Israeli incursion in South Lebanon; first strike on Ain el-Hilweh camp: Day 360 of the Gaza and Lebanon wars

The Israeli air force carried out a drone strike on the home of Mounir Maqdah, one of the Palestinian officials of Fatah in Lebanon, located in the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp near Saida in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region, Mountasser Abdallah. It is unclear whether Mounir Maqdah was at home during the strike.

On August 21, an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed his brother, Khalil Maqdah, a leader of Fateh’s armed wing.

The strike in Ain el-Hilweh was heard throughout Saida and caused several injuries, reports our correspondent. Ambulances rushed to the scene. It is the first on the camp since the beginning of the conflict on Oct. 8.

Canada has announced it has reserved 800 seats on commercial flights to assist its citizens in leaving Lebanon.

"The security situation in Lebanon is becoming increasingly dangerous and volatile," wrote Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly on X. "To help Canadians leave the country more quickly, we are currently increasing commercial capacity and have reserved 800 additional seats over the next three days."

Haaretz: The Israeli Air Force announced it had intercepted a drone over the Mediterranean Sea, dozens of kilometers west of Israel's central coast.

Syrian air defense repelled "hostile targets" for the third time tonight in the vicinity of Damascus, reports the al-Manar channel, citing the terminology of Syria's official news agency, Sana.

American officials have expressed cautious support for Israel's limited ground incursion, according to Haaretz. However, they warned that this operation could risk expanding both geographically and temporally, potentially leading Israel into a situation where it would need to remain in southern Lebanon.

New explosions have been heard in the vicinity of Damascus, reports the official Syrian news agency Sana.

Two Israeli officials told Axios that the ground invasion is "targeted and limited in time and scope and is not intended to occupy southern Lebanon."

Israeli army forces crossed the border wall with Lebanon from different sites and began moving toward adjacent villages, reports the Israeli channel Channel13. This is the first time since 2006 that an Israeli military incursion has taken place in southern Lebanon.

Syrian air defenses intercepted "hostile targets" in the vicinity of Damascus, Reuters reports, citing Syrian state media.

Israeli planes and drones are flying over regions of southern Lebanon following the announcement by the Israeli military, according to local media.

The Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon has begun, according to Israeli officials cited by Barak Ravid, an Israeli journalist and contributor to the American news site Axios.

Two U.S. officials told NBC News that the ground incursion "appears to have begun."

Alarm sirens have again been activated in northern Israel, Haaretz reports.

Three Katyusha rockets were fired at a military base housing American forces near Baghdad International Airport, two Iraqi military officials told Reuters.

The air defense systems intercepted the rockets, they added. Security sources reported no casualties to AFP.

Alarm sirens sounded in Zar'it, in northern Israel, Haaretz reports.

Israeli artillery bombardments targeted areas near the border with Israel, extending from the Khiam plain to the heights of Kfarchouba, according to the al-Manar channel.

No violations of the Lebanese land border by the Israeli army have been reported so far, it adds.

Illuminating bombs were dropped by the Israeli army on Aita el-Chaab (Bint Jbeil casa), according to local media.

Israeli strikes "caused the destruction of several buildings, primarily residential complexes," reports the National News Agency (NNA). According to NNA, eight strikes were recorded, particularly in Lailakeh, Mreijeh, Haret Hreik, and Bourj el-Brajneh.

The toll from Israeli strikes on Monday in Lebanon is 95 dead across the country, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. "Israeli enemy strikes have killed 95 people and injured 172 in the last 24 hours," the ministry announced in a statement.

A Lebanese security official told AFP Israel had conducted at least six strikes on south Beirut in the night from Monday to Tuesday, after Israel's army called on residents in the Hezbollah stronghold to evacuate.

The British government has chartered a flight to assist British nationals wishing to leave Lebanon, the British Foreign Office announced on X.

It urges British nationals to register on its website. [Here.]

Alarm sirens went off in Misgav Am, northern Israel, according to Haaretz.

Israel strikes Beirut’s southern suburbs once again.

According to Al-Jadeed, the Lailaki neighborhood, was yet again the target.

According to local media, the Israeli strikes targeted neighborhoods that were not mentioned in the evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army around 11 p.m.

A French Navy vessel has set sail from southeastern France to position itself off the coast of Lebanon as a "precaution" in case an evacuation of French nationals becomes necessary, AFP learned from the French Armed Forces' general staff.

The French amphibious helicopter carrier (PHA), which will take "5 to 6 days" to reach the eastern Mediterranean from the port of Toulon, according to this source, is equipped with helicopters and an "onboard tactical group" that can be mobilized if an evacuation of French nationals is ordered.

The southern suburbs of Beirut have once again been hit by an Israeli airstrike.

According to Al Jazeera, Israel the area targeted was near Haret Hreik.

The Lebanese Health Ministry announced that Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours on Baalbeck-Hermel killed 16 people and wounded 48 others.

Hezbollah announced that it fired artillery shells at a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the entrance to the Israeli Shtula, opposite the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

According to local media, the latest massive bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs targeted the Lailaki neighborhood.

A series of strikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs. Loud explosions were heard throughout the capital and Mount Lebanon. Wisps of black smoke covered the capital.

Hezbollah announced that its fighters "targeted enemy [Israeli] soldiers' movements in the orchards opposite the towns of Odeisseh and Kfar Kila with appropriate weapons and achieved certain injuries."

A third Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut. 

Alarm sirens were activated in northern Israel, according to Haaretz.

According to preliminary information relayed by local media, the first strike targeted the Lailaki area, and the second strike targeted Haret Hreik.

At around 11 p.m., the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation orders to the residents of these neighborhoods.

Another Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut a few minutes before the previous strike. 

⚡ An Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to residents.

Haaretz reported that "an Israeli MP claims that the ground incursion into Lebanon has begun but has been called off," then retracted the message — replacing it with stating, "Israeli lawmakers published a message about a ground operation in Lebanon, before quickly deleting the post shortly after it was published."

2/2 Israeli warplanes and drones carried out a series of airstrikes between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM, targeting several towns including:

In the Sour district:

- Borgholieh

- Kawkaba

- Aitit 

In the Nabatieh district:

- Yuhmor al-Shaqif

- Houmine al-Fawqa

- Besariyeh

In the Bint Jbeil district, strikes targeted Khirbet Selm 

In the Jezzine district, strikes targeted Rihan

1/2 Israeli warplanes and drones carried out a series of airstrikes between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM, targeting several towns including:

In the Marjayoun district: 

- Odaisseh

- Deir Seryan

- Khiam

- Taybeh

* Incessant artillery shelling was reported on the town of Khiam. 

In the Hasbaya district: 

- Khardali

- Mahmoudieh 

- Wadi Bargoz 

- Kfar Kila

- the outskirts of Souk al-Khan

* Incessant artillery shelling was reported on the town of Wazzani, Kfar Shuba and Aita al-Shaab.

Israeli Army's Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued an "urgent warning to the residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut" on X.

"To all those residing in the specified buildings on the indicated maps and in adjacent buildings in the following neighborhoods: Laylaki, Haret Hreik, and Borj al-Baraneh, you are in proximity to facilities and interests belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah." Therefore, the Israeli army "will take strong action against them."

"For your safety and that of your families, you must evacuate these buildings immediately, maintaining a distance of at least 500 meters." The map Adraee posted marked several buildings in residential neighborhoods.

Illuminating flares were dropped by Israel on eastern Saida and Blida, eyewitnesses told L'Orient Today. Blida was also targeted by an Israeli strike. 

The Upper Galilee Regional Council told residents of Snir, Dan, Dafna, Hagoshrim, Ma'ayan Baruch and Kfar Giladi to stay near protected areas, avoid gatherings and reduce their movement in the area, reported Haaretz.

Israeli fighter jets carried out a strike on Ghazieh, south of Saida, according to our correspondent.

Israeli fighter jets are currently flying over the whole region of South Lebanon, according to our correspondent.

An Israeli strike targeted an area between Houmin al-Fawqa and Arab Salim, in the Nabatieh district, residents told our correspondent. 

A series of Israeli airstrikes targeted the border areas of Wadi Borghoz, the outskirts of Kokba, Rashaya al-Foukhar, Kfar Kila, Khiam, Nahr Balat, and the Litani River between Zaoutar and Deir Seriane, reported our correspondent in South Lebanon.

"We believe that the way to a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon is through a diplomatic resolution," said the White House, quoted by Reuters.

In an interview with CNN's Turkish channel, cited by Haaretz, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the Mossad infiltrated an Iranian intelligence unit established to work against Israeli intelligence and managed to place a Mossad agent at the head of the unit.

Lebanese Army evacuated positions, according to eyewitnesses, in al-Majidiyah and al-Abbassieh on the border in the Hasbaya district and Wazzani in the Marjayoun district.

Lebanese Army troops have relocated to al-Mari Hill in the Hasbaya district, our correspondent in the south reported

Hezbollah has not asked for any help from Iran as "they are on our side," the Lebanese party's MP Hassan Fadlallah told local broadcaster al-Jadeed on today.

Continuous artillery shelling on Wazzani and the outskirts of Khiam in the Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent in the south.

Lebanese troops withdrew 5 kilometers north of the border, according to a Lebanese security source quoted by Reuters.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and both agreed that the best solution would be an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon, reported Reuters.

🔴 Israel is "currently" conducting "limited" ground operations in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah near the border, the State Department said.

"This is what they have informed us that they are currently conducting, which are limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists, reported AFP.

An Israeli warplane airstrike targeted the vicinity of the city of Hermel, according to our correspondent in the region.

⚡ Israel is preparing for an imminent ground incursion into southern Lebanon, which will focus on villages close to the border, two Israeli officials told Axios.

An Israeli fighter jet carried out a strike on the outskirts of Hermel, reports our correspondent in the region.

Israeli artillery fire targeted the outskirts of Wazzani and Khiam (Marjayoun), reported our correspondent.

⚡ The Lebanese army is repositioning its troops in southern Lebanon following Israeli threats of an incursion, AFP reported, confirmed by a military source to L'Orient Today.

According to a security source contacted by our correspondent, the troops have evacuated several military centers on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Earlier, Reuters, citing residents and a security source, reported that "the Lebanese army has withdrawn its troops from several positions along the southern border."

⚡ The Lebanese army has left its post at Abu Shanan, near Katmoun in the Rmeish region, to reposition its troops in several border areas.

⚡ Hezbollah announced in a statement that it targeted several localities north of Haifa using "Fadi 1" missiles.

⚡ More than 10,000 U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are unable to patrol due to the intensity of the fighting, the U.N. secretary-general’s spokesperson announced. "Our UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in position within the mission's area of responsibility, but the intensity of the fighting is hindering their movements and ability to carry out their duties," said Stephane Dujarric.

⚡The Israeli army has declared the border areas of Metula, Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi, in northern Israel, a "closed military zone", according to Haaretz. The troop said it was "strictly forbidden to enter these areas."

"Any further military intervention would considerably worsen the situation [in Lebanon] and must be avoided," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters from Mexico City.

The Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, shared videos on his X account, alleging to show the moment Israeli forces destroyed a warehouse containing "surface-to-air missiles placed by Hezbollah, one and a half kilometers from Beirut international airport." Adraee claimed that "Hezbollah's air defense system includes surface-to-air missile batteries concealed within civilian infrastructure," which, he said, "poses a threat to international airspace and can target any aircraft flying over Lebanon."

He stated that "fighter jets carried out a precise strike targeting surface-to-air missile platforms near Beirut international airport." He also claimed that "this infrastructure, along with other elements of Hezbollah's air defense system, is spread throughout Lebanon and endangers the international airport area."

Adraee added that the Israeli air forces targeted "dozens of Hezbollah bases, depots, and surface-to-air missile platforms at various locations." He emphasized that the Israeli army will "continue to strike Hezbollah and degrade its military capabilities and infrastructure."

The U.S. State Department said Israel had informed Washington of "a number of military operations," noting however that these were "limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border with Lebanon."

"The United States still supports a cease-fire in Lebanon, but military pressure can sometimes activate diplomacy," it added.

Two-thirds of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, the United Nations has announced.

If the U.N. Security Council fails to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, the U.N. General Assembly should vote in favor of the use of force, says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, quoted by Reuters.

Israel's Supreme Court today ruled in favor of the government's decision to keep the body of a Palestinian detainee who died in April in an Israeli prison, in order to use it as a bargaining chip for the release of hostages held captive in Gaza.

Mukhtar (local official) of Wazzani, Ahmad Shehadi al-Mohammad, told L'Orient that he received a call from the Israelis, informing him to notify the residents of Wazzani to evacuate the town within two hours.

He added that the caller threatened that if the town was not evacuated, the residents would face death. The Mukhtar said, "I informed the town's residents, and most of the people, around 400, have left."

Three displaced persons from Kfar Kila (Hasbaya district), who had taken refuge in Ibl al-Saki (Marjayoun district), were killed by an Israeli strike, our correspondent reported.

Here’s an update on Hezbollah’s attacks against Israeli positions:

- Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at 3:35 pm in Beit Sida in northern Israel with missiles.

- The party also said it targeted Israeli soldiers at the Yiftah settlement, near Kiryat Shmona, facing Khiam in the Marjayoun district.

- The party also targeted the Israeli military site Zaoura in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Israeli warplanes and drones conducted multiple airstrikes between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., targeting several villages in southern Lebanon.

The strikes hit multiple areas in the Nabatieh district:

- Nabatieh al-Tahta 

- Maifadoun

- Ksaibeh

- Kfar Rommane

It also targeted Kfar Kila, Khiam, and Taybeh — all in the Marjayoun district — and Kalawieh (Bint Jbeil) Tayr Harfa (Sour), Halta (Hasbaya)

⚡ Multiple media outlets, including the BBC, the Washington Post, and CBS, reported that Israel is planning a limited ground operation in Lebanon that could begin imminently, according to a U.S. official.

Israel has informed the United States of its intention to launch a limited ground incursion into Lebanon, CBS reported, citing an American official. The operation could begin "as soon as today."

The Washington Post reported that Israel's planned campaign would be smaller than its previous incursion in the 2006 war in Lebanon and would focus on eliminating militant infrastructure along the border to mitigate the threat to Israeli border communities, according to a U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions between the two governments.

Today, Israeli forces had conducted limited raids in Lebanon, according to an Israeli familiar with the operation, who spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple villages in North-East Lebanon between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. targeted the villages of Younin, Shmestar, Bodai, Flawa, Taraya, Makna, and Tamnine — all located in the Baalbeck-Hermel district, reported our correspondent in the region.

The positioning of Israeli troops suggests that a ground incursion into Lebanon may be imminent, a U.S. official told Reuters.

An American official has claimed that Israel has informed the U.S. of its intention to launch a limited ground incursion into Lebanon, reported CBS, the BBC's American partner. The official claims that the operation could begin "as early as today."

One woman and one man were killed in the Israeli airstrike on Ebba in the Nabatieh district, reported our correspondent.  

The U.S. and Israel are still in discussions "about the best way forward," Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told a news conference.

She also referred journalists to Israel for any questions about a possible planned ground offensive in Lebanon, Reuters reported. "We continue to exchange with them, trying to find out more. Discussions on the best way forward are continuing," she said.

The United States does not want violence to spread in the Middle East and wants de-escalation, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters.

"We want to find a path to peace so that Palestinians and Israelis can live in security, and so that Lebanese and Israelis living on the northern border also find security and protection," she added.

Asked about the possibility that Israel had informed the U.S. of its intention to conduct an incursion into Lebanon, Thomas-Greenfield said she would not discuss U.S.-Israeli talks, but said the two countries were in close contact.

⚡ Israeli army radio reported that the military had "destroyed a warehouse of surface-to-air missile launchers in Beirut that Hezbollah built about a kilometer and a half from Beirut international airport."

The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, claimed to be unaware that his employee Fateh Sherif Abou al-Amin was a Hamas commander in Lebanon. The latter was killed overnight in an Israeli strike on the Palestinian refugee camp of al-Buss, on the outskirts of Sour.

He had been suspended from his UNRWA post in March following allegations concerning his political views, Mr. Lazzarini told journalists in Geneva. "I had never heard the term 'commander' before," he added. "What seems obvious to you today was not obvious yesterday."

A woman has been killed and another has been injured in the Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Temnin (Baalbek district), according to our correspondent in the region.

The airstrike on the village of Rafid in Western Bekaa killed one person and injured three others. Residents told our correspondent that one of the casualties was a member of the Lebanese army.

Here are the latest updates from Bekaa and Baalbeck districts:

- Israeli airstrikes have targeted a valley near a church between the villages and towns of Qarha and Ram.

- In the Baalbeck district, Israeli bombardment also targeted the villages of Shmistar, Taraiyya and the city of Baalbek, according to our correspondent in the region.

Here are the latest updates from South Lebanon:

- Israeli airstrikes targeted a house near a Greek Orthodox Hall in the village of Ebel El Saqi (Marjayoun district), leaving an undetermined number of casualties, residents told our correspondent in the South. This is the first time this area has been targeted.

- Israeli airstrikes targeted the villages of Kfar Hamam (Hasbaya), Zibqin, Majdal Zoun, Naqoura (Sour district) and the city of Nabatieh, according to our correspondent

Caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib received a call from his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who informed him of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's directives to provide emergency humanitarian aid to Lebanon in support of displaced Lebanese.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared that "the next phase of the war against Hezbollah will begin soon."

"It will be an important factor in changing the security situation and will enable us to complete an important part of our war aims: the return of northerners to their homes," Haaretz reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the Israeli cabinet meeting by declaring that Israel "is at war for its existence" and that "we are doing the job that the people of Israel, and generations of the people of Israel, expect of us," according to comments reported by Haaretz.

He spoke of "historic achievements" for Israel, but also of "great challenges that still lie ahead". He also thanked Israel's citizens "for standing firm" and declared that "if we join forces and go hand in hand, we will defeat our enemies."

U.S. President Joe Biden has hinted that he opposes Israeli ground operations in Lebanon, calling for a cease-fire at a time of extreme tension following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

"I'm more aware than you might know, and I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now," Biden told reporters when he was asked if he was aware of reports of Israeli plans for a limited operation and if he was comfortable with one going ahead.

Israeli drone and air strikes targeted multiple villages in South Lebanon between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.:

- In the Bint Jbeil district: Bint Jbeil, Khirbet Selm and Khallet Issa

- Marwanieh in the Saida district

- Four strikes targeted Khiam, Zebqine (Sour), Ibl al-Saqi and the Wazzani and Kharadali river area (Marjayoun).

Hezbollah announced that it targeted the "settlement of Kfar Giladi, south of Metula — opposite Lebanese Khiam, in the Marjayoun district — with a "Nour missile." This is the first time the party has used this missile.

Here’s the latest update on the security situation in Lebanon:

- Israeli airstrikes have resumed on the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, with Israeli military aircraft targeting the towns of Younine, Boudai, Qsarnaba, and Bednayel, Mount Rafeed in the West Bekaa, Shmistar, and Taraya, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.

- The Israeli bombardment on Younine (Baalbek district) has cut off the Baalbek-Hermel road, according to our correspondent.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Beirut yesterday evening to offer support to Lebanon. He stated that his visit had three main objectives: to deliver a message of support to the Lebanese people and French citizens, to pursue efforts for a cessation of hostilities, and to seek a diplomatic resolution. 

"I arrived in Lebanon with a military aircraft carrying two mobile medical units that can treat a thousand severely injured individuals, along with around ten tons of medical supplies," Barrot said. "I have also allocated €10 million urgently to support humanitarian organizations, particularly the Lebanese Red Cross." He added that he is working to ensure that those wishing to leave the country can find available flights.

Barrot urged Israel and Hezbollah to seize the opportunity for a cease-fire. "This initiative is still on the table," he said. "There remains hope, but time is running out. I urge Israel to refrain from any ground incursions and to cease fire. I also call on Hezbollah to do the same and to avoid actions that could lead to regional destabilization."

MP Osama Saad has called for "mass participation in the funeral of the Ain al-Delb massacre victims, set for tomorrow at noon in Saida’s new cemetery."

Yesterday's Israeli strike Ain al-Delb, on the outskirts of Saida, killed 45 people and injured 70, according to the latest report from the Health Ministry. Saad noted that civilian casualties, mainly women and children, are rising, "as the world remains in denial of the ongoing crimes." He urged "unity and solidarity to resist the enemy's attempts to impose its will on the people."

Here are the latest updates on the security situation in southern Lebanon:

- The Israeli airstrikes targeted the outskirts between Besarieh and Qaaqaaiyet al-Snoubar, south of Saida, residents reported.

- Israeli artillery targeted the town of Bint Jbeil.

⚡ Multiple media outlets, including the BBC, the Washington Post, and CBS, reported that Israel is planning a limited ground operation in Lebanon that could begin imminently, according to a U.S. official.

Israel has informed the United States of its intention to launch a limited ground incursion into Lebanon, CBS reported, citing an American official. The operation could begin "as soon as today."

The Washington Post reported that Israel's planned campaign would be smaller than its previous incursion in the 2006 war in Lebanon and would focus on eliminating militant infrastructure along the border to mitigate the threat to Israeli border communities, according to a U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions between the two governments.

On Monday, Israeli forces conducted limited raids in Lebanon, according to an Israeli familiar with the operation, who spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Fires broke out in several areas of the western Galilee after rockets launched from Lebanon fell in the northern Israeli region, Haaretz reported.

Lebanon's healthcare system continues to be impacted by the escalating Israeli violence, the World Health Organization has stated, warning that displaced people face an increased risk of contracting diseases, Reuters reported. According to the U.N. agency, approximately 118,466 people were forced to flee between Sept. 23 and 27 as Israel continues to conduct airstrikes on targets in Beirut's southern suburbs and elsewhere in Lebanon, Reuters added.

Caretaker Lebanese Telecommunications Minister Johnny Corm told local TV station al-Jadeed that "an investigation is underway to confirm the authenticity of the calls and threats received by a number of Lebanese citizens," noting that there are "fake applications being used to spread panic among residents."

Residents have recently received calls to evacuate their homes in various parts of Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Israeli army has already asked several residents of Bekaa, South Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs to leave their homes, as Israeli air strikes intensify in these areas.

A German military aircraft flew to Beirut today to evacuate employees of the German Embassy in Lebanon, according to the Foreign and Defense Ministries.

The evacuation concerns "non-essential" personnel at the embassy, which remains "operational," the statement said. Employees of other German organizations and their families will also be repatriated, as will "German nationals who are at particular risk due to medical circumstances."

Israel's Shin Bet security service has announced that it has thwarted attempts by Iran to assassinate senior Israeli officials, with some plots at an advanced stage of planning and close to execution, Haaretz reported.

The Shin Bet warned of an increase in such attempts in recent weeks, noting that Iran is actively working to recruit Israeli citizens to carry out these assassination projects in exchange for payment. According to the Israeli security service, Iran is targeting Israelis online, primarily through job search websites and platforms linked to cryptocurrencies, Haaretz reported.

The Shin Bet stated that Iranian agents are offering high remuneration for various tasks, including hiding money and phones in different locations in Israel, distributing leaflets and graffiti, setting vehicles on fire, and physically harming individuals.

A dozen rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel, Haaretz reported citing the Israeli army.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported military movements by Israeli forces near the border between Quneitra and the Golan Heights. According to SOHR, a large number of Israeli tanks and military vehicles were stationed in the Golan Heights.

Hezbollah launched a "salvo of rockets targeting the settlements of Gesher Ha Ziv and Kabri," located in western Galilee on the coastal road between Nahariya and the Lebanese border.

Israeli drones and warplanes targeted the following areas between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., according to our correspondents: Kfar Hammam (Hasbaya), a house in Ebba (Baalbeck caza), Aaqbieh, Yohmor al-Shaqif (Nabatieh) and an area between Baissarieh and Sarafand (Saida).

Israel has carried out airstrikes on several villages in the Bekaa, reported our correspondent in the region.

Here are the areas targeted by Israeli strikes:

- In the Baalbek-Hermel district, the villages of:

Hermel, Younin, Makneh, Temnine, Qsarnaba, Beit Mshik, Shaat, Bodai, Saaideh, Bednayel, Bazalieh and two gas stations in Aadous were targeted.

- In the Zahleh district:

Abla and the Niha plain.

Hezbollah's assassinated Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was a "brutal terrorist", and the world is "safer without him," declared U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while saying he would continue to work for a diplomatic solution in Lebanon.

"Diplomacy remains the best and only way to achieve greater stability in the Middle East, and the United States remains committed to urgently advancing these efforts" for a diplomatic solution in Lebanon and a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, he added.

⚡️ An Israeli strike targeted, for the first time since the start of the war, the village of Ainata al-Arz, located between the Bsharri district, in Northern Lebanon, and Baalbeck.

A Lebanese soldier has been killed following an Israeli strike in Wazzani, a village on the southern Lebanese border, the army announced. The statement said the soldier was fatally wounded when an "Israeli enemy drone targeted a motorcycle passing through the Lebanese Army's al-Amra-Wazzani checkpoint" in the Hasbaya district. The soldier was injured by shrapnel and later died from his wounds.

Press here to find out more.👈

Three people were killed in an Israeli drone strike on Kfour (Nabatieh), rescue workers told our correspondent in South Lebanon.

United Arab Emirates airline Flydubai has suspended flights between Dubai and Beirut until at least Oct. 7 due to "ongoing developments," the company said in a statement. "We continue to monitor the situation closely and modify our flight schedule accordingly," the statement added.

While the intensity of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon seems to have eased slightly, airstrikes have been reported within the past hour in the villages of Hebbarieh, Aita al-Jabal, Alma al-Shaab, and Jibbein, using guided missiles, according to our correspondent in the South. Artillery fire also struck areas between Maroun al-Ras, Yaroun, and the Khiam plain.

The Directorate General of Internal Security Forces has urged the families of individuals missing in the Israeli strikes on Lebanon to visit forensic police centers for DNA testing, as some bodies and remains remain unidentified. In a statement, the Directorate said, "To assist the families of those missing due to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, and to facilitate the identification of unknown victims or human remains, the Directorate General is requesting that relatives of the missing provide DNA samples at designated forensic police centers."

Funeral for some of the victims of the strike on Ain el-Delb. (Credit: Photo sent from residents to our correspondent in the region)

Yesterday's Israeli strike on a building in Ain al-Delb, on the outskirts of Saida, killed 45 people and injured 70, according to a new report from the Health Ministry. 

According to security sources contacted by our correspondent in the south, drone strikes targeted a motorcycle in Khiam, killing two Syrian nationals.

A military position in Wazzani was also hit by a drone, injuring a soldier from shrapnel. The military has not yet commented on this incident.

A third drone strike targeted another motorcycle near Sardeh, also in the vicinity of Wazzani, causing two injuries, also among Syrians.

In the past hour, airstrikes have targeted the following locations in southern Lebanon:

- Toulin

- Bedias

- Burj Rahhal

- Harouf

- Khiam

- Qalaway

- Haris

A drone strike also targeted Wazzani, and artillery shells were launched at Maroun al-Ras and Bint Jbeil.

In the Hermel region, Israeli night strikes have killed 12 people and injured 20, the Ministry of Health also reported.

Iran will not deploy fighters to Lebanon and Gaza to confront Israel, Iranian diplomacy affirmed as Israel carries out strikes against groups that Tehran supports in the region.

"The governments of Lebanon and Palestine have the capacity and power to confront the aggression of the Zionist regime, and there is no need to deploy Iranian auxiliary or volunteer forces," said Nasser Kanani, the spokesperson for Iranian diplomacy, during his weekly press conference.

Read more here.

The head of the municipality of Saadnayel (Zahle district), Hussein Shoubassi, said that people living near the municipality have received calls to evacuate their homes immediately "without taking anything with them."

Since the beginning of last week, Israel has been asking some residents to evacuate their homes before carrying out airstrikes. However, some fake calls, not stemming from a real threat, have also been reported.

He added that an official in the General Security also received a call.

Shoubassi said that he did not have a choice but to warn the residents. "I want to protect my village", he said.

The strike on a building in Ain al-Delb, on the outskirts of Saida, killed 45 people and injured 70 others, according to a new toll from the Health Ministry.

The Mufti of Saida, Sheikh Salim Sawsane, announced that the victims of the "Ain al-Delb massacre" will be buried tomorrow at noon in the new cemetery of Saida, known as Serop, in a popular neighborhood. The Sunni religious leader condemned the "barbaric Nazi aggression" and the "massacre committed by the Israeli enemy against civilians in the Ain el-Delb region."

At least 32 people were killed yesterday in the Israeli strike on this area of Saida. The Mufti also called for national unity, urging the population "not to be drawn into a situation or action that threatens civil peace."

In this context, the municipality of Saida firmly condemned the "Ain al-Delb massacre that resulted in numerous civilian casualties" in a statement. Expressing its "solidarity" with the victims, the injured, and their families, it announced its participation in the funerals.

The situation in southern Lebanon over the last hour:

- The Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on the town of Khiam (Marjayoun) in the Jabali neighborhood.

- The strike that targeted the town of Bedias (Sour) shortly after 11 a.m. killed one person and injured two others.

- At noon, a strike targeted a residence in Alma al-Shaab (Sour).

During Naim Qassem's speech, Hezbollah claimed in two separate statements that it had bombed the Israeli base at Na'oura, east of Haifa, about 50 kilometers from the border, with Fadi 2 missiles, as well as the city of Safed, approximately 12 kilometers from the Blue Line, "with a swarm of rockets," in retaliation for "the desecration and barbaric Israeli attacks against cities, villages, and civilians."

Naim Qassem has concluded his speech without providing any indication regarding the potential date for Hassan Nasrallah's funeral.

Naim Qassem: I thank the Lebanese who showed national unity within all regions and sects.

Naim Qassem: We will choose a Secretary-General for Hezbollah as soon as possible, as per the mechanisms in place. For each commander and responsible, there are deputies and alternatives.

Naim Qassem: Israel will not be able to touch our military capabilities. Hopefully we will win the same way we won in 2006.

Naim Qassem: We know that the fighting might be long. We are ready and prepared if Israel wants to do a ground incursion. Israel will not achieve its goals and we will win this fight.

Naim Qassem: "Despite the loss of commanders and the attacks on civilians in all of Lebanon and the big sacrifices, we will not change our positions. We will continue supporting Gaza and defending Lebanon.

After Nasrallah's assassination, Hezbollah's operations continued in the same way and even more than before. Israel said yesterday that a million people went in the shelters due to one missile."

According to the Israeli army, a missile was intercepted over Jerusalem yesterday. Hezbollah has not claimed any strikes in this region.

Naim Qassem: The U.S. is participating in this by supporting Israel. If Israel thinks that it will achieve its objectives this way, then Israel is wrong.

Naim Qassem: Israel is committing massacres in all regions of Lebanon. Israel is attacking civilians, the al-Rissala Scout Association, children and women.

These people are not fighting but they are getting killed.

Naim Qassem: Dear moujahideen (Hezbollah's fighters), Nasrallah is between us and will always be.

Naim Qassem: We lost a brother, a father and a leader, Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, this great person who remained in the arena till his martyrdom.

Since Hassan Nasrallah's death, Hezbollah has yet to announce either his successor or the organization of his funeral.

Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem has begun his speech. He is seated in front of closed shutters, in an undisclosed location.

Israeli army special forces have been conducting targeted raids into southern Lebanon "ahead of a potential ground offensive that could begin as early as this week," Haaretz reported citing the Wall Street Journal.

The raids have reportedly included "incursions into Hezbollah's tunnels situated along the border and have occurred recently as well as over the course of the past several months, as part of a broader effort by Israel to diminish the group's military capabilities along the Israel-Lebanon border," sources told the WSJ.

"The timing of any ground action could change," the WSJ quoted the sources as saying. "Israel is under heavy pressure from the U.S. not to carry out a major invasion. It wasn't immediately clear how long Israel would aim to hold territory, or whether the incursion would be more like a series of larger raids."

Approximately 100,000 people have fled to Syria following Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) reported, a figure that has doubled in two days. "The number of people crossing through Lebanon to Syria, escaping Israeli airstrikes — Lebanese and Syrian nationals — has reached 100,000. The exodus continues," wrote U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the social network X. "The UNHCR," he specified, "is present at four crossing points" to assist these individuals, "alongside local authorities and the Syrian Red Crescent."

On Saturday, the U.N. refugee agency had stated that more than 50,000 people had fled to Syria. The day before, a UNHCR representative in the region indicated that the ratio was then 80 percent Syrians returning to their country and 20 percent Lebanese fleeing theirs.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Iran is closely following up on matters with Lebanese authorities, adding that the country will not leave any of "the criminal acts of the Zionist regime" without an answer, according to Reuters and Haaretz.

Earlier today, a CNN report claimed that the Biden administration fears that Iran will attack Israel following the assassination of Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

A European Union spokesperson said that the union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, is convening an extraordinary informal meeting of EU foreign ministers today to discuss the organization's response to the latest escalation in Lebanon, according to Reuters.

Sirens have sounded in the village of Qatsrin and near the village of Sha'al in the Golan Heights, according to Haaretz.

Between 10 and 11 a.m., the Israeli Air Force launched a series of strikes on southern Lebanon, targeting areas including Qlayleh, Kfar Shuba, Khiam, Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain, Bayssarieh, Majdal Selm, Arzoun, Ghazieh, Kfar Hammam and Bazourieh.

A drone strike also targeted Shebaa, while artillery fire hit Dhaira, Tayr Harfa, and Alma al-Shaab.

Shortly after 11 a.m., two additional strikes targeted Bedias, Kadmous, Burj Rahhal, and Harouf.

Middle East Airlines continues to operate flights to and from Beirut's airport, according to a source within the national airline. Two sources from local travel agencies confirm that only MEA is still conducting flights at the airport, except for those chartered for the evacuation of foreign nationals.

"The flights are fully booked. There is hardly anything available before Oct. 10," one of them explains. The other notes that many foreign airlines have suspended operations until at least Oct. 7. According to a fourth source from a travel agency in Europe, flight MYW9050 operated by the Georgian airline MyWay Airlines, which departed from Beirut for Berlin on Sunday at 4 p.m., was used to evacuate German citizens. All contacted sources requested to remain anonymous.

The European Union has announced the release of 10 million euros in humanitarian aid for the populations of Lebanon affected by the escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a statement, the European Commission clarified that "this emergency funding aims to address the most urgent needs, such as protection, food assistance, shelter, and healthcare."

"The EU is prepared to provide additional support by mobilizing all available emergency response tools, including utilizing the civil protection mechanism," the statement added, noting that in 2024, the EU has provided 74 million euros in humanitarian aid to assist vulnerable populations in Lebanon, including this allocation.

Illustration by Jaimee Lee Haddad

The Israeli military has launched new strikes in the last hour:

In Mashghara (West Bekaa).

In Kfar Hammam (Hasbaya, South Lebanon).

Several Lebanese media outlets and the National News Agency reported in the morning a new Israeli strike in southern Beirut's suburbs, with smoke rising above the area.

However, according to local sources cited by our correspondent, this smoke is likely the result of the collapse of sections of buildings in the Saint Therese neighborhood following the violent strikes in the southern suburbs in recent days. 

The Israeli military announced that it intercepted a drone over the Mediterranean Sea in the northern part of Israel's Exclusive Economic Zone.

This incident comes after the Israeli energy minister expressed yesterday his intention to reconsider the 2022 maritime border agreement with Lebanon. Elie Cohen stated that the agreement was "a mistake from the outset."

On Oct. 27, 2022, Lebanon signed a historic agreement with Israel delineating their common maritime border and ensuring the distribution of offshore gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean. The two neighboring countries, which do not have diplomatic relations, reached an agreement after several months of difficult negotiations mediated by the United States.

Mark Kelly, a U.S. senator, stated yesterday on NBC News that Israel used "Mark 84 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) produced in the United States" to kill Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. This is the first time an official, whether Israeli or American, has specified the type of munition used in the massive bombing last Friday.

Read more here.

Israeli drones targeted a vehicle this morning at 8 a.m. at the intersection between the villages of Braasheet and Shaqra (Bint Jbeil district), according to our correspondent. It is not yet known if the strike caused any casualties.

According to our correspondent in the Bekaa, one of the Israeli strikes east of the Assi River in Hermel targeted the house of the late Ali Mahmoud Hajj Hassan, resulting in several casualties within the same family, including his widow and several children. 

"Lost under the relentless drums of war, the voice of the silent majority is heard: the women, men, and children who once again find themselves powerless in the face of an uncertain future. A harsh reality looms as calls for a cease-fire remain unanswered," wrote U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis on X.

Also in southern Lebanon, according to information from our correspondent:

Three people were killed at dawn in an Israeli strike targeting a residence in central Bnaafoul (Saida), according to rescue sources.

After an Israeli strike overnight targeted the home of the municipal secretary of Harouf (Nabatieh), Jaafar Harb, the lifeless bodies of him and four members of his family — his wife and three children — were found this morning. The clearing of debris continues in search of other victims, according to rescue sources. 

The night was marked in southern Lebanon by a new series of deadly strikes, according to information from local and security sources contacted by our correspondent. They targeted several regions in the South, including rescuers.

In addition, one person was pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed building after a deadly strike in Ain al-Delb, which killed at least 32 people.

Hezbollah, for its part, announced an artillery strike at 1:50 a.m. on the "al-Sadah" position.

According to our correspondent in the Bekaa, Israeli bombings overnight targeted Nabi Sheet, Sarain, al-Ain, Labweh, Riha, and Hermel, as well as Yohmor, Labbaya, and Mashghara.

In Hermel, a family of five — parents and three boys — was killed.

In Sohmor, a center belonging to the Islamic Health Committee (a Hezbollah-affiliated rescue association) and ambulances near the site of an earlier strike were targeted, killing five paramedics.

A raid also targeted an area near the Syrian border crossing at Yabous. 

The Israeli army announced that it had struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa region of Lebanon before dawn.

"Air Force fighter jets attacked dozens of targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Bekaa region of Lebanon," a Civil Defense spokesperson said on Telegram, specifying: "Among the targets attacked were dozens of launchers and buildings where weapons were stored." Israel "will continue to strike forcefully to damage and degrade Hezbollah's military capabilities and infrastructure in Lebanon," he added.

According to figures provided overnight by the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israeli strikes on Sunday killed at least 105 people in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In the Saida region, a single bombardment in Ain al-Delb killed 32 people.

The toll further increased with a targeted strike shortly after 1 a.m. on a residential apartment in the Cola, a neighborhood of Beirut. This is the first time the capital has been hit since the war between Israel and Hezbollah began on Oct. 8. The strike killed four people, including three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). 

Photo sent by Hamas

The head of Hamas in Lebanon, Fateh Sharif Abu al-Amine, was killed overnight in an Israeli strike on the Palestinian refugee camp of el-Buss, on the outskirts of Sour, the movement announced in a statement. His wife and two of his children were killed with him.

This is the first time since the outbreak of the Gaza war and Hezbollah's support front in Lebanon on Oct. 7 and 8 that Israel has targeted a Palestinian camp in the country. Hamas was involved in cross-border clashes with the party and other armed groups and has lost several fighters and commanders in both targeted and non-targeted strikes in recent months.

Good morning. Thank you for joining us for today's live coverage of the Gaza and Lebanon wars and their regional impacts.

Make sure to read the Morning Brief to catch up with the weekend's key events.