Almost 30 minutes after the strike near the al-Batoul public school in Burj al-Barajneh, the detonations ceased, but a fire was still visible.
Since 10.40 p.m., Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks against Israel.
Al-Manar reports that the latest Israeli strikes targeted the areas of Kafa'at, Hadath, Lailakeh, Choueifat, Bourj al-Barajneh and Ghobeiri.
⚠️ A new Israeli strike targeted the Hadath area, according to MTV.
Several regional media are reporting that the Israeli army is using aircraft and warships in its attacks on the southern suburbs. L'Orient Today has been unable to verify this information independently. The last time Israel used warships against Lebanon was during the 2006 war.
⚠️ A new Israeli strike targeted the Choueifat area.
Israeli strikes occurred near the al-Batoul public school in Burj al-Barajneh
Israel alleged it was carrying out strikes targeting Hezbollah arms depots. However, Hezbollah denied Israeli "allegations" of the presence of weapons depots in civilian buildings. Several minutes after the strikes, detonations were still audible from the same location. Notably, most schools have their own private generator, filled with diesel, to compensate for electricity shortages.
Men show photos of Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah, as people demonstrate against Israel and the attack on Lebanon at Palestine square in Tehran on Sept. 28, 2024. (Credit: Atta Kenar/AFP)
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was the target of a massive Israeli air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs yesterday evening at around 6:30 p.m. No confirmation of his death has yet been released.
The Israeli army announced that it attacked Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon in the last hour, Haaretz reported.
⚠️ The Director of Beirut international airport, Fadi Hassan, has denied rumors of a complete halt to air traffic.
Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs caused major fires, as shown in videos broadcasted on Lebanese newchannels.
The areas targeted by Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs are: Hay al-Amerikan, Hadath, around the Saint Therese, Lailaki, al-ajneha al-khamsa, Choueifat, Burj al-Barajneh, al-Tahweeta, al-Mreij.
Some of the areas were targeted multiple times.
European diplomacy chief Josep Borrell has lamented that no power, including the U.S., can "stop" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he seems determined to crush militants in Gaza and Lebanon, Reuters reports.
"What we are doing is exerting all diplomatic pressure to get a cease-fire, but nobody seems to be able to stop Netanyahu, neither in Gaza nor in the West Bank," Borrell told a small group of journalists while attending the U.N. General Assembly. Borrell added that Netanyahu had made it clear that the Israelis "will not stop until Hezbollah is destroyed."
"If the interpretation of destruction is the same as for Hamas, then we're in for a long war," he conlcuded.
Moments later, another strike hit the southern suburbs. According to local media, this was Bourj al-Barajneh, where the Israeli army has called for the evacuation of areas earlier.
Two Israeli strikes once again targeted Beirut's southern suburbs.
It is unclear whether this was the area that the Israeli army had called for evacuation.
"Israeli military strikes aim to break Hezbollah by killing the organization's top commanders. If successful, they would allow Israel to avoid a ground invasion into the country," said a senior Israeli official quoted by the New York Times.
The Israeli army carried out a new strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued a new evacuation order on his X account. He called on residents of certain buildings in the Bourj al-Barajneh and Hadath neighborhoods to evacuate "immediately" and move "at least 500 meters away."
- In Bourj al-Barajneh, this includes "the building opposite al-Amir School and neighboring buildings [and] Roni Café's building and neighboring buildings."
- In Hadath, the order applies to the buildings "opposite al-Bayan School and those surrounding it."
Israeli aircraft carried out strikes on Baalbeck, Nabi Sheet, Taraya, Massa, Janta, the Khreibeh Heights, Saraine, Talia, Iaat, Hermel, al-Safri and Hadath Baalbeck, in the Bekaa district, several media reported.
The Israeli army claimed that its air force is currently conducting strikes on strategic targets belonging to Hezbollah in the area of Beirut.
It added that among the targets struck are weapons production facilities, buildings used to store advanced weapons and key command centers of the party.
A new Israeli strike has hit Beirut's southern suburbs, local media report. Israeli planes are flying low over the capital.
At least 11 Israeli night strikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, according to the official state-run National News Agency.
"Our enemies thought we were a spider's web, as one of them often said," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to several regional media outlets. Netanyahu was referring to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who frequently states in his speeches that Israel is more fragile than a spider's web.
A traveler at Beirut International Airport described an extremely tense atmosphere. "You can see and hear everything," he said. "Everyone says the airport is the safest place in Beirut right now because the Israelis won't target it, but I've never felt such stress, being so close to losing my life," he told our reporter.
An Israeli strike targeted Choueifat, local media reported. According to MTV, the strike hit an area near the Ghandour factory.
Choueifat was not among the areas that the Israeli army called for evacuation around 11 p.m.
Another violent Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to local media, the area, al-Hadath, had been hit earlier. Thick black smoke covered the area.
The Israeli army announced that "a recent airstrike eliminated the commander of Hezbollah's rocket and missile force in southern Lebanon, Mohammad Ismail, as well as his deputy, Hussein Ismail, and several other commanders."
Ismail is said to be responsible for several rocket and missile attacks against Israel, including Wednesday's ballistic missile attack on Tel Aviv.
Another Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Israeli planes fly low over Mount Lebanon and Kesrouan, residents reported.
Several consecutive Israeli strikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israel had alleged to be targeting Hezbollah arms depots. However, Hezbollah denied having weapons or arms depots in buildings targeted by Israeli attacks in a statement.
The Canadian government is reserving seats on commercial flights to assist its citizens in leaving Lebanon, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said. "Canada has reserved seats for Canadians on the few commercial flights available," Joly said in a statement on social networks. "If a seat is available, please take it," she added.
Joly also urged Canadians to register with the embassy in Beirut if they needed help leaving the country and noted that loans were available for those requiring financial assistance.
People who fled their homes gather at Ramlet al-Baida public beach
Dozens of people who had fled their homes in Beirut's southern suburbs gathered in Ain al-Mreisseh, among other areas, according to photos provided by our correspondent Hoda Chedid.
More loud explosions were heard in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The Israeli army said it was "currently attacking terrorist targets" of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Sour district.
Alarm sirens are sounding in Safed, northern Israel, and surrounding communities, according to Haaretz.
Israeli fighter jets targeted the villages of Maarakeh and Burj al-Shamali (Sour) in southern Lebanon, according to al-Manar TV. The region of Shabriha, north of Sour, was also struck.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused Israel of using several American "bunker buster" bombs to strike Beirut on Friday, according to Reuters. “This morning, Israel used several 5,000-pound ‘bunker busters’ that were provided to it by the United States to target residential areas in Beirut,” he stated during a U.N. Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
The Israeli Air Force strikes "dozens of launchers in southern Lebanon," the Israeli army stated, according to Reuters. The strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon are ongoing, it added.
According to al-Manar, "a series of airstrikes targeted buildings in the Hadath - al-Laylaki area of the southern suburb of Beirut."
New strikes on the southern suburb of Beirut; Israel claims to be targeting Hezbollah weapon depots.
Another Israeli strike has hit Beirut's southern suburbs.
President Joe Biden has asked the Pentagon "to evaluate and adjust, if necessary, the disposition of U.S. forces" in the Middle East, the White House said after the Israeli strikes in Beirut.
"He has asked the Pentagon to evaluate and adjust, if necessary, the disposition of U.S. forces in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure the protection of the forces, and support overall U.S. objectives," the White House said in a statement.
The crisis management cell is asking citizens who have fled to Beirut and are currently in the streets and public places to contact the following numbers directly: 01987001 – 81075543 for accommodation, according to the National News Agency (NNA).
Hundreds of residents from the southern suburbs of Beirut are seeking refuge tonight on Ramlet al-Baida beach in Beirut, according to Nazih al-Rayess, the director of the public beach. He stated that contact with officials has so far not led to finding space for these people in state-provided shelters, which appear to be already overcrowded.
"I will not leave even if I will be martyred here," Marwa Husseiny, a resident of Ghobeiri, told L'Orient Today immediately after Israel's second attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The Israeli army is "currently carrying out a wave of attacks targeting Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut," says Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army. "Further details will be released later," he adds.
Israeli strikes have resumed on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
A series of Israeli raids are targeting Western Bekaa, according to our correspondent in the region.
The Israeli strike on Baadaran in the Chouf has killed four people and injured 17 others, according to the Ministry of Health.
The strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut have killed six people and injured 91 others, including 14 who had to be hospitalized, according to a provisional report from the Ministry of Health.
Debris clearing is still underway, it added.
The Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar channel had earlier reported that eight bodies were recovered from the strike site.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian condemned a "blatant war crime" just hours after Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
"The attacks carried out by the Zionist regime in the suburbs of Beirut constitute a blatant war crime, which once again revealed the state terrorism nature of this regime," Pezeshkian said, referring to Israel, in a statement published by the Irna agency. The government of the Islamic Republic "will stand by the Lebanese nation and the axis of resistance," he added.
Communication with Hezbollah's top leaders has been lost, a source close to the party told Reuters.
“Air force planes are patrolling the area around Beirut airport. So far, the Lebanese state, unlike the Syrian state, has acted responsibly and has not authorized the transfer of weapons (to Hezbollah) via the airport,” says Arabic-speaking Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee.
“We will under no circumstances allow the transfer of weapons to the terrorist organization Hezbollah. We are aware of Iranian arms transfers to Hezbollah and we are thwarting them,” he said. "We make it clear: we will not allow hostile flights with combat equipment to land at Beirut airport. Beirut airport is a civilian airport and must be maintained as such."
"The large-scale strikes that took place today in the southern suburbs of Beirut have caused devastation and many casualties. They must be stopped immediately," said France's ambassador to the United Nations, Nicolas de Rivière, during a United Nations Security Council meeting.
Eight bodies were pulled from the targeted site in the southern suburbs, and several others are still missing, reports al-Manar, the Hezbollah-affiliated channel. According to the channel, Israeli strikes have destroyed seven buildings, and rescue teams are working in difficult conditions due to debris.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken again called for a cease-fire in Lebanon after Israel ignored calls to stop strikes targeting Hezbollah.
"The most important thing to do diplomatically is to first try to stop the fire in both directions and then use the time we would have in such a cease-fire to see if we can reach a broader diplomatic agreement," Blinken said at a press conference.
🔴 The chief of staff of the Israeli army, General Daniel Hagari, announced that "the Israeli army will carry out strikes in the coming hours in Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut." He added that the Israeli army "is assessing" its attack on the party's headquarters.
According to local media, dozens of people are fleeing the southern suburbs of Beirut following the evacuation call issued earlier by the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee.
People have rushed into the streets in the Lailaki area, according to a video circulating on social media.
The Middle East is on the brink of a "total war," warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday as reported by AFP, calling for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip.
"The brutality and unprecedented devastation caused by the war in Gaza have led to a significant escalation in the Lebanon-Israel conflict (...) The Middle East is on the edge of the precipice of a total war," he stated during a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appealed again Friday for a cease-fire in Lebanon as U.S. ally Israel ignored calls to stop strikes targeting Hezbollah, reports AFP.
"The most important thing to do through diplomacy is to try first to stop firing in both directions and then to use the time that we would have in such a ceasefire to see if we can reach a broader diplomatic agreement," Blinken told a news conference as he wrapped a week of U.N. diplomacy.
"An all-out war should be avoided in Lebanon," said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as reported by Reuters.
Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut are reported to have killed "around 300 people," according to Israeli defense officials cited by Haaretz.
Jordan's foreign minister said on Friday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to be stopped because he was driving the region to a full-fledged war.
"It is time to face the truth, and the truth is, unless Netanyahu is stopped, unless this government is stopped, war will encompass all of us," Ayman Safadi told reporters ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting on Gaza.
🔴 The Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued new evacuation orders on X for residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut who are near buildings where Hezbollah is reportedly deployed.
He specifically mentioned the "Mounir Chedid" building and those surrounding it in the Lailaki area, the "Chit" building and its vicinity in Hadath, as well as the "al-Salam complex" and its surroundings, also in Hadath.
"You are located near facilities belonging to Hezbollah. For your safety and that of your loved ones, you are required to evacuate these buildings immediately and move at least 500 meters away," Avichay Adraee stated.
The United States will take "all necessary measures" if its interests are attacked in the Middle East, assures U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. He also stated that "the path of diplomacy" remains open in the Near East.
Testimony from Hamra:
According to our journalist on the scene, Hamra is more or less lively. In a restaurant on the main street, three women displaced from Bekaa to Hazmieh are dining with a child.
"I wasn't afraid of the strike today because I witnessed a deadly strike in Bekaa on Monday," says Farah, a 25-year-old translator from Taraya (Bekaa). "What worries us is the state of Hassan Nasrallah. We hope he is not dead," she adds, stating that she "is not afraid of the price to be paid in this war."
"The situation in Lebanon will not be like Gaza because the resistance is present. It is stronger than that of Hamas," her friend believes.
According to the Israeli army, 65 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel in recent hours, as reported by Haaretz.
According to the mukhtar of Baadaran in the Chouf, the Israeli strike that targeted a house in the village killed at least two people and caused several injuries. He added that debris clearance operations are ongoing, as reported by our correspondent.
✒ "The fact that the party has given no indication of Hassan Nasrallah's health a few hours after the strike is a worrying sign. If he has indeed been assassinated, it would be a thunderbolt unmatched in the region in recent decades."
Read Editor-in-Chief Anthony Samrani's analysis of a tense situation.
"Israel has crossed Tehran's red lines, and the situation is becoming serious," stated Ali Larijani, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, as quoted by Reuters.
"Assassinations will not solve Israel's problem. With the assassination of resistance leaders, others will take their place," Larijani said in an interview with Iranian state television.
Hezbollah has issued new statements claiming responsibility for attacks:
- A first attack was carried out on the locality of Karmiel in northern Israel using missile barrages. This is the first time this locality has been targeted by the party.
- The group also targeted Saer with missile barrages.
Israel claims that a rocket from Hezbollah struck a house in the north, AFP reports. Earlier, Hezbollah announced that it had targeted the city of Safed "with a barrage of rockets."
The press office of caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that "in light of the ongoing developments in Lebanon following the Israeli aggression on Beirut's southern suburbs," he was canceling his scheduled meetings in New York and returning to Beirut, according to a statement.
It specified that an emergency meeting of the Cabinet would be held as soon as he returned.
Iraq has suspended all flights of Iraqi Airways to and from Beirut due to "the deterioration of the security situation in Lebanon," according to a statement cited by Reuters.
Three families displaced from Burj al-Barajneh are waiting under the emblem of the revolution in downtown Beirut.
"Nasrallah is not dead. If his death is confirmed, there will be no security in Lebanon. The whole country will be at war, not just the Shiites," asserts Youssef Ala'eddine, originally from Majdal Selm (Marjayoun), to our journalist on the scene. "I have lost cousins because of this war (...) We haven't given anything yet. We are Lebanese and must liberate Lebanon. All of Lebanon," he insists.
🔴 In an initial statement following the strike in Beirut's southern suburbs, Hezbollah announced that it had targeted the city of Safed "with a barrage of rockets." It stated that this attack was carried out "in support of our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in support of their resistance, as well as in defense of Lebanon and its people," but made no mention of the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, convened an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council, according to two Iranian officials familiar with the meeting, as reported by the New York Times. They stated that the meeting was prompted by "the Israeli strike in Beirut that targeted the leader" of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.
"A way to neutralize the threat from Hezbollah is to eliminate Hassan Nasrallah, its leader," stated a senior Israeli official quoted by Reuters. However, he added that it is "too early to say" whether the Israeli strike hit the Hezbollah chief.
He further stated that he could not "predict the course of the situation," but that it could "represent a turning point."
The senior official claimed that his country "has decided to act against Hezbollah," even though "it is a very difficult decision." "Israel aims to eliminate about half of Hezbollah's missile and rocket capabilities, and we have done so," he added, asserting that his country is "the only force actively fighting against Iran and its proxies."
⚡ The press office of caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati denied reports circulating "on WhatsApp groups and social media" claiming that he had called on the government and security forces to "announce a state of maximum alert."
A senior Israeli official stated that Israel hopes it will not have to carry out a ground invasion in Lebanon but does not rule out the option, Reuters reports.
Hamas condemns the "Zionist aggression against the brotherly Lebanese people through barbaric raids" and also denounces "the occupation's (Israel's) claim of targeting Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah."
The Palestinian movement reaffirms its "absolute solidarity with the Lebanese people and Hezbollah." "We appreciate and salute their sacrifices in support of our people and our resistance," it added.
Join our WhatsApp group for real-time breaking news updates, as uncertainty grows about Nasrallah's fate after large Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
🔴 Cited by Reuters, Hezbollah's press office stated that "none of the statements" made regarding the Israeli attack on Beirut's southern suburbs were true, without specifying which statements it was referring to.
The press office indicated that it would be the only source for reliable information. Furthermore, Hezbollah has not yet made any other statements regarding the Israeli strikes, while the Israeli army claimed it had targeted the party's headquarters.
The Israeli army carried out a strike on the Shrayfeh area in the Baadaran region of the Chouf, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon. A resident indicated that the strike appeared to have targeted a car carrying a Hezbollah official. Although no fatalities were reported, the strike caused injuries.
When asked about the target of the attack on Beirut's southern suburbs, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. stated that it was a "meeting of ill-intentioned individuals gathering to plan another attack against Israel," Reuters reports.
Haret Hreik "was almost normal," in the moment leading up to the strike that razed six residential buildings to the ground earlier this evening. "A supermarket was open," Bashar Harake recalls. "I saw people eating at a restaurant, I saw people driving by on their motorcycles and in cars and I saw people standing on the balcony."
Harake was distributing medicines and food to people staying in the suburbs, which had already been the site of three Israeli strikes in the last week. He saw a friend of his not far off down the street. He called out, "Everything alright? Do you need any medicines?"
Suddenly, an Israeli jet could be heard flying low in the sky over their heads. “Then the first rocket fell, then the next and then another one. I think 10 rockets hit the area," he says.
“I saw people flying out of their balconies. I saw my friend go flying. I couldn’t retrieve him. I had to run for my life as buildings started collapsing."
"They’re probably all dead now. I am sad for my friend, I am sad for the people who flew from their balconies, I am sad for my country,” Harake said with a heavy voice.
According to Haaretz, residents of Safed in northern Israel and Qatsrin in the occupied Syrian Golan have been advised to stay near shelters. These two localities are located about 10 kilometers from the border with southern Lebanon.
🔴 The Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs is a “crime” that deserves “appropriate punishment”, says the Iranian embassy in Beirut quoted by Reuters. It adds that the attack represents a “dangerous escalation that changes the rules of the game.”
The largest and seventh Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs in almost a year of fighting targeted Hezbollah central command and razed six residential buildings to the ground.
Israel intensified its strikes in southern Lebanon, hitting several localities between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., in addition to attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Four strikes were reported in Taybeh (Marjayoun), along with strikes in Deir Serian (Marjayoun), Kfar Sir (Nabatieh), and Naqoura (Sour). The town of Markaba (Marjayoun) was hit by two strikes, while three strikes targeted Kfar Kila (Marjayoun).
The Civil Defense reported that a house in Kfar Sir (Nabatieh) was hit, just 30 meters from a Civil Defense center, slightly injuring four firefighters. Additionally, in Shebaa (Hasbaya), nine people, including two children and a pregnant woman, were killed in a strike on a residential building at 2:30 a.m., according to a Civil Defense statement.
In addition to the Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, here are the latest developments in the Bekaa Valley this afternoon, according to our correspondent:
- Four Israeli airstrikes targeted the Hermel region.
- The locality of al-Qasr (Hermel) was struck by Israeli aircraft.
“The city is still shaking with fear and panic is widespread. There is an urgent need for a cease-fire,” writes the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on X.
She also says she is “deeply alarmed and concerned about the potential civilian impact of the massive strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs”.
Israeli strikes on Haret Hreik, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, have killed two people and injured 76 others, including 15 requiring hospitalization, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Clearing operations are ongoing, and the minister indicated that the toll could rise in the coming hours.
The CEO of Middle East Airlines, Mohammad al-Hout, stated to L'OLJ that flights of the national airline are "still maintained so far."
The head of Hezbollah's executive council, Hachem Safieddine, is alive, according to a source close to Hezbollah cited by Reuters.
The United States had no advance warning of an Israeli strike in Beirut, said a Pentagon spokesman quoted by Reuters. However, he said that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with his Israeli counterpart while the operation was underway.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cut short his visit to the United States short and will return to Israel in seven hours, Haaretz reports.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a movement allied with Hamas and Hezbollah, condemned the Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, calling them "an act of barbarism and Nazism."
The movement stated, "The deliberate targeting of residential and civilian areas cannot be justified by the enemy's lies and constitutes a war crime. The enemy will soon pay the price for its crimes."
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not disclosed whether his visit to the United States will be shortened due to the attack in Beirut, Haaretz reports.
Cited by Reuters, Hezbollah's al-Manar channel reports that the Israeli strikes on the southern suburb of Beirut have "killed at least one person and injured 50 others."
Tehran is inquiring about the health of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, an Iranian security official told Reuters. A source close to Hezbollah assured the news agency that Hassan Nasrallah is alive.
Our journalists are gradually establishing contacts with hospitals in the city and surrounding areas. At Geitawi Hospital, no victims have yet been admitted, nor at Saint George's Hospital, LAU-Rizk, and Hotel-Dieu de France. However, Al Sahel, Bahman, Sainte-Thérèse and al-Zahraa hospitals have received victims.
Credit: Ibrahim Amro/AFP
People and rescuers gather near the smouldering rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024.
Credit: Ibrahim Amro/AFP
A rescue worker runs amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024.
Several Israeli television channels reported that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the earlier Israeli strike on the party's headquarters in the suburbs of Beirut.
"Target of the strike: Nasrallah. (The Israeli army) is verifying whether the Hezbollah Secretary-General was in the building located in the heart of Dahiyeh" (the Arabic term for "suburb") that was struck, Channel 12 reported. Public channel Kan 11 also stated: "Target of the strike in Dahiyeh: Nasrallah." When contacted by AFP, the Israeli army stated: "We do not comment on this."
🔴 Hassan Nasrallah "survived," according to a source close to the party who spoke to AFP.
🔴 The target of the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut "was Hassan Nasrallah, who reportedly survived the assassination attempt," according to Haaretz.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, currently in New York, is closely monitoring reports regarding the Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to his press office.
He has contacted the commander of the Lebanese army, General Joseph Aoun, and the coordinator of the Lebanese National Emergency Committee, caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassine. According to the statement, Mikati has asked the latter "to mobilize all concerned units, especially in light of reports of a large number of casualties."
"This new aggression proves that the Israeli enemy disregards all international efforts and calls for a cease-fire, placing the international community before its responsibilities to deter this enemy and put an end to its tyranny and the extermination war it is waging against Lebanon," Mikati denounces.
Many people living near the site of the attack have gathered their belongings and are walking along the road leading to Beirut's airport, reports our journalist on the ground. The situation there is extremely tense, with rescuers and the army prohibiting anyone from approaching or taking photos.
Context: There have been seven previous strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs since Oct.8. Today is the eighth.
Here is an explainer on which Hezbollah and Hamas commanders have been assassinated so far.
"Live concern" from the U.N. after Israeli strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, reports AFP.
Illustration by Jaimee Lee Haddad
"Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the attack. The Israeli army is verifying if he was injured," said Barak Ravid, a journalist for the American site Axios, citing an Israeli source.
"I can’t understand what happened. My husband is still there. He was at Hadath, at the entrance to the southern suburbs. He is stuck and can’t move," Elham* told our reporter, her voice trembling.
Elham moved from Burj al-Barajneh to Metn. She had gone to pick up some things from her home and was leaving the southern suburbs when she heard the strike. "It's frightening. I don’t know what to say. I’ve lost my composure. I can’t understand what happened," she confided.
*Name changed.
Following the Israeli strikes, the air is filled with a burning smell well beyond the affected area.
🔴 "Regarding the attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut: We confirmed that (Hassan) Nasrallah was in the targeted headquarters, then the army dropped bombs that penetrated the bunkers," stated the Israeli army radio on its X account.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that six buildings have been completely destroyed in the Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
"On October 8, Hezbollah, led by its leader, declared war on the State of Israel, and since then, it has been dragging the Lebanese state and the entire region towards a broader escalation," wrote Avichay Adraee, the Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, on his X account. "Israel has repeatedly warned the world that Hezbollah's actions endanger the entire region, but it has persisted in its aggression. No sovereign state would allow such a threat to its citizens and sovereignty."
"In this context," he added, "the Israeli air force continues to strike Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon to strip it of its military capabilities, which pose a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel." He concluded his message by stating, "Israel's defense and attack systems are on high alert."
The Israeli strikes represent "the largest attack" on the southern suburbs since the beginning of the conflict, a security source told Reuters. They targeted an area where high-ranking Hezbollah officials are usually located, the source added.
According to several residents, massive cracks are now visible in the ground at the site of the strike on Beirut's southern suburbs.
The location of numerous Israeli strikes is near Rasoul al-Aazam Hospital, located on the main road leading to Beirut International Airport, according to our correspondent. Four buildings have been completely destroyed, according to residents.
Loud and numerous detonations were heard in Beirut and beyond.
🔴 "The Israeli army attacked the headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist command located under residential buildings in the heart of the southern suburbs of Beirut," said the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on X.
The Hezbollah channel al-Manar reported that a “Zionist aggression” had targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut.
“These explosions and their detonations are unprecedented,” residents of the southern suburbs report to our correspondent, after the succession of detonations.
🔴 The National News Agency (NNA, official) reports a "series of attacks" on the southern suburbs of Beirut, without specifying the exact location.
🔴 A massive bombardment has just taken place on Beirut's southern suburbs. Numerous detonations have just been heard.
The Israeli army announced new strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon this afternoon, just minutes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the U.N., stating that operations against the group would continue, AFP reports.
"The Israeli army is currently striking (...) targets belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon," the army said in a statement.
Israeli army sources told Haaretz that Hamas' military wing has been "defeated and is currently operating as a guerrilla organization in the Gaza Strip."
The sources added that the "government was warned that if the hostages held in the Strip will not be released soon, it is not certain that there will be anyone left to return."
According to the sources, the "army has operative plans for a ground offensive in Lebanon, especially in Lebanese territory near Israel's northern border."
In defense of Lebanon and its people and in response to Israel's barbaric violation of cities, villages and civilians," Hezbollah announced that it fired Fadi 1 missiles on the village of Ilaniya in northern Israel.
The party also said that it fired artillery shells at the Israeli site of Bayyad Blida, facing the Lebanese village of Blida (Marjayoun district).
U.S. Navy warships intercepted projectiles fired by the Houthis, an American official told Reuters. No damage has been reported.
Two people have been killed in the Israeli airstrike that targeted a car in the village of Srebbine (Bint Jbeil district) this morning, a paramedic source told our correspondent in the South.
Updates from South Lebanon since 2 p.m., according to our correspondent in the region:
Between 2 and 3 p.m.: Israeli airstrikes targeted the villages of Barish (Sour district), Haddatha, Rashaf (Bint Jbeil) Zebdine (Nabatieh). At least six people from the same family were killed in the airstrike on Rashaf.
Between 3 and 4 p.m.: An Israeli airstrike targeted the village of Ghazieh (Saida district).
Between 4 and 5 p.m.: Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on a three-story building in the village of Anqoun (Saida district), leaving casualties.
Israeli warplanes struck the outskirts of Majdal Zoun and Zibqin (Sour district). Israeli airstrikes also targeted the villages of Deir Qanoun el-Nahr (Sour district), Qabrikha (Marjayoun) and Yaroun (Bint Jbeil).
Finally, a missile was fired towards a house in the village of Tebnine (Bint Jbeil) but it did not explode.
"Be strong and courageous! The people of Israel will remain!" Netanyahu declared at the conclusion of his speech, receiving applause from members of the Israeli delegation at the U.N.
According to AFP, some diplomats left the assembly as Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium.
Updates from the Bekaa since 2 p.m., according to our correspondent in the region:
Israeli airstrikes targeted a crossroads that links the villages of Khodor and Nabi Sheet (Baalbek district) at around 2 p.m.
At around the same time, Israeli airstrikes targeted a house in the village of Shaath (Baalbek district) and an area between the villages of Shaath and Nabha.
Israel struck the village of Qasr at the Lebanese-Syrian border just now.
“We defend ourselves, but we also defend you against a common enemy that seeks to destroy our way of life through violence and terrorism,” Netanyahu said regarding Iran.
Concerning Gaza, he stated: “We do not want to see anyone die, no innocent. It’s always a tragedy.”
Netanyahu: "The real war criminals are not in Israel. They are in Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. Those who stand with them should be ashamed!
But I have a message for you: Israel will win this war."
Netanyahu: "Given the anti-Semitism prevalent at the U.N., no one will be surprised that the ICC issues an arrest warrant against me and my Foreign Minister Israel Katz."
Credit: Bryan R. Smith/AFP
This is not the first time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has displayed such a map before the United Nations General Assembly; last year, he presented his vision of a "new Middle East."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking before the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22, 2023.
Netanyahu: "We have contributed to delivering 700,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza. (...) We also see confusion when it is said that we deliberately target civilians! We are doing everything possible to protect them."
Netanyahu: "We have made our choice. We want to move toward an era of peace and prosperity. Iran wants to move toward an era of terror."
"Which side will you be on? Will you stand with Israel or with Iran, a terrifying dictatorship?"
Netanyahu on Hezbollah: "We will not rest until our citizens can return home safely. We will not accept a terrorist army stationed at our northern border. (...) Enough is enough."
"As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice," he added.
"We will continue to eliminate Hezbollah until all our objectives have been achieved," Netanyahu said.
"They hide missiles in kitchens, in homes."
Netanyahu: "Israel must also defeat Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is a terrorist organization, with tentacles present in many continents."
Netanyahu: "This war can end right now. All Hamas has to do is surrender, lay down its arms, and release all the hostages. Otherwise, we will continue until total victory."
"We are ready to support a local civilian administration in Gaza," he assured.
Netanyahu: "We must defend ourselves against these savage murderers (Hamas). Our enemies seek not only to destroy us but to destroy our common civilization and drag us all back to a dark age of tyranny and terror. We are in the process of winning," he assures, as reported by Reuters.
Netanyahu: "If Hamas remains in power (in Gaza), it will tighten its forces and attack Israel. Therefore, Hamas must disappear."
"There is no place in Iran that Israel cannot reach," threatens Benjamin Netanyahu. He also calls on the U.N. Security Council to reimpose sanctions on Iran "to ensure it does not acquire nuclear weapons."
According to AFP, diplomats left the assembly upon the arrival of Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Screenshot from UNWEBTV)
Benjamin Netanyahu displayed two maps: "The Blessing" and "The Curse." On the first map, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Sudan are colored in green. On the second, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon are colored in black, presented by Netanyahu as "the aggressors."
Netanyahu: "I have a message for the tyrants in Tehran: if you strike us, we will strike you."
"Israel seeks peace," assures Benjamin Netanyahu. "We will not rest until the hostages are returned," he also stated.
"On Oct. 8, we were attacked by Hezbollah. Since then, more than 8,000 rockets have been fired at us," claims Benjamin Netanyahu.
🔴 "I had no intention of coming. But my country is at war, fighting for its life. So, I decided to come," Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of his speech to the U.N. General Assembly.
The situation in Lebanon is "catastrophic," where Israel launched a campaign of strikes against Hezbollah this week, the U.N. warned on Friday, stating that the country is experiencing its "deadliest period in a generation," AFP reports.
"In less than a week, at least 700 people have lost their lives, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 people have been displaced in just a matter of hours, and these numbers continue to rise as we speak," said U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, during a press briefing.
"The recent escalations in Lebanon are nothing short of catastrophic," he stressed.
The Israeli army has completed the recruitment of "two reserve brigades for operational missions on the northern front," stating that the Etzioni Brigade (6) and the Northern Nahal Brigade (228) have been mobilized to fight in the north, according to Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on X.
He specified that these two brigades "were mobilized to continue combat efforts, strike the military capabilities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, and create the conditions for the safe return of northern residents to their homes," adding that "emergency depots" have been opened and logistical equipment and weapons have been distributed to reservists.
The Israeli army stated that it "continues to target Hezbollah" in Lebanon. In a tweet on X, Israeli army's Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, reported an Israeli airstrike on the village of Haddatha in South Lebanon, targeting "rocket launchers that were used earlier to fire rockets toward the Tiberias region."
"In the past two hours, the air force has attacked dozens of weapons depots, rocket launchers aimed at Israel, and military buildings in Saida, Nabatieh, and other areas in South Lebanon," he added.
Israeli teams held meetings on Thursday to discuss U.S. cease-fire proposals with Lebanon and will continue these discussions in the coming days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, adding that he appreciated the efforts of the United States.
"Our teams met (Thursday, Sept. 26) to discuss the American initiative and how we can advance the shared goal of bringing people safely home. We will continue these discussions in the coming days," he said in a statement issued to "clarify" his position, as he is set to deliver a speech soon at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
The U.S. embassy denied in a statement a rumor that it was evacuating American citizens residing in Lebanon.
"The U.S. Embassy reiterates that it is not evacuating U.S. citizens at this time," adding that seats had been reserved on a commercial flight for U.S. citizens, who were to book and pay directly with the airline.
According to a source at Beirut airport, seats have indeed been pre-booked on a commercial flight, without specifying the name of the company. Middle East Airlines has so far maintained all its flights, but it does not serve the United States directly.
On Sept. 24, the embassy had already informed its nationals in Lebanon that there were some commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon. It had called on them to check the flight options available at the airport, advising those wishing to leave Lebanon to book any available ticket even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow the route of their choice.
An Israeli security official said Friday that a possible ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon would be "as short as possible," AFP reports.
"We will try to make it as short as possible," if necessary, the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I think we prepare for it every day, and certainly we have that means," he added.
Between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. this afternoon, Israeli aircraft bombed the following villages in southern Lebanon, according to reports gathered by our correspondent in the south, Muntasser Abdallah.
Sour district: Ramadiyeh, Maaroub, and Srifa
Jezzine district: The hills around Rihan
Nabatieh district: Mlikh, Toul, and Aaba
Bint Jbeil district: Rshaf, Khirbet Silm, Burj Qalawayeh, and Froun
Marjayoun district: Majdal Selm
An Israeli security official says that a possible ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon would carried out as swiftly as possible, AFP reports.
“We will try to do it as short as we can,” the official told journalists, speaking anonymously in line with security rules. “I think that we are preparing that every day, and for sure that is part of our toolbox.”
The Houthis have issued a statement announcing two operations targeting Israel: the first against a military site in Tel Aviv, using what the group is calling a "Palestine-2 ballistic missile," and the second against a "vital target" in the Ashkelon region, north of the Gaza Strip, with a "Jaffa" drone. The statement did not specify when the attacks were carried out.
The group claims that both its operations achieved their objectives, while Israel had indicated overnight that it had intercepted the missile launched toward Tel Aviv. Hezbollah has targeted the Mossad headquarters located in the northern suburbs of the major city twice now in the last week, but the Israeli army has not reported any damage.
Caretaker Minister of Health giving a press conference at the ministry this afternoon. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)
Caretaker Minister of Health, Firass Abiad, speaking at a press conference at the Ministry, says that Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon have killed at least 25 people since last night and left many more wounded.
Around half of the nearly 1,600 people killed since cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began last October have been killed in the past 10 days alone, according to figures from the Lebanese government, cited by the state-run NNA news agency. Hospitals in Sour have been overwhelmed with so many bodies that they are now reporting a shortage in mortuary refrigerators, the report adds.
Between 11 a.m. this morning and 1 p.m. this afternoon, Israeli aircraft bombed the following villages in southern Lebanon, according to reports gathered by our correspondent in the south, Muntasser Abdallah.
Sour district: Bazourieh, Majdel Zoun, Maaroub and Qalaouate
Saida district: The outskirts of Ghazieh and Najjarieh
Jezzine district: Mahmoudieh
Nabatieh district: Sharqieh and Toul
Bint Jbeil district: Aita al-Shaab, Kounin, the region between Kfar Dounin and Shehabieh
Marjayoun district: Kabrikha
The United Nations Relief Agency for Palestinian refugees in the region (UNRWA) says that more than 30,000 people, mostly Syrian nationals, have crossed into Syria from Lebanon in the past 72 hours, according to a Reuters report.
Yesterday, a Syrian security source cited by AFP said more more than 6,000 Lebanese and about 15,000 Syrians had passed through the Jdeidet Yabbous crossing point and a second source said that 1,000 Lebanese and 500 Syrians had passed through Jusiyah.
The Israeli air force carried out strikes shortly after noon on the towns of Kounine (Bint Jbeil) and Toul (Nabatieh). In Kounine, a house was targeted, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon.
Hezbollah rescue workers at the scene of an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Sept. 21, 2024, the day after the attack. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today)
In ten days, volunteers have had to help thousands of wounded people, extract bodies from the rubble or fight fires, while the war between Hezbollah and Israel intensifies.
Read the full story here.
Airstrikes are currently targeting the towns of Nabi Ayla and Ablah in the Bekaa (Zahle), reports L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region.
Israeli strikes targeted the villages of Shamstar, Bouday and Saraine (Baalbeck) in North Bekaa, reports L'Orient Today's correspondent.
Hezbollah announced in a statement that it bombed the Israeli town of Ilania in the Lower Galilee with Fadi 1 missiles, in response to Israeli bombings of towns and villages in south Lebanon that affected civilians.
Shortly before noon, the Israeli air force carried out strikes on the region of Aishieh (Jezzine) between Mahmoudieh and Wardieh, as well as two strikes on the town of Nabatieh, reports L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon.
The Israeli army said that two Hezbollah members were killed in the attack Thursday afternoon in the southern suburbs of Beirut that killed Mohammad Srour, head of the party's drone unit, citing Abbas Ibrahim Sharafeddine, deputy to Srour, and Hussein Hani, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's missile unit, close to Fouad Shukur (Hezbollah military leader killed on July 30).
The Israeli army also claims to have eliminated, in another strike, Fouad Shafic Khazaal Khanafer, a senior member of Hezbollah's ground-to-ground missile unit.
According to the Israeli army, these individuals "were sources of expertise for the Hezbollah terrorist organization and, over the years, they carried out various terrorist activities and force-building efforts aimed at harming the State of Israel."
The Israeli air force carried out a strike on the Bednayel valley in the Bekaa, shortly after 11 a.m., according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region.
Update on the situation in south Lebanon around 11 a.m.:
The Israeli air force carried out strikes on the towns of Ghaziyeh, Addoussiyeh and Najjarieh south of Saida, on the villages of Burj al-Shamali, Majdal Zoun (Sour) and on the town of Sharkieh (Nabatieh).
Three strikes destroyed homes in the town of Ghazieh. Similarly, the road that connects the town to Qanarit was blocked by rubble.
Hezbollah announced in a statement that it targeted the city of Tiberias, in the Lower Galilee in northern Israel, for the second time with a salvo of missiles.
The Civil Defense announced in a statement that the Israeli night strike, Thursday evening (at 11:45 p.m.) on the town of Kfar Shouba (Hasbaya) targeted businesses at the entrance to the village, blocking the road and traffic.
Civil Defence teams are working to clear rubble and clear the road, after being called to the rescue by five families stranded in the village.
Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar announced at a press conference that an amount of $1 million, financed by a Chinese donation, has been allocated to displaced people from seven districts in south Lebanon, referring to aid benefiting "around 100,000 families."
He added that "$3 million will then be distributed in cash to the poorest families" and that the authorities are working with international organizations to meet the assistance needs of the displaced people to the extent of available capacities.
The Israeli army said four drones and projectiles had crossed into its territory from Lebanon, where the Islamist movement Hezbollah claimed to have fired a salvo of rockets on Tiberias, in the Lower Galilee in northern Israel, AFP reports.
The alert sirens sounded in particular in the lower Galilee, four drones entered Israeli territory in the region of Rosh Hanikra, on the Lebanese border (opposite Ras Naqoura), and were intercepted, the army said in a statement, adding that several rockets had been fired and some intercepted.
An update on the situation in Lebanon:
- The Israeli air force carried out strikes on the town of Aïtit (Sour), also targeting the outskirts of the towns of Sheaiteh and Zibqine (Sour).
- The air force also pounded the towns of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), Qalawayh, Jwaya (Sour) and Aïtit.
- After ten o'clock, an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the Kafra (Bint Jbeil) area, on the road to Sirbine, causing injuries.
- A little later, Israeli strikes targeted the two villages of Zawtar Sharqieh and Gharbieh (Nabatieh).
- Hezbollah once again targeted the Israeli town of Kiryat Ata, located a few kilometers east of Haifa, with Fadi 1 missiles.
- It also targeted the town of Tiberias, also in northern Israel, with a salvo of rockets.
- An Israeli drone flew over the Central Bekaa at low altitude in the evening , according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
- Israeli drones were spotted over Nabi Sheet and Khodor Sariine (Baalbeck) which they flew over for several hours, L'Orient Today's correspondent reports.
- The Israeli army struck the Kfar Zabad (Zahle) outskirts in the evening.
According to a statement relayed by L'Orient Today's correspondent, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, agreed on " the importance of an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and a negotiated solution " between Israel and Hezbollah.
(Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today)
Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar is currently speaking at a press conference on aid for displaced people who fled Israeli bombings.
"Lebanon is currently going through a crisis that threatens its existence, the future of its people and its well-being and requires urgent international intervention before the situation becomes uncontrollable," caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told the U.N. General Assembly, according to a transcript of his remarks published this Friday by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The minister also welcomed "the declaration made yesterday by the United States and France, supported by friendly countries, to provide an opportunity to establish a lasting calm that will stabilize the borders and bring displaced persons back to their homes" and asked that "all necessary measures be taken to implement it."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly today at 9:30 a.m. local time (4:30 p.m. Beirut).
Al-Arabiya TV, citing Haaretz, reported that Mohammad Srour, head of Hezbollah's drone unit, who was killed Thursday in an Israeli strike on Beirut, had returned three days earlier from a trip to Yemen, where he also oversaw the launch of missiles and drones by Houthi forces.
The Israeli air force attacked the town of Shebaa (Hasbaya) during the night, killing ten people from the same family (including a baby still in its mother's womb), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon.
According to residents' testimonies, the Israeli air force pounded the village continuously between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., repeatedly targeting the house where members of the Zahra, Hamadeh and Hamdan families, Ratiba Assaad Hamdan, Hussein Khalil Zahra, Ali Khodr Zahra, Hassan Hussein Zahra, Doha Hussein Zahra, Khodr Hussein Zahra, Aisha Hamadeh, Youssef Nasri Hamdan and Khadra Hussein Zahra who was pregnant, died.
An update on the situation in Lebanon last night and this morning:
- Starting at 9:30 p.m., the Israeli air force carried out a series of strikes on the towns of Ghazieh, Zeita, on the outskirts of Qanarit and Irki (Saida), as well as on the villages of Tyr Debba, Abbasieh, Wadi al-Tout and Qadmous (Sour). Other airstrikes targeted the towns of Sawaneh (Marjayoun) and Kherbet Selm (Sour).
- Starting at 10:00 p.m., the Israeli air force launched strikes on Bazoureh, Burj al-Shamali and Tyr Debba (Sour). A house was also targeted in Tiri (Bint Jbeil), killing five people according to preliminary information, while other people are still buried under the rubble.
- Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Rashaya al-Fukhar and the town of Shebaa (Hasbaya). In addition, the air force launched two strikes on the town of Rab al-Talatine.
- From 11 p.m., Israeli aircraft launched four missiles on the village of Khiam (Marjayoun) and carried out strikes on the villages of Kfar Remman, Zaoutar Sharqieh, Nabatieh Faouqa, Mayfadoun and Shoukine (Nabatieh).
- Starting at midnight, the Israeli air force launched three strikes on the city of Nabatieh (slaughterhouse and Al-Jazayer districts), three others on Nabatieh al-Faouqa, two on Kfar Remman, one on Kfour, one on Zibdine, and finally one on Habboush (Nabatieh).
At 4 a.m., a three-story house was targeted by bombings in the town of Shebaa (Hasbaya), causing ten civilian casualties, including women and children.
Between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., the Israeli air force launched several strikes on the town of Baraasheet (Bint Jbeil).
Israeli aircraft bombed the towns of Majdal Selm, Baraasheet, Khiam, Ramadieh, Kabrikha, and Burj Qalawayh.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Palace on Thursday .
A statement from the U.N. secretariat said that during their meeting, Antonio Guterres " expressed his deep concern over recent security developments in Lebanon, the continued exchanges of fire across the Blue Line and the risk of a regional conflagration."
They also discussed the importance of implementing Security Council resolutions 1701 (2006) and highlighted UNIFIL's contribution to maintaining stability. They also discussed the humanitarian situation in Lebanon.
Speaking at a news conference in Montreal, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on the United States to pressure Israel to accept a 21-day cease-fire plan in Lebanon, saying an Israeli invasion would be a grave mistake.
He also said that France opposed Lebanon becoming a new Gaza, calling on Israel to stop its strikes and Hezbollah to stop its reprisals.
Macron was also strongly challenged on Thursday in Montreal by demonstrators critical of France's position on the conflict in Gaza, an AFP journalist noted.
Also, during the night, the Israeli army announced that it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen.
The Houthis have yet to issue a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
Be sure to read the Morning Brief so you are caught up with what has been happening.
Good morning!
Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of the ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon and their regional and global impacts.
You have reached your article limit
Lebanon is on the brink of collapse...
Get the facts for $1 only!
You have reached an article that is only available to L’Orient Today subscribers.
Already have an account? Login here