Major Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa: Day 351 of the Gaza war

Thank you for following our live coverage of this new day of escalation in the conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, marked by a high number of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa.

We will continue our coverage of the Gaza war and its repercussions in the region starting tomorrow morning.

The Israeli army has announced new restrictions for people living in Haifa and further north.

"In the near future, rockets and other threats could be launched towards Israeli territory", said the Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, on X.

He said the changes came after Israel's Minister of Defense declared a "special situation on the home front".

The Israeli army says it has conducted "extensive raids" in southern Lebanon after "detecting Hezbollah preparations to launch rockets towards Israeli territory."

The arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, wrote in a statement on X that "dozens of warplanes" are currently attacking Hezbollah sites and missile launchers.

He added that its air forces targeted 400 Hezbollah missile platforms today.

The Israeli army added that it is "ready for the next steps and remain at a high state of readiness, both offensively and defensively".

"Air Force aircraft are armed and ready to attack everywhere. Air defense systems remain deployed and ready to intercept threats", the statement concluded.

Other attacks are occurring in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent:

- At least three attacks targeted the Tefahta Valley, in the Zahrani district south of Saida. A road connecting the coast to the locality was hit and has become inaccessible.

- The Israeli air force is "conducting a large airstrike on the villages in the Zahrani, Nabatieh, Jezzine, and Tyre districts," our correspondent reports. Hills, valleys, and areas near rivers are being targeted.

- For the first time, valleys located near Roum (Jezzine district) have been targeted by the Israeli air force. Fires have been caused by these strikes, residents report.

- The locality of Ain Kana, in Iqlim al-Touffah, as well as Jbal Botm (Tyre district), have also been hit. The Froun Valley (Bint Jbeil district) has also been struck, as well as Naqoura (Tyre district) and the surroundings of Jarjou'

🔴 A new series of Israeli strikes targets southern Lebanon and the Bekaa after an already particularly violent day:

The localities of Haris (Nabatieh district), Deir Amess (Tyre), Tefahta (Saida), and Mount Rihane (Jezzine) have been targeted. Also affected are an area between Deir al-Zahrani and Roumine (Nabatieh), the surroundings of Kfar Melki in Iqlim al-Touffah, and an area between Zaoutar (Nabatieh) and Deir Seriane (Marjayoun). The areas around Jbaa (Nabatieh), Tayr Harfa, Jibbein, Chihine, and Zebqine (Tyre) have also been targeted.

These raids are successive, repeated, and particularly violent, according to our correspondent Mountasser Abdallah. Attacks have also targeted Zellaya in the Bekaa.

Two families have been found dead under the rubble in Beirut's southern suburbs, following the Israeli strike yesterday. Several people are still missing. The latest, here.  

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 5:50 PM (Beirut time) on the Israeli site of Ramtha, in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills, using missiles. The party also carried out a similar attack at the same time on Zebdine, in the disputed Shebaa Farms.

Credit: Lebanese Health Ministry

A shipment of medical aid from Iraq was received and acknowledged by the Lebanese Ministry of Health, as reported by the ministry in a statement. The cargo, donated by the Iraqi Red Crescent, includes 11 tons of essential medications and emergency supplies. The ministry expressed gratitude to Iraq "for this initiative, highlighting the significant solidarity shown towards Lebanon during these challenging times."

⚡ The Lebanese Health Ministry stated in a statement that various Israeli strikes today in Lebanon resulted in four injuries, including one person in serious condition.

A strike on the heights of Qotrani, Jezzine district, severely injured a man who required treatment. Other strikes in West Bekaa caused three injured who were treated in the emergency department.

Israeli Regional Council Head Moshe Davidowitz met with IDF Northern Command Chief Major General Ori Gordin and stated that, according to him, "we are entering complex times," as reported by Haaretz.

Davidowitz, who chairs the Conflict Zone Forum, noted that during his visit to the Northern Command military base in Safed, he observed fires ignited by rocket fire from Lebanon. He added that he "urged Gordin to intensify pressure on Hezbollah," according to the newspaper.

Credit: Mohammad Yassine/ L'Orient Today

A woman among the crowd during the funerals of three fighters from the party killed in yesterday's Israeli strike.

The Israeli army reported that Hezbollah fired approximately 90 rockets toward Israel today from Lebanon, where the party engages in almost daily exchanges of fire with the military, in support of its ally, Hamas, in Gaza.

"About 90 rockets" were launched by Hezbollah toward Israeli territory on Saturday until 5 p.m., the Israeli army said in a statement sent to AFP.

Haaretz reported that the Israeli Air Force attacked "thousands of Hezbollah launchers during a series of strikes in southern Lebanon," citing the army. Attacks were carried out on 180 targets, including artillery fire, the newspaper added.

"The military command structure of Hezbollah has been almost completely dismantled following the elimination yesterday of a dozen significant terrorists, including Ibrahim Aqil," the Israeli army stated on X.

"We will continue to act against any terrorist organization that poses a threat to our civilians on all fronts," the message added, accompanied by a chart in the form of a family tree, with Hassan Nasrallah at the top. Below, six portraits of Hezbollah figures are marked with the label "eliminated." Two others, Ali Karaki and Abou Ali Rida, identified as "commander of the southern front" and "commander of the Bader unit," respectively, are not marked with this label.

Testimony from Ali during the funerals of Hezbollah fighters in the suburbs surrounding Beirut:

"The next step is victory, after all the blood of the martyrs that has been shed. We are not afraid. Do you see the martyr Abbas Mouslimani? He is the fourth martyr in the family. If you saw his mother, she is still so strong," he tells our on-site journalist.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has canceled his trip to New York in light of recent developments in Lebanon.

"I intended to travel to New York as part of Lebanon's intensified diplomatic efforts at the United Nations General Assembly to put an end to Israel's ongoing aggression against Lebanon," Mikati stated in a statement.

"However, in light of these developments [...], I have decided not to travel and have agreed, after consultation and coordination with the Foreign Affairs Minister, on the priorities for urgent external diplomatic action at this stage," he added.

He also emphasized the need to "put an end to the massacres committed by the Israeli enemy and the multimodal wars it is waging."

Testimony from the southern suburbs of Beirut by our on-site journalist Emmanuel Haddad:

Fatmeh Zaarour came to attend the funerals of three Hezbollah fighters in Ghobeiri. Around her, men in black carry Hezbollah flags. Three coffins are draped in the party's yellow flag.

"We have undeniably suffered attacks in recent days. All these young people who have fallen as martyrs or been injured... They say we love the cult of martyrdom, but that's not true. It is the enemy who has crossed all limits with these attacks, especially the one on the beeper; it's a terrible crime," Fatmeh asserts. "I don't think we are heading toward an open war. But Hezbollah has no choice but to escalate its attacks as well," she believes.

The woman stated she is "ready to welcome fighters into her home."

"For us, resistance is a total commitment," she assures.

It's been an intense week in Lebanon. From the pager explosions to a second wave with walkie-talkies, to a major strike on Beirut... There's a lot to keep track of.

To stay informed, join our WhatsApp group, where we send breaking news updates, as well as a daily selection of articles for a more in-depth look.

Find out more here.

Cyprus's President, Nikos Christodoulides, expressed strong concern and called for restraint regarding escalating tensions in the Middle East during separate phone conversations with the Lebanese and Israeli prime ministers, as reported by Reuters citing the president's spokesperson.

Christodoulides emphasized the "need for an immediate end to actions that may lead to further destabilization and have wider regional effects."

He highlighted the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy within the framework of UN resolutions and international law.

Christodoulides also mentioned Cyprus's "readiness to continue to be a conduit for such efforts, as well as for communication between the parties, based on excellent relations with all countries in the region."

⚡ The toll from the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs has risen to at least 37 dead, announced the Health Minister.

He added in a statement that clearing and search operations are ongoing.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said that attacks on Lebanon this week showed that the Israeli government planned to spread the war to the region, calling on Western countries to take "deterrent steps" against Israel's actions, Reuters reported.

Erdogan told a press conference that Israel's war in Gaza will top the agenda of his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

"In order for our region not to be dragged into a great disaster, the pressure on Israel must be increased even more," Erdogan told a press conference in Istanbul. "It is time for all countries with the mission of protecting world peace to come up with solutions that will stop Israel."

The Gaza Civil Defense has raised the death toll from the Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced persons in Gaza to 19. The Israeli military stated it targeted Hamas fighters who were hiding there, according to AFP.

Among the dead were "13 children and six women," one of whom was pregnant, said Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal. More than 30 people, including "nine children," were injured in the bombing of Al-Zaytoun C school in northern Gaza, he added, noting that the school was sheltering thousands of displaced individuals due to the ongoing conflict between Hamas and the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip since Oct.7.

Fires broke out near Safed and Beit Hillel in northern Israel after rockets launched from Lebanon in the latest barrage hit open areas, according to Haaretz.

Nine firefighting crews are "working on the scene of the fires to bring the blazes under control."

Latest updates from South Lebanon, according to residents' testimonies relayed by our correspondent in the South:

• Israeli artillery shelling has targeted the outskirts of Shebaa and Kfar Shuba, Hasbaya district.
• A missile from an Israeli warplane has fallen in the village of Hasbaya without exploding.

The official death toll from the Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb yesterday has risen to at least 31 as of now, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

In response to Israeli attacks on southern Lebanese villages and homes, Hezbollah announced that it fired Katyusha rockets at the "main air defense missile base" of the Israeli Northern Command in the "Beria" barracks and at the "631st reconnaissance battalion of the Golani Brigade in the Ramot Naftali barracks," facing the Lebanese village of Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district.

Hezbollah also stated that it fired rockets at the Israeli barracks in Zarit, facing Marwahine in the Sour district, at 2 p.m.

Hezbollah has announced the death of one of its members, Abbas Saleh, from the village of Aadchit in the Marjeyoun district. According to our correspondent in the South, Saleh was wounded in the radio blast on Wednesday and later succumbed to his injuries.

Israel is still carrying out airstrikes on the same villages that were targeted in the past hour, according to our correspondent in the South. The hills of Jabal Rihan and surrounding valleys, the village Berghoz, Jezzine district, and the course of the Litani River are being targeted more than other villages.

According to security sources and residents relayed by our correspondent in the South, these villages have been targeted by Israeli airstrikes in the past hour:

• Area Between Zawtar, Nabatieh district, and Deir Siryan, Marjayoun district.
• Orchards between the villages of Adloun and Abou al-Aswad, Saida district.
• Area between the villages of Zrarieh and Ansar, Saida district.
  
• Area between Kounin and Ainata, Bint Jbeil district.
• The outskirts of Mais al-Jabal, Marjayoun district.
• The outskirts of Qotrani, the village of Mahmoudieh and the heights of Jabal al-Rihan, Jezzine district.
• The course of the Litani River at the outskirts of Khardali.
• The outskirts of Tayr Harfa and Alma Shaab, Sour district.
• A valley between Deir Zahrani and Roumin, Nabatieh district.
• The village of Houmin Fawqa, Nabatieh district.
• A valley between Nmeirieh and Zefta al Sharqiya, Nabatieh district.
• The heights of Iqlim al Tuffah.
• The eastern outskirts of Jbaa, Nabatieh district.

Violent successive airstrikes have targeted several areas in southern Lebanon including the hills of Jabal al-Rihan, Jezzine district, the coast of the village of Adloun, Saida district, and the outskirts of Houmin Fawqa, Nabatieh district, according to a security source, eyewitnesses and residents' testimonies relayed by our correspondent in the South.

Simultaneously, dozens of rockets have been fired from southern Lebanon towards Israeli sites, a security source told L'Orient Today.

At least seven Israeli airstrikes targeted the Litani River, forested areas, valleys and hills in the regions of Khardali, Mahmoudieh and Jabal al Rayan, Jezzine district, according to security sources, reports our correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah.

The strikes hit the hills of Jabbour and Wadi Bourghoz, Hasbaya district, as well as the valleys surrounding the Deir Zahrani area, Nabatiyeh district.

So far, more than 12 missiles have been dropped by the Israeli air force.

At least 17 people have been killed in an attack that hit a school building in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza, Haaretz reported, citing medical sources in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, the Israeli army stated that its air force attacked a "Hamas compound located inside a building previously used by a school in Gaza city."

According to Haaretz, residents of Safed and other communities in northern Israel have been instructed to stay near shelters. The Israeli newspaper also reported that sirens have sounded in Safed, Kiryat Shmona and communities in the Upper Galilee.

The head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, Avichay Adraee, stated on X that the troops are "currently attacking Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon."

An Iraqi aircraft carrying several tons of aid and medical supplies has landed at Beirut international airport, according to the National News Agency.

Recently, Iraq sent medical teams and emergency responders to Lebanon following the explosions of Hezbollah communication devices.

Photo provided by our correspondent Sarah Abdallah.

An Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Libbaya in western Bekaa, according to our correspondent in the region, Sarah Abdallah.

Gaza's Civil Defense reported that an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced persons in Gaza City resulted in 17 deaths, with the Israeli military stating that it targeted Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, according to AFP.

"At least 17 martyrs, including eight children, and more than 30 injured, mostly children and women, were reported following an Israeli rocket strike on Al-Zaytoun C school," said Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal, noting that thousands displaced by the war had sought refuge there.

Following the extraordinary meeting of Lebanon's Central Security Council, caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi warned that the security situation in the country is "delicate and dangerous." He stated that security and military forces must actively monitor any suspicious movements to prevent violations or attacks on residential neighborhoods.

Mawlawi noted that many civilians, including children and women, have been killed by Israel in recent days and stressed the importance of surveillance to track movements across all areas.

He emphasized that "coordination between all security forces is necessary to face the challenges," urging that everyone must maintain a constant state of vigilance and full readiness.

Israeli artillery fire targeted the village of Maroun al-Ras, Bint Jbeil district, residents told our correspondent.

Five employees of the Gaza Health Ministry have been killed and others injured after Israel targeted the ministry's warehouses in the Masbah area of the southern Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported, citing the ministry.

"We appeal to the UN and concerned organizations to intervene to protect and rescue the wounded as a result of the targeting of the ministry's warehouses," the ministry added.

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported a new death toll of 41,391 in the Palestinian territories since the Gaza war began, now in its twelfth month, according to AFP.

The statement indicated that at least 119 people were killed in the last 72 hours, adding that 95,760 individuals have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

The municipality of Mais al-Jabal, Marjayoun district, announced the deaths of six members of the Hamdane family, whose bodies were found under the rubble of the targeted building in the southern suburbs of Beirut, while searches continue for six individuals from the Choucair and Ghazi families, according to our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah.

The deceased and identified individuals include Ghada Choucair (mother of Ahmad Hamdan), fighter Ali Mohammed Hamdan, Aya Hussein Ahmed Hamdan, Fatima Ahmed Hamdan, Maram Qassem Hamdan (a minor) and Jamila Al-Akhras (wife of the injured Haidar Haidar).

The municipality also reported the death of fighter Ahmed Samir Dib, noting that he was killed on the road to Jerusalem, but did not provide details on the circumstances of his death. It also indicated that Mohammad Hassan Choucair, Feryal Abdel Hussein Choucair, her husband and their children from the Ghazi family are still missing.

Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today

According to our reporter on the ground, Mohammad Yassine, dozens of rescue workers continue to clear the streets in the southern suburbs of Beirut in an effort to find the missing people among the rubble. 

⚡ Lebanese caretaker Public Works and Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh stated during a visit to the site of the Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut this morning that "23 civilians, including children and women, are still missing."

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that Israel is committing "shameless crimes" against children, not fighters, according to remarks reported by Reuters.

Hezbollah Claims First Attack of the Day.

In a statement, Hezbollah claimed to have targeted the "Jal al-Alam" position facing Naqoura, in the Sour district, with artillery shells at 11:10 a.m.

Israeli airspace is closed from Hadera and the north until further notice due to the security situation, Haaretz reports.

"The decision will not affect international flights or local flights to Eilat and primarily concerns general aviation," the Israeli newspaper added.

Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today

Burned cars at the site targeted by the Israeli strike yesterday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Sept. 21, 2024. 

Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad also stated that two individuals succumbed to their injuries from the Hezbollah communication device explosions on Wednesday.

This brings the total number of victims to 70, including casualties from the Hezbollah pager explosions on Tuesday, the walkie-talkie blasts on Wednesday and the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday.

⚡ Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad announced that 31 people have been killed in the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Among the deceased are three children, seven women, and three Syrians.

Abiad added that 68 people have been wounded, with two in critical condition. Of the injured, 53 have been discharged from hospitals.

A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that the Israeli strike yesterday in the southern suburbs of Beirut targeted a meeting of the party's elite force, killing 16 members.

The party announced the deaths of two commanders from the al-Radwan force, along with 14 other fighters, following the strike.

Read more here 👈

The CEO of BAC Consulting, suspected of being linked to the beepers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria earlier this week, is reportedly under the protection of Hungarian intelligence, her mother told the Associated Press yesterday.

Beatrix Bársony-Arcidiacono confirmed that her daughter, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, has remained discreet since Tuesday's attacks targeting Hezbollah, which were attributed to Israel.

Cristiana has been linked to the production of the explosive devices, according to the Taiwanese holder of the beeper brand. The Hungarian government has denied that the beepers were ever on Hungarian soil, asserting that BAC has no manufacturing capabilities in the country.

Cristiana's mother revealed that she has received threats and is “currently safe under the protection of Hungarian intelligence.” She added that “Hungarian intelligence advised her not to speak to the media” during a phone interview from Sicily.

Credit: L'Orient Today

Families continue to wait for news of their loved ones at the site of yesterday's strike, while rescue workers continue their efforts, ongoing since yesterday afternoon. 

⚡ This morning, an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in the area of Hamoul, on the outskirts of Naqoura, in Sour district, according to residents. The drone strike killed a Syrian national, our correspondent reports, who was working in the area.

(Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today)

Lebanese Red Cross rescue workers continue to be deployed in Haret Hreik, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where search and rescue operations amid the rubble of yesterday's Israeli strike are ongoing.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health has not yet released a new death toll. Yesterday evening, it had reported at least 14 dead and 66 injured. Hezbollah has announced the death of 13 fighters and two top commanders so far.

Hezbollah has announced the deaths of three more fighters:

• Mehdi Mousallem Jamoul, born in 1981 and originally from Azza, in southern Lebanon.

•  Hassan Youssef Abdelsater, born in 1988 and originally from Iaat in the Bekaa.

• Jihad Shafic Khazaal Khanafer, born in 1970 and originally from Ainata, in southern Lebanon.

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah, and our correspondent in the Bekaa, Sarah Abdallah, the victims were killed in the Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs yesterday.

This is a list of the fighters whose deaths Hezbollah announced on Friday night:

• Mahmoud Yassine Hamad, born in 1977, from Nabatieh al-Tahta, southern Lebanon.

• Samer Abdel Halim Halaoui, born in 1980, from Qaaqaiyet al-Jisr, southern Lebanon.

• Hassan Hussein Madi, born in 1980, originally from Meidoun, Bekaa.

• Mohammad Ahmad Rida, born in 1986, from Ankoun, South Lebanon.

• Mohammad Kassem al-Attar, born in 1973, originally from Charbine, Bekaa.

• Ahmad Samir Dib, born in 1991, from Mais al-Jabal, South Lebanon.

• Abdallah Abbas Hijazi, born in 1987, originally from Hour Taala, Bekaa.

• Aaref Ahmad al-Rez, born in 1980, originally from Beirut.

• Hassan Ali Hussein, born in 1975 and originally from Kfar Melki, southern Lebanon.

• Abbas Sami Mouslemani, born in 1985 and originally from Jibbein, southern Lebanon.

• Hussein Ahmad Hadraj, born in 1984 and originally from Ghassanieh, southern Lebanon.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein in Egypt, his spokesperson announced in a post on X, writing "All efforts must be exerted to prevent further escalation in the region and restore stability in Lebanon."

People wait for news of their loved ones at the site of the Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Sept. 21, 2024. (Credit: L'Orient Today)

According to our local reporter, search operations are ongoing this morning at the site of the Israeli strike that hit two residential buildings in Haret Hreik.

The Israeli air force fired four missiles toward the base of the building, targeting the underground parking garage where a meeting of commanders from Hezbollah's elite Radwan Forces unit was reportedly underway. Within an hour of the strike occurring, the two buildings collapsed and there are still thought to be people trapped beneath the rubble.

Several families, whose loved ones are still missing, are at the site of the strike, watching and waiting as rescue workers continue their efforts.

People gather around site of the Israeli strike that targeted a residential building in Beirut’s southern suburbs yesterday. (Credit: AFP)

The CEO of BAC Consulting, linked to the pagers that detonated in Lebanon and Syria earlier this week, is reportedly under the protection of Hungarian secret services, her mother told The Associated Press yesterday.

Beatrix Bsrsony-Arcidiacono confirmed that her daughter, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, has remained out of the public eye since Tuesday's attacks, which targeted Hezbollah and are widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.

Cristiana has been connected to the manufacturing of the explosive devices, according to the Taiwanese trademark holder of the pagers. The Hungarian government has denied that the pagers were ever on Hungarian soil, claiming BAC has no manufacturing capabilities in the country.

Cristiana's mother disclosed that she had received threats and is "currently in a safe place under Hungarian secret service protection." She added that "the Hungarian secret services advised her not to speak to the media" during a phone interview from Sicily.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Hezbollah was targeted in two rounds of attacks whereby their hand-held communication devices were simultaneously detonated, killing more than 30 and wounding thousands. The attack is widely attributed to Israel, who is thought to have infiltrated the party's supply chain and planted small amounts of explosive material beside devices' lithium batteries.

Yesterday, the U.N. said these attacks could constitute a war crime. "International humanitarian law prohibits the use of booby-trap devices in the form of apparently harmless portable objects," the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, told the Security Council during an emergency session on Lebanon requested by Algeria.

Speaking at the Security Council, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib called the attack "an unprecedented method of warfare in its brutality and terror."

"Israel, through this terrorist aggression has violated the basic principles of international humanitarian law," he said, calling Israel a "rogue state."

Good morning and welcome to today's extended live coverage of the war on Gaza and the parallel fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, occurring mostly along the Lebanese-Israeli border, but increasingly in other areas of the country.

Yesterday, a major Israeli strike on a residential building in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least 14 people, including two Hezbollah commanders, and wounded almost 70 others.

Read a recap of strike here. 👈

Read the testimonies collected by our reporters on the ground here. 👈

Read about Ibrahim Aqil, the Hezbollah commander assassinated in yesterday's attack. 👈