Thank you for following our live coverage today. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the latest updates on the wars in Lebanon and Gaza.
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Between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., Israeli strikes targeted Abbassieh in southern Lebanon and an area between Zebqine and Jabal al-Botom.
A full-scale war in the Middle East "must be avoided," U.S. President Joe Biden said, as the Israeli army conducts raids against Hezbollah in Lebanon and against the Houthis in Yemen.
When asked by a reporter if a full-scale war could be avoided in the Middle East, the U.S. president replied: "It must be. It really must be avoided."
Four people were killed and about 30 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on two ports and two power plants in western Yemen, controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported. It announced the death of "four martyrs, including a port worker and three engineers," along with "33 injured, according to a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression."
A French national was killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the Foreign Ministry announced, marking the second French casualty since the intensification of Israeli strikes against Hezbollah.
"We confirm the death of a second French national. We will provide more details later," the ministry stated. An 87-year-old French woman died last Monday after a "strong explosion" in a village in the south of the country.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot arrived in Lebanon this evening, his ministry announced, becoming the first high-ranking foreign diplomat to visit since the intensification of Israeli strikes.
The newly appointed foreign minister is set to hold several meetings tomorrow with Lebanese and U.N. officials. His arrival coincides with the announcement of the death of a second French national in the strikes, under still unspecified circumstances.
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, stated that he is "praying for God to protect Lebanon and for the soul of Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, and all the martyrs who have fallen," drawing a parallel to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai's homily earlier in the day.
"The blood that has been shed to protect Lebanon should unite us as Christians and Muslims, and this martyrdom must bring us together. Unity in blood is what can preserve our homeland," he further declared.
In southern Lebanon, airstrikes by Israeli warplanes and drones targeted Shehabieh (Bint Jbeil) and Ghassanieh for the first time (Saida), according to our correspondent.
The new provisional death toll from Sunday's Israeli strike in Ain al-Delb, in the district of Saida, is 32, with 53 injured, according to the Ministry of Health.
At 11 a.m. on Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will visit Ain al-Tineh to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
The strike that earlier targeted the outskirts of Sour, on the road leading to Abbasieh, killed two people, according to information from our correspondent.
Israeli warplanes and drones targeted between 7 and 8 p.m. the towns of Hanine, Braasheet (both in the Bint Jbeil district) and Siddiqine (Sour district).
A strike on Harouf (Nabatieh district) killed two people.
Israeli warplanes and drones targeted between 7 and 8 p.m. the towns of Hanine, Braasheet (both in the Bint Jbeil district) and Siddiqine (Sour district).
For its 10th and 11th attacks of the day, Hezbollah announced that it targeted the Israeli site of Samaka in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills, followed by the Zofolon base, located 20 kilometers from the border with southern Lebanon.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati will meet with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Monday at 10 a.m., according to a statement from the Grand Serail.
The latest daily report released by the disaster management cell in Akkar indicates that there are 23,130 displaced persons (or 5,556 families), 5,000 people more compared to the previous day, according to our correspondent in northern Lebanon.
In southern Lebanon, the Sour district was particularly targeted by Israel this Sunday. According to our correspondent, the Israeli air force carried out two new strikes on Naqoura and Alma al-Chaab.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli strike on "a power plant and a fuel depot" in the port city of Hodeida, according to a statement reported by Reuters.
Various media, including Saudi channel al-Hadath, announced that the funeral for Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah will take place tomorrow, without specifying the time. This has not been confirmed by Hezbollah.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Sunday that "no place is too far" for Israel following his army's strikes in Yemen, in response to Houthi attacks targeting Israeli territory.
"Our message is clear: for us, no place is too far," he said in a statement from his office after monitoring the strikes against the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida in a command and control room of the air force.
The ongoing war is putting immense pressure on Hezbollah, and the risk of assassinations could make it difficult to designate a successor. Who will succeed Hassan Nasrallah?
Hezbollah claimed an attack on the Israeli Samaka site in the disputed Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills, hitting it with artillery shells.
Israeli air and drone strikes targeted these villages between 5 and 6 p.m.:
Al-Suwaneh, Kunin (Bint Jbeil), al-Tayri, (Nabatieh) and Jarjouh (Nabatieh).
Hezbollah claimed its ninth attack of the day on the Israeli Shtula settlement, opposite to the Lebanese village Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).
The Israeli strike on Hermel-Baalbeck has killed 21 people and wounded 47 others, the Health Ministry announced.
Alex Vatanka from the Middle East Institute provides insight into the expected reaction from Tehran following the successive blows dealt to Hezbollah.
For its eighth operation of the day, Hezbollah announced that it attacked the Israeli military camp of Eliakim, located 50 kilometers from the border with southern Lebanon.
An Israeli strike on the civil defense centers affiliated with the Islamic Health Authority in the towns of Qabrikha and Bani Hayyan (Marjayoun) killed five paramedics and wounded three others.
• An Israeli strike targeted the town of al-Majadil (Sour) killing two people and injuring four others.
The Israeli strike in Ain al-Delb, part of the Saida district, killed 24 and injured 29 others, according to a preliminary report from the Ministry of Health.
In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike targeted a house in Rshaf (Bint Jbeil).
An Israeli strike targeted a building owned by al-Qard al-Hassan, a microfinance organization run by Hezbollah, in the city of Sour.
Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the "immoral" use of force in Lebanon and Gaza, seemingly calling on Israel for restraint. This was his second statement on Lebanon today.
Asked aboard the plane returning him from Belgium about the consequences for civilians of the Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Gaza, he said: "A country that, with force, acts in such a way, whichever country it may be, engages in immoral actions."
⚡ Houthi rebel media report Israeli strikes on the port city of Hodeida, Yemen, according to AFP. The Israeli army has claimed responsibility for this attack, as reported by Haaretz.
The United States assured Sunday that it has a "very robust" military presence in the Middle East after sending reinforcements, in response to fears of escalation linked to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
"We have deployed additional forces to the region," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Sunday on ABC, as reported by AFP.
Hospitals in Saida are calling for blood donations of all blood types for those injured in the Ain al-Delb strike, according to our correspondent.
⚡ In a new update on Sunday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported four killed and four injured, including one in intensive care, from attacks on western Bekaa. Three were killed in Jeb Jennine and one in Yohmor.
In statements released around 4:50 p.m. and 5 p.m., Hezbollah claimed responsibility for three attacks on the Israeli regions of Safed, Rosh and Tsnobar. These are the party's fourth, fifth, and sixth operations today.
⚡ According to our correspondent, a man and his children are alive under the rubble of the destroyed building in Ain al-Delb, and are calling for help.
(Credit: Mohammad Yassin/OLJ)
The destruction left by the Israeli strike on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, which killed several Hezbollah officials including its secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah.
⚡ Hezbollah denied in a statement the Israeli “allegations” about the assassination of Abu Ali Reda, Hezbollah’s “Badr” unit commander. “He is fine and in good health,” the statement said.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health condemned in a strongly worded statement Israel’s recent attacks on paramedics and health centers, which have killed14 paramedics in just two days. The ministry highlighted a series of assaults, including the targeting of the Civil Defense Center and Clinic in Taybeh and Deir Serian in South Lebanon, and significant damage to Al-Mortada Hospital in Baalbek, forcing it out of service.
This morning, more paramedics were killed when Israeli forces struck areas near their centers in Tayr Debba and Houmin al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon.
The Health Ministry called on the international community to act, accusing Israel of violating international laws, including the Geneva Convention, which protects health workers and centers in conflict zones. "Where is the international community in stopping this escalating genocide?" the statement said, condemning the attacks as part of a broader disregard for human rights.
Strikes have intensified on the Bekaa since 3:40 p.m., according to our correspondent:
* Raids on the outskirts of Hermel have killed 10 people.
* A house was targeted in the Ali Nahri area, Zahle district: at least five people were injured according to preliminary reports.
* A massacre took place in Zabboud, Baalbek-Hermel: 19 killed and more than 17 injured, according to a preliminary report.
* Also in Baalbek-Hermel, five were injured in Halabta, and 11 were killed in al-Ain.
* After 4 p.m., six raids were carried out by the Israeli air force around the Jalil camp, in the Asri area of Hermel.
* Douris in Baalbek was also targeted, as well as Brital, the city of Baalbek, and Kayal.
* Around 4:30 p.m., a strike hit the Sheikh Habib neighborhood in Nahle, Baalbek-Hermel.
Our correspondent in southern Lebanon reported a series of Israeli attacks on the localities of Adloun (Saida), Kfar Roummane, Kfar Joz, Nabatieh, Safad al-Battikh, Toul (Nabatieh), Bazourieh, Burj al-Shemali, Deir al-Qanoun, Hosh, Jannata, Jwayya, Masaken al-Shaabieh, Ras al-Ain, Sour (Sour), and Tiri (Bint Jbeil).
The center and industrial area of Sour were targeted. One of the strikes destroyed a building on the old street.
The Israeli air force also struck, for the first time, the Maghareb area located on the outskirts of Saida (between Haret Saida and Ain al-Delb). Ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
A drone raid also targeted an area near Tibnin Hospital (Sour).
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will be in Lebanon tonight, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, as Israeli strikes continue, particularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The foreign minister is set to ''engage with local authorities and provide French support, including humanitarian assistance. Departure is within the hour, with arrival scheduled for this evening,'' the source added.
The Israeli army reported today that more than 20 other members of the Lebanese Hezbollah were killed in the powerful strike on Friday at the organization's central headquarters in the suburbs of Beirut, which also claimed the life of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, according to AFP.
''More than 20 other terrorists of various ranks, who were present in the underground headquarters of Beirut located beneath civilian buildings and who were directing Hezbollah's terrorist operations against the State of Israel, were also eliminated,'' the army stated in a press release.
Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today
The site of the strike that killed Hezbollah's executive council member Nabil Kaouk on Saturday, Sept.28, 2024, in the Tayyouneh area of the southern suburbs of Beirut.
⚡ Hezbollah confirmed in a statement the death of Nabil Kaouk, a member of the party's executive council, ''following treacherous Israeli strikes in the Chiyah area'' in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
''The martyr Sheikh held several organizational responsibilities within various units of Hezbollah and always lived up to the responsibilities entrusted to him,'' according to the statement. He was ''a great scholar, missionary and activist, always present on the front lines alongside the fighters.''
On the Ground:
- Rocket attack alarms were activated in several northern Israeli towns, including Nahariya, Afula, Ya'ara, Shlomi, Kabri and Ben Ami, Haaretz reported.
- The municipality of Nof Hagalil, located about 80 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border, stated that debris from interceptor missiles fell in the area, according to Haaretz.
- An Israeli strike targeted the town of Ali el-Nahri located in Zahle, according to our correspondent.
- An Israeli strike hit an apartment in Joub Jannine in the Bekaa district, reportedly targeting Mohammad Dahrouj, a member of the Islamic Group (Jama'a Islamiya), according to our correspondent.
- An Israeli strike targeted a house in the outskirts of Beit Nasser al-Din in Hermel, killing several people and injuring others.
- An Israeli strike hit eastern Zawtar located in Nabatieh district, according to our correspondent.
Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, said today that Israel should invade south Lebanon and establish "facts on the ground" if a "strong and credible" agreement with Lebanon is not reached, Haaretz reported.
Gantz called on the Lebanese people "to restore sovereignty over your country." He also warned Iran: "If you put us to the test, you will be hurt."
According to an anonymous witness we contacted, Israeli airstrikes targeted the Ghobeiri neighborhood in southern Beirut. No casualty figures have been established at this time.
The Israeli military stated it conducted a "targeted strike" in the southern suburbs of the capital.
⚡Hezbollah confirmed in a statement the death of senior commander Ali Karaki, known as Abu al-Fadl, in an Israeli airstrike on Haret Hreik.
Karaki, a key figure in the group’s military operations since the Israeli invasion of 1982, was killed alongside other Hezbollah members and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, according to the statement, according to the statement.
He played a crucial role in leading the southern front against Israel, particularly during the liberation of southern Lebanon in 2000 and the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War. His death marks a significant loss for the group, which praised his "blessed martyrdom."
⚡Two new detonations, caused by strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, have been reported in the capital, according to initial information circulating.
Siren alarms were heard in northern Israel, according to Haaretz and other Israeli media.
In a statement released today, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces conducted two targeted airstrikes in Syria earlier this month, “killing 37 terrorist operatives,” including senior leaders from ISIS and the Al Qaeda-affiliated group Hurras al-Din.
On Sept.24, a strike in northwest Syria killed nine terrorists, including Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf, a senior Hurras al-Din leader responsible for military operations. Earlier, on Sept.16, CENTCOM forces struck an ISIS training camp in central Syria, killing 28 ISIS operatives and disrupting the group's operations.
The statement claimed that no civilian casualties were reported.
The two loud detonations heard in the vicinity of Beirut were caused by Israeli planes breaking the sound barrier. At the time they occurred, our correspondent in North Lebanon, Michel Hallak, reported that Israeli fighter jets had flown over Akkar at low altitude on their way to Bekaa and Hermel.
In an updated casualty toll, 19 people have been killed while 17 people were injured in the Israeli strike that targeted a residential building in a farm in the town of Zboud al-Ain, north of Baalbeck.
Israeli airstrikes targeted residential buildings in these towns between 1 and 2 p.m., according to our correspondent:
• Barish (Sour)
• Yater (Bint Jbeil)
• Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil)
• Habboush (Nabatieh)
• Kawthariyah al-Rez (Saida)
Hezbollah claimed an attack on "Sa’ar settlement," facing the Lebanese village Labbouneh in Sour district.
⚡ Hassan Nasrallah's body was pulled from the rubble of Friday's strike that targeted him in the southern suburbs, according to two sources cited by Reuters.
In an updated casualty toll, 17 people have been killed in the Israeli strike that targeted a residential building in a farm in the town of Zboud, al-Ain, north of Baalbeck.
⚡ Two loud detonations were heard in the vicinity of Beirut.
A U.S. official told ABC News that "small-scale [Israeli] incursions may have begun at the border with Lebanon" to target Hezbollah positions, Haaretz reported.
Recent developments in the South, according to our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah:
- Two Israeli airstrikes targeted the city of Bint Jbeil.
- An Israeli warplane strike hit the town of Barish, east of Sour.
- Two Israeli airstrikes targeted Haboush in the Nabatieh district and Kawtharieh al-Riz in the Saida district.
- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on Israeli soldiers in the "Manara" settlement, facing the Lebanese village of Houla in Marjayoun.
- In an updated casualty report, 10 people were killed in the Israeli strike on a farm in the town of Zboud, north of Baalbeck.
⚡The Palestinian Health Ministry announced today a new death toll of 41,595 in the Palestinian territory since the war with Israel began nearly a year ago.
At least nine people have been killed in the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement, adding that 96,251 people have been injured in Gaza since the war started on Oct.7.
⚡ “I am looking for a way or loophole to cancel the scandalous gas agreement that was signed with Lebanon,” said Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen today, as reported by the Israeli GLZ radio. “It was a mistake from the beginning, and we will make sure to fix it.”
On Oct.27 2022, Lebanon signed a historic agreement with Israel demarcating the maritime border between the two countries.
Pope Francis expressed his "pain" today from Brussels over the widening conflict in the Middle East and called for an immediate ceasefire in "martyred" Lebanon, as reported by AFP.
"I continue to follow with pain and concern the widening and intensification of the conflict in Lebanon," he said at the end of a mass at King Baudouin Stadium.
"I call on all parties to immediately ceasefire in Lebanon, Gaza, the rest of Palestine and Israel."
⚡Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in a statement quoted by Reuters, said that the killing of Revolutionary Guards Deputy Commander Abbas Nilforoushan in Lebanon "will not go unanswered.”
Nilforoushan was killed along with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in the Israeli strikes that hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday.
⚡Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that Lebanon had "no option but the diplomatic option" to secure a ceasefire, following a week of intense and deadly Israeli bombardments in several regions of the country, Reuters reported.
⚡"The one who assassinated [Hezbollah Secretary-General] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah wants to assassinate Lebanon," said Jaafari Mufti Ahmed Kabalan today.
In response to Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, who earlier called for Lebanon's neutrality, the Shiite cleric, known to be close to Hezbollah, argued that "we cannot speak of Lebanon's neutrality when it has been exposed to genocide for decades, with no one moving to protect it."
The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Bishop Elias Audi, stated in his sermon that "the time has come for the Lebanese to unite around their state, to entrust it with the defense of Lebanon, for everyone to assume their responsibilities, and for Parliament to convene unconditionally to elect a president who will take the reins of the country and raise his voice to defend Lebanon, demand diplomatic means to find a solution, and call for an immediate ceasefire."
"This is what everyone must strive to do without delay," he added.
Druze Sheikh Sami Abi el-Mona emphasized today the "importance of confronting the Israeli war against Lebanon by preserving national unity and solidarity to thwart the enemy's plans and prevent it from sowing discord and destruction among the Lebanese."
Sheikh Abi el-Mona made his remarks during a phone conversation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, head of the Amal Movement, an ally of Hezbollah, according to a statement from his press office.
An Israeli strike hit a farm in Zboud Baalbeck, northern Bekaa, our correspondent reported.
Recent developments in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, according to our correspondent:
- An Israeli strike targeting the town of Ebba in the Nabatieh district killed one woman and injured two others.
- An Israeli drone targeted a car near the junction of the town of Iaat, adjacent to the city of Baalbeck.
- An Israeli strike targeted Taraya in the Baalbeck district.
Israel has asked the United States to deter Iran from any retaliation following the assassination of the Hezbollah leader, Axios reports, citing Israeli and American officials.
Various media outlets, including local TV channel MTV and the Saudi channel Al-Arabiya, are reporting the death of Hezbollah's central council member Nabil Kaouk, citing the Israeli army.
The Israeli army confirmed on its website that it killed Kaouk in a strike yesterday. However, Hezbollah has not released an official statement regarding his fate.
An Israeli airstrike targeted Zawtar Sharqieh in the Nabatieh District, according to our correspondent, and ambulances have been dispatched to the scene.
In a phone call last night, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sissi assured caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati that Egypt "fully supports Lebanon in these delicate circumstances and rejects any violation of its sovereignty," affirming support for a "diplomatic solution to the conflict."
Prime Minister Najib Mikati chaired a meeting of the "Government Emergency Committee" earlier today at the Grand Serail, attended by Deputy Prime Minister Saade Chami, Public Works and Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh, Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, Health Minister Firass Abiad, Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar, Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, Information Minister Ziad Makary and Minister for the Displaced Issam Charafeddine.
Also participating in the meeting were the President of the Southern Council, Hachem Haydar; the head of the High Relief Committee, Mohammad Kheir; the Secretary-General of the High Defense Council, Mohammad Moustafa; the acting Director General of Customs, Raymond Khoury; the representative from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Mohammed el-Cheikh; and a representative from the Ministry of Education. The content of the meeting has not yet been reported by the National News Agency.
Photo provided by our correspondent Michel Hallak on Sept.28, 2024
Hundreds of displaced families, including Syrians and Lebanese coming from Beirut’s southern suburbs, the south, and the Bekaa, are gathered at the legal Qammar Bridge crossing in Wadi Khaled, attempting to enter Syria via the al-Baqi'a road toward Homs, our correspondent reported. However, many are facing administrative delays at the Syrian border, leaving them stranded on the Lebanese side of the crossing throughout the day as they await clearance to enter Syrian territory.
Photo provided by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah.
Hussein Tarhini, has succumbed to his wounds, which he sustained in an Israeli strike near the supermarket “Tawfeer” in the town of Ebba, Nabatieh district, a few days ago.
Four more bodies were recovered from the rubble of a house destroyed in yesterday's airstrike on the Al-Kharab neighborhood in Old Sour, bringing the death toll to eight, a paramedic source confirmed to our correspondent. The victims have been identified as Ismail Al-Samra, Samah Al-Shaar, Silana Al-Samra, Qasim Hassan Shabqaji, Tawfiq Al-Samra, Alia Shabqaji, Nawal Shabqaji and Issam Al-Samra.
In the Bekaa, our correspondent reported two new airstrikes in Nabi Sheet in the Baalbeck district.
In southern Lebanon, our correspondent reported three Israeli airstrikes in Majadel, Tayr Harfa and Qasmiyeh in the Sour district, along with an Israeli drone attack on a café in the center of Shaqra in the Bint Jbeil district, which injured two people.
Caretaker Industry Minister George Bouchikian stated this morning on the radio that the death of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah represents "a major turning point in the region." He also emphasized the need for "solidarity" in the upcoming phase to "protect Lebanon from destructive Israeli aggression" and called for "relying on strong constitutional foundations and substantive dialogues" to preserve the country, according to remarks relayed by the National News Agency (NNA).
In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike on the village of Jibsheet in Nabatieh around midnight resulted in three fatalities, according to residents speaking to our correspondent this morning.
Three other young men were killed in a strike on Houmin Fawqa. Two additional Israeli strikes targeted the village of Joumayjmeh in Marjayoun district and the course of the Blat River around 10 a.m., along with another strike on the village of Tiri in Nabatieh district.
⚡The head of the Maronite Church, Bechara al-Rai, stated in his Sunday homily that the international community must strive to end the "cycle of war, killing and destruction," according to remarks reported by Reuters.
In statements also relayed by LBCI, he noted that "the martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah reopens wounds in the hearts of the Lebanese."
After an initial "crazy" wave of airstrikes at dawn, Israeli airstrikes against the Bekaa resumed around 9:45 a.m. with a strike on Tamnin al-Tahta in Baalbeck District, resulting in two deaths, according to our correspondent, including a leader in the Amal Movement, Youssef Hadi Mortada.
The heights of Nabi Sheet and Khreibeh in the same district were also heavily bombarded.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported the death of Mohammad Jawad Awadah, killed in an Israeli strike in Jibsheet, located in the Nabatieh district. He was the son of Imad Awadah, the agency's media director for the regions of Jabal Amil in Sour and Nabatieh.
Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf commented on Hassan Nasrallah's death, stating that the "Axis of Resistance" groups will continue to confront Israel with Iran's support, according to Iranian state media. This alliance, which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen's Houthis and various Shi'ite armed groups, has been bolstered by decades of Iranian backing.
Following Israel's airstrike that killed Nasrallah in Beirut, Qalibaf warned that the U.S. is complicit in these actions and must face the consequences. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi added that Israel "will not rest," emphasizing that retaliation is expected. Iranian media also reported the death of Revolutionary Guards' deputy commander Abbas Nilforoushan in the strikes on Beirut on Friday, as reported by Reuters.
China expressed on Sunday its "deep concern" and noted that it is "closely following" the escalating tensions in the Middle East after Israel's airstrikes killed Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in Lebanon, as reported by AFP.
In a statement, Beijing's foreign ministry said, "China is closely monitoring this incident and is deeply worried about the rising tensions in the region," urging "all parties, particularly Israel, to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation." The ministry also stressed that China opposes any violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.
Reminder: Since Oct.8, 2023, when Hezbollah opened a front in support of Gaza in southern Lebanon against Israel, Lebanon has recorded 1,640 deaths (including 104 children and 194 women), 8,404 injuries and numerous missing persons whose bodies have not been recovered from the rubble due to Israeli assaults. This information was revealed on Saturday by the Minister of Health, Dr. Firass Abiad, following the attack on Hezbollah's headquarters in southern Beirut, which killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
The minister also noted that between Sept.16 and 27, 2024, Israeli attacks resulted in 1,030 deaths (including 56 women and 87 children) and 6,352 injuries—numbers significantly higher than the average from the previous year. From Oct.8, 2023, to Sept.15, 2024, Lebanon recorded 610 deaths (including 38 women and 17 children) and 2,056 injuries.
Israeli planes and drones are intensively flying over the Bekaa district, according to our correspondent Sarah Abdallah.
In the Press: Iran's immediate priority, according to two members of the Revolutionary Guards, including a strategist who participated in planning meetings over the past two days, is "to help Hezbollah recover, appoint a successor to Nasrallah, establish a new command structure, and rebuild a secure communication network." Only then could Hezbollah plan its response against Israel, they added, according to the NYT. Read more here.
Who will succeed Hassan Nasrallah? It’s one of the pressing questions today. According to Jeannine Jalkh, the ongoing war is putting immense pressure on Hezbollah, and the risk of assassinations could make it difficult to choose Hassan Nasrallah’s successor.
"At this critical moment for Lebanon when uncertainty is rife, now is the time for the country to focus on the common interest that unites its people: a State that can provide, swiftly and decisively, for urgent security and humanitarian needs," urged United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on X.
Our correspondent in South Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah, reported around 8 a.m. that a precarious calm was prevailing in South Lebanon this morning. In contrast, the night was marked by multiple Israeli airstrikes, including several targeting the city of Sour. Read more here.
In the News: According to the New York Times, which analyzed a video posted by the Israeli army yesterday in consultation with experts, the planes that bombed the Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday night, resulting in Hassan Nasrallah's death, were carrying one ton of bombs.
The Israeli army announced this morning, as reported by Haaretz, that it had struck dozens of Hezbollah targets across Lebanon over the past 12 hours. These targets included launchers aimed at Israel, military structures and weapons depots.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has reported that 12 pro-Iranian fighters were killed overnight from Saturday to Sunday in airstrikes of unknown origin targeting their positions in eastern Syria.
“12 pro-Iranian fighters were killed in airstrikes of unknown origin targeting their positions in the city of Deir ez-Zor, east of the city, and in the Abu Kamal region near the border with Iraq,” SOHR stated, also mentioning a significant number of injuries.
The strikes in the Deir ez-Zor region, which is frequently targeted by Israeli and sometimes American strikes and where Iran holds considerable influence, have not been claimed as of yet, according to SOHR.
The NGO reported that five airstrikes specifically targeted military positions near Deir ez-Zor airport. Iran, through its advisors, has been providing military support to the Syrian regime since 2011 and maintains a strong presence in the eastern part of the country.
Around 5:30 a.m. this Sunday morning, the Israeli air force launched a series of "insane" strikes on Baalbeck and its surrounding region, according to our correspondent on the ground, Sarah Abdallah.
These bombings targeted several localities, including Shaath, Saraaine, Iaat, Jamaliyeh, Nahlet al-Gharbi, Douris, Boudai, Rasm al-Hadath, Younin, Kneisseh, Labweh, Nabi Osman, Majdaloun, and the Zahra neighborhood in the city of Baalbeck.
Initial reports obtained by our correspondent from local sources indicate at least two deaths in Shaath.
- A new Israeli strike targeted the Choueifat region, south of Beirut, near the airport, shortly after midnight. The raid was heard by residents of Beirut.
The specific target of the bombardment in this area, which was already hit during the night from Friday to Saturday, has not yet been clearly identified, and the Israeli army has not immediately commented.
While no other strikes were reported in the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight, the city experienced significant drone flyovers above the Lebanese capital and its various districts.
First, a recap of last night's events:
- The Jordanian army announced that a Grad rocket from southern Lebanon crashed in the evening in an uninhabited desert area of Muwaqqar. This incident caused neither casualties nor damage. Muwaqqar is located more than 80 kilometers from Jerusalem. Earlier, the Israeli army reported intercepting a single missile from Lebanon, heading towards Jerusalem, over the occupied West Bank, approximately 140 km from the border.
- So far, Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility for any strikes towards Jerusalem.
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