Three Hezbollah members killed in southern Lebanon; Israel bombed Gaza: Day 3 of the Hamas-Israel war: Our Live coverage

Thank you for following our LIVE coverage on day 3 of the Israel Hamas war.

We will be back tomorrow with the latest news developments. In the meantime, updates are on our L'Orient Today website.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman discuss developments in Gaza. They say the "voice of reason" must prevail, according to the Egyptian presidency.

EXCLUSIVE: How Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran carefully planned an unprecedented offensive in Israel.

Hamas’s Saturday offensive in Israel was months in planning in the Lebanese capital, L’Orient Today has learned from several sources within the “axis of resistance” (i.e., the Quds Brigades, Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad).

“The idea of infiltrating Israeli settlements had been brewing in the minds of Hezbollah leaders for years,” a member of the pro-Iran camp told our newspaper.

Read more here

(Photo credit: Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah receiving Hamas No. 2 Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhala in Beirut in May. (Credit: NNA)

In an official statement released on X (previously Twitter), the Lebanese army reported that one of its officers sustained minor injuries in the vicinity of Rmeich, located in southern Lebanon, as a result of Israeli bombardments. 

Statement from Hezbollah

"After the martyrdom of three of our fighting brothers today following Israeli attacks on Lebanese localities, Islamic Resistance groups responded" by attacking two Israeli military positions "with missiles and mortar fire which reached its objectives and caused injuries."

Hezbollah fires on northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of at least three of its members, as reported by two security sources to Reuters.

URGENT - Hezbollah announced via al-Manar TV channel that three of its members were killed in what they referred to as "the Israeli aggression against southern Lebanon."

At least 100 bodies have been recovered from the Israeli community of Beeri, which had been seized by Hamas during Saturday's attack, according to Israeli TV channels citing rescue workers.

In Baabda Total gas station, a long queue of cars waited for at least 20 minutes to get gas. A municipality police officer organized the line.

Gebran Touma, a customer in line, said, “I’m here because everyone I know is going to fill gas because of the situation. So, I’m doing the same thing. I think people have PTSD from the history. Things that involved Palestinians led to civil war, so I fear this even more than a war with Israel.”

Another customer came to the gas station from Hadath to fill his tank. “I don’t understand why these people are queuing, I am here because my car is empty. For me, it’s just a little tension and nothing big will happen," he said, requesting anonymity.

Residents of communities near Lebanese border can leave shelters, announced Home Front Command.

URGENT: "From now on, any enemy operation targeting our people who live peacefully in their homes without prior warning will be followed by the execution of a civilian hostage among those we hold, and we will broadcast it through audio and video," said spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing Abu Obeida, addressing Israel after it heavily bombed the Gaza Strip on Monday.

"The Zionist enemy does not understand the language of humanity or morality, so we will speak to it in the language it understands," he said in a message on Telegram, saying that Israel "bears the responsibility" for this decision.

According to Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, there are more than a 100 hostages held by Hamas.

In pictures: Israeli soldiers embrace during the funeral of a soldier in Tel Aviv on Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo credit: Hadas Parush/Reuters)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Israel has "legitimate concerns for its security" but that he is "deeply disturbed" by Israeli authorities’ announcement of the "complete siege" of Gaza Strip.

"While acknowledging Israel's legitimate concerns for its security, I also remind Israel that military operations must be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law," said Mr. Guterres to the press. He condemned the "abhorrent attacks" by Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

Approximately ten French nationals remain unaccounted for in Israel, according to the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The process of locating and confirming the status of French citizens in the region is ongoing.

Update as of 7 p.m.:

1- The third day of clashes between Israel and Hamas’s armed wing is coming to an end, and the situation has evolved significantly since Saturday. While Knesset (Israeli Parliament) did not approve the state of war declared two days ago by Israeli security cabinet, Israel has mobilized 300,000 reservists, an all-time-high and indicative of a step preceding an invasion.

2- The situation remains tense in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, following shootings and an infiltration attempt claimed by an armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, which prompted the Israeli Army to respond with artillery fire and airstrikes. Hezbollah stated that it was not involved in this operation. In the evening, Hezbollah reported that one of its members was killed by an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon.

3- The Israeli Army continued to bombard Gaza Strip, targeting densely populated areas like Shuja'iyya and the Jabalia refugee camp. Israeli Defense Minister announced a "total siege of Gaza," where electricity, water and food supplies were cut off. In the afternoon, the Israeli Army said that it regained control of Israeli localities bordering the Strip.

4- Hamas’s armed wing announced that it fired several dozen missiles at the towns of Ashkelon and Sderot. The movement stated that Israeli airstrikes on Gaza between Sunday night and Monday morning resulted in the deaths of four Israeli hostages and their captors.

5- The human toll continues to rise: At least 800 were killed and 2,400 were injured on the Israeli side and no fewer than 560 were killed and 2,700 were injured on the Palestinian side. Over 120,000 Palestinians were displaced.

6- On the international stage, Qatar and Egypt are working behind the scenes to make progress on the issue of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, although Israeli authorities stated that "no negotiations" are underway. In coordination with the United States, Qatari mediators reportedly met with Hamas officials to facilitate an exchange of Palestinian hostages for Israeli prisoners. Egyptian officials indicated that Israel asked Egypt for assistance in negotiating the release of Israeli hostages.

7- Following repeated calls from several countries, including the United States, to strongly condemn Hamas, the European Union suspended all payments of its development aid to the Palestinians and decided to reassess all of its ongoing programs. The United Kingdom has advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Israel and Palestinian territories. China continues to call for calm, and Iran, suspected of assisting Hamas in preparing its offensive, is calling for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that they will hold a call with U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday evening regarding the Middle East, according to AFP.

"Germany and France are indeed standing together with the Israeli people in this tragic moment," said Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival to Germany. Olaf Scholz, standing beside him, emphasized the need to prevent an "explosion in the region."

Residents fleeing their homes in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip during Israeli airstrikes on Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo credit: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)

Urgent: Hezbollah confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour that one of its members was killed on Monday in southern Lebanon during an Israeli airstrike.

Testimony from Gaza: "I am confined to my home, hearing the regular bombings in the neighboring district. The entire Gaza Strip is in shock. The Israelis can strike any residence. I pray for it to stop. My neighborhood could be next. Relatives have come to my place from more threatened areas to be a bit safer. We are preparing to evacuate our apartment at any moment if the neighborhood starts to get bombed, but no place is safe. We may seek refuge on the ground floor if it escalates," said Alaa, a young Palestinian living in the city of Gaza.

Palestinian person runs among the ruins of a bombed building in Jabalia camp, Gaza Strip. (Photo credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP)

Israeli Minister of Defense ordered the intensifying of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, according to his office. All reserve pilots are being recalled to their positions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises officials in southern Israel to use "enormous force" and "change the Middle East.”

"What Hamas will experience will be difficult and terrible. This is only the beginning; we will defeat them with strength."

Gaza Testimony: "We hear that there will be a ground offensive in the next 24 to 48 hours... I pray it doesn't happen. I've taken refuge in the basement of my apartment with my family and my sisters. The bombings don't stop. We are terrified. I try to distract my two children, aged two and five, as best I can with coloring and toys. We have been occupied and besieged in Gaza for years. All Palestinian people were waiting for the day of liberation. The Hamas operation since Saturday is nothing more than normal. It comes after months of warnings about the actions of the Israeli government. The resistance was clear that it would not remain silent on this matter," said 30-year-old Palestinian activist Said, who is from the Bureij refugee camp between Gaza and Khan Younès.

Palestinian person amidst the ruins of a building in Gaza bombed by Israel on Oct. 9, 2023 (Credit: Yasser Qudih/Reuters).

Urgent: Hamas official in Lebanon informed L'Orient-Le Jour that an armed branch of the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the missile strikes from the South of Lebanon. He said that "Israeli strikes targeted Lebanese areas from which fighters allegedly infiltrated.” He added that there have been no reported injuries as a result of the Israeli strikes.

Urgent: Al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the infiltration operation of several armed individuals from Lebanon into Israel. The Israeli army stated that they had shot down some of these individuals. Earlier, Hezbollah had stated that they were not involved in this operation.

Israeli artillery firing towards southern Lebanon on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP).

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf expressed concern on Monday about his in-laws, who were visiting family in Gaza Strip and are now unable to leave. His wife Nadia El-Nakla is of Palestinian origin, and her parents, who live in Scotland, visited Gaza to see her 92-year-old paternal grandmother when Hamas attacked Israel.

"Night after night, day after day, we do not know whether my mother-in-law and father-in-law, who have nothing to do, like most of the residents of Gaza, with Hamas or any terrorist attack, will survive the night or not," Yousaf told the press.

Urgent: Israeli authorities ordered residents near the border with Lebanon to stay in shelters until further notice.

Urgent: The Lebanese Army urged Lebanese citizens "to take the utmost precautionary measures and not to go to border areas" between Lebanon and Israel. The army said the towns of Dhaïra, Aïta el-Chaab and bordering areas have been hit by "Israeli enemy airstrikes and artillery fire.”

Army Commander-in-Chief Joseph Aoun held an emergency meeting with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) Chief Aroldo Lazaro.

Israeli officials said that "no negotiations are currently underway" following Reuters' report about discussions for a potential prisoner exchange.

Earlier in the day, Egyptian officials said that Israel requested Egypt's assistance in conducting negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

This morning, a source informed Reuters that Qatari mediators held urgent calls with Hamas officials to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children taken to Gaza in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.

Photos and testimony

“Israeli shells have been falling continuously for over an hour since before 4 p.m. in neighboring areas [next to where I live]”, a 50-year-old man in the Rmeich region told L’Orient-Le Jour.

"I have taken my family, and we are currently heading to Beirut to escape the region. We are in a state of extreme stress, and we cannot grasp what is happening," he explained.

This photo, taken at 5:15 p.m. by the man who spoke to L'Orient-Le Jour, shows smoke in the region of Aita El Chaab.

Rocket alert sirens sounded in Jerusalem followed by several explosions, reported AFP.

Haaretz cited the Magen David Adom, Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, stating that "teams are on their way to the Jerusalem area following reports of casualties after a rocket attack."

Reuters stated that Hamas’s armed wing fired a rocket towards Jerusalem in response to Israeli airstrikes on civilian residences.

Israeli combat helicopters are now firing into Lebanese territory, according to Israeli Army spokesperson.

South Lebanon-Israel border: Reports of mortar shells and infiltration

Israeli Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X (formerly Twitter) that “several armed people who crossed the border between Israel and Lebanon” have been killed by the Israeli Army. The Israeli military claim two mortar shells were fired at Israel from Lebanon. There are no reported casualties. Reuters, citing the correspondent for Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported shelling and gunfire at the South Lebanese border.

UNIFIL: This afternoon, UNIFIL said in a statement that peacekeepers detected explosions near Al-Boustan in southwestern Lebanon. "[We are] in contact with the involved parties, urging them to exercise maximum restraint and utilize UNIFIL's liaison and coordination mechanisms to prevent further escalation and loss of life."

Northern Israel: Citing the local municipality, Haaretz reported that northern Israeli city Kiryat Shmona urged residents “to enter shelters until further notice.”

Hezbollah: Hezbollah told L’Orient-Le Jour at 4 p.m. on Monday that they did not launch any attack on Israel.

Hamas: A Hamas source in Lebanon confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour that rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel. The source added that the shooting has not yet been claimed.

Hamas’s armed wing said on its Telegram channel that, in response to the bombing of civilians, they have launched 80 missiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon.

Since Hamas’s attack on Saturday, Israel repeatedly bombed the Gaza Strip.

Northern Israeli city Kiryat Shmona urged its residents to take shelter in bunkers until further notice.

European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the European Union suspended payments of its development aid to Palestinians and decided to reevaluate its ongoing programs, which total 691 million euros.

"All payments immediately suspended, all projects reviewed, all budgets for projects, including those for 2023, postponed until further notice … reevaluation of the entire program," said the Hungarian Commissioner responsible for Neighborhood and Enlargement.

Eyewitnesses in South Lebanon:

An eye witness in Kawzakh, South Lebanon called Beatrice told L’Orient-Le Jour that “there are a lot of shells” and that she is hurrying to find shelter. She first heard the sounds at around 3:30 p.m.

Another eye witness in Qana told L’Orient-Le Jour that he heard sounds of bombardments. Ali Atoué, a 57-year-old retiree from the Lebanese Army living in Qana, said to L'Orient-Le Jour that he has been hearing artillery sounds. "These sounds started around 3 p.m. The sounds are distant, I would say in areas located about a 25-minute drive from our village."

A shop owner in Btaichiyeh told L’Orient-Le Jour he heard bombardments and was running to close his shop and leave the area.

Armed wing of Hamas announced on its Telegram channel that it fired 90 missiles at the Israeli city of Sderot, also targeting Israeli aircraft.

Update: A Hezbollah official confirmed to Reuters that they are not behind any operation against Israel. These comments come after Israeli military officials indicated that several infiltrators from southern Lebanon were killed by the Israeli army.

Before those details were provided, a Hezbollah spokesperson told L'Orient-Le Jour that the party was not involved in any attempt to infiltrate Israeli territory.

Israeli Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated on X (formerly Twitter) that "several armed individuals who crossed the border between Israel and Lebanon" were killed by the Israeli army. "Soldiers continue to patrol along the border," he added.

Analysis of Hamas' offensive against Israel by Yeghia Tashjian, Senior Research Assistant at the Issam Fares Institute of the American University of Beirut:

According to Yeghia Tashjian, the motive behind Hamas' recent offensive against Israel "could be related to a much broader regional conflict aimed at undermining the new railway corridor connecting India to Europe, pushed by the United States and passing through Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and India.”

These countries discussed and formalized the project through an agreement signed on Sept. 9 by the United States, India and several Middle Eastern countries. It poses a direct competition to the multi-modal transportation network inaugurated in June 2022 by Moscow, Tehran and New Delhi (the North–South Transport Corridor or INSTC).

"If the new network comes into existence, it may attract a significant portion of investors who were interested in the INSTC project," explained Yeghia Tashjian. He added that another potential actor that could oppose the India-Middle East-Europe corridor is Turkey, which is bypassed by this network.

Nine US citizens confirmed dead in Israel/Gaza violence: officials

Update: Gaza death toll in war with Israel rises to 560: Ministry

A Palestinian man waves a Hamas flag as mourners carry the body of Palestinian protester Muhammed Jawad Zughayer, 21, who was killed in clashes with Israeli forces the previous night in Hebron, during his funeral in the southern occupied West Bank city on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Hazem Bader/AFP)

Tens of protesters hold up signs in solidarity with Palestine and burn the Israeli flag in front of the American University of Beirut.

(Image credit: Husam Chbaro)

Qatari mediators have held urgent calls with Hamas officials to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by the militant group and held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel's prisons, Reuters reports a source briefed on the talks as having told the news agency.

The ongoing negotiations, which Qatar has been conducting in coordination with the United States since Saturday night, are "moving positively" Reuters cites the source as saying.

A Palestinian firefighter battles a blaze after an Israeli airstrike on buildings in the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Mahmud Hams/AFP)

Palestinians lift flags as they rally in support of Gaza in Nablus city in the occupied West Bank, on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Zain Jaafar/AFP)

Planning operation 'for two years': Hamas official

Ali Barakeh, a member of Hamas’s leadership abroad, has told L’Orient Today that for Hamas to execute Al Aqsa Flood and send its gunmen via paragliders, “it had to use the help of its allies and friends.”

“We have been planning for this honorable operation for two years,” he explained.

“We have been occupied for 75 years, and we want to resist and free our people, and we will use all the means we have …. Israel has always portrayed itself as the invincible army, but on Saturday it collapsed in front of the Palestinian resistance,” he concluded.

Russia says Palestinian state 'most reliable' solution

Creating a "Palestinian state that would live side by side with Israel ... is the most reliable path to solve [the conflict]," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "We cannot agree with those who say that security can only be ensured through a fight with terrorism." 

Israel orders immediate water supply cut to Gaza
Israeli authorities have ordered an "immediate" cut to water supplied to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Energy Ministry said.

Energy Minister Israel Katz has ordered "to immediately cut the water supply to Gaza," his spokesman said in a statement.

Katz's order came soon after the country's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a "complete siege" on the Gaza Strip, which receives about 10 percent of its annual water from Israel.

Israeli emergency responders inspect the site of a rocket attack in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

Palestinians carry a body out of the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike on the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, 2023. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)

UNRWA spokesperson in Gaza Adnan Abu Hasna tells L’Orient Today that “Israel’s attack on Gaza has amplified the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, and now we are hearing talks of more food, water, and electricity cuts.”

“More than 74,000 people are now spread in UNRWA schools across Gaza,” where they have taken shelter amid Israel's ongoing bombardment of the enclave, he said.

Breaking: Sirens sound in northern Israel warning of possible incoming rockets, Haaretz reports citing the Israeli military.

In Sour, students and teachers from the UNRWA-affiliated Deir Yassin High School carried out an activity in the school's courtyard in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. They raised Palestinian flags and wore the Palestinian kuffiyah as a sign of their commitment to the right of return and their solidarity with Gaza against the aggression. Fatah Sharif, the school's director, emphasized that the goal of the event was to instill national spirit among the students.

(Image: Courtesy of Muntasser Abdullah)

In the Nabatieh Governorate, in southern Lebanon, teachers in some areas organized solidarity stands in support of the Palestinian resistance and condemned the attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, our correspondent reported.

A group of young people from the Ain al-Hilweh camp today traveled to Lebanon's southern border near the town of Kfar Kila, where they rose Palestinian flags aloft and they threw stones toward Israeli positions to express their solidarity with the resistance in Palestine, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south, Muntasser Abdallah, reports.

One of the participants, Adnan al-Rifai, who walked with the support of a crutch, told reporters present at the scene, in comments relayed by our correspondent, "We are here on the outskirts of our land. I want to see the trees of Palestine, the soil of Palestine, and the hills of Palestine. I want to fill my lungs with the air of Palestine and smell its scent. If only the borders would open before me so I could go there running. My grandparents are buried here, and we still hold the keys to our homes. I feel like I'm going to jump over the walls to get there. Inshallah, we will enter it as liberators. This entity will disappear; this is the beginning of the end. Whatever battle starts from southern Lebanon, we will be at the forefront. It's the land of our ancestors and fathers."

(Image courtesy of: Muntasser Abdullah)

At least eight French nationals are missing, confirmed dead or taken hostage after Hamas's weekend attack on Israel, a lawmaker said.

Paris "should hold Hamas directly responsible for (hostages') safety and use every means to secure their release," conservative MP Meyer Habib, who represents French people living abroad in a swathe of Mediterranean countries including Israel, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

France's Foreign Ministry said late Sunday that one Frenchwoman had been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel, adding that it had been unable to locate several more nationals.

There is a "high risk" of a third party entering the conflict between Israel and Hamas, after the US said it was moving warships closer to the country, according to the Kremlin.

"The risk of third forces becoming involved in this conflict is high. It is very important to find ways as soon as possible to move towards some kind of negotiation process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti tells L’Orient Today that the situation along the southern border today is “overall stable although volatile," adding that tension because of recent events in the area of operation is present." 

"We are doing everything to ensure the situation remains stable. Our troops are completely deployed along the Blue Line, and we have increased activity to monitor potential rockets launched through our radars, and we are working in close coordination with the Lebanese Army,” he added. 

A security guard walks past craters in the courtyard of a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, following Israeli airstrikes targeting Gaza City on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Mahmud Hams/AFP)

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Mahmud Hams/AFP)

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured in Israeli strikes today on the Jabalia refugee camp, the largest of the eight camps in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured in Israeli strikes today on the Jabalia refugee camp, the largest of the eight camps in the Gaza Strip.

Cyprus is maintaining its air links with Israel despite an attack by Hamas militants, the island's transport minister said.

Alexis Vafeades said it was critical for the country to ensure "connectivity" with its neighbor, which lies just 250 kilometers (155 miles) away, during the attacks.

"All Cypriots in Israel and all residents of Israel who want to go to Israel can do so" through commercial flights, he said.

On Monday, there were 11 flights between Cyprus and Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, Vafeades said, adding that officials would "stay on alert" and were "monitoring connectivity."

The two countries have developed close relations, linked to cooperation around energy resources in the Mediterranean, and Cyprus has a sizeable Israeli community.

EU foreign ministers are set to hold emergency talks on Israel tomorrow, says Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign affairs and security high representative.

Breaking: The spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas announces via its official Telegram channel that "the Israeli bombings last night and this morning on the Gaza Strip caused the death of four Israeli hostages as well as their captors."

Germany 'temporarily suspends' Palestinian development aid: Ministry

Germany says it is temporarily halting development aid to the Palestinian territories as it carries out a thorough review of the financial help after Hamas militants' surprise attack on Israel.

"It is being examined, that is, temporarily suspended," said a spokeswoman from the ministry for economic cooperation and development.

The aid included help for desalination projects, food security and job creation, and amounted to 125 million euros ($131 million).

This handout satellite image courtesy of the European Space Agency's ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite shows plumes of smoke in the border area between southern Israel and the coastal Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. (Credit: European Space Agency's (ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery/AFP)

UN Security Council meeting on Hamas-Israel conflict ends without resolution .

This is the second time the council has met in two days to try to adopt a common position.

Hezbollah and Palestinian factions organized a solidarity rally in Baalbeck in support of "Palestinian resistance and in defense of Al-Aqsa and sacred sites." The event featured the raising of Palestinian flags and banners on the eastern hills of the city of Baalbeck, near Hezbollah's Jihadi Museum.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a statement: "We directed a major missile strike against Ashdod and Ashkelon with 120 missiles."

Al-Qassam Brigades also revealed, in the statement, that for the first time it has brought into service a locally manufactured air defense system, “Metabar 1.”

Twelve Thais have been killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, the kingdom's government says, as it prepares a plan to evacuate its citizens.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke said the Thai Embassy in Israel learned of the deaths from the victims' employers.

She said a further eight Thais had been wounded and 11 taken captive since the war erupted when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Saturday.

There are around 30,000 Thai workers in Israel, according to Bangkok's Labor Ministry, many of them working in agriculture.

Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Saleh Salem/Reuters)

Israeli army artillary are positioned towards Gaza near the border with the Palestinian territory on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Jack Guez/AFP)

Reaction in Lebanon: Head of Lebanon's Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohammad Raad spoke from Kfarmelky, southern Lebanon, today, saying, "It is time for the temporary entity [Israel] to disappear, and the Israeli military superiority in confronting the resistance has come to an end."

Russia and the Arab League will work to "stop bloodshed" in Israel, Gaza, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says.

Breaking: The Israeli defense minister announces that he has "ordered a total siege of Gaza." 

No rocket impacts at Ben Gurion Airport: A rocket salvo at the Tel Aviv area today did not lead to any impacts at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main international gateway, a spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority said.

Video circulated online appeared to show smoke rising from Ben Gurion. The spokesperson said there had been a mid-air rocket interception and a possible impact in a nearby village. 

(2/2) Lebanon's foreign minister comments: The caretaker minister also estimated that the situation would not evolve as long as Israel only “defended itself” but that “God only knows” what could happen if Tel Aviv decides to “expand the war.”

This is the first time since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas that a member of the Lebanese caretaker government has spoken publicly on the subject. 

Hezbollah has displayed its support for the Hamas offensive and briefly exchanged rocket and artillery fire with the Israeli army on Sunday morning.

(1/2) Lebanon's foreign minister comments: In an interview given to the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, Lebanese caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib suggested that Hezbollah has assured the Lebanese government that it will keep its distance from the events in Israel as long as Israel does not provoke Lebanon.

“I am abroad today, but I remain in contact with the [caretaker] prime minister (Najib Mikati) to whom Hezbollah promised that it would not interfere with what is happening [in Israel]” the minister said, adding, “If Israel does not harass us, it will not be harassed in return, and [Hezbollah] will not intervene for the moment.”

Cruise ships divert to Cyprus

Cruise ships heading to Israel have been diverted to Cyprus, while the country arranged additional flights today to repatriate Israelis or assist people wanting to leave Israel, aviation and shipping officials said.

A cruise ship docked at Limassol port on Sunday, while a second arrived today, port manager Panayiotis Agathocleous told Cyprus's Ant1 TV station. A third is expected during the week, he said.

"We are ready to offer all assistance," Agathocleous said.

Aviation officials said 11 extra inbound and outbound flights to Israel were arranged on today. These include the scheduled repatriation of about 150 Cypriot pilgrims from Israel.

Cyprus was used as an evacuation hub for thousands of people fleeing a war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah in 2006.

According to the Times of Israel a drone infiltration alert has been sounding in the Gaza border town of Gvaram.

- The Israeli army spokesperson, Daniel Hagari said, in comments relayed by the Times of Israel, that the army has "never mobilized so many reservists so quickly, 300,000 reservists in 48 hours."

- He also said that incidents of clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas militants in the last few hours have been “isolated.”

- He noted that the Israeli army has evacuated 15 out of 24 towns on the border, and will continue to evacuate the others in the coming day. Sderot will not be evacuated at this stage, he says.

-Hagari says some 4,400 rockets have been launched toward Israel since the fighting started on Saturday morning.

'200-250 bodies' at outdoor music festival

Hamas gunmen killed around 250 people who attended an outdoor music festival in an Israeli community near Gaza at the weekend, a volunteer who helped collect the bodies said today.

"In the area where the party took place, and at the party itself" it could be estimated that "there were 200-250 bodies," said Moti Bukjin, a spokesman for the humanitarian NGO Zaka, based on the number of trucks that ferried away the corpses.

"I've been a volunteer at Zaka for 28 years" and after working at a deadly stampede in Meron during a religious festival two years ago, "I thought I reached my end," Bukjin said. "I wanted to retire after seeing 45 bodies in one place; I thought it was the end of the world," he added.

"Turns out things can be much, much worse," he told AFP in a phone call, as he prepared to return to the south to continue the work of his group, a religious NGO that specializes in collecting bodies in accordance with Jewish law.

People stand amid rubble in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in Gaza City on Oct. 7, 2023, in this still image obtained from a video. (Credit: Yousef D. Hammash/via Reuters) 

Russia says its embassy has no information yet on how many Russian citizens in Israel might have been hurt or killed since Hamas launched its assault on Israel on Saturday morning.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking at a regular news briefing, said Moscow's was extremely concerned about the situation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, adding that events there posed a "great danger" to the wider region.

The United Arab Emirates, which established relations with Israel in 2020, is "appalled" that Israeli civilians were taken hostage in the Hamas assault.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it "is appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes."

Israel's army says that its forces are now in "full control of communities" in its southern territory near Gaza, two days after Hamas militants launched a suprise attack there.

"We are in full control of the communities," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists, adding however that there still might be "terrorists" in the area.

Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinians from the Shamalkh family, who health officials said were killed in Israeli strikes, in Gaza City, Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Possible prisoner swap operation: The Chinese news agency Xinhua cites "a Hamas source" as saying that Qatar will try to launch a prisoner exchange operation.

The exchange agreement would reportedly involve the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel in exchange for Israeli women taken hostage by Hamas fighters as part of the offensive launched on Saturday. No official source has yet confirmed this information.

Iran denies it had role in Hamas attack on Israel

Iran has rejected as unfounded allegations that it had a role in the massive assault on Israel by Hamas.

"The accusations linked to an Iranian role … are based on political reasons," Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told reporters, adding that Palestinians had "the necessary capacity and will to defend their nation and recover their rights" without any help from Tehran.

Yesterday evening, the Wall Street Journal cited senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah as saying Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday attack on Israel and paved the way for operation "Al Aqsa flood" at a meeting in Beirut last Monday.

Israeli TV quoting military is reporting that 300,000 reservists have been called up in the largest ever such draft. 

Relatives react as they attend the funeral of Palestinians from the Shamalkh family, who health officials said were killed in Israeli strikes, in Gaza City, Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Breaking: The Israeli army claims to have regained control of Israeli communities on the edge of Gaza.

UN rights council holds silence for victims in Israel, Gaza

The United Nations Human Rights Council stood in silence today to remember the "innocent lives lost" in Israel and in Gaza, at the request of the United States.

"I respectfully request a moment of silence from this esteemed council, and all present here today to honor and remember the victims of these appalling terrorist attacks … innocent lives lost across Israel and Gaza resulting from the attacks by Hamas," US ambassador Michele Taylor said in the top UN rights body, before delegates stood.

Take a look at the third day of the conflict in images: 

Operation 'Al Aqsa flood' continues, Israel bombs Gaza

Operation 'Al Aqsa flood' continues, Israel bombs Gaza

A rescuer reacts as he works with others to remove Palestinian casualties from under the rubble of a house destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters) 

International reactions continue

- The United Kingdom recommends that its nationals avoid all non-essential travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

- Spain continues to describe Hamas' action against Israel as a terrorist attack.

- Nepal confirms that at least 10 of its nationals have been killed in the conflict so far.

- China says it is monitoring the situation closely, and invites the international community to work to deescalate the conflict, calling for a two-state solution.

- Iran calls for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Israeli army reinforcements take position outside the southern city of Sderot near the border with Gaza on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Jack Guez/AFP)

China 'opposes and condemns' actions that harm civilians in Israel violence

China said today that it "opposes and condemns" violence against civilians in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"China is highly concerned about the recent escalation of conflict between Palestine and Israel," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

Beijing "is deeply saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict, and opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians," she added.

"China opposes actions that expand the conflict and undermine regional stability, and hopes for a cease-fire and end to the war and to restore peace as soon as possible," Mao continued.

She also called for the international community to "effectively play its role and jointly promote lowering the temperature of the situation."

"The path to solving the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts lies in resuming peace talks," Mao said.

She said the solution included "implementing a two-state solution, and promoting the early comprehensive and proper settlement of the Palestinian issue through political means, so that reasonable concerns of all parties can be guaranteed".

"China will continue to make untiring efforts in this regard alongside the international community," she said.

Updated Gaza death toll

The latest figures from the Gaza Health Ministry show 493 Palestinians killed and 2,751 wounded by Israeli strikes.

Israeli security forces take cover during a rocket attack near the border with Gaza on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Jack Guez/AFP)

Iran's foreign spokesperson Nasser Kanaani says Tehran has called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation over regional developments.

More than 123,000 people displaced in Gaza Strip: UN

More than 123,000 people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the conflict between Palestinian militants and Israel, the United Nations said this morning.

"Over 123,538 people have been internally displaced in Gaza, mostly due to fear, protection concerns and the destruction of their homes," said the UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA.

More than 73,000 are sheltering in schools, OCHA said, some of which have been designated emergency shelters.

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Gaza since Saturday, when Hamas militants launched deadly attacks in Israel and fired thousands of rockets at the country.

Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said he expected the numbers to rise further.

"There's electricity in these schools, we provide them with a meal, clean water, psychological support and medical treatment," he told AFP.

Gaza is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, who have lived under a crippling Israeli blockade imposed after Hamas took power in 2007.

Protesters in Australia yell slogans as they march in a rally against Israeli military action in Gaza, in Sydney on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: David Gray/AFP)

The UN Security Council is due to hold a second emergency meeting on the Hamas-Israel conflict today. 

Hamas militants still crossing into Israel, country's military says

According to an Israeli military spokesperson, fighting is currently underway in "seven or eight" locations around the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military believes that large numbers of Hamas militants continue to cross into Israel. Searches along the border are underway, according to Israeli media.

A Palestinian points to the Ahmed Yassin mosque, which was leveled by Israeli airstrikes, in Gaza City early on Oct. 9, 2023. Israel relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip early this morning as fighting raged with Hamas around the Gaza Strip and the death toll from the war against the Palestinian militants surged above 1,100. (Credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP)

"The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations," Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said from the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken.

"Our job is to make sure that at the end of this war, Hamas will no longer have any military capabilities to threaten Israeli civilians with, and in addition to that we also need to make sure Hamas will not govern the Gaza Strip," he added.

Rescuers remove people from under the rubble of a house destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Said Khatid/AFP)

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza on Oct. 9, 2023. (Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Overnight airstrikes: The Israeli army says it hit more than 500 targets in the Gaza Strip in overnight strikes, as the death toll from its war with Hamas surges above 1,100.

Palestinians walk through rubble in a heavily bombarded neighborhood following overnight Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City's Shati refugee camp early on Oct. 9, 2023.  (Credit: Mahmud Hams/AFP)

Meanwhile, oil prices soared by more than 4 percent today against the backdrop of the weekend's conflict escalation in Gaza and Israel. 

On the ground: Yesterday evening clashes again pitted Israeli soldiers against 70 Palestinian fighters on the outskirts of the Be'eri kibbutz, in southern Israel, Haaretz cites the Israeli army as saying this morning. The Israeli military suspects there are tunnels in the area.

Hungary has evacuated 215 nationals from Israeli territory by plane, according to its Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The Bank of Israel has announced the sale of $30 billion in foreign exchange from its reserves to maintain the stability of the national currency, the shekel, as the war against Hamas enters its third day.

Was Iran involved in planning with Hamas?

On Sunday evening, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing high-ranking officials from Hamas and Hezbollah, that Iranian security officials had helped plan Hamas' attack on Israel launched on Saturday and had given the green light to the "Al-Aqsa Deluge" operation during a meeting in Beirut last Monday.

Read more about this here.

A few hours after the publication of this article, the Iranian mission to the United Nations stated on Sunday evening that Tehran was not involved in this attack. Details are available here.

Monday morning, in addition to the bombings in Gaza, Haaretz reported that after five hours of calm on the Israeli side, rocket fire from the Gaza Strip had resumed.

The situation in Gaza

In Gaza, the bombings continue. On Sunday, the spokesperson for the Israeli army stated that 800 targets had been bombed in the Gaza Strip since the start of Hamas' offensive.

Seeking to regain control, Israeli forces continue to track down Hamas members in southern Israel, where 100,000 reservists have been deployed, according to an army spokesperson.

Hostages

The Israeli army is working to save the Israeli hostages who are believed to still be in Gaza and evacuate all residents from the area, while oil prices soared on Monday.

On Sunday evening, a Hamas official reportedly mentioned a figure of around a hundred hostages held by the movement in Gaza. Earlier, an Islamic Jihad official had indicated that his group was holding thirty hostages in Gaza.

The fighting has resulted in more than 1,100 deaths in total on both sides since Saturday.

Latest: Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers continue their deployment on Monday in the desert regions near the Gaza Strip, attempting to regain control from Hamas fighters. This marks the third day of the deadliest clashes on Israeli soil since its establishment.

Good morning we are recommencing our LIVE coverage, from Beirut, of the war between Hamas and Israel.