This conlucdes our coverage for today. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the latest updates on the war in Gaza and Israel's offensive in Lebanon.
Goodnight!
Iraq submitted a request to the Arab League Council to hold "an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Lebanon," the state-run National News Agency reported.
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said he presented "at the Arab League Council meeting held in New York on Monday a proposal to convene an emergency Arab and Islamic summit to unify efforts to end the Israeli aggression against Lebanon."
He stressed the importance of "urgent and collective action to protect the Lebanese people and defend their legitimate rights in accordance with international laws."
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported an Israeli strike on Tartus, on the Syrian coast.
Syrian air defenses blocked the attack, it added.
At least 569 people have been killed in deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon since Monday morning, caretaker Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad announced in an interview with al-Jazeera.
By midday, the death toll from the strikes was 558, including 50 children and 94 women, and 1,835 injured.
At least 569 people have been killed in deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon since Monday morning, caretaker Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad announced in an interview with al-Jazeera.
By midday, the death toll from the strikes was 558, including 50 children and 94 women, and 1,835 injured.
The Israeli military aviation has resumed its strikes in the villages of:
- Bint Jbeil, Ainata, Beit Yahoun, Kounin, Shakra, al-Tayri, Rashaf and Yater (Bint Jbeil).
- Alma al-Shaab and al-Bourj al-Shemali (Sour).
- Kfar Kila (Marjayoun).
- Jebsheet, Kfar Fila and Ain Qana (Nabatieh).
The Israeli military announced on its website that its "fighter jets have carried out hundreds of attack sorties in Lebanese airspace over the past 24 hours to eliminate the threat and strike Hezbollah's capabilities."
According to the army, its planes have dropped "about 2,000 munitions on about 1,500 terrorist infrastructures in the south and deep into Lebanon," and they are "continuing their operations."
Hamas demanded "immediate action" by the U.N. to end the war in the Gaza Strip, saying it rejects new cease-fire negotiations that would give Israel "cover to continue its aggression."
"We demand immediate action to end the Israeli aggression and the war of genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip" and we "firmly affirm our [refusal] to engage in new negotiations that would give the occupation cover to continue its aggression," the Islamist movement wrote in a message to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Hezbollah has urged Iran in recent days to launch an attack on Israel, but Iran has so far refrained from doing so, two Israeli officials and a Western diplomat told Axios.
Here are the latest developments in south Lebanon:
- An Israeli strike targeted Kfar Kila and another strike targeted a house in Yater.
- A source from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party reported to L'Orient Today's correspondent that an ambulance belonging to the party was bombed while "performing its duty in the Habboush region," in the Nabatieh district. The attack injured several rescuers.
- The al-Rissala scouts affiliated with the Amal movement announced the death of "the rescuer Khadija Ali Ismaïl, born in Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain, on Jan. 23, 2003," and killed "following Israeli strikes on the villages of the south."
Hezbollah fighters "carried out an attack with a squadron of suicide drones against the headquarters of the Israeli naval commando unit, Shayetet 13, in the Atlit base," the party announced, claiming to have targeted "soldier positions" and to have "achieved their objective with precision."
A drone strike targeted a car on the road linking the villages of Sohmor and Yohmor in West Bekaa, L'Orient Today's correspondent reports.
The Civil Defense of the Islamic Health Organization reopened the roads of Bayada, Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, as well as the coastal road in the Qleile region, which had been cut by Israeli strikes, a source within the organization reported to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
Israel has "no desire" for a "ground invasion" of Lebanon, Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, said, according to comments reported by AFP and Reuters.
He also said his country was open to ideas for de-escalating the conflict in Lebanon. “Right now, there are significant forces trying to come up with ideas and we are open to that,” he told reporters. “We are not keen on launching a ground invasion anywhere ... We prefer a diplomatic solution.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that "further strikes against Hezbollah are ready."
"We must continue until we achieve our goal - ensuring the safe return of residents of northern Israel to their homes," he added, according to Reuters.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for a de-escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and said the killing of women and children in Lebanon was a cause for concern, Reuters reports.
“We have to make sure that civilians are protected. The violence has to stop,” Trudeau told reporters in New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly. “We have to make sure that there is a de-escalation, both on the part of Israel and Hezbollah. We have to protect the lives of civilians. We have to make sure that we move toward peace and stability throughout the region,” he added.
Hezbollah claims to have hit an Israeli military base near Safed with 90 rockets, according to AFP.
More than 300 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel on Tuesday, a record since the start of the war, the Israeli army said, quoted by Haaretz.
Here are the latest developments in the Bekaa and south Lebanon:
- An Israeli strike targeted the village of Khiam (Marjayoun), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
- An Israeli drone targeted a car in the Hazine Valley, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the Bekaa.
- An Israeli strike targeted a house in Sarain in the Bekaa, without causing any casualties.
The Lebanese Civil Defense also said that six people were killed and six others injured when a residential building collapsed in Nabi Ella, Bekaa, following an Israeli airstrike.
The Lebanese Civil Defense said six bodies were recovered from the site of the Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Ten injured people were rescued and two people are still missing.
Israel's war in the Gaza Strip is a "crime of genocide," Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani accused at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
"The blatant aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip today is the most barbaric, abominable, extensive aggression, violating human values and international conventions and rights. It is not a war that respects the concept of war, but rather a crime of genocide," he said.
Here are the latest developments in the Bekaa and south Lebanon:
- Israeli jets carried out a strike on Douris, in Baalbeck.
- Dozens of rockets were fired from south Lebanon towards Israel, a security source told L'Orient Today's correspondent.
- Five houses were completely destroyed in Kfar Melki (Iqlim al-Touffah) in an Israeli strike. Ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
The Lebanese branch of Islamic Jihad, Saraya al-Quds, announced the death of two of its fighters, Samir Moustapha Diab and Firas Ayman Shehabi, both aged 31 and killed in south Lebanon in clashes with Israel.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has refuted the Israeli government's alleged territorial ambitions in Lebanon.
Read the full story here.
Hezbollah claimed to have "fired 50 rockets at the Dado base," which faces Bint Jbeil.
A new series of Israeli airstrikes targeted the following regions: Aramta, Bint Jbeil, Qabrikha, Tebnine, Soultanieh, Doueir, Kfarsir, Bayada and Braasheet.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of "dragging the entire region into war" by carrying out deadly strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"What are you waiting for to stop the massacres that are dragging the entire region into war?" Erdogan told world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
The town of Qatsrine in the occupied Syrian Golan and Gesher HaZiv on the coast opposite Ras Naqoura were hit by "missile" fire, Hezbollah announced.
Here are the latest developments in the Bekaa and south Lebanon:
- An Israeli drone targeted a house in the Taraya plains in the Bekaa with two missiles, reports L'Orient Today's correspondent.
- Two Israeli strikes targeted the suburbs of Kfar Melki and Bassaliya (Saida). Other Israeli strikes targeted the suburbs of Berta and Iqlim al-Touffah, residents told L'Orient Today's correspondent.
- Four Israeli strikes targeted the outskirts of Jbaa and the hills of Senya farms.
Hezbollah targeted "with a salvo of missiles" the village of HaGoshrim, located a few kilometers from the border, opposite Khiam (Marjayoun).
Israel has announced a new wave of "massive" strikes on Lebanon, according to AFP.
"Ibrahim Mohammad Qobeissy, commander of Hezbollah's missile and rocket force, was eliminated in an Israeli airstrike" in the southern suburbs of Beirut , the Israeli army announced on X.
According to it, Qobeissy "commanded several missile units" within Hezbollah, including "the precision guided missile unit."
"Over the years and during the war, he was responsible for launching missiles at Israeli civilians. He was also an important source of missile knowledge and maintained close ties with senior Hezbollah military officials," it said.
It finally said that "other central commanders of Hezbollah's missile and rocket force" had been eliminated.
U.S. President Joe Biden warned of "all-out war" in Lebanon and said it was "now time" to finalize a cease-fire deal in Gaza, during his address to the United Nations in New York.
“A full-blown war is in no one’s interest. Even as the situation escalates, a diplomatic solution is still possible,” Biden said.
"I proposed with Qatar and Egypt a ceasefire agreement and (to end) the hostage-taking. It was approved by the U.N. Security Council. Now it is time for the parties to finalize its terms, bring the hostages home and ensure the security of Israel and Gaza, free from the grip of Hamas," he added.
220 rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel so far today, Haaretz reports.
This is the highest number of missiles fired in one day since the start of the war, the Israeli media said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would continue to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"We will continue to strike Hezbollah. And I say to the Lebanese people: Our war is not against you, our war is against Hezbollah," he stressed in a video released by his office.
A Lebanese soldier, Ali Shukr, was killed in the Israeli strike on Nabi Sheet, in the Bekaa, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
An updated casualty toll in the Israeli strike on Riyak, Baalbeck, stands now at four deaths, including a woman, six wounded people and two missing people. Search operations are ongoing, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region.
A series of new Israeli airstrikes targeted the villages of Al-Tayri, Maarakah, Tayr Harfa, Tuffahta, Al-Adousiyah, Houmin Al-Tahta, L'Orient Today's correspodent reported.
The Israeli military claimed to have killed Ibrahim Qobeissy, head of Hezbollah's missile unit, in the strike on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israeli jets targeted the outskirts of Ain Qana (Nabatiyeh) and Anqoun (Saida), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for "restraint" and "de-escalation" on the border between Israel and Lebanon, AFP reports.
The British leader called on "all parties to avoid catastrophe," reiterating his demand for an "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza and the return of hostages, in a speech at the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool.
"We are still far from an all-out war; Hezbollah is acting in a calculated manner because it understands that we have not yet activated all our capabilities," a senior Israeli Air Force official was quoted as saying by Israeli Army Radio.
Alarm sirens are sounding in northern Israel, according to Haaretz.
Hezbollah claimed an attack "on the main warehouses of the northern region in the Nimra base with dozens of missiles." The Nimra base is around 50 kilometers away from the Lebanese-Israeli border and is west of the city of Tiberias, an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Hezbollah also claimed an attack "on the Rosh Pinna settlement with rocket salvos." The Rosh Pinna settlement, nearly 30 kilometers away from the Lebanese-Israeli border, is located in the Korazim Plateau in the Upper Galilee in the Northern District of Israel.
Hezbollah also claimed an attack on "the Samson unit (a command supply center and a regional supply unit) with Fadi 3 missiles." This marks the first reported use of its "Fadi 3 missiles" after having used "Fadi 1" and "Fadi 2" missiles when it launched a wave of missile attacks toward northern Israel on Sunday morning.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was "outraged and deeply saddened by the deaths of two beloved members of the UNHCR family in Lebanon," Dina Darwiche and Ali Basma.
"Dina Darwiche worked for UNHCR for twelve years in the UNHCR office in Bekaa," the U.N. agency said in a statement. "The building where Dina, her husband and their two young children were staying was hit by an Israeli missile yesterday. The bodies of Dina and her youngest son were tragically found today." According to UNHCR, her husband and one of her children are hospitalized with serious injuries.
UNHCR continued: "Ali Basma had worked at the UNHCR office in Sour for seven years. He was hired through a cleaning company contracted by UNHCR and had been part of the UNHCR family in Sour ever since. He was confirmed dead on 23 September and was buried this morning."
"The protection of civilians is imperative ... We call on all parties to protect civilians, including humanitarian workers, in accordance with international humanitarian law," the agency said.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon commented on statements by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the opening of the general debate of the U.N. General Assembly.
This is the "opening sign of the annual display of hypocrisy," he said, according to Haaretz. "It is sad that when Guterres speaks about the release of the hostages [held by Hamas], the U.N. assembly remains silent, but when he speaks about the suffering in Gaza, he is greeted with applause," he added.
Daycare centers across Lebanon will remain closed until the end of the week, the Health Ministry announced, "in view of the continuing Israeli aggression in Lebanon and the latest developments."
The Ministry of Industry announced in a statement that it will facilitate all formalities related to import and export certificates for industrialists and other stakeholders, in order to ensure the stability of the supply of medicines, food and essential products to infrastructure, institutions and companies in Lebanon during this period of conflict.
Israeli fighter jets broke the sound barrier over Beirut and Mount Lebanon, causing a sonic boom.
105 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel in the past hour and a half, Israeli Army Radio reported on X.
An Israeli strike targeted the village of Debbine (Marjayoun) and another on the outskirts of Jibsheet (Nabatieh).
Two Israeli strikes targeted Majdal Zoun and Ramadieh (Sour).
The Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs killed Ibrahim Qobeissy, a commander within Hezbollah, two security sources told Reuters. According to sources cited by Reuters, Qobeissy was "a senior member of the rocket division" of Hezbollah.
Photo courtesy of Muntasser Abdallah
Israeli fighter jets targeted an ambulance of the Islamic Health Committee, affiliated with Hezbollah, in Nabatiyeh al-Faouqa, injuring four rescuers, according to local residents quoted by L'Orient Today's correspondent.
"Gaza is a permanent nightmare that threatens to drag the entire region into chaos, starting with Lebanon," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the 193 U.N. countries gathered for the annual week of speeches by heads of state and government, according to comments reported by AFP.
"Lebanon is on the brink of the abyss ... We should all be alarmed by this escalation," he insisted.
Israeli fighter jets struck Nabatiyeh al-Faouqa, causing casualties, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south. Another strike targeted Khiam (Marjayoun).
"I insist and warn the Lebanese population who left and stayed away from the facilities and houses that contained or still contain weapons. Do not return there. These are dangerous places where explosives can explode and which can be bombed again afterward," the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army Avichay Adraee warned again in a video published on X.
Rocket fire from Lebanon caused a fire in the occupied Syrian Golan, while damage was reported to a home after gunfire in Kfar Manda, east of Haifa, according to Haaretz.
At least six people were killed and 15 others injured in the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry said in a provisional report.
Around sixty rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel in the last hour, Haaretz reports.
Hezbollah rescuers reported three dead in the Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, AFP reports.
The Lebanese Real Estate Association called on all citizens, in a statement, to stay away from targeted buildings to ensure their "security and safety and to avoid physical harm resulting from falling debris."
They also called on citizens to "clear the way for ambulances and civil defense [teams] to facilitate the rescue of the wounded and injured."
According to a doctor at the Sahel hospital contacted by L'Orient Today, the Israeli strike left at least two dead and ten injured.
According to Haaretz, missile shrapnel fell on the outskirts of Haifa, including in Krayot, in the north of the major city, Acre and the western Galilee. Police said they received reports of damaged cars in Jadeidi-Makr, located a few kilometers east of Acre.
Warning sirens also sounded in Safed, on the shores of Lake Tiberias.
According to the state-run National News Agency, the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs caused injuries.
Rescuers have arrived at the scene and are trying to help people in the building.
🔴 The Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs has resulted in at least one death, according to two security sources cited by Reuters.
Yesterday Israel attempted to kill senior Hezbollah commander, Ali Karaki, in a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs. Hezbollah said in a statement that he survived.
⚡ The target of the Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs is “the head of Hezbollah's missile network,” Ibrahim Mohammad Kabisi, Israeli radio said on X.
The target of the Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut is "the head of Hezbollah's missile network," Israeli radio reported on X.
"At the beginning of Operation 'Northern Arrows,' the Israeli military identified rockets in residential areas. The significant amount of weapons and terrorist missiles within homes has caused widespread destruction and explosions," stated Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on X.
He also noted that the military had "warned and exposed Hezbollah's weapons, while Hezbollah has urged Lebanese citizens to remain so they can protect its arms."
"The scene unfolding before you demonstrate the horror of Hezbollah's crimes," he added.
Some reports indicated a second strike in the southern suburb of Beirut, specifically in the Laylaki neighborhood, but this was denied by several residents in the area.
Alarm sirens are sounding in northern Israel, near Carmiel, according to Haaretz.
According to information circulating on social media, Talal Hamieh is the commander targeted by Israel in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Hamieh is the head of Unit 910, responsible for covert operations within Hezbollah's highest military body, the Jihad Council.
"I was just buying ice cream at Assaf Ice Cream in the southern suburbs when everything around me turned black," Hanine Dergham, mother of three kids, told L'Orient Today.
According to local residents, the strike targeted the fourth and fifth floors of a building in Ghobeiri.
The Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut targeted a Hezbollah commander, two security sources told Reuters, noting that his fate remains unknown.
Alarm sirens have sounded in the suburbs of Haifa, according to Haaretz.
⚡The Israeli army announced it carried out a new strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, shortly after an explosion was heard in the Ghobeiri neighborhood by residents of Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets with barcodes in the Bekaa region, our correspondent reported.
"Please do not open or circulate the QR code. Rather, you must destroy it immediately because it is very dangerous and withdraws all the information you have," a Hezbollah statement said.
Long queues have formed at gas stations and bakeries in Saida, South Lebanon, as thousands head north of the country to escape Israeli airstrikes, the state-run National News Agency reported. It was also reported that some bakeries and gas stations closed, despite having fuel and bread.
As a result, the General Directorate of State Security in the south dispatched patrols to gas stations and bakeries and wrote seizure reports against the violators, in accordance with the instructions of the Public Prosecutor of the Court of Appeal in the south, Judge Rahif Ramadan.
The Electricité du Liban mourned in a statement their employee Farah Kjak, who was killed with her husband, children, father, mother and sister, in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kawtharieh al-Sayyad yesterday.
“Dr. Farah worked at the Zahrani plant, and was an example of an active and loyal engineer, highly efficient and dedicated to her work, and always sought to achieve the best through developing work and innovation, which left an unforgettable mark on her professional life among all her colleagues and those who worked with her," the statement added.
In an email to its partners, Emirates announced the cancellation of four round-trip flights between Dubai and Beirut from Sept. 24 to Sept. 26. The affected flights are EK953 and EK954 scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as EK957 and EK958 scheduled for Wednesday.
Turkish Airlines announced in an email to Lebanese travel agencies that it has canceled its scheduled flights to and from Beirut on Sept. 26 due to the security situation.
Abiad added that 54 hospitals have received the injured, noting that the Ainata Medical Center and the government hospital in Bint Jbeil have been targeted by Israeli strikes. He also reported that four rescuers from the Islamic al-Rissala Scouts were killed.
Lebanon's caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad announced that the intense Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley have killed 558 people so far. During a press conference, he assured that "hospitals are not neglecting patients and are meeting all their needs," emphasizing that medical staff "have remained in the operating rooms for long hours" since yesterday.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met this afternoon with French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, accompanied by French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro and Mikati’s advisor, former minister Nicolas Nahhas. This marks Le Drian’s sixth mission to the Lebanese capital since his appointment in June 2023.
Originally scheduled to discuss the Lebanese presidential dossier, where Le Drian stated he would "strive to bring together Lebanese parties to reach an agreement that will lead to the election of a new president," the meeting primarily focused on the ongoing military escalation in Lebanon.
The former French foreign minister reiterated France’s "support for Lebanon" and its "commitment to stand by it in all circumstances." He emphasized the importance of Mikati’s trip to New York during this critical time, expressing hope that "diplomatic contacts will lead to a solution that ends the cycle of violence."
The Arabic-speaking spokesman for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, once again addressed "the residents of Lebanese villages" in a post on X:
"The strikes continue. If you are near or inside buildings used by Hezbollah to store weapons, you must move at least one kilometer away from these buildings or leave the village immediately," the military reiterated. "Anyone near Hezbollah members is putting themselves in danger."
Before departing for the General Assembly in New York, caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with several Lebanese and international officials regarding the situation and its repercussions, according to his press office.
He notably spoke with U.N. Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs Omran Reza about the humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations. With caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, who is leading the National Disaster Response Committee, he discussed ongoing efforts to provide shelter and essential goods to displaced individuals.
"Currently, 150 schools are serving as shelters," he stated, noting that the number of displaced persons had reached at least 16,500 overnight.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported a new toll of 41,467 killed since the start of the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian enclave.
At least 12 people were killed in the past 24 hours, with a total of 95,921 injured, the ministry stated in a press release.
Caretaker Minister of Education Abbas Halabi mourned in a statement the principal of Kawthariya Al-Sayyad Intermediate School, Suzy Kajak, and Math teacher at Ansar High School, Layali Ayyash, her husband and two children, all killed by Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon yesterday.
He also mourned two sisters, who were teachers at Shokin Public School, Zainab and Fatima Haribi, who were also killed in the Israeli strikes yesterday.
He considered that "their absence is a major national and educational loss that cannot be compensated for."
A UNICEF official reported that at least 35 children have been killed in the Israeli strikes on Lebanon, with others "still buried under the rubble."
Hezbollah claimed a new strike against "the logistical warehouses of the 146th Israeli reserve division" at the Naftali barracks. The attack was carried out using "a salvo of missiles," according to the party. This barracks is located just a few kilometers from the border, opposite Blida (Bint Jbeil).
A new series of Israeli airstrikes targeted southern Lebanon, hitting areas including Debaal, Bazourieh, and Qlayleh in the Sour district;
Arab Salim in the Iqlim al-Touffah region of the Nabatieh district;
Beit Yahoun and Beit Lif in the Bint Jbeil district;
Markaba in the Marjayoun district.
All public institutions and offices in the Bekaa governorate will be closed today and tomorrow, Wednesday, following instructions from Governor Kamal Abou Jaoudeh. This measure is taken to ensure the safety of employees and citizens. Additional decisions may be made depending on the situation's developments.
This morning, Beirut's international airport is experiencing another wave of flight cancellations. Here’s an update.
During an interview on CNN, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, "Hezbollah, by itself, cannot stand against a country that is armed to the teeth and has access to weapon systems that are far superior to anything else; against a country that is being defended and supported and supplied by Western and European countries and the United States of America."
"If there is a need Islamic countries must convene in order to formulate a reaction toward what's happening," he added
"We must not allow Lebanon to become another Gaza at the hands of Israel," he also said.
The Israeli army reported Tuesday that more than 50 projectiles were fired in the morning toward northern Israel from Lebanon, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a new strike on Kiryat Shmona, a town near the border.
From 9:36 a.m. to 9:44 a.m., over "50 projectiles" were identified as crossing into Israeli territory from Lebanon, with "the majority intercepted and several projectiles" damaging buildings in the area, the military stated in a press release. According to Haaretz, fires broke out in the village following these rocket attacks.
The party claimed that "in support of Gaza and in defense of Lebanon," it had launched "a salvo of unspecified missiles" at Kiryat Shmona. This town is situated opposite Houla, in the district of Marjayoun.
The press office of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that "due to the current developments, the Prime Minister has decided to travel to New York for further discussions. Therefore, the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. today has been canceled," according to the National News Agency (NNA).
After a brief period of calm in the morning, Israeli airstrikes resumed in the South and the Bekaa, according to local correspondents.
In the South, the bombings targeted Aita al-Shaab, Beit Lif, Jabal Blat and Shihine in the Bint Jbeil district; Maarakeh and Aitit in the Sour district; Mahmoudieh in the Jezzine district; and Yohmor in the Nabatieh district.
In the Bekaa, the Israeli air force bombed Saraain, Makneh, Nabi Sheet, Talya, Shmestar, and the areas around Janta, near the border with Syria.
This morning, Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport is experiencing a series of flight cancellations due to the tense security situation stemming from Israeli airstrikes. According to sources from the airport and a travel agency in Lebanon:
- Cyprus Airways has canceled all flights until further notice.
- Flydubai suspended its services to Lebanon on Sept. 24 and 25.
- Air Arabia has canceled its flights for today.
- Iraqi Airways has also announced the cancellation of its flights.
These measures add to the numerous cancellations reported in recent days.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed deep alarm "over the rockets and airstrikes in Lebanon and Israel, and the resulting civilian casualties," warning of "even more devastating consequences" from further escalation.
"I reiterate my call for an immediate cease-fire from both sides, which I will emphasize during my meeting with G7 ministers this evening," he added in a message on X this morning.
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri stated that support for Lebanese residents in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, or the southern suburbs of Beirut targeted by Israeli bombardments must "take precedence over all other considerations."
"National solidarity is a moral and political duty at this stage in Lebanon's history. Our people in the South, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut must be cared for by all Lebanese, and their support outweighs any other concerns," he wrote on his X account.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the "indiscriminate attacks" on civilians to his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, following the bombings on Monday in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
"We are paying close attention to the evolving regional situation, especially the recent explosions of communication equipment in Lebanon, and we firmly oppose indiscriminate attacks on civilians," Wang Yi stated during a bilateral meeting in New York on Monday, adding that Beijing would "always stand by" Lebanon, according to a statement from his ministry.
The Israeli army's Home Front Command has expanded the list of localities where schools will be closed due to the security situation in northern Israel. In the Wadi Ara region, schools will now be closed in the communities of the Megiddo Regional Council and in Yokne'am Illit. In the Carmel region, schools will also be closed in Daliat al-Carmel and Isfiya.
According to Haaretz, a 58-year-old Israeli woman was slightly injured by shrapnel after a rocket struck the Israeli locality of Yarka, located about 15 kilometers from the Blue Line, facing the Lebanese village of Yarin (in the Sour district). Israeli emergency services reported that she and a 61-year-old man were transported to a nearby hospital.
The Israeli media outlet noted that a house was also hit in the Tamra area, northeast of Haifa, while the Israeli army reported the interception of around 10 rockets from southern Lebanon around 8:30 a.m.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for six strikes between 3:30 and 4 a.m. on Israeli positions located several dozen kilometers from the Lebanese border, including in Afula and Megiddo.
In addition to targeting the Ramat David base near Haifa, which had already been hit on Sunday, Hezbollah said it also struck the Megiddo airport, a nearby Israeli army logistics base, and an "explosives factory" in Zikhron Yaakov, about 60 kilometers from the border.
In the Bekaa, bombardments targeted Nabi Sheet, Boudai, and an area between Shaath and Hermel. A strike also hit warehouses in Douris, with explosions continuing to be heard in the area following the bombing.
In Shaath, 12 people were killed, according to information from our correspondent. Among the victims were ten members of the Hajj Hassan family.
Throughout the night, strikes targeted:
In the Saida district: Anqoun and Bayssarieh, where at least six people were killed and several houses were completely destroyed.
In the Bint Jbeil district: Kounin, Shaqra, Kfar Dounin and Sultanieh.
In the Nabatieh district: Zawtar, the outskirts of Doueir, Ksaybeh, Kfarsir and Yohmor.
In the Sour district: Shehabieh, Majdel Zoun, and a five-story building in Ain Baal (Sour) was completely destroyed, with at least four bodies pulled from the rubble.
In the Jezzine district: The heights of Rihan.
In southern Lebanon, strikes continued throughout the night and this morning, according to local and security sources from our correspondent. However, they were less intense than those reported throughout yesterday, during which nearly 500 people were killed, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
This morning, the bombardments specifically targeted al-Hosh, on the outskirts of Sour, at 6 a.m. Earlier, the Israeli air force struck the northern entrance of Sour, near the Southern Cooperative. Around 5 a.m., strikes were reported in Marwanieh, in the Saida district.
Make sure to read the Morning Brief so you are caught up with what happened in Lebanon yesterday.
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