Israel intensified its military campaign across the Middle East on Monday, reportedly striking central Beirut for the first time since 2006.
A drone attack also reportedly killed three senior leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a militant group involved in the ongoing conflict with Israel. The airstrike hit a residential building near the Kola intersection, causing significant damage and killing at least two others on the scene, the group said.
The attack brings the death toll from Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon to over 1,000 people in the last two weeks, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Earlier, Israel said it bombed Houthi targets in Yemen, expanding its confrontation with Iran’s allies in the region, in response to Houthi missile attacks on Israel in recent days.
It stoked fears that Middle East fighting could spin out of control and draw in the United States.
The Houthi-run health ministry said the strikes killed four people and wounded 40 others, but that they took precautionary measures beforehand, emptying oil storage units in the ports.
Israel has also killed a seventh key Hezbollah commander as its bombardment continues in Lebanon after the Lebanese militant group’s Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in Beirut.
Key Points
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Israel strikes central Beirut for the first time in almost two decades
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Seventh Hezbollah leader killed in strike
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Israel targets Houthi sites in Yemen
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More than 1,000 people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon
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Nasrallah’s body recovered intact in Beirut, sources say
Biden says need to avoid ‘all-out’ war in the Middle East
05:04 , Maroosha Muzaffar
US president Joe Biden said that he planned to speak with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before Israel intensified its military actions in Lebanon.
Israel has launched its first airstrike on central Beirut since 2006. The strike followed a weekend of IDF attacks targeting Hezbollah, including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Mr Biden said that there is a need to avoid an all-out war in the Middle East, adding that the US is working with international partners to de-escalate the situation. “It has to be. We really have to avoid it.”
“I’ll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him,” he said.
Iranian leader calls for ‘decisive’ response to killings
04:30 , Jane Dalton
Iran’s president has said a “decisive response” is needed following Israel‘s killing of numerous leaders of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
President Masoud Pezeshkian characterised the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah as crimes.
“The Lebanese fighters should not be left alone in this battle,” Pezeshkian said during a Sunday cabinet meeting, his office reported.
Iran, which has armed and trained Hezbollah for decades, also condemned Israeli airstrikes on power plants and port facilities in Yemen that targeted Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Pezeshkian branded Israel a “brutal” regime and urged all Islamic countries not to be indifferent.
He won Iran’s presidential race in July, and is thought to be a reformist politician within Iran’s Shia theocracy:
Moderate reformist politician Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran’s presidential race
Israel strikes central Beirut for the first time in almost two decades
04:06 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Israel intensified its military campaign across the Middle East on Monday, striking central Beirut for the first time since 2006.
A drone attack also reportedly killed three senior leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a militant group involved in the ongoing conflict with Israel. The airstrike hit a residential building near the Kola intersection, causing significant damage and killing at least two others on the scene, the group said.
The attack comes as Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon have killed over 1,000 people in the last two weeks, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, with a fifth of the population now displaced.
Meanwhile, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, targeting infrastructure in the port city of Hodeidah. The strikes, which hit fuel facilities and power plants, were reportedly in response to Houthi missile attacks on Israel. At least four people were killed and 33 wounded in the Yemeni strikes.
Hezbollah leadership ‘wiped out’ by Israel
03:00 , Jane Dalton
Bombing has forced a fifth of Lebanese to flee, a minister says. Full report:
Israel ‘wipes out’ Hezbollah leadership as bombing ‘forces one million’ to flee homes
Netanyahu puts former rival in war cabinet
01:30 , Jane Dalton
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a former rival, Gideon Saar, to his cabinet. The move expands Netanyahu’s governing coalition and helps entrench the Israeli leader in office.
Under their agreement, Mr Netanyahu said Mr Saar would be given a spot in the Security Cabinet, the body that oversees management of the war.
Mr Saar had hoped to replace defence minister Yoav Gallant, another rival of Mr Netanyahu’s. But a deal for the job fell through after fighting intensified with Hezbollah.
Israel’s prime minister appoints a former rival to strengthen his hold on office
Curbs eased in northern Israel
Monday 30 September 2024 00:05 , Jane Dalton
The Israeli army has eased restrictions in parts of the country’s north – a move that appears to reflect a determination that the threat of incoming rocket fire has slightly diminished, although restrictions in the north still remain much stricter than other parts of the country.
The changes applied to parts of the Haifa Bay area and several adjacent towns. Schools will be allowed to operate if they have quickly-accessible shelters and restrictions on gatherings will ease.
Shortly after the announcement, sirens warned of incoming rockets throughout the Haifa area and Israel’s northern coast. The army said some 35 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel and two drones that crossed from Lebanon into the territorial waters of Israel were intercepted.
Thousands of Israeli children have been kept home from schools for the past week across the country’s north as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated.
🔴 IDF: A short while ago, an Israeli Navy missile boat successfully intercepted a UAV in the area of the Red Sea, outside of Israeli territory.
Details to follow.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 29, 2024
Anti-America protesters in Pakistan clash with police
Sunday 29 September 2024 23:10 , Jane Dalton
Stone-throwing protesters in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi clashed with police who stopped them from reaching the US consulate during demonstrations over Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Protesters chanted “Death to America” while carrying posters of Nasrallah.
Police said seven officers were being treated in hospital for injuries from stones thrown by protesters.
“Police had to resort to baton-charging and tear gas against those who breached the cordons in a bid to disperse the crowd,” said Police Deputy Inspector General Asad Raza, adding that protesters had tried to reach areas beyond cordons agreed upon with organisers in advance.
Netanyahu wants to avoid regional war, US aide says
Sunday 29 September 2024 22:30 , Jane Dalton
Biden national security spokesman claims Netanyahu wants to avoid wider regional war
Watch: We have lost everything, say family arriving in UK
Sunday 29 September 2024 21:50 , Jane Dalton
In case you missed it:
‘We have lost everything’: Britons fleeing Lebanon say family was killed by airstrike
More than 211,000 people forced to flee homes, says UN
Sunday 29 September 2024 20:40 , Jane Dalton
The number of people displaced by the conflict from southern Lebanon now stands at more than 211,000, according to the United Nations.
The United Nations’ refugee agency says 70,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria to escape Israeli bombardment.
The total includes both Lebanese citizens and Syrians who had moved to Lebanon but are now returning.
Sarah Haj Hassan, who fled Shmustar near Lebanon’s eastern city of Baalbek, said: “I lost my house, and my parents’ house was damaged.”
She is one of 7,500 people who have registered in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb of Damascus.
Biden vows to talk to Netanyahu, saying war must be avoided
Sunday 29 September 2024 20:00 , Jane Dalton
US president Joe Biden has said an all-out war “has to be avoided” in the Middle East and he aims to speak to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, but he did not say when.
“I’ll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him,” he told reporters. Asked whether all-out war in the Middle East could be avoided, he replied: “It has to be. We really have to avoid it.”
US warplanes, ships and troops ready for wider conflict
Sunday 29 September 2024 19:45 , Jane Dalton
A recap:
Syrians in shock during three days of mourning
Sunday 29 September 2024 19:00 , Jane Dalton
Flags have been flying at half-mast in Damascus and residents said they were still shocked after the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whose fighters helped Syria’s army reclaim large parts of the country during its brutal civil war.
Syria announced three days of national mourning for Nasrallah, after president Bashar al-Assad said Nasrallah would “remain in the memory of Syrians”.
In Damascus, residents expressed disbelief over the killing.
“He can’t die. He always dreamed of martyrdom, and while this is fitting, it’s still so hard to accept,” said Marwa Barkouka. “He remains alive, not just as a martyr but because he lives inside us. We grew up with him here.”
Syria’s conflict erupted in 2011 with protests against Assad. Nasrallah in 2012 called for reform in the country, but by the next year said that Hezbollah would fight alongside Assad to prevent Syria falling to Sunni jihadi radicals, the United States and Israel.
Many credit Hezbollah’s intervention with key victories.
“For us, this man was like an entire nation. We had dignity, and now it’s gone,” said Ibrahim Al-Ahmad, another resident of Damascus.
Hezbollah will try to quickly rebuild itself, US warns
Sunday 29 September 2024 18:01 , Jane Dalton
A top White House official says Israel has “wiped out” Hezbollah’s command structure with a barrage of airstrikes, but warned that the militant group will work to quickly rebuild.
National security spokesman John Kirby said: “They will try to recover. We’re watching to see what they do to try to fill this leadership vacuum.”
Referring to the strike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Mr Kirby said: “I think people are safer without him walking around.”
But, speaking on CNN, he sidestepped questions about whether the administration agreed with how the Israelis are going about targeting Hezbollah leaders.
The White House continues to call on Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a 21-day temporary ceasefire that was floated by the US, France and other countries last week.
Pope suggests Israel’s actions ‘disproportionate and immoral’
Sunday 29 September 2024 17:05 , Jane Dalton
Pope Francis suggests Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon are disproportionate and immoral
New Israeli attack ‘kills 24 people’
Sunday 29 September 2024 16:26 , Jane Dalton
An Israeli attack on the city of Ain Deleb in southern Lebanon has killed 24 people and wounded 29 others, according to a preliminary toll, Lebanon‘s Health Ministry says.
Israel claims mass attack on Houthi sites in Yemen
Sunday 29 September 2024 16:21 , Jane Dalton
The Israeli military says dozens of its aircraft have struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response to a recent attack on Israel.
The military said it targeted power plants and sea port facilities in the city of Hodeida.
The Houthis launched a ballistic missile attack on Ben Gurion airport on Saturday when prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arriving.
Israeli airstrike on northeast Lebanon kills 11
Sunday 29 September 2024 15:58 , Jane Dalton
Israel-Hamas war latest: Israeli airstrike on northeast Lebanon kills 11
US campuses prepare for anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel
Sunday 29 September 2024 15:21 , Jane Dalton
College officials are trying to avoid a repeat of scenes when thousands of students were arrested and learning was disrupted after Israel began its retaliation for the 7 October Hamas attack:
Here’s how college campuses are prepping for October 7 anniversary
Seventh Hezbollah chief killed
Sunday 29 September 2024 14:29 , Jane Dalton
The militant group Hezbollah has confirmed another of its senior leaders has been killed in an Israeli airstrike – the seventh senior leader of the Lebanese militant group to be killed in eight days, including Hassan Nasrallah.
Nabil Kaouk was killed on Saturday, the Israeli military said.
Hezbollah also confirmed on Sunday that Ali Karaki died in the same attack as Nasrallah in Beirut on Friday.
Top Islamist group member ‘killed in Israeli strike’
Sunday 29 September 2024 14:15 , Jane Dalton
An Israeli strike on Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley has killed a senior figure in the Sunni Jama’a Islamiya group, Mohammad Dahrouj, two security sources claim.
The Sunni Islamist political group has fired rockets on Israel over the past year and Israel has previously conducted strikes targeting other leading figures from the group.
Residents flock to site of destruction
Sunday 29 September 2024 13:58 , Jane Dalton
More than two days after a massive Israeli airstrike that killed the leader of the Hezbollah militant group, smoke is still rising from the smoldering wreckage.
People flocked to the site, some to check on what was left of their homes, others to pay respects and pray, and others simply to see the destruction.
Residents of Beirut heard up to 10 explosions following the Friday strike that targeted an area greater than a city block, reducing several residential buildings to a jumble of pancaked concrete and twisted steel. The buildings sank into the ground, leaving a cleared-out area nearly the size of a football field.
Weapons experts said the blasts and destruction left behind were consistent with the 2,000lb-class bombs (900kg).
Onlookers at the site today clambered over slabs of concrete, surrounded by piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters, likely to be used by rescuers to penetrate under the site of the explosion were visible, some of them apparently up to 30m (100ft) deep.
A few Hezbollah workers were using a bulldozer to excavate around one of the craters. State security and investigators were nowhere to be seen.
Tory leadership contender says immigrants who see Israel as enemy ‘not welcome’ in UK
Sunday 29 September 2024 13:36 , Andy Gregory
Supporters of Nasrallah mourn loss of slain leader
Sunday 29 September 2024 13:20 , Andy Gregory
Supporters of Hezbollah and other Lebanese people who hailed the group’s role fighting Israel mourned the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“We lost the leader who gave us all the strength and faith that we, this small country that we love, could turn it into a paradise,” Sophia Blanche Rouillard, a Lebanese Christian who carried a black flag to work in Beirut on Sunday, told Reuters.
An Arab Barometer poll in Lebanon earlier this year found that just 30 per cent trusted Hezbollah, whereas 55 per cent said they did not trust the group at all.
Those who said they trust the group rose to 85 per cent among Shia Muslims, but was just 9 per cent of Sunnis and Druze, and 6 per cent of Christians.
Editorial | The killing of Hezbollah’s leader will make Israel no safer
Sunday 29 September 2024 13:02 , Andy Gregory
Here is a snippet from The Independent’s editorial on the killing of Hassan Nasrallah:
In the short term, of course, it will demoralise Hezbollah and its allies in Hamas and Iran. If the assassination is a substitute for the “all-out war” that was feared in southern Lebanon, that may be no bad thing. But it will not defeat Hezbollah, nor will it kill the aim that it espouses of wiping Israel off the map.
It has to be remembered that Hezbollah was formed in the first place to fight the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Israel invaded to try to stop the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), originally a secular nationalist movement, from launching attacks from there. The PLO was thus supplanted by an Islamist state within a state in Lebanon.
A decade later, Israel assassinated Abbas al-Musawi, Hezbollah’s leader, only for him to be replaced by Nasrallah who was, if anything, more extreme and more dangerous. This is the hydra principle in action: assassinating the leaders of militant organisations tends to lead to their replacement by harder-line commanders.
As Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s former chief of staff who played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace talks, has said: “Unintended consequences tend to prevail.” Mr Powell has argued that “terrorists” almost always have to be negotiated with in the end. A policy of decapitation makes that harder because the new leaders will be more extreme and less likely to be worn down by years of fighting.
The killing of Hezbollah’s leader will make Israel no safer
Hezbollah confirms Karaki killed in strike alongside Nasrallah
Sunday 29 September 2024 12:47 , Andy Gregory
Hezbollah has now confirmed that its senior leader Ali Karaki was killed in the Israeli strike that killed the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli military says it has dismantled a Hamas tunnel in Gaza
Sunday 29 September 2024 12:30 , Andy Gregory
The Israeli military claims to have uncovered and dismantled a Hamas tunnel in central Gaza that was more than a kilometre long.
The tunnel ran near residential buildings, and inside were several rooms and equipment used by militants for prolonged stays, the military said, releasing footage showing a long staircase leading underground and what appeared to be an iron blast door.
Hamas is believed to have built hundreds of kilometeres of tunnels across Gaza to evade Israeli airstrikes. The militants have also used the tunnels to hold hostages captured in the 7 October attack that triggered the war.
Nasrallah’s body recovered from site of Israeli airstrike, sources say
Sunday 29 September 2024 12:09 , Andy Gregory
The body of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been recovered from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs and is intact, a medical source and a security source has told Reuters.
While Hezbollah’s statement on Saturday confirming Nasrallah’s death did not say how exactly he was killed nor when his funeral would be, the two sources said his body had no direct wounds and that it appeared the cause of death was blunt trauma from the force of the blast.
‘No place in Middle East that Israel’s long arm cannot reach,’ warns Netanyahu
Sunday 29 September 2024 11:50 , Andy Gregory
In his first public remarks since the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said: “He wasn’t another terrorist. He was the terrorist.”
He said Nasrallah’s killing would help bring displaced Israelis back to their homes in the north and would pressure Hamas to free Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
But with the threat of retaliation high, he said the coming days will bring “significant challenges” and warned Iran against trying to strike.
“There is no place in Iran or in the Middle East that Israel’s long arm cannot reach,” he said. “Today you know how much that is true.”
Hundreds of thousands displaced in Lebanon
Sunday 29 September 2024 11:37 , Andy Gregory
Hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have been displaced by the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, a Lebanese cabinet minister spearheading the country’s emergency response said.
Environment minister Nasser Yassin said the government estimates that about 250,000 people have left their homes and taken refuge in government-run shelters and informal ones. However, he told the Associated Press the total number is about “four times as many directly affected and/or displaced outside the shelters.”
The United Nations said that, as of Friday, 211,319 people were forced to relocate – even prior to the intensive Israeli airstrikes over Beirut’s southern suburbs over the past two days.
The Lebanese government has converted schools and other facilities into temporary shelters. But still many are sleeping on the streets or in public squares, as the government and non-governmental organisations try to find them places to stay.
Lebanon has ‘no option but the diplomatic option’ in response to Israel
Sunday 29 September 2024 11:11 , Andy Gregory
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati said said that his country has “no option but the diplomatic option” in response to Israel’s attacks.
Mr Mikati gave the response during a televised speech, when asked about diplomatic efforts to end Israel’s escalation against Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Killing of Revolutionary Guards chief will not go unanswered, Iran warns
Sunday 29 September 2024 10:57 , Andy Gregory
Israel’s killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan in Lebanon “will not go unanswered”, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has warned.
‘This is our country and we’re staying,’ Beirut resident says
Sunday 29 September 2024 10:46 , Reuters
In Beirut, some displaced families spent the night on the benches at Zaitunay Bay, a string of restaurants and cafes on Beirut’s waterfront. On Sunday morning, families with nothing more than a duffle bag of clothes had rolled out mats to sleep on and made tea for themselves.
“You won’t be able to destroy us, whatever you do, however much you bomb, however much you displace people – we will stay here. We won’t leave. This is our country and we’re staying,” said Francoise Azori, a Beirut resident jogging through the area.
Four killed in strikes in Gaza
Sunday 29 September 2024 10:33 , Andy Gregory
Israeli strikes have killed at least four people in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian officials.
Two people were killed in separate strikes early on Sunday in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to the nearby Awda Hospital, which received the bodies. It said another six people were wounded.
In northern Gaza, first responders recovered two bodies after a strike on a house early on Sunday, according to Gaza’s civil defence authority, which operates under the Hamas-run government.
Tory leadership hopeful Badenoch praises Netanyahu for ‘extraordinary’ killing of Hezbollah chief
Sunday 29 September 2024 10:08 , Andy Gregory
Diplomatic efforts for ceasefire with Israel ‘under way’, Lebanon minister says
Sunday 29 September 2024 09:59 , Andy Gregory
Lebanon’s information minister said during a cabinet session on Sunday that diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire with Israel were still “under way”.
Senior Hezbollah figure killed in attack, Israel says
Sunday 29 September 2024 09:47 , Andy Gregory
The Israeli military has said that it killed senior Hezbollah figure Nabil Kaouk amid an ongoing exchange of strikes between the two sides.
Hezbollah has not yet commented on Kaouk’s fate, but supporters have been posting mourning messages for him since Saturday.
A former commander who led Hezbollah’s forces in southern Lebanon during Israel’s 18-year occupation, Kaouk then held positions on Hezbollah’s executive council.
Iran’s speaker vows Tehran-backed groups will continue confronting Israel
Sunday 29 September 2024 09:40 , Andy Gregory
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said that militant groups will keep confronting Israel with Tehran’s help following the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, state media reported.
“We will not hesitate to go to any level in order to help the resistance,” said Mr Qalibaf, referring to the alliance known as the Axis of Resistance, built over decades with Iranian support, which includes Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
He also issued a warning to the United States, saying: “The US is complicit in all of these crimes and … has to accept the repercussions,” he said.
Also commenting on Nasrallah’s killing, Iranian Foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said Israel “will not rest” and the action would not go unanswered, state media reported on Sunday. He said the region was in a dangerous situation.
Iran Revolutionary Guards’ deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan was also killed in the Israeli strikes on Beirut on Friday, Iranian media reported on Saturday.
Israeli strikes ‘killed five members of my family’, says British woman
Sunday 29 September 2024 09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A British woman returning to the UK from Lebanon said Israeli air strikes have killed five members of her family, including a cousin 10 days away from her wedding day.
Sana Chamseddin clutched her son in her arms at Heathrow Airport on Saturday and spoke of her guilt at escaping besieged Lebanon and leaving behind loved ones in “unsafe places”.
Her uncle, his wife, and his three daughters who were all in their twenties, were killed when their home in the Lebanese city of Tyre was bombed by the Israel Defence Forces, she told the PA news agency.
More here.
Israeli strikes killed five members of my family, says mother returning to UK
Israeli strikes continue in Lebanon despite killing Hezbollah chief
Sunday 29 September 2024 09:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli military continued its airstrikes today despite killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.
The military said it struck dozens of Hezbollah “terror” targets in Lebanon in the past dozen hours, including launchers aimed toward Israel.
At least six people have been killed in the south of the country and nine others in the Hezbollah stronghold of Bekaa Valley, Lebanese media reported.
Why is Lebanon being attacked and will there be a ceasefire?
Sunday 29 September 2024 09:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
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.
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.
More here.
Israel-Hezbollah: Why is Lebanon being attacked and will there be a ceasefire?
