Saint Therese Medical Center (STMC), located in Hadath in an area that was subjected to four Israeli airstrikes in the course of half an hour tonight, has had to further delay its reopening following severe damage incurred in the bombing on Thursday night of a building 100 meters from the facility.
According to STMC'S executive director, Elie Hachem, "the hospital is supposed to be back to full function on Monday morning, but due to tonight’s events, reparations are delayed and reassessment is required."
A total of 10 people have been wounded in Hezbollah rockets attacks targeting military bases in Haifa and Tiberias, in northern Israel in the last two hours, according to the Israeli Channel 12 news. Of the 10, one is seriously wounded, one moderately, five mildly, and one whose condition is unknown, the outlet reports.
The Israeli army reported shortly before 1 a.m. that it had struck "targets linked to the intelligence services" of Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, also claimed that Israel had struck "arms depots" in the same area. The Israeli jets' operations are ongoing, he said.
Al-Jadeed news recently reported an additional two Israeli airstrikes on the Hadath neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs, in a residential area close to Saint Therese Medical Center. This area has been bombed four times in the last 30 minutes.
Hezbollah announced having launched a salvo of missiles at 12:05 a.m. against the Israeli Nimra military base, which it described in its statement as being one of the primary bases in the north. The base is located west of Tiberias.
According to the Israeli emergency services, cited by Haaretz, a man was seriously injured when a rocket impacted in the city of Tiberias and Israeli police said they had received several reports of explosions in the area.
⚡ At least two more Israeli strikes have hit Beirut's southern suburbs. Al-Jadeed reports strikes on Hadath near the Saint-Thérèse Medical Center, which was damaged on Thursday night when the Israeli army bombed a building 100 meters from the facility.
As part of its "Khaybar" operation launched last week, and in retaliation for the "targeting and massacre of civilians," Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 11:20 p.m. with a salvo of Fadi-1 missiles on the Carmel military base, south of Haifa. The statement added: "The resistance will remain ready to defend Lebanon and its people." Israel's Channel 12 news reported alarm sirens went off at 11:22 p.m. in the Carmel area.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) "Missile Threat" website describe the Khaibar-1 rocket as "an unguided artillery rocket." Despite being unguided, it is still "more accurate than most indigenous Hezbollah/Hamas rockets, and can be stored more easily due to increased durability."
The Israeli army is investigating into why the rockets fired at Haifa were not intercepted, according to a Times of Israel report. "Interception attempts were made," the army stated, confirming several impacts in the area.
The Iron Dome, the shortest-range missile defense system most often used against Hezbollah missiles, is designed to only intercept rockets on a trajectory toward military bases and populated areas. However, Israeli media reports that residential buildings and a restaurant were hit.
⚡ Israeli army confirms that several rockets fired from Lebanon have hit Haifa.
Four people were wounded, one of them moderately, by a rocket attack launched from Lebanon on Haifa, in northern Israel, Haaretz reports.
The Israeli army confirmed that five rockets struck the coastal city, located more than 135 kilometers from the border with Lebanon. The Times of Israel reports that healthcare facilities received reports of rocket impacts in Haifa after sirens sounded in the city and nearby areas. The Israeli news outlet also mentions videos circulating online that appear to show significant damage to a roundabout hit by a rocket.
LBCI describes the Haifa strike as a first, both in terms of the number of missiles that hit their target and the locations targeted, which included a well-known restaurant and residential buildings.
Some twenty missiles were fired in all, and the images show extensive damage. No civilian casualties in these buildings, according to the Israeli army, but significant damage.
🔴According to the Health Ministry, the Israeli strike in Qmatieh, in the Aley district, resulted in six deaths, including three children, and 11 injuries.
According to information gathered by the media, which are filming the strikes live, all have targeted the Hadath neighborhood, near Saint Therese Hospital and the mechanical inspection center. A fire broke out at the site of the fourth strike.
⚡A fourth strike targeted the southern suburb of Beirut, this time hitting the Hadath neighborhood, according to local media. This strike was significantly more powerful than the first three.
The Iranian news agency Mehr News Agency, citing al-Mayadeen, announced the resumption of domestic flights from Tehran's Mehrabad Airport after receiving assurances about the safety of the country's airspace.
Hezbollah's Islamic Health Authority denied reports that the strike in Qmatieh, Aley district, targeted one of its centers. They stated that their rescue teams are conducting operations at the site of the strike, which is a residential building.
⚡A new explosion was heard in the vicinity of Beirut, marking the third strike in the southern suburb of Beirut, in the Burj al-Barajneh area.
According to live footage from MTV, Middle East Airlines planes continue to take off and land at Beirut international airport.
According to the media, the Aley district was struck three times by the Israeli army, with two strikes hitting Keifoun and one hitting Qmaytieh. These strikes resulted in casualties.
⚡ A second strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut in the Burj el-Barajneh area, following an initial strike that hit Choueifat, not far from the mechanical inspection center, according to local media. The suburb has been struck more than 30 times since the violent series of strikes from Friday night to Saturday. The two new strikes were less powerful than those that ignited the capital on that day.
The emergency operations center of the Ministry of Public Health has released a statement announcing that the Israeli raid on Jiyeh on Friday night resulted in the deaths of four women and injuries to 17 people.
This brings the total toll for yesterday to 25 dead and 96 injured, following Israeli attacks on cities and villages in southern Lebanon, Nabatieh, the Bekaa, Baalbeck-Hermel, Mount Lebanon and northern Lebanon.
The chief of the Israeli army declared to his troops today, who are at war against Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, that his country is engaged in a "long" war, promising to destroy those who attack Israel.
"This is a protracted war," stated General Herzi Halevi, asserting that the military wing of Hamas has been "defeated," on the eve of the anniversary of the Palestinian Islamist movement's attack on Israeli territory that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
In southern Lebanon:
The officer of the Internal Security Forces, injured earlier in the day during an Israeli drone strike against Debbine, near the industrial zone of the Marjayoun district, has succumbed to his injuries, according to information from our correspondent.
A series of Israeli airstrikes targeted Habouche, in the Nabatieh district, and Ghassanieh, in the Saida district. Explosions caused by other airstrikes were also heard in Iqlim al-Tuffah (Nabatieh).
According to local media, the Israeli army has carried out an airstrike on Qmatiyeh, located in the Aley district.
⚡Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces, has issued an urgent warning to residents of the southern suburbs in Burj al-Barajneh, Hadath and surrounding areas, specifically targeting the buildings indicated on the maps and those adjacent to them, considering them "near facilities and interests belonging to Hezbollah," and saying that the Defense Forces will operate against them in the near future.
According to Israeli media, the Israeli army reported about ten minutes ago an incursion of armed fighters into Israeli territory along the border with southern Lebanon. The information was relayed by several Lebanese media outlets. Rocket sirens were activated in the northern Israeli city of Carmiel and surrounding communities, located about 20 kilometers from the Lebanese-Israeli border.
⚡A series of explosions were heard in Beirut and its surroundings, extending to Keserwan. Al-Jadeed reported at least one strike in Choueifat, in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Hezbollah is currently undergoing a leadership transition as it seeks a new secretary-general, a process that will take time, according to Mahmoud Qmati, a member of the party's political council.
Following the assassination of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah by Israel and the targeting of Hashem Saffiedine in a recent strike, Hezbollah has announced that it is in the midst of this internal leadership change.
⚡ Fady el-Hassan, Beirut airport director, denied to L'Orient Today reports indicating that the airport would suspend all flights from Sunday at 9 p.m. until Monday at 6 a.m. This information, which has been refuted, was circulated by at least one account on X. Earlier today, the Iranian news agency Mehr News Agency reported, citing an official announcement, that all flights in Iranian airports would be canceled starting tonight at 9 p.m. local time until Monday at 6 a.m. local time.
This decision follows heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, particularly after the recent Iranian attack and Israel's threat of retaliation.
⚡Syria's air defense intercepted "enemy targets" in the central region of the country, state news agency Sana reported today, with an NGO noting explosions in the Homs area following an Israeli raid.
"Our air defense systems intercepted enemy targets in the airspace of the central region," Sana stated, providing no further details. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported explosions in the Homs region due to an Israeli strike.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) deployed along the border between Israel and Lebanon stated today that Israeli military operations near one of its positions in Lebanon were "extremely dangerous."
In a statement, UNIFIL expressed being "deeply concerned about recent Israeli military activities in the immediate vicinity of one of its positions in Lebanon." The force described the situation as "an extremely dangerous development" following Israel's launch of ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Sept. 30.
Peacekeepers who are carrying out the tasks entrusted to them by the Security Council," UNIFIL stated, reminding "all parties" of their obligation to protect UN personnel and property.
The day before, UNIFIL announced it would "maintain its positions," despite a request from the Israeli army to "move some" of them.
It urged "Lebanon and Israel to implement Security Council Resolution 1701, the only viable solution to restore stability in the region."
This resolution, which marked the end of the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, stipulates that only UN peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army may be deployed in southern Lebanon.
It calls for the withdrawal of non-state armed forces, including Hezbollah.
Despite this resolution, the armed Islamist movement has maintained a presence in the southern part of the country since 2006, where approximately 10,000 peacekeepers are deployed.
⚡ The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) deems Israeli operations near its positions "extremely dangerous," according to AFP.
Hamas praised the "glorious" attack it launched on Oct. 7, 2023, against Israel in a video message released on the eve of the anniversary of the assault that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip, according to AFP.
"The glorious October 7 attack shattered the illusions that the enemy had created, convincing the world and the region of its supposed superiority and capabilities," said Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Palestinian Islamist movement based in Qatar, in the message.
Hezbollah claimed to have fired rockets at an Israeli forces gathering in the locality of Kfar Guiladi, located just a few kilometers south of Metula in northern Israel, at 8:30 p.m. This marks the group's 14th statement today.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli warplanes targeted an ambulance center belonging to the Al-Rissala Scouts Association, affiliated with the Amal movement, in Jeb Sheet, Nabatieh district, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Our correspondent in the Bekaa Valley reported an airstrike on Taraya, west of Baalbek.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated his call for the "full implementation" of United Nations Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, and to compel Israel to cease its aggression against Lebanon and its repeated violations, according to a statement from the Grand Serail.
The caretaker prime minister also noted that the lack of follow-up on the "international call endorsed by ten countries for a 21-day ceasefire" jeopardizes the credibility of these nations.
He referred to the American and French proposal to establish a 21-day truce between Hezbollah and Israel, a move supported by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Last weekend, caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib revealed that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had accepted this proposal shortly before his assassination by Israel and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also agreed to the truce before giving the green light for Nasrallah's assassination, which occurred on Sept. 27 in a massive strike in southern Beirut.
The Israeli air force targeted the village of Kfar Joz, north of Nabatieh, according to our correspondent.
In its 13th statement of the day, Hezbollah announced it had targeted the locality of Safed in northern Israel with a barrage of rockets.
In southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent:
A series of Israeli airstrikes targeted the cities of Khiam and Blida (Marjayoun district), as well as the outskirts of Bazourieh (Sour district), Burj al-Shemali and Iqlim Al-Tuffah (Nabatieh district). Additionally, the locality of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun district) was hit by heavy artillery fire.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will travel to Washington to the Pentagon on Oct. 9 to meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
“This visit by Mr. Gallant will focus on ongoing security developments in the Middle East,” according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense. Gallant’s last visit to the United States was at the end of June.
The Israeli army killed a Palestinian journalist today, just months after he received threatening messages instructing him to stop filming Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera.
Nineteen-year-old Hassan Hamad died when his home in the Jabalia refugee camp was hit by artillery fire. The Israeli army sent tanks and troops into the camp, located in northern Gaza, yesterday after a night of intense airstrikes.
French President Emmanuel Macron told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "the time for a ceasefire has now come," according to AFP.
In southern Lebanon, our correspondent reports new Israeli airstrikes on Bint Jbeil village, Bint Jbeil district and Majdal Selm, Marjayoun district.
According to Haaretz, the Israeli army is urging the public not to pay attention to rumors regarding the rescue of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.
⚡Two detonations caused by Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier were heard in Beirut, Sidon, Bekaa and their surroundings, according to our journalists and our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
If you want to stay updated on today’s events in Lebanon, you can check out our summary here.
Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with Emmanuel Macron today, the Israeli prime minister's office stated. Netanyahu told the French president that imposing arms embargoes on Israel “would serve Iran and its proxies,” according to Reuters.
“The prime minister emphasized that Israel's actions against Hezbollah create an opportunity to change the reality in Lebanon to improve stability, security, and peace throughout the region,” the office of Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, as he had already posted an address specifically directed at the occupant of the Élysée Palace online.
The day before, Emmanuel Macron had called for an end to arms deliveries to the Hebrew state used in Gaza during an interview on French public radio, France Inter, marking the first such statement since a year of war in the Palestinian enclave.
"Such strikes could have a negative impact on the citadel," stated Bachir Khodr, the governor of Baalbeck, referring to the Israeli strike that targeted the center of the main city in the Bekaa region on Sunday, close to its famous archaeological site.
"The strike occurred around 500 to 700 meters from the citadel and did not target either the citadel itself or its surrounding area," he clarified in remarks to AFP.
Updates from southern Lebanon:
Hezbollah announced it has launched a new aerial attack using a squadron of assault drones targeting "base 7200," located south of Haifa. The group claims this attack precisely struck an explosives factory at the site.
The group also stated it fired a barrage of rockets at a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the city of Ma'alot-Tarshiha, which is 25 kilometers from the Lebanese border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he informed French President Emmanuel Macron that an arms embargo on Israel would enhance Iran's influence in the region. He warned that restricting Israel's military capabilities could empower Iranian-backed groups and strengthen the "axis of resistance" against Israel.
⚡All flights across Iran's airports will be canceled from tonight at 21:00 local time until Monday at 06:00, Iran's Mehr News Agency has reported, citing an official announcement. This decision follows heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, particularly after Iran's recent attack and Israel's threat of retaliation.
Lebanon's caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad, paid tribute in a statement to the three employees of the South Lebanon Water Authority who were killed in Israeli strikes on Nabatieh and Sour. They are Ali Sobhi Mansour and Hussein Raslane, both from Taybé in the Marjeyoun district, as well as Karim Darwiche from Nabatiyé.
During a visit to the Lebanese border, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told soldiers today, “Together, we will win,” nearly a week after the Israeli army launched ground operations in southern Lebanon, according to AFP.
“A year ago, we suffered a terrible blow,” he said, referring to the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7, 2023. “In the twelve months that followed, we transformed the reality from one extreme to another. The entire world is amazed by the blows you are dealing to our enemies,” he added. “It is together that we will fight, and together we will win.”
Israeli artillery shelling targeted Mais al-Jabal in the Marjayoun district, local residents reported.
The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said on X that the Israeli army “continues its concentrated activity in southern Lebanon.”
“Forces from the 36th and 98th Divisions have destroyed launch sites, tunnel openings, military buildings and combat equipment, while the Air Force struck over 150 Hezbollah targets, guided by ground forces.”
He also claimed that the Israel Golani Brigade forces “uncovered tunnel openings, weapons warehouses, ammunition pits and preparation areas belonging to Hezbollah. Air units swiftly raided armed saboteurs spotted by ground forces. In the past 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force attacked approximately 150 Hezbollah military targets, including anti-tank missile launch sites, command headquarters, underground infrastructure and weapons warehouses.”
Still in the South:
- Clashes erupted between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces on the outskirts of Yaroun, Maroun al-Ras, Kfar Kila and Odaisseh, with a limited incursion into Yaroun, a security source told L’Orient Today.
- Security sources report that explosions were heard in the town of Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district, likely from the demolition of homes.
- Airstrikes targeted Arnoun and the town of Adchit, both located in the Nabatieh district.
The head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, said today that “unfortunately, there have been many violations of international humanitarian law in the strikes in Lebanon,” referring to the massive bombings carried out by Israel in several regions of the country over the past two weeks.
To date, more than one million people have been displaced within Lebanon, primarily from the areas most affected by the Israeli bombings: southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Some have fled to safer areas in the northern part of the country, while others have chosen to escape to Syria. According to the latest figures provided on Oct. 1, 2024, by the Lebanese Crisis Center, 176,080 Syrian citizens and 63,373 Lebanese citizens have fled to Syria since Sept. 23, totaling 239,453 people.
Update on the security situation in southern Lebanon:
- An Israeli drone conducted two strikes near the industrial area in the Marjayoun District, targeting the town of Debbine, resulting in injuries to civilians and an Internal Security Forces officer, according to local residents.
- In the past hour, warplanes raided the towns of Braasheet, Aitaroun and Beit Yahoun, all located in the Bint Jbeil district, according to local reports.
- Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes targeting the town of Shaqra, followed by additional strikes on Braasheet and Tebnine.
At least one person was killed, and 10 others were wounded in a stabbing attack at the central bus station in Be’er Sheva, east of Gaza strip, in southern Israel, according to Magen David Adom, the national ambulance service. The assailant was shot dead by Israeli forces. Police are investigating whether a firearm was also used during the incident. Israel police identified the attacker as an Israeli citizen from a village near Hura in southern Israel, according to Haaretz. The assailant opened fire with an automatic weapon on people, Haaretz reported, citing a statement from the Israeli police.
An Israeli airstrike targeted three vehicles carrying medical and relief supplies in the industrial city of Homs, in western Syria, state-run Syrian news agency reported today, without mentioning any injuries and adding that property damage was reported.
The national news agency cited the director of the industrial city in Homs, who stated that no factories had been targeted within the city and that the sound of the explosion was due to the Israeli strike. Israel has been conducting strikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria for years but has intensified these raids since the onset of the Gaza war.
The Israeli army announced today that rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Palestinian territory.
“Following alerts that were activated recently in areas west of Lakish and around Gaza, a number of launches were detected from the northern Gaza Strip,” a military spokesperson said. “One projectile was intercepted, and the others landed in open areas,” he added.
Nearly half of the 1.25 million Lebanese students have been displaced, a senior official from the Ministry of Education said today, as intensified Israeli strikes on Hezbollah strongholds have forced more than one million people to flee.
“There are 1.25 million students in Lebanese schools,” said Imad Achkar, the director general of education, “and 40% of them have been displaced due to the Israeli bombings.”
Israeli attacks targeting Lebanese territories between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. included strikes on Hosh and Jibbayn in the Sour district, Aita al-Shaab and Tebnine in the Bint Jbeil district, and Dibbine, Blida and Mais al Jabal in the Marjayoun district.
Hezbollah reported that it targeted Israeli soldiers at the "Bar'am" military base, located in the Galilee Heights northeast of Safed, with a missile barrage at 3:40 p.m. The group also conducted an aerial attack using a swarm of drones on the "7200 maintenance and rehabilitation base, situated south of Haifa," at 1:45 p.m.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Sunday about the recent developments and humanitarian conditions in Lebanon, according to a statement from Turkey's foreign ministry. Fidan informed Mikati that Turkey is prepared to assist Lebanon with its humanitarian needs, according to Reuters.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, announced during a meeting with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati that "around 200,000 displaced people" could receive cash assistance. Over one million people have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other parts of Lebanon due to ongoing Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
More details about the meeting between Mikati and Grandi can be found here.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops along the border with Lebanon today, according to a statement from his office.
He "visited today the base of the 36th Division in the Lebanese border area," the statement said, nearly a week after the Israeli army launched ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, where it has been carrying out heavy bombardments against the pro-Iranian movement since Sept. 23.
According to the National News Agency, two Israeli strikes have targeted Haret Hreik and Burj al-Barajneh, in Beirut's southern suburbs, in the past half-hour.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has bestowed the commander of the aerospace division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with a top honor for last week’s missile attack at Israel, according to AFP.
Amir Ali Hajizadeh received the “Fath” medal from the supreme leader in the presence of Iran’s top military commanders.
⚡ A new Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to several local media outlets. Smoke rose above the area, and the detonation from the bombing was heard from miles away.
At 1:55 p.m., Hezbollah announced that it had fired a "salvo of rockets" at Israeli soldiers near Shlomi, opposite Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil).
It also claimed to have targeted other Israeli soldiers at Margaliot, opposite Houla (Marjayoun).
Hezbollah said it targeted at 1:55 p.m. a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Israeli town of Shlomi, facing Maroun al-Ras in the Bint Jbeil district, with a rocket salvo.
Israeli strikes targeted an area behind the Jalil Palestinian refugee camp in Baalbeck, as well as Tamnin al-Fawqa, Qasarnaba, Taraya, and Hay al-Wadi (all located in the Bekaa district), our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
Four people were admitted to the Al-Murtada Hospital in Baalbek after the airstrike that targeted a house in Hay al-Wadi.
The Israeli army said on Sunday that it was deploying extra troops to the Gaza Strip's outskirts on the eve of the first commemoration of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, according to AFP.
"The Israeli army's Gaza division has been reinforced by several units, with forces stationed to defend both communities and the border area," the army said in a statement.
According to the same source, three units were operating inside the Gaza Strip to "dismantle terrorist infrastructure and degrade Hamas capabilities." "The Southern Command remains in a heightened state of vigilance and preparation for the days ahead," according to Major General Yaron Finkelman.
Lebanon's outgoing Health Minister Firas Abiad received a shipment of 25 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies from UNICEF at Rafic Hariri International Airport.
This is the second shipment of medical aid sent by the U.N., following equipment delivered the previous day by the UNHCR and WHO. "This aid is very important in the difficult situation that hospitals and the health sector are going through, and allows our hospitals to continue to function, especially for the 1.2 million displaced people who have health needs," said Abiad.
UNICEF's representative in Lebanon, Edouard Beigbeder, noted that a total of "67 tons" of medical aid will be provided to "meet the needs of 700,000 people for three months, and to cover different types of illness."
Tehran has already prepared its response plan in case Israel conducts an attack on Iranian territory, a local media outlet reported, citing a military source.
"The necessary response project in the face of a possible action by the Zionists is fully ready, and if Israel acts, the Iranian counterattack will be implemented," the Tasnim agency stated on Sunday, citing the military source. Iran "has a list of many Israeli targets," and Tuesday's operation "demonstrated that we can demolish any point we wish," the source added.
⚡ The Burj al-Barajneh neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs has been bombed by Israeli air forces, according to the National News Agency (NNA). This marks the second strike on the southern suburbs today, following an exceptionally violent night during which around thirty air raids hit the area.
No warning was issued by the Israeli army prior to this strike.
The Israeli military has announced that it has sent more soldiers and arms to the Gaza Strip, including the Netzarim Corridor, and the territory’s border areas.
It said its military presence is being reinforced with several combat companies, and that is on top of the three divisions that are already operating in Gaza. It promised to "destroy terrorist infrastructures and undermine Hamas’ capabilities until all the war’s goals are achieved."
There will also be no reduction of forces in Rafah in southern Gaza, or in the Philadelphi Corridor that marks the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt, according to the Israeli army.
The Israeli army claimed responsibility for eliminating a "Hezbollah commander" allegedly responsible for the deaths of two Israelis in January.
Hader Ali Tawil "was responsible for launching anti-tank missiles at Kfar Yuval," which resulted in the deaths of two Israeli citizens, a mother and her son, according to a message posted on X. Ali Tawil had been operating alongside other Hezbollah members who were killed in an airstrike earlier this week. The Israeli army stated that they killed him, along with other Hezbollah members involved in the attack, during an airstrike, without specifying the location.
The Israeli army has called on residents of around 20 villages in southern Lebanon, particularly in the district of Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun, to evacuate ahead of new operations targeting "Hezbollah installations."
"You must immediately evacuate your homes and head north of the Awali River," located north of Saida, stated the Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, in a message on X.
The affected villages include Houla, Mais al-Jabal, Blida, Mohaibib, Shaqra, Braasheet, Majdal Selm, Qabrikha, Kounin, Beit Yahoun, Jemaijmeh, Tir, Bani Hayan, Tamriyeh, Toulin, Deir Siryan, Qsair, Bafliyeh, Jabal al-Adas, Bayad, Sarbine, Bourj Rahal, Ain Baal, Rachidiyeh and Hanniyeh.
This is the third similar evacuation call in recent days by Israel for the residents of the south. For over a week, the Israeli army has also been urging residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate before airstrikes, with warnings often coming less than half an hour before the attacks.
Here’s an update on the security situation in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa
- Israel targeted Debbine in the Marjayoun district, local residents reported. Israeli drones then carried out three airstrikes on the town to prevent Red Cross vehicles from reaching the area after the first strike.
- An Israeli strike targeted Ali al-Nahri and the plain of Bednayel in the Bekaa, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
- The South Lebanon Water Establishment mourned three of its employees who were killed in Israeli strikes in Nabatieh and Sour.
The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip has released a new report indicating at least 41,870 deaths and 97,166 injuries among Palestinians since the start of the Israeli war on the enclave.
At least 24 people have been killed in the last 24 hours, primarily due to Israeli strikes on a mosque and a school located in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza.
An Israeli strike targeted Ali al-Nahri in the Bekaa, as reported by our correspondent in the region.
According to our correspondent in Bekaa, Sarah Abdallah, in addition to the airstrikes reported in the morning on localities in the Zahle district, one strike targeted Qalya in West Bekaa, while another hit Douris, east of Baalbek.
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad arrived Sunday morning on Kharg Island, Iran's largest oil terminal, amid concerns that Israeli strikes could target Iranian oil facilities in response to a missile attack launched by Iran against Israel earlier this week.
According to the Iranian Oil Ministry's news site, Shana, Paknejad aims to visit the oil facilities and meet with operational staff located on Kharg Island. This terminal, which has a storage capacity of 23 million barrels of crude oil, exports a significant portion of its oil to China, Tehran's main customer. During the first half of 2024, Beijing imported an average of 1.2 to 1.4 million barrels per day from Iran while not recognizing U.S. sanctions.
Four women were killed and 18 people were wounded last night in a strike on Nabi Younes street in Jiyyeh, a coastal town in the Chouf region south of Beirut, according to information from our correspondent Mountasser Abdallah.
A woman was pulled alive from the rubble.
The situation in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent's local and security sources
- Israeli artillery fire targeted Shebaa Farms (Hasbaya).
- An air strike targeted Khiam (Marjayoun).
The death toll from Saturday night's Israeli attack on a school and mosque in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, has risen to 24, the Palestinian enclave's Health Ministry said in a statement.
It added that 27 buildings had been hit by various Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip over the past 48 hours, including schools and centers for the displaced.
The Israeli army had claimed to have targeted a "Hamas integrated command and control center in a structure previously used as a mosque and school," in reference to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque and the Ibn Rushd School which were targeted.
The Lebanese Nurses' Union has called on the international community, the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on the health sector, which must be considered "neutral" in the current war.
Over the past two weeks, the Israeli army has struck numerous centers and ambulances, killing dozens of rescue workers, including from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee. The union denounced the attacks as "blatant disregard for international law."
⚡A new Israeli strike targeted a building near the al-Aytam gas station between Laylaki and Mreijeh shortly after 10 a.m., according to the official National News Agency (NNA).
Outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron's expression of support for Lebanon the previous day, with the announcement of a support conference to be held later this month.
In a statement issued by the Grand Serail, Mikati thanked Macron “for once again expressing his support for Lebanon and standing by the Lebanese people in the face of adversity."
Last night, at the close of the summit of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie near Paris, the French president had also spoken out in favor of halting arms deliveries to Israel, which provoked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We renew our support for the joint call for a cease-fire launched [last week] by France and the United States, with the support of the European Union and Arab and foreign countries, and demand that pressure be brought to bear on Israel to respect the cease-fire and immediately implement Resolution 1701," added Mikati in his statement.
Batteries of “more durable” beepers that duped Hezbollah, a marketing manager with trust ties to the group and messages that could only by opened by two hands...
In its Oct. 5 edition, the Washington Post provides new details on the Israeli operation of booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members, which exploded on Sept. 17 and 18, killing dozens and injuring thousands.
Our journalist Mohammad Yassin is touring Beirut's southern suburbs this morning, where street after street is filled with scenes of devastation. Entire buildings have collapsed in on themselves, while others are still in flames. Some streets have been rendered impassable by the debris.
According to our correspondent in the Bekaa Valley, strikes targeted Kfar Zabad and Qoussaya this morning, in the district of Zahle.
Two surface-to-surface missiles launched from Lebanon have been intercepted, the Israeli army reported. Earlier, Haaretz had reported that alarm sirens were sounding in central Israel.
The Israeli army stated, according to Haaretz, that several "aerial targets launched from Lebanon have been intercepted" and clarified that the operation did not result in any injuries.
Our correspondent in South Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah, reports this morning on a series of Israeli raids throughout the night.
These raids targeted the district of Nabatiyeh, as well as the regions and villages of Khiam, Marjayoun, Tebnine, Aïn Ebbel, Bint Jbeil, Hasbaya, Yaroun, Madfoun, Beit Yahoun, and more.
Find our recap of the night’s events here.
Regarding the strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Israeli army said in a statement cited Saturday morning by Haaretz, that the Israeli air force had targeted a series of Hezbollah sites in Beirut, including ammunition depots and other infrastructure.
The Lebanese government also published a report on Saturday, listing 2,036 killed and 9,662 injured in the "Israeli aggressions" against Lebanon since October 8, 2023.
On the diplomatic front, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that he would organize an international conference on Lebanon in October.
Macron also called for a halt to arms deliveries to Israel that are being used in the Gaza conflict. These remarks immediately drew a response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that Emmanuel Macron and some Western leaders "should be ashamed" for calling for arms embargoes against Israel.
In a statement summarizing various operations carried out throughout the day, including efforts to prevent Israeli army infiltration attempts along the southern border, Hezbollah claimed to have killed "more than 25 Israeli officers and soldiers" and injured 130.
The Israeli army, on the other hand, stated on Saturday that it had killed 440 Hezbollah fighters since the start of its "ground offensive" launched on Monday against the party in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not issued any statements regarding its casualties since the end of September.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several operations against the Israeli army late in the night. They reported targeting Israeli soldiers with artillery fire as they attempted to infiltrate Blida and then preventing Israeli troops from evacuating the dead and wounded in Menara. The party also claimed responsibility for a strike on the "Samson" logistical base for northern Israel, located near Tiberias, about thirty kilometers from the border.
The night was brutal, with a massive bombardment of the southern suburbs of Beirut by the Israeli army. Around thirty raids targeted the area, with such intensity that they were heard and felt tens of kilometers away.
Good morning, and thank you for joining us today for another day of live coverage of all the events related to the war in Lebanon and Gaza.
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