Israel Hezbollah War Live Updates: Flame and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Middle East Conflict, Israel Iran War Live: New Israeli strikes have been reported in south Beirut on Monday night, hours after Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for civilians in the Lebanese capital to leave specific buildings. Earlier, Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a series of missile attacks targeting northern Israel, including areas near the city of Haifa. The Palestinian militant group, Hamas in Gaza also fired four rockets into Israel on Monday, that marked year of the war in West Asia which was sparked by the Hamas-led militant attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The Israeli military said there were no casualties as three rockets were intercepted and a fourth fell in an open area. The forces have also launched a wave of artillery and airstrikes overnight, targetting Hamas launch posts and underground militant infrastructure.
What’s the situation? Israel continued to intensify its attack on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon as more than 30 airstrikes hit Beirut overnight Sunday. Reuters reported that Israel’s military said about 130 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory. In Gaza, Israel on Monday said it has bombed more than 40,000 targets, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites. Having also opened up a new front against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel said it has killed more than 800 “terrorists” there while 4,900 targets have been struck from the air along with about 6,000 ground targets.
Marking a year of war: In Gaza, which is still buckling under the weight of the ongoing war, no formal commemorative event is planned, as per AP. Meanwhile, at 6:30 a.m. — the exact hour Hamas launched its attack — Israeli families of those killed at the Nova music festival were seen gathering at the site where almost 400 revelers were gunned down and from where many others were taken hostage. At that same time, the families of hostages still held in Gaza — about 100, a third of whom are said to be dead — were gathering outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence to stand during a two-minute siren.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff stand after planting a memorial tree on the grounds of the Vice President's residence in Washington on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, to honor the victims and mark one year since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. (AP Photo)
Former US President Donald Trump visited the holy Jewish site Ohel Chabad Lubavitch in New York to mark the October 7 anniversary of attacks on Israel by Gaza based Hamas militant group.
An Ohel is a structure which is built around the grave of some prominent Jewish person. The site at which Trump visited holds Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, who were rabbis of the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty, as reported by NBC News.
According to the customs, Republican candidate Trump wrote a letter to the rabbis, then read it quietly and later on tore it up by placing it in the enclosed area. Trump then placed a rock on one of the tombstones, as it is considered a customary way to honour Jewish deceased.
Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group has said that it has briefed its fighters not to engage with soldiers of Israel Defense Forces near an outpost in Maroun Al-Ras as they are posted for security of UN peacekeeping force.
The NBC News reported that one of Hezbollah’s field officers told its forces to avoid any kind of skirmish with Israeli forces and “refrain from engaging” with them as they are observed around the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL.
The UNIFIL had earlier stated that it was deeply concerned about the activity of Israeli forces near its outpost in Lebanon. And added that it is "unacceptable to compromise the safety of UN peacekeepers".
The Israeli forces sounded air alerts siren across the country after it intercepted that a missile was launched from Yemen by Houthi rebels.
The Israel Defense Forces, in a post on X said, “The air force successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen.”
Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have been attacking Israel since past one year using missiles and drones. In response to the attack by Houthi rebels, Israel has also launched airstrikes on Houthi military and its infrastructure sites.
In a major blow to vacationers, boaters and beachgoers, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued warnings that soon it will start operating in maritime areas in order to target Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group’s “maritime targets”.
The IDF said that it could start operating south of the Awali River line. Israel completed one year of war hostilities on Monday as on October 7 last year, Hamas attacked Tel Aviv to kill over 1,200 people and reportedly kidnapped 250 others.
The Israeli military in a statement, said, “For your safety, refrain from being in the sea or on the beach from now until further notice. Being on the beach and boat movements in the area of the Awali River line southward pose a danger to your life,” as reported by ABC News.
Israel military’s ground operation of incursion into Lebanese territory to destroy militant group Hezbollah continue to be limited, says State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Noting that this particular forecast doesn’t reflect on what is going to happen in the operation ahead, Miller said US officials remain engaged in talks about “what the path forward ought to look like” with multiple partners in the Middle East.
“Just because we don't make the details of those conversations public, which we are not at this point, doesn't mean that we are not actively engaged in them,” Matthew Miller said, as reported by ABC News.
The Israeli military issued stern orders for an evacuation of Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath neighborhoods in Beirut, just moments before the country’s military attacked Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group’s intelligence centre.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that fighter jets were involved in the attack on the intelligence centre. The IDF added that it was one of the 70 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since past 24 hours.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris marked the anniversary of the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust as the presidential candidates approach the final weeks of the campaign during a widening conflict in the Middle East.
Hamas killed 1,200 people, including 46 U.S. citizens, and took about 250 hostages during its surprise attack on Oct. 7 last year. Harris described it as “an act of pure evil.” She cited the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer in mourning, to talk about “our enduring belief in God, even in our darkest moments.” Harris said she would remain committed to Israel’s security and the release of hostages held by Hamas, naming several of them in her remarks. She also mentioned a need to to “relieve the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who have experienced so much pain and loss over the year.”
Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, spoke after Harris to say “this is an incredibly challenging day for Jews around the world, myself included.”“Today feels just as raw as it did one year ago,” he said, describing the attack as “seared into our souls.”A fledgling pomegranate tree was placed in a hole nearby at the Vice President's Residence, and Harris and Emhoff used shovels to cover the roots with dirt.
When they finished, they paused and bowed their heads. On Monday morning, Republican candidate Trump visited the New York City gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who led the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Orthodox Judaism from 1951 until his death in 1994.
(AP)
The Israeli military said on Monday that it sounded sirens across Central Israel as five projectiles were fired upon by Lebanon and they were identified crossing into Israeli territory.
The Israeli military further stated that some of the projectiles that were fired were intercepted while a few landed in open areas. The military made no sudden changes in the Home Front Command's guidelines.
Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group later issued a statement acknowledging the attack and said that it launched a missile operation which targeted a military intelligence unit in Tel Aviv.
The statement said, “A missile launch operation (was carried out on) the Glilot base of the military intelligence unit 8200 located in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.”
Israel escalated its air campaign on southern Lebanon on Monday, launching a major offensive involving 100 aircraft that struck around 120 targets in just one hour, as reported by the Israeli military. The attack came after, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a series of missile attacks targeting northern Israel, including areas near the city of Haifa.
An urgent warning was issued to civilians by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), urging them to stay clear of beaches and boats along Lebanon’s coast, from the Awali River southward, it announced plans to soon begin operations along Lebanon’s southern coast, advising residents to avoid beaches and the sea for a 60-kilometre (36-mile) stretch along the Mediterranean.
The strikes coincided with Israel’s commemoration of the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which marked the start of a year-long intensification of conflict in the region. The IDF announced the designation of a new closed military zone in northern Israel, the fourth since its ground operations began, covering areas stretching from the Mediterranean inland.
New Israeli airstrikes were reported in southern Beirut on Monday night. According to Lebanese state media, two strikes hit the southern suburbs of the city, with smoke visible rising from the area.
These strikes followed the Israeli military's recent evacuation orders, urging civilians in the Lebanese capital to leave certain buildings for their safety.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued a fresh warning for civilians to urgently evacuate areas surrounding specific buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, in anticipation of imminent Israeli airstrikes.
IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee shared maps highlighting the targeted buildings in the Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath neighborhoods, advising residents to leave immediately and maintain a distance of at least 500 meters from these locations.
Israel’s military announced on Monday that areas around several towns in northwest Israel have been declared off-limits to the public following a security assessment.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the newly designated closed military zones along the Lebanese border now include the towns of Shlomi, Rosh Hanikra, Hanita, Arab al-Aramshe, and Adamit.
Significant parts of northern Israel have already been evacuated due to the intense rocket and missile strikes launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon.
Israel's military announced on Monday that it is partially lifting some restrictions for residents in northern areas, which were imposed due to a recent increase in cross-border rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The military stated that the "activity scale will be changed from Limited Activity to Partial Activity," allowing educational activities to resume in areas adjacent to bomb shelters or other safe rooms, according to Reuters.
However, the guidelines for the rest of the country will remain unchanged.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer asserted that he will "never" support a complete ban on arms sales to Israel.
In a statement to the Commons, he said, “If the sale of weapons for defensive use by Israel were banned, that is a position that I could not countenance a year after October 7th. It is not a position I could countenance in the face of attacks by Iran."
He highlighted the recent missile attacks on Israel, emphasizing that it would be "wholly inconsistent" to support Israel's right to defend itself while denying it the means to do so.
Starmer’s comments came in response to SNP MP Brendan O'Hara, who welcomed the Prime Minister’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but questioned why Starmer continues to license 90% of weapon sales to Israel when UK weapons are reportedly used to perpetuate the crisis.
US President Joe Biden had a conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Hamas' attack on October 7, as reported by an Axios journalist on X.
Lebanese MP Melhem Khalaf has condemned Israel's bombardment of Lebanon as “a crime against humanity.”
According to Lebanon’s state-owned National News Agency, Khalaf stated:
“Lebanon is the victim of the biggest war crime, a crime against humanity. Our people sleep on the ground in schools without a means to secure their most basic needs. Our children, our elderly, our families live in anxiety, terror, and fear for the future. The horizon is bleak before them. Without schools. Without work. Without housing.”
Following Israel's intensified aerial strikes on alleged Hezbollah targets, more than 1.3 million people in Lebanon—over a fifth of the population—have been displaced from their homes.
The United States imposed sanctions on a Hamas fundraising network on Monday, accusing it of playing a crucial role in raising money for the Palestinian militant group. This move marks the first anniversary of the Gaza war. The U.S. Treasury Department targeted three individuals, a "sham charity" involved in international financial support for Hamas, and Gaza's Al-Intaj Bank, which is controlled by the group.
The sanctions also applied to a long-time Hamas supporter, a Yemeni national based in Turkey, and nine businesses linked to him. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the department is committed to undermining Hamas’s ability to finance violent acts, including those carried out by other Iranian-backed proxies.
In their attack on Israeli towns near Gaza a year ago, Hamas-led militants killed approximately 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages. The assault exposed serious security failures in Israel, leading to the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of nearly 42,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The Treasury stated that Hamas has used the crisis in Gaza to generate funds through fake charities, receiving up to $10 million a month, especially from Europe.
Among those sanctioned was an Italy-based Hamas member who established a fake charity to fund Hamas’ military wing, as well as senior Hamas representatives in Germany and Austria.
Israel has not yet confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, the potential successor to former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a government spokesperson said.
When asked if Israel could verify Safieddine's death, spokesperson David Mencer responded during an online briefing:
"We don’t have that confirmation yet. When it is confirmed, as and when, it will be on the IDF (Israeli military) website."
Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for over three decades, was killed in late September during a series of Israeli strikes on the group's underground headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh. Another similar strike allegedly killed Safieddine in the same area, though this has not yet been confirmed.
The Lebanese National News Agency has reported that Israeli airstrikes have targeted more than thirty towns and villages in the Tyre district within the past thirty minutes. Additionally, Lebanese media outlets have reported a fresh Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh.
Itay Blumental, military correspondent for Israel’s Channel 11, shared an image on social media that is said to be from the site of the strike.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to ensure Israel's security, stating that military force alone would not suffice. Speaking during a visit to Israel on Monday, which marked the first anniversary of the Hamas attack that led to the war, Barrot remarked: "Force alone cannot guarantee the security of Israel, your security. Military success cannot be a substitute for a political perspective."
Barrot further emphasised the need for diplomacy, adding: "To bring the hostages home to their loved ones, to allow the displaced to return home in the north, after a year of war, the time for diplomacy has come."
On the day which marks one year of Hamas militant group's attack on southern Israel, German Chancellor Scholz has said the country stands with Israel. He said that Hamas and Hezbollah must end their attacks on Israel, which are "another escalation in a tense situation"
"Hamas terrorists must be countered," he was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters
Israelis were seen holding vigils and somber ceremonies on Monday to mark a year since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
Israelis were said to have gathered at ceremonies, cemeteries and memorial sites around the country, remembering the hundreds of victims, the dozens of hostages still in captivity and the soldiers wounded or killed trying to save them.
At 6:29 a.m. — the exact minute Hamas launched its attack — the families of those killed at the Nova music festival, joined by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, gathered at the site where almost 400 revelers were gunned down and from where many others were taken hostage. After briefly playing the same trance music that was blared during the festival, hundreds of family members and friends of the victims stood for a moment of silence, according to Reuters
Israel intercepted early on Monday two aerial targets launched from the east after sirens went off in the central areas of Rishon Letsiyon and Palmachim, the military said on the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks.
It gave no further details of the source of the drones.
India’s blossoming relationship with Israel has not led to New Delhi being openly supportive of the Israeli position on Gaza or Lebanon. Rather, India has chosen to silo terrorism as a distinct issue — which needs to be condemned and mitigated — from the political question of Israel and Palestine. This has allowed New Delhi to express sympathy and support for Israel after the October 7 terrorist attacks while refraining from backing it wholesale on the question of Palestinian sovereignty.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Netanyahu on the phone both in October 2023 and 2024, expressing concern and offering solidarity. Modi also spoke to President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, reiterating India’s commitment to the two-state solution.
Iran's foreign ministry has summoned the Australian ambassador in Tehran over what it called his country's biased stance regarding Iran's attack on Israel, Iranian news agency Tasnim said on Sunday.
Tehran's missile attack on Tuesday came in retaliation for the killing of several leaders of Iran-aligned armed groups. Israel has vowed to respond.
The Australian envoy, Ian McConville, was summoned on grounds of bias regarding Iran's response to what Tehran called "the Zionist regime", in a reference to Israel.
However, Australia "makes no apology for the views it has expressed about Iran's actions or the actions of its ambassador to Australia", a spokesperson for its department of foreign affairs and trade was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported more than 30 strikes overnight into Sunday, while Israel's military said about 130 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, news agency Reuters reporterd
This inteisified bombardment on Beirut comes a day after Israel's heaviest bombardment of the southern suburbs known as the Dahiyeh since it escalated its air campaign on September 23. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties.
Israel confirmed the strikes and says it targets Hezbollah. The militant group, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, has called its months of firing rockets into Israel a show of support for the Palestinians.
A separate Israeli strike earlier on Sunday in the town of Qamatiyeh southeast of Beirut killed six people, including three children, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.
Oct 7 marks a year of the terrorist assault by Hamas on Israel.
After flattening parts of Gaza, Israel has taken its retaliation north to Hezbollah. With West Asia on the brink of all-out war, Here's how it began:
The West Asia crisis that began with the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023 has now continued for a year. Israel’s ground operations and aerial bombardment in Gaza and Lebanon have, by conservative estimates, killed more than 41,000 people. Gaza is all but flattened, but Hamas is believed to be still holding 97 of the original 251 hostages.
Israeli military has put out data to mark one year of the October 7 attack by Hamas militan group.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said in a statement that it is deeply concerned regarding the growing attacks of the Israeli military inside Lebanese territory and adjacent to UNIFIL’s centre.
The United Nations body reiterated the obligation of the member states to protect the UN property and its staff members.
In a post on X, the United Nations body said, “UNIFIL is deeply concerned by recent activities by the IDF immediately adjacent to the Mission’s position 6-52, southeast of Marun ar Ras (Sector West), inside Lebanese territory. The IDF has been repeatedly informed of this ongoing situation through regular channels.”
Flames and smoke rise from an exploded ammunition storage hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the Israeli air force intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” that was approaching Tel Aviv from the east but did not cross the Israeli territory and was intercepted by the air force.
A new round of airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs late Sunday as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Lebanon in a widening war with Iran-allied militant groups across the region. Palestinian officials said a strike on a mosque killed at least 19 people.
A year after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, Israel has opened a new front in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which has traded fire with Israel since the war in Gaza began. Israel’s military confirmed a Hezbollah attack on the northern city of Haifa, though it was not immediately clear whether shrapnel from “fallen projectiles” was from rockets or interceptors.
Hezbollah said it tried to hit a nearby naval base. The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it treated 10 people, most of them hurt by shrapnel. Israel also has vowed to strike Iran after a ballistic missile attack on Israel last week. The widening conflict risks further drawing in the United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel. Iran-allied militant groups in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have joined in with long-distance strikes on Israel.
Israel is on high alert ahead of memorial events for the Oct. 7 attack, while rallies continue around the world marking the anniversary. Israel bombards southern Beirut’s skyline lit up again late Sunday with new airstrikes, a day after Israel’s heaviest bombardment of the southern suburbs known as the Dahiyeh since it escalated its air campaign on Sept. 23. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties.Israel confirmed the strikes and says it targets Hezbollah.
(AP)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said that Israel Air Force struck “terror targets” belonging to Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut, the IDF said in a statement.
According to the IDF, “the targets included intelligence-gathering means, command centers, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites.”
Elaborating further about the attack, the IDF said other region that were struck included southern Lebanon and Beqaa, including “including weapons storage facilities, terror infrastructure sites, a command center, and a launcher,” NBC News reported.
The IDF has accused Hezbollah of deliberately hiding command centres and weapon facilities beneath the residential building in the capital city of Beirut.
According to media reports, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi has said that a large number of violations of international humanitarian law have been reported as Israel attacked Lebanon in its ground incursion operation.
UNHCR Grandi arrived in Lebanon a day before and said, “Lebanon faces a terrible crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people left destitute or displaced by Israeli strikes,” according to NBC News.
Post the Israeli strikes, the United Nations has said that more than 1,800 children are living in its shelters. Grandi said last week that more than 2,00,000 people have migrated from Lebanon to Syria amid the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.
The British administration has announced to advise its citizens on Sunday to avoid any kind of travel to Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) due to violent clashes and heightened state of tension in the Middle East region.
“Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to the area close to the border with Gaza and all but essential travel to the rest of Israel and the OPTs,”the FCDO stated, according to news agency Reuters.
The fear of an all out war between Israel and Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group has skyrocketed as Tel Aviv’s forces invaded Lebanon in its ground incursion operation to eliminate Hezbollah and its infrastructure apparatus.
After Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group targeted Israel’s Haifa city with rockets, the group has reportedly targeted another northeastern Israeli city of Tiberias.
According to the Israeli National Emergency Service, a person aged 20 years old suffered injuries from shrapnel in the chest and abdomen, Al Jazeera reported.
Israel's Israel Defense Forces has said that the city of Haifa has been struck by five rockets launched by Lebanon based Hezbollah militant group.
According to local media reports, five people have been reportedly injured and a restaurant, a house and a main road were hit in the rocket attack by Hezbollah.
“Targeting the harbour, it’s a different message that Hezbollah is sending to the Israelis and [it] is saying that they can cause even further damage, not only on the military infrastructure that is in Haifa but also on the chemical products here,” said Elijah Magnier, a military and security analyst to Al Jazeera.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation has announced that flight restrictions have been lifted after conditions were deemed to be safe, state media reported on Monday, shortening the period of flight cancellations.
Earlier, a spokesperson from the organisation had said that flights from all the airports in Iran will remain canceled until 6 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Monday from 9 p.m. on Sunday.
State media, six hours prior to the scheduled flight cancellation order, said, “After ensuring favourable and safe flight conditions by the Civil Aviation Organisation, all announced restrictions are removed and airlines are allowed to carry out flight operations,” as reported by Reuters.
Iran's Quds Force commander, Esmail Qaani, has been missing since Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut late last week, according to two senior Iranian security officials. Qaani had traveled to Lebanon following the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike last month.
One official stated that Qaani was in Beirut's southern Dahiyeh suburbs during a strike aimed at senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, although Qaani was reportedly not meeting Safieddine at the time. Efforts to contact Qaani have been unsuccessful since the attack. (REUTERS)
Israel's defence minister, Yoav Gallant, stated that "everything is on the table" regarding potential retaliation against Iran, as the country coordinates closely with the US but remains committed to making its own decisions.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Gallant emphasized Israel's ability to strike both near and distant targets, vowing an appropriate response to Iran's recent attack. He added that Israel will not stand idle, urging the international community to do the same.
Israel's army chief, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, announced that Israeli forces have defeated Hamas's military wing. In a statement made on Sunday, Halevi claimed that Israeli troops had delivered a "severe blow" to Hezbollah, stating that the group has lost all of its senior leadership.
"We are not stopping," he asserted ahead of the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on October 7. Halevi emphasised, "This is a long war, measured not only by capabilities but also by the willpower and perseverance over time."
France’s President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, which the Élysée Palace characterized as “frank.”
According to a statement from Macron’s office, both leaders acknowledged their differing perspectives while expressing a mutual desire for understanding. Macron emphasized, “France’s commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering.” However, he cautioned that arms deliveries and the continuation of the conflict in Gaza, along with its potential spread to Lebanon, would not enhance security for Israelis or others in the region.
In a readout from Netanyahu’s office, it was noted that the two leaders agreed to continue their dialogue on these critical issues during an upcoming visit.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to host Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon on Oct. 9 to discuss the latest security developments in the Middle East, the Pentagon announced on Sunday.
The meeting comes as tensions rise following Israel's vow to retaliate for Iran’s missile attack last Tuesday. The assault involved over 180 ballistic missiles, most of which were intercepted by Israel's air defense systems and the US military.
Pope Francis made a renewed plea for peace "on every front" during his Sunday prayer, where he called for a day of prayer and fasting on Monday to mark the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks.
“Brothers and sisters, tomorrow marks a year since the terrorist attack by Hamas against the people of Israel, to whom I again express my solidarity,” the Pope said. He added:
"Since that day, the Middle East has plunged into deeper suffering, as ongoing military actions continue to devastate the Palestinian people. Innocent civilians must receive the humanitarian aid they urgently need."
The Pope also urged for an “immediate ceasefire on all fronts,” including Lebanon, saying:
“Let us pray for the Lebanese people, particularly those in the south who have been forced to leave their homes.”
All flights in Iran have been cancelled from 21:00 tonight until 06:00 on Monday, local time, according to an official cited by Iran's Mehr News Agency.
Hezbollah said it launched attack drones at an Israeli military base near the northern city of Haifa on Sunday, according to a report by The Guardian.
The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group said its fighters “launched an air assault with a squadron of attack drones on the maintenance and rehabilitation base south of Haifa."
In northern Israel, ongoing rocket attacks from Lebanon have triggered sirens and interception systems.
Overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it stopped around 30 rockets that had been fired into northern Israel, according to a BBC report.
Sirens have been heard throughout the day along Israel's western coast, from Haifa to Hadera, according to a map shared by the IDF on X.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js🚨Sirens sounding along Israel’s coast🚨 pic.twitter.com/ebdBsj0vNT
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 6, 2024
The United Nations' refugee chief Filippo Grandi said on Sunday that several strikes on Lebanon had violated international humanitarian law, about Israel's bombardment of large parts of the country.
Earlier, in a statement, he called for a ceasefire in Lebanon after visiting families sheltering in schools in Beirut.
"Displaced families hosted in Beirut schools say that what they need most is for airstrikes to stop so they can return to their homes safely," Grandi said in a post on X.
Iran and Israel avoided direct confrontation for years, fighting a shadow war of secret sabotage and assassinations. But the two countries are now moving closer to open conflict, after Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon and Iran’s ballistic missile barrage on Israel, its second in less than six months.
Israel seems prepared to strike Iran directly, in a more vigorous and public way than it has before. Iran has a number of sensitive targets, including oil production sites, military bases, and nuclear sites.
Read here to get an overview of what an Israeli attack could look like.
One woman was killed, and 10 others were injured in the Israeli city of Be'er Sheva after a gunman opened fire at a bus station on Sunday, emergency services said, as quoted by Reuters news agency, as security forces remained on alert ahead of the anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel.
The attacker had been killed, the ambulance service said. According to local media, a witness said he saw soldiers fire at the perpetrator, who was a member of the Bedouin minority in Israel's Negev desert.
Police described the shooting as a terrorist attack but have not provided details on the gunman's identity.
As October 7 marks the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli security forces are on high alert across the country for possible pro-Palestinian street attacks.
According to a BBC report, the Israeli military said it is on heightened alert for threats in the region this week and is preparing for possible "defence and offence" operations. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said extra troops have been deployed to communities close to Gaza.
An Israeli airstrike targeted three cars carrying medical and relief materials in the industrial city of Syria's Homs, the Syrian state news agency reported on Sunday, as quoted by Reuters, adding that material damage was reported.
As October 7 marks the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) IDF has established an exhibition displaying the items seized from the Hamas militant group.
"Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has confiscated approximately 70,000 items of enemy equipment, including around 1,250 anti-tank missiles and RPGs, as well as about 4,500 explosive devices," the IDF said in a post on X.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsMarking one year since the deadly October 7 Massacre, the IDF has established an exhibition displaying the items seized from Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel on October 7, as well as during the combat in Gaza, to showcase them to the world.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 6, 2024
Since the beginning of the war, the… pic.twitter.com/pPXuc1DQiS
Israeli police said on Sunday several people had been injured in a suspected shooting attack in the city of Be'er Sheva in the country's south, while the ambulance service said the attacker had been killed, news agency Reuters reported.
The ambulance service added that a severely injured woman was being treated at the scene while eight other people injured in the attack were receiving medical treatment in a nearby hospital.
At least 20,000 Palestinian refugees have been forcibly displaced by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, the United Nation's agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Sunday.
The UNRWA said it activated emergency shelters for over 4,300 displaced people, including Palestine Refugees, Lebanese, and Syrians.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsAs violence escalates in #lebanon, around 20,000 Palestine Refugees have been forcibly displaced following Israeli airstrikes on camps.@UNRWA activated emergency shelters for over 4,300 displaced people, including Palestine Refugees, Lebanese and Syrians. The Agency stands… pic.twitter.com/MNNri19dMw
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 6, 2024
The Israeli Air Force conducted a targeted strike on a command and control complex used by the Hamas militant group in the northern Gaza Strip, previously known as the "Khalifa Ben Zayed" school.
"A short time ago, the Air Force, along with the intelligence guidance of the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet, and the Southern Command, attacked terrorists (Hamas militant group) who were operating in a command and control complex in the area that was previously used as the "Khalifa Ben Zayed" school in the northern Gaza Strip," the IAF said in a post on X.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Sunday said that they killed Hezbollah commander, Khader Ali Tawil, of the Kfar Kila region in Lebanon.
The IAF, in a post on X, said that Khader had worked with two others, Muhammad Haidar and Hassan Nathir al-Ra'ini, who were killed earlier in the week. They were responsible for an anti-tank missile that hit the town of Kfar Yuval on Israel's northern border in January, the IAF added.
The Israeli military issued new evacuation alerts on Sunday for residents of around 25 areas in southern Lebanon, calling on them to "move immediately to the north of the Awali River," which is located just north of the southern Lebanese city of Sidon.
As October 7 marks the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, protests are being held in major cities around the world with thousands taking to the streets urging for an end to bloodshed in Gaza and the wider Middle East. Ongoing demonstrations have about 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marching through central London while thousands flocking together in Paris, Rome, Manila, Cape Town, and New York City.
Since October 7, 2023, when Palestinain Hamas militants attacked Israel, as many as 1,200 Israelis have been killed and 250 have been held hostages, as per Israeli tallies while nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks by Israel, as per Gaza’s health ministry.
About 2.3 million people have been displaced in the war-torn regions causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which Israel has denied. Read More
At least 41,870 Palestinians have been killed and 97,166 others injured in Israel's military attacks on Gaza since October 7, Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday.
As October 7 marks the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, protests are being held in major cities around the world with thousands taking to the streets urging for an end to bloodshed in Gaza and the wider Middle East.
Amid concerns that Israel could target Iran’s largest oil terminal, the country’s oil minister Mohsen Paknejad has landed on Kharg island, the oil ministry’s news website Shana reported on Sunday.
An Israeli military spokesman said on Saturday that Israel would retaliate, following last week's missile attack by Tehran, "when the time is right."
Following Iran's attack, Axios cited Israeli officials as saying that Iran's oil facilities could be hit in response. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that he did not think Israel had yet concluded how to respond.
"Paknejad arrived this morning in order to visit the oil facilities and meet operational staff located on Kharg island," Shana reported, adding that the oil terminal there has the capacity to store 23 million barrels of crude.
t least 24 people were killed and 93 others wounded when Israeli airstrikes targeted a mosque and a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip early on Sunday morning, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said.
The strikes on the mosque and the school, near the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, came as the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the enclave approaches its first anniversary.
In its own statement, the Israeli military said it conducted "precise strikes on Hamas terrorists" who were operating within command and control centres embedded in Ibn Rushd School and the Shuhada al-Aqsa Mosque in the area of Deir al Balah.
At least 24 people were killed and 93 others wounded in Israeli airstrikes that targeted a mosque and a school sheltering displaced individuals in the Gaza Strip early Sunday morning, according to the Hamas-run Gaza government media office.
An Israeli strike on a refugee camp in north Lebanon has killed Hamas official Saeed Atallah Ali and his family, the militant group said Saturday.
Hamas later said another military wing member was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley.The strikes come a day after another Israeli airstrike cut off a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria, leaving two huge craters on either side of the road.
Israel began a ground incursion Tuesday into Lebanon against Hezbollah.
- Thousands of protesters took to the streets in major cities worldwide on Saturday, demanding an end to the violence in Gaza and West Asia as the first anniversary of Israel's war in the Palestinian enclave approaches.
- In London, about 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through the city centre. Thousands also gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila, Cape Town, and New York City. Demonstrations occurred near the White House in Washington, where protesters expressed opposition to US support for Israel's military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
- In Times Square, New York City, protesters wore black-and-white keffiyeh scarves and chanted slogans like, "Gaza, Lebanon you will rise, the people are by your side." They held banners calling for an arms embargo against Israel.
- The recent violence in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
In response, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza, which has resulted in nearly 42,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's health ministry. The conflict has displaced almost all of the enclave's 2.3 million residents, caused a hunger crisis, and led to allegations of genocide at the World Court, which Israel denies.
- Powerful explosions rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs late Saturday as Israel intensified its bombardment in Lebanon with the Israeli Defense Forces claiming to have killed over 400 Hezbollah operatives during ongoing ground operations till now.
- The explosions began near midnight and continued into Sunday, following the military’s urging for residents to evacuate Dahiyeh, a predominantly Shiite collection of suburbs on Beirut’s southern edge.
- Following a day of sporadic strikes and constant reconnaissance drone activity, Israel's military confirmed that it was targeting locations near Beirut.
- They reported that around 30 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, some of which were intercepted.
- The strikes focused on a building near the road leading to Lebanon's only international airport and another building previously used by the Hezbollah-run broadcaster Al-Manar.
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