 2024 14:04
Chris Stevenson
As has been the case with previous Beirut strikes, a security source tells Reuters that Israel targeted a "senior Hezbollah leader" in the hit on Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday afternoon.Israel has not realised details of the latest strike, but have confirmed they did fire on Beirut.
New Beirut strike
Thursday 26 September 2024 13:50
Chris Stevenson
The Israeli military has said it is carrying out what is cliams are “precise” strikes in Beirut, where the sound of a blast was heard and smoke was seen rising in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.
More than 600 people have been killed since Monday in Israel's strikes on Lebanon, which follow nearly a year of cross-border fire with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The strike in a Beirut – one of a number this week – was likely targeting Hezbollah commanders.
Local Hezbollah media said the strike had hit an apartment building.
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Thursday 26 September 2024 13:45
Alex Croft
ICYMI: Mother of British teacher shares relief at his escape
Thursday 26 September 2024 13:25
Alex Croft
The mother of a British teacher in Beirut has shared her “relief” at her son’s escape from Lebanon.
Charlie Peters, 24, from Highgate in north London, worked in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon’s capital and has fled the country after the UK government urged British citizens to leave.
His mother, Nicola, said: “I’ve spent three days with the jitters and the jumps and not wanting really to look at the news, but also having to look at the news, and that’s really tricky.
“All those stages of, ‘are you at the airport? Have you got your boarding pass? Are you at gate?’ Because you’re waiting for that sort of news to come through the airport is shot.
“What Charlie was really keen to do is that he did not want to be evacuated
“He was like, ‘we’re edging towards emergency evacuation here. I don’t want to be somebody who’s left it to the point where that’s my only option.”
Nicola said that her son had to wrestle with the decision to leave Lebanon.
“What you have to understand for these people who work in these sort of refugee camp systems is you’re leaving people behind who have no choice,” she said.
Charlie hopes to arrive at London Heathrow this afternoon.
Blinken: World is calling for ceasefire
Thursday 26 September 2024 13:04
