Israel today launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut and asked residents living near “Hezbollah interests” in the Dahiyeh district to immediately evacuate.
The bombings come as US president Joe Biden ordered the Pentagon to adjust the military in the Middle East after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
The White House said in a statement: “He has directed the Pentagon to assess and adjust as necessary US force posture in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection, and support the full range of US objectives.”
The Israeli military said it intercepted some of the rockets allegedly fired by Lebanon toward the north of Israel.
Earlier, Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut was hit by a series of massive explosions reported to have been targeted at the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
The airstrikes killed at least six people and wounded 91 in the suburbs, according to Lebanese health authorities.
Israeli sources said Nasrallah was the intended target but a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters he was still alive.
Key Points
- 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
- 'Hezbollah leader Nasrallah was target of strike'
- Netanyahu says Israel will keep ‘degrading Hezbollah’ until its objectives are met
- Joe Biden directs the Pentagon to adjust US forces in Middle East
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.
Diplomats walked out of speech in protest
Friday 27 September 2024 15:48
Rachel Hagan
Cheers were heard through the duration of Netanyahu’s speech but cameras may not have shown the flurry of diplomats leaving the hall in protest, Sky News has said.
International affairs editor Dominic Waghorn witnessed “lots of diplomats” head for the exit during the Israeli prime minister’s speech and videos on X show similar scenes too.
Netanyahu says Israel will keep ‘degrading Hezbollah’ until its objectives are met
Friday 27 September 2024 15:37
The Associated Press
His leadership strained by conflicts on two fronts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders at the United Nations on Friday that his nation will “continue degrading Hezbollah” until it achieves its goals along the Lebanon border, further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire to halt the spiral into an all-out regional war.
He said his government would no longer tolerate daily rocket fire from the area.“Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing ... we’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met,” Netanyahu said.“Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns ... How long would the American government tolerate that?” he said, shaking his fist in emphasis. “Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say: Enough is enough.”
He said Israeli forces have destroyed “90%” of Hamas’ rockets and killed or captured half of its forces.
Netanyahu concludes his speech
Friday 27 September 2024 15:25
Rachel Hagan
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just concluded his speech at the United Nations in New York, however we will recap and continue to bring you more of the top lines from his 30 minute speech.
Netanyahu accuses UN members of anti-Semitism
Friday 27 September 2024 15:24
Rachel Hagan
Netanyahu has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor of “pure antisemitism.”
Addressing a bid for an arrest warrant to be issued for him by the ICC, he told UN: “Now, given the antisemitism at the UN, it should surprise no one that the prosecutor of the ICC, one of the UN’s affiliated organs, is considering issuing arrest warrants against me and Israel’s defence minister.
“The democratically elected leader, leaders of the democratic state of Israel - the ICC prosecutors rush to judgement. His refusal to treat Israel, with its independent courts, the way other democracies are treated is hard to explain by anything other than pure antisemitism.”
Hezbollah is ‘the quintessential terror organisation in the world'
Friday 27 September 2024 15:11
Rachel Hagan
Netanyahu turned to addressing the escalating conflict with Hezbollah.
He said: “We will not accept a terror army parked on our northern border...able to perpetrate another Oct 7-style massacre. We will continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met.”
He went on to say that Israel is not at war with Lebanon but with Hezbollah and that the group is “the quintessential terror organisation in the world today,”
Netanyahu compares Hamas to Nazis
Friday 27 September 2024 15:04
Rachel Hagan
Netanyahu has compared Hamas to the Nazis and said it would be “inconceivable” for Israel to allow Hamas to remain a part of Gaza when the war is over.
He said: “Imagine in a post-war situation in the Second World War, imagine allowing the defeated Nazis in 1945 to rebuild Germany. It’s inconceivable. It’s ridiculous. It didn’t happen then, and it’s not going to happen now. We don’t seek to resettle Gaza.”
‘We remain focused on our sacred vision, bringing our hostages home'
Friday 27 September 2024 14:59
Rachel Hagan
Netanyahu has claimed that his army has defeated all but one of “Hamas’ terror battalions.”
He said the army’s focus is now on defeating Hamas’ remaining fighting capability and they are doing so by “taking out senior terrorist commanders and destroying remaining terrorist infrastructure.”
But, he says, the main goal remains focused on their “sacred mission” of bringing “our hostages home.”
The Israeli prime minister said 154 hostages have returned, 117 of those are alive.
He said: “We will not stop until that mission is complete.”
Further remarks from Netanyahu on Israel’s ‘enemies'
Friday 27 September 2024 14:56
Rachel Hagan
Israel is seeking peace despite fighting for its life in the face of “savage enemies” who want its annihilation, Netanyahu has said.
He continued: “My country is at war, fighting for its life. We must defend ourselves against these savage murderers. Our enemies seek not only to destroy us, they seek to destroy our common civilization and return all of us to a dark age of tyranny and terror.”
Netanyahu calls for sanctions on Iran
Friday 27 September 2024 14:55
Rachel Hagan
Netanyahu has called on the UN Security Council to reimpose sanctions on Iran to ensure it doesn’t get nuclear weapons.
Israel tells Iran: ‘If you strike us, we will strike you'
Friday 27 September 2024 14:51
Rachel Hagan
Netanyahu has said his army was forced to defend itself “on six more fronts, organised by Iran” after the initial attack by Hamas inside Israel on 7 October.
He lists others who have attacked Israel including the Yemeni Houthis and says that last April, Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory.
He said he had a message for the “tyrants of Tehran”, saying there is “no place in the Middle East” that “the long arms of Israel” cannot reach.
Netanyahu then declared: “We are winning!”
‘Lies and slander’ forced Israel’s leader to attend UN
Friday 27 September 2024 14:48
Rachel Hagan
The Israeli prime minster said he decided to attend and speak at the UN after he heard “lies and slander” levelled against Israel by “speakers at this podium”.
He did not provide further details on which speakers he was referring to or what they said.
Netanyahu says Israel ‘yearns for peace'
Friday 27 September 2024 14:47
Rachel Hagan
Benjamin Netanyahu said he did not intend to attend this year’s general assembly but he “decided to come and set the record straight.”
He went on to say that Israel “yearns for peace” and “will make peace again” but added that it must defend itself against “savage” enemies.
Netanyahu begins speech to world leaders at UN
Friday 27 September 2024 14:45
Rachel Hagan
Benjamin Netanyahu is at the lecturn at the UN General Assembly in New York.
He was met with some cheers and jeers from those inside in the chamber as he walked up.
Starmer and Netanyahu did not meet at the UN, it is understood
Friday 27 September 2024 14:35
Rachel Hagan
British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer did not meet with his Israeli counterpart during the sidelines of a world leaders’ summit in New York, despite hopes for talks from the UK side, according to Sky News.
A source familiar with the trip mentioned that scheduling conflicts between Sir Keir Starmer and Benjamin Netanyahu prevented the meeting.
Additionally, a meeting between the prime minister and Israel’s minister of strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, was called off after the Israeli official postponed his trip to the United Nations General Assembly by a day.
The Jewish Chronicle newspaper also reported that the two leaders did not meet despite both being in New York at the same time.
It quoted Downing Street sources as insisting this was not a snub and that the government is “in touch with the Israelis all the time”.
The lack of discussions between the British and Israeli leaders occurred as Israel intensified its military offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
No current plans to evacuate citizens, US says
Friday 27 September 2024 14:23
Rachel Hagan
The American embassay in Beirut has issued a short statement on X to say it has no current plans to evacuate its citizens.
Israel's goals in Lebanon are much narrower compared to Gaza, official says
Friday 27 September 2024 14:21
Rachel Hagan
An Israeli security official said he expects a possible war against Hezbollah would not last for as long as the current war in Gaza because the Israeli military’s goals are much narrower.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military briefing guidelines, told The Associated Press that the goal in Lebanon is just to push Hezbollah away from the border with Israel, which is “not a high bar like Gaza.”The official said that no decision has been made on whether Israel will carry out a ground operation in southern Lebanon. But he stressed that the military is training for this possibility every day and is ready to implement it.
British mother ‘on edge’ as family waits for flight home
Friday 27 September 2024 14:05
Sarah Ping
A British mother and her young family in Lebanon are “on edge” as they face a five-day wait for a flight back to the UK amid daily explosions.
Victoria Lupton, 37, who divides her time between Achrafieh in Beirut and Cambridge, arrived in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday September 17, on the same day a wave of blasts hit pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members.
Ms Lupton told the PA news agency she was in her apartment with her British-Lebanese husband protecting their two-year-old daughter - whom she does not wish to name - after they heard blasts in their area on Monday as a result of the growing violence between Israel and Hezbollah.
“I was trying to protect my two-year-old from the noise of that,” she said.
“Since then, we regularly hear distant rumblings of explosions and all of us are really on edge - even when a door slams, we’re jumping up. Last weekend, there was a thunderstorm, and there were rumbles of thunder happening, and I was with a group of people, and everyone thought that that was either a sonic boom or a rocket. We were all very uneasy looking at each other.”
Ms Lupton who is founder and chief executive of Seenaryo, a non-profit which helps educate Middle Eastern women and children through theatre and play, said there is a "shared experience" among British nationals in Lebanon in "constantly discussing when to stay and when to go" from the country.
Houthi rebels fire ballistic missile at Tel Aviv
Friday 27 September 2024 13:23
Rachel Hagan
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Friday they had targeted Israel’s cities of Tel Aviv and Ashkelon with a ballistic missile and a drone in support of Gaza and Lebanon.
The Israeli army said it had