According to CNN, quoting U.S. officials, there are strong concerns within the Biden administration that what Israel has presented as a limited operation could quickly evolve into a larger, protracted conflict. U.S. officials also claim that Israel was initially considering a much larger ground incursion into Lebanon before the U.S. was able to convince it to scale back. However, they also acknowledge that, over the past year, they have come to realize that U.S. influence is limited when it comes to Israel's military operations.
The U.S. is not actively seeking to revive the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel and has resigned itself to trying to limit Israeli operations in Lebanon, rather than stopping hostilities, US officials told CNN. We haven't been able to stop them, but we can at least try to influence how this plays out, said a senior US official on condition of anonymity.
However, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre had said on Monday, “We're going to have regular consultations with the Israelis, with the Lebanese and others, about the right time to push for such an agreement.” “The Israelis have some things to overcome before we can revisit these conversations,” a senior U.S. administration official commented in this context.
The U.S. has suspended its efforts to revive a cease-fire deal and has settled for trying to frame and limit Israeli operations in Lebanon and against Iran, U.S. officials told CNN.
The officials said that the U.S. would like to see Lebanon cease-fire talks continue and believe that the war can only be resolved diplomatically.
“We couldn’t stop them from taking action, but we can at least try to shape what it looks like,” one senior U.S. official told CNN, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations.
At 12:45 a.m., Hezbollah announced that it had targeted "a gathering of enemy forces in the vicinity of the al-Marj site," located opposite the Lebanese village of Markaba in the Marjayoun district, with a "salvo of rockets."
Sirens sounded in Kiryat Shmona, an Israeli town 7 km from the border, reports Haaretz.
In a new statement, Hezbollah claims to have targeted "a gathering of enemy forces" in Hanita, a town in northern Israel, with a "salvo of rockets" shortly after midnight. Like Shlomi, targeted some time ago, Hanita is one of the four "closed military zones" announced by the Israeli army.
The Israeli army says it has detected 190 shots fired from Lebanon over the course of the day, Haaretz reports.
Hezbollah announced that shortly after midnight it had targeted "a gathering of enemy forces" in Shlomi, a town in northern Israel, with a "salvo of rockets."
Earlier, the Israeli army had announced the establishment of four "closed military zones" in the north-west of the country, shortly after warning that it was preparing to extend its operations against Hezbollah into the "coastal zone" of southern Lebanon. Shlomi is one of these four zones.
The Israeli army said it had identified "several projectiles" fired from Lebanon into central Israel, where warning sirens sounded.
"Several projectiles have been identified in Israeli territory originating from Lebanon," said a military statement issued shortly before 11:20 p.m.
Hezbollah announced that it has targeted an Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv.
In a statement, the party claimed that, as part of its "Khaybar" operation launched last week in response to "attacks and massacres of civilians," its fighters fired "a salvo of rockets against the Glilot base, which houses the 8200 military intelligence unit." This base is located on the coast of Tel Aviv's northern suburbs, some 100 km from the border.
The party's statement concluded affirming that "the Islamic Resistance remains ready to defend Lebanon and its noble and oppressed people, and will not hesitate to fulfill its duty to deter the enemy from its arrogance and aggression."
Avichay Adraee, Arabic-speaking spokesman for the Israeli army, described on his X account of the attacks carried out by the Israel in Lebanon during the day.
He claimed that the army has "attacked a launch site, combat manufacturing sites and intelligence headquarters belonging to Hezbollah."
"A short time ago, air force fighter jets attacked headquarters belonging to the intelligence directorate of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Beirut region," he said.
According to him, "in the morning, army fighter jets attacked Hezbollah terrorist targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region," including "a launch site as well as other military infrastructure." "Air force planes also attacked more than 70 terrorist targets in southern Lebanon," he added, "including military buildings, launch pads and command and control posts."
According to the Israeli media, "five projectiles" were fired from Lebanon at the Tel Aviv conurbation. "Some of them were intercepted by the air force and the others fell in an open area," said the Israeli army in a statement, adding that 'no change' had been made to the guidelines of the Northern Front Command.
The rockets fired from Lebanon were the third salvo of rockets to target Tel Aviv on Monday, following those fired from Gaza and Yemen earlier in the day.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke against the suspension of arms supplies to Israel.
At a parliamentary sitting in the House of Commons on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer answered “no" to a question from an MP, Zarah Sultana, who asked him to "do the morally and legally right thing and end the government's complicity in war crimes by banning all arms sales to Israel."
"On the anniversary of Oct. 7, and a few days after a massive Iranian attack on Israel, this would be a bad position for this government to take and I will not adopt it," he added.
The Israeli army carried out new air raids on several localities in the Bekaa and Baalbeck, according to our correspondent in the region Sarah Abdallah.
An Israeli raid targeted Nabi Sheet, Shmustar, Harbta, Younin and the Um Ali Valley.
Boudai and Hermel were each targeted by two raids.
Smoke rises upon Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, in the Laylaki area, Oct.7, 2024.
The Israeli army bombed Beirut's southern suburbs again. According to local media, it targeted the Laylaki area.
The southern suburbs of Beirut were the target of new Israeli strikes which caused loud bangs, according to local media.
The Israeli army "cannot confirm the death of Hashem Safieddine," Hassan Nasrallah's would-be successor as head of Hezbollah, following reports that he was the target of the massive Israeli strike carried out last Friday at midnight sharp, a government spokesman told Reuters today.
Asked about Safieddine's death, spokesman David Mencer told an online briefing, "We don't have confirmation yet. When it is confirmed, it will be published on the Israeli army website."
The Israeli air force attacked the "headquarters of Hezbollah's intelligence services" in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Israeli radio said on X.
Another heavy strike hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, causing a loud bang, according to local media.
Black smoke billowed from the area.
At the commemorative ceremony on Oct. 7, a recorded speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was broadcast, in which he declared that Oct. 7 "will symbolize for generations the price of our rebirth, will express for generations the greatness of our determination and the strength of our spirit," in remarks relayed by Haaretz.
During his meetings with wounded Israeli soldiers and bereaved families, Netanyahu said that "we [the Israeli government] always hear the same message: The campaign must not be stopped prematurely."
"As long as the enemy threatens our existence and the peace of our country, we will continue to fight. As long as our hostages are in Gaza, we will continue to fight," he said.
Another night strike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs
According to the National News Agency, the two night strikes targeted Burj al-Barajneh and the Kafa'at neighborhood.
Israeli strikes targeted Shmestar (Baalbeck) and Hermel, reports our correspondent.
🔴The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, has issued a new evacuation warnings to residents of specific neighborhoods in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The warning targets residents of certain buildings in Bourj al-Brajneh and Hadath. "You are in the vicinity of Hezbollah installations that the Israeli army will soon target," he said. "You must immediately evacuate these and nearby buildings and move at least 500 meters away from them."
The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that two Palestinians — a 66-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy — have succumbed to injuries sustained during Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank.
"Ziad Abou Halil (66) fell as a martyr after being assaulted by occupying forces during their intrusion into his home in Doura, south of Hebron," the ministry said in a statement. His son, Mourad Abou Halil, told AFP that his father was beaten by Israeli soldiers who had entered their family home to arrest his brother.
In a separate statement, the Health Ministry reported the death of 12-year-old Hatem Ghaith, "from critical wounds caused by occupation fire inside Qalandia camp." Residents of the camp stated that the Israeli army invaded the area overnight, leading to clashes between soldiers and local youth. The army declined to comment on the incidents when contacted by AFP.
A series of Israeli strikes targeted the heights of Nabi Sheet, Bodai, Flawieh and Hermel, in the Baalbeck district.
Heavy strikes also targeted Taraya and Jenta (Baalbeck), as well as the village of Massa in the Bekaa.
The United States believes that Israel's ground operations in Lebanon remain "limited" for now, the State Department today, as Israeli forces appeared set to intensify ground raids in southern Lebanon on the first anniversary of the Gaza war.
The Israeli army has incessantly and heavily bombed various areas across southern Lebanon today and issued evacuation warnings for people on the Lebanese coast in the area south of the Awali River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea north of Saida.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that Washington expects Israel to target Hezbollah in Lebanon while adhering to international humanitarian law and minimizing civilian casualties.
"We have made it clear to Israel that we expect the roads leading to Beirut's airport to remain operational," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. The announcement comes after several Israeli strikes hit areas near the routes connecting Beirut airport to the capital.
"The United States does not want UNIFIL troops in Lebanon to be put at risk," the statement added. This follows Hezbollah’s accusation today that the Israeli army had used UNIFIL forces as "human shields" by operating from behind a UNIFIL military position near the border village of Maroun al-Ras in the Bint Jbeil district yesterday evening.
Israeli strikes targeted Baalbeck, reported our correspondent in the region
A new Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting Chiyah neighborhood, reported the National News Agency (NNA).
The Yemeni Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for missile strikes against Israel. Earlier today, the Israeli the army reported intercepting a missile fired from Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthis stated they "targeted two military sites of the Israeli enemy with two missiles" aimed at Tel Aviv. Their military spokesman, Yahya Saree, also reported drone strikes on "several targets" in Israel earlier in the day.
According to the National News Agency, six Israeli strikes targeted Roueiss, Lailake, Mreijeh and the area around the "al-Raya" soccer field in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Iran hailed the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel as a turning point for the Palestinians on the first anniversary of the event.
"The Oct. 7, 2023 operation ... marked a decisive moment in the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against the occupation and oppression of the Zionist regime," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
⚡ Beirut's southern suburbs were targeted by a series of Israeli strikes.
No evacuation notice has been issued by the Israeli army.
U.S. President Joe Biden had a phone conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog to commemorate the October 7 attacks, Axios reported.
Earlier today, Biden attended a tribute to the victims of the Hamas attack.
The tribute was led by Rabbi Aaron Alexander of the American Conservative congregation Adas Israel, who recited a prayer before leading a moment of silence. according to Haaretz. Biden then lit a yahrzeit candle, a symbolic gesture in Jewish tradition.
The Israeli army has announced the closure of access to areas surrounding several localities in northern Israel, specifically Rosh Hanikra (opposite Ras el-Naqoura), Shlomi, Hanita, Adamit, and Arab al-Aramshe, which have been declared "closed military zones."
This announcement follows an "urgent warning" issued at 7 p.m. to "people on the Lebanese coast" in the area south of the Awali River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea north of Saida. Earlier today, the army had partially eased certain restrictions imposed on residents of northern Israel, which were put in place after Hezbollah increased the intensity of its cross-border rocket fire in recent weeks.
The army stated that "the scale of activity will change from limited activity to partial activity," and added that educational activities can now be held in these areas if conducted near bomb shelters or at other secure venues. "Guidelines for the rest of the country remain unchanged," the statement concluded. The Israeli army had taken similar measures in preparation for its ground offensive into southern Lebanon.
According to the Saudi media outlet Al-Arabiya, Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, is still alive despite not having shown any signs of life for several weeks.
"Sinwar is alive; he has renewed contact with the Qataris in recent days," a security official told the outlet. It is reported that he has "resettled in Gaza" after learning of the Israeli strike on Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs, which killed Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27.
A Hezbollah field officer told the al-Mayadeen TV channel that the party's fighters reported yesterday having "spotted unusual movement by Israeli forces behind a UNIFIL military position on the outskirts of the border village of Maroun al-Ras in southern Lebanon."
He stated that the party instructed "its fighters to wait and not react to this movement in order to protect the lives of UNIFIL soldiers."
The officer added, "The Israeli enemy is attempting to use UNIFIL troops as human shields to mask its inability to advance towards the village, particularly after its repeated and unsuccessful attempts to move toward Maroun al-Ras from multiple axes, resulting in the loss of dozens of its soldiers, both dead and wounded."
At 6 p.m., Hezbollah launched a salvo of missiles at a deployment of Israeli soldiers on al-Tayhat hill, opposite Lebanese Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), near the Blue Line, adding that it hit its target.
More than 400,000 people, Syrians and Lebanese combined, have fled from Lebanon to Syria since Sept. 23, according to the latest estimates from the Lebanese Crisis Center. The latter specifies that these are "300,774 Syrians and 102,283 Lebanese", while the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that Palestinians, Sudanese, refugees and nationals of other countries have also crossed the border to escape the daily Israeli aerial bombardment of the south, east and southern suburbs of Beirut.
"We will not target Israeli forces near Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) to protect the lives of UNIFIL peacekeepers," said Hezbollah, citing a "field officer."
The party added that operations command asked the fighters to wait and not launch attacks on the move to "preserve the UNIFIL soldiers' lives," pointing out that "Israel is using human shields."
🔴At 7 p.m., the Israeli army issued an "urgent warning" to "people on the Lebanese coast" in the area south of the Awali River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea north of Saida. This warning is particularly directed at individuals using "boats for fishing or other activities," said Arabic-speaking spokesman Avichay Adraee.
"Due to the escalation of Hezbollah's activities in the region, the Israeli army is compelled to prepare operations in Lebanese waters," he wrote on X. "Avoid any presence in the sea or on the beach until further notice. Being on the beach or on a boat in the area south of the Awali River poses a threat to your life," he warned.
The Israeli army claimed in the early evening that it had struck "more than 120 Hezbollah targets" in southern Lebanon within the span of "one hour."
In a statement, the Israeli air force reported that it had "hit more than 100 terrorist targets in southern Lebanon ... belonging to various Hezbollah units." The operation was described as a continuation of a series of strikes aimed at weakening Hezbollah and supporting Israeli ground forces. Earlier, the Israeli army reported that "approximately 135 projectiles" fired by the group had entered Israeli territory since the start of the day. According to Haaretz, Israeli emergency services have not reported any casualties from these strikes.
French airline Air France has extended its suspension of flights between Paris and Tel Aviv until Oct. 15, and between Paris and Beirut until Oct. 26, a company spokesman said today, due to continuing security concerns in the region.
Hezbollah announced that it had launched two rounds of "large rocket salvos" targeting "several areas north of Haifa," Israel's major northern city.
⚡ Citizens in northern Israel have spotted paragliders in the Galilee region, according to Israeli newspaper Maariv. Residents have been asked not to leave their homes.
In a speech aired today, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, stated that the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip are in a "very difficult" situation, one year after their abduction.
"We tell the enemy [Israel] that you could have secured the return of all your hostages alive a year ago ... The psychological and sanitary conditions of the remaining hostages have become very difficult," he said in a video released by the Palestinian movement on its Telegram channel.
UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the region) has announced in a press release the closure of an accommodation center for displaced persons set up in the Deir al-Qasi school, located in the Palestinian camp of Miyeh w Miyeh, near Saida.
Vladimir Putin will meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, to discuss the situation in the Middle East, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told Interfax news agency.
Earlier today, the Russian president had a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss the "latest developments in the situation in the Middle East," according to Reuters. However, Ushakov noted that Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by Russia's state news agency TASS.
Three people were killed in an afternoon Israeli drone strike targeting a van carrying civilians on the Khiam road in the Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent.
An Israeli strike targeted the city of Sour in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent.
Israeli fighter jets broke the sound barrier over Beirut, South Lebanon, the Bekaa and Mount Lebanon, causing loud detonations.
The Israeli army claimed to have "successfully intercepted" a missile fired from Yemen.
⚡A ground-to-ground missile was launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen in the direction of Israel, according to the Israeli army spokesman. "The alerts in the center of the country were due to a ground-to-ground missile launched from Yemen. Details are being examined," wrote Avichay Adraee on X.
Alarm sirens are sounding in Tel Aviv and central Israel, reports Haaretz. According to the Israeli media, the Israeli army claimed that a missile had been launched from Yemen.
After a long absence, spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades Abou Obeida appeared in a video published on Hamas's Telegram channel today to mark the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, known as the "al-Aqsa Flood" operation.
"We speak to you from Gaza, one year after the most professional commando operation that shook the enemy and changed the region," he stated.
He specifically addressed the reasons he believed the Oct. 7 attack was justified, stating, "The onset of this battle occurred after Israel's aggression against the al-Aqsa mosque, which reached a dangerous and unprecedented level, and after the enemy persisted in colonization, ethnic cleansing, and aggression against prisoners," he asserted.
He also paid tribute to the former leader of Hamas's political branch, Ismail Haniyeh, and Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, both recently killed by the Israeli army.
"We have conducted high-quality operations, both offensive and defensive, on all combat fronts. We continue to offer our martyrs among the commanders before the soldiers, while the Zionist enemy celebrates the assassination of our leader Ismail Haniyeh, may God have mercy on him, and our great commander Hassan Nasrallah, may God receive him unto Himself ... If assassinations were victories, resistance would have ended "
Between 4pm and 5pm, Israeli airstrikes targeted the villages of Biyada, Qana, Ramadi, Ramadieh, Beit Lif, Yater, Maarakeh and Adloun, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon.
The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has described the "unspeakable suffering" of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for the past year while condemning the ongoing war, which he called a "graveyard." On X, Philippe Lazzarini, the director of UNRWA, marked the first anniversary of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel, stating: "Twelve months of unspeakable suffering for the hostages in Gaza, their families left in limbo, and a deeply traumatized society." He lamented the war in Gaza, stating, "Twelve months of brutal war have transformed the Gaza Strip into an unrecognizable sea of rubble, and a graveyard for tens of thousands of people, among them far too many children."
A large number of rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Haaretz reported that rocket sirens sounded in northern Israel.
One year after the "terrible attack" on Israel, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, lamented that the Middle East is "verge of a complete conflagration that the international community looks unable to control." He stated, "The situation is only getting worse. e people in the region are more insecure than ever and are caught in an unending cycle of violence, hatred, and revenge."
Borrell reiterated his call for an "immediate cease-fire on all fronts," emphasizing that "no military solution can ever bring a future to the Palestinian and Israeli peoples." He added, "Only a political solution will bring peace, security, and prosperity," which requires the establishment of two states — one for Israelis and another for Palestinians. "This is the only viable way to finally put an end to the violence," said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
Hezbollah announced that it launched missiles and artillery shells at a gathering of Israeli soldiers on al-Qalaa hill in the Lebanese village of Blida (Marjayoun) at 3 p.m.
Eight Palestinians were killed while others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Wafa news agency.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its teams recovered the bodies of eight individuals after Israeli forces shelled a group of civilians near the Abu Qamar station.
Earlier, the Israeli army shot and killed a 12-year-old Palestinian child during a military offensive in the Qalandia refugee camp, north of East Jerusalem, also according to Wafa. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the child as Hatem Ghaith, who died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Seven other individuals, including three children, were wounded, and 20 others were arrested during the Israeli raid.
Two people were killed in Israeli drone strikes that targeted a van of civilians on the Khiam road (Marjayoun) this afternoon, according to our correspondent.
Here are the latest casualty figures from Israeli airstrikes yesterday, relayed by the Health Ministry's Emergency Operation Center:
- In Mount Lebanon, 15 people were killed and 46 injured.
- In South Lebanon, 3 people were killed and 19 injured.
- In Nabatihe, 4 people were killed and 26 injured.
- In the Bekaa, 12 people were injured.
- In Baalbeck-Hermel, 8 people were injured.
In the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes killed 22 people and injured 111 others. Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression, the total number of victims has reached 2,083 killed and 9,869 wounded.
Israeli airstrikes continue to incessantly target southern Lebanon, bombing Bayada, Beit Lif, Haloussieh, Marakah, Ramadieh, Qana and Yater. The last two villages were struck three times.
The National News Agency stated that Israeli strikes have struck around 30 villages in less than 30 minutes. To find out more, press here.
140 rockets have been fired from Lebanon towards Israel so far today, reported Haaretz.
A security source told AFP that the Israeli airstrike targeted an area close to Beirut International Airport.
The Israeli army "recently carried out a precision attack in Beirut," reports Arabic-speaking Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on X. "Further details will be released later," he added.
Casualties have been reported in an Israeli drone strike targeting a van carrying civilians on the Khiam road in the Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent.
A series of Israeli strikes continue to target southern Lebanon's Sour district incessantly, reported our correspondent in the region:
- Two airstrikes targeted al-Houmairi
- Four airstrikes targeted Deir Qanoun
- Airstrikes also targeted Tayr Felsay, Majdal Zoun and Mansouri
An Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Mashghara, in the western Bekaa, reported our correspondent in the region.
France believes that "force alone cannot guarantee Israel's security," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated in Jerusalem on the first anniversary of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel. "The time for diplomacy has come," Barrot added, as Israel's war in Gaza expands to Lebanon, where Hezbollah is now involved.
Regarding Lebanon, he stated that the French-US Proposal for a cease-fire remains on the table and that the parties will continue to work on it, reported Reuters.
Barrot added Hezbollah bears 'heavy responsibility' for war in Lebanon, reported AFP.
Here's an update on Israeli airstrikes that targeted southern Lebanon from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., according to our correspondent in the region:
- In the Nabatieh District: Nabatieh, Nabtieh al-Fawqa, Shoukin, Zebdine, Ansar, Ghassanieh
- In the Jezzine district: Ain Kana, Jebaa, Ain Bouswar,
- In the Saida district: Ghazieh, Zrarieh
- In the Sour district: Hosh, Burj al-Shemali, Bazourieh, Janata, Tayr Debba, Maarakeh, Ain Baal, Toura, Shehabieh, Mahrouna, Majahel, Qalileh, Nafakhieh
- In the Bint Jbein district: Kafra, Tebnine, Sultanieh, Deir Antar, Yater, Kfar Dounin, Khirbet Silm, Safad al-Batikh
- In the Marjayoun district: Khiam
⚡ A new Israeli strike has targeted the Mreijeh neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs, reported the National News Agency (NNA) and several local media.
A Civil Defense rescue vehicle for the al-Rissala Scouts, affliated with the Amal movement, was damaged by an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Bazourieh, in the Sour district.
"I will never forget the horror of Oct. 7, 2023," wrote Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a statement released one year after the Hamas attack and Israel's military response in the Gaza war.
"I am heartbroken over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza over the past year," she added, emphasizing: "I will always fight for Palestinians to realize their right to dignity, freedom, security, and self-determination."
The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman Avichay Adraee reports on X that the Israeli air force is "carrying out large-scale attacks in southern Lebanon on Hezbollah terrorist targets", without giving further details.
Our correspondent in the region reported that more than 20 air strikes targeted villages in the Sour district, Nabatieh, Saida, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun. At the same time, intense and concentrated bombardments targeted border villages. Rockets were also fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel.
Here are the latest updates on Israeli attacks on South Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region:
- A series of airstrikes targeted Qlaileh, Aitit, Ain Baal and Shehabieh, all in the Sour district.
- Airstrikes also bombed Blat (Marjayoun), Iqleem al-Tuffah (Rashaya), and Nabatieh, in the district of the same name.
- Israeli warplanes targeted a house in Dhour al-Ghazieh, south of Saida, our correspondent added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that Israel "will pay the price" for the "genocide" it is committing against the Palestinian people, one year after the deadly Hamas attacks.
"In Gaza, in Palestine, and nowadays in Lebanon, those who die are not only women, children, babies, and innocent civilians," Erdogan wrote on X.
"Israel's long-standing policy of genocide, occupation and invasion must now come to an end ... It should not be forgotten that Israel will sooner or later pay the price for this genocide that it has been carrying out for a year and is still continuing," his post read.
⚡ The Hamas press office announced that Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas's military wing, will speak at 5 p.m. today.
The Israeli army confirmed the death of one of its officers in fighting in Lebanon with Hezbollah along the borders. The soldier succumbed to his wounds in an attack on Sunday, during which at least one other soldier was killed, according to the statement relayed by the Israeli media.
Hamas rejected what it called "a false narrative and a fabricated story" about a Yazidi woman Israel claimed was kidnapped by the Islamic State in Iraq and freed in Gaza in a secret operation involving Israel, the United States and Iraq.
🔴 According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the death toll from the Israeli strike on the building of the Union of Municipalities of Bint Jbeil in BaraaSheet stands at at least 10 firefighters, while clearing operations and searching for people trapped under the rubble continue.
"The Israeli enemy has committed a new war crime against firefighters and paramedics in southern Lebanon, displaying unprecedented violence and inhumanity by targeting people who are carrying out purely humanitarian and rescue missions, far removed from what is required on the battlefields," the ministry said in its statement.
Lebanese television channel al-Mayadeen, considered pro-Iranian, said Monday that some of its "websites and news platforms have been targeted by a cyberattack," without providing further details. The newspaper al-Akhbar, known for its proximity to Hezbollah, also said on Instagram that its site had been the victim of "a series of continuous cyberattacks."
Read the full story here.
Iran warned Israel against launching a counterattack following the Islamic Republic's missile attack last week, Haaretz reports.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told Iranian state news agency IRNA that Iran would not stop defending its right to self-defense.
35 rockets were fired at northern Israel in the past hour, the Israeli military said in a statement, Haaretz reports.
"Some of the rockets fell in open areas, one fell near a house in Ma'alot-Tarshiha and the others were intercepted. The Kfar Vradim municipality said that property was damaged by two rockets that hit the town," the post continued.
Pope Francis on Monday castigated, in a letter to Catholics in the Middle East a year after the Oct. 7 massacres and Israel's military response in Gaza, the "shameful inability" of the major powers to obtain a cease-fire in the region.
"A year ago, the fuse of hatred was lit. It did not go out, but flared up in a spiral of violence" made possible by "the shameful inability of the international community and the most powerful countries to silence the guns and put an end to the tragedy of war," the pontiff wrote.
Here are the Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon between noon and 1 p.m.:
- Israeli jets carried out strikes on Kafr Kila, Khiam (Marjayoun), Arnoun (Nabatieh), Bazourieh (Sour), BaraaSheet (Bint Jbeil), Jibsheet (Nabatieh).
- Kfar Kila and Khiam were also targeted by artillery bombardments.
Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee once again called on residents to "urgently" leave several villages in south Lebanon.
This concerns the inhabitants of Sarbine, Marwahine, Shihine, Um al-Tout, Um Tuta, Boustan, al-Zaloutieh, Yarine, Dahrieh, Matmoura, Jibbain, Tyr Harfa, Abou Shash, Alma al-Shaab, Naqoura, Ain Chama and Ras al-Badah, Majdal Zoun, Mansouri, Maqsaba, Mazraat Bayout al-Siyad, al-Samaiyeh, Rashidieh, Ain Baal, Bazourieh, Hanieh.
The leader of the Marada Movement, Sleiman Frangieh, will go to Ain al-Tineh today to meet with Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, according to information obtained by L'Orient Today.
Frangieh is Hezbollah and the Amal Movement's candidate for the presidency and his candidacy was at one time half-heartedly supported by France.
Israeli escalation will lead to a "regional war," stated Jordan's foreign minister during a visit to Beirut.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Monday in Beirut accused Israel of having "full responsibility" for an "escalation" that will drag the Middle East into "a regional war."
"The Israeli aggression ... which began in Gaza and has now spread to Lebanon will push the entire region into the abyss of a total regional war," said Safadi, on a visit to Lebanon where since Sept. 23, Israel and Hezbollah have entered into open war after a year of cross-border shootings.
Update on the situation in the south of the country:
- An Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Arnoun (Nabatieh).
- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack, targeting a gathering of Israeli enemy forces behind the gate of the town of Rmaish with a salvo of rockets and managed to hit it directly, at 9:00 a.m.
- Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes targeting the towns of Kfar Kila and Khiam (Marjayoun). The area is also continuously bombarded by Israeli artillery.
- The airstrike on the town of Baarasheet (Nabatieh) caused casualties in the building of the fire station of the Union of Municipalities of the district of Bint Jbeil.
- An Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Yater (Bint Jbeil).
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday declared his commitment to do everything to "defeat" Israel's enemies, who are at war on several fronts a year to the day after the Palestinian Hamas attack on the south of the country.
"We are deeply committed to continuing to take all necessary measures to defeat our enemies and defend our homeland," Gallant said in a statement.
As Israel commemorates the first anniversary of Oct. 7, Israel reportedly increased its presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, which borders Egypt and is a contentious point in negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza, indicating a desire to stay for the long term.
Tribal sources living in Rafah told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the Israeli army had erected lighting poles and cranes on which surveillance cameras were attached. They added that military towers had been built at several points along the corridor.
In a statement, Joe Biden reaffirmed his support for Israel and called for the release of the hostages in a statement delivered on the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, Haaretz reports.
The U.S. president said his government "will never give up until we bring all remaining hostages home safely." He added that the United States "supports Israel's right to defend itself against attacks by Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iran."
He also condemned the "vicious" rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and "around the world." "This is unacceptable. We must all unite against anti-Semitism and against hatred in all its forms."
The Israeli military said that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Michael Kurilla conducted a situation assessment with Israeli military Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi on Sunday after landing in Israel on Saturday.
The Israeli military said Kurilla's visit focused on "current security issues, with an emphasis on Iran and Israel's northern front."
Arabic-langyage spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued new evacuation notices to residents of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, Beit Lahia and " all residents of evacuation zones A1-3, D6, D2, B1-3 " in anticipation of future bombings.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi arrived in Beirut, Reuters reports.
The Israeli military said 10 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel in the past hour, landing in open areas, Haaretz reported.
Deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force Iraj Masjed says General Esmail Qaani is in "good health," state media reported, citing Reuters.
Qaani was last seen in public at Hezbollah's offices in Tehran, two days after Israel killed the party's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, Sept. 27.
The toll rose to 41,909 Palestinians killed and 97,303 wounded by the Israeli military offensive in the enclave, according to the Gazan Health Ministry, Reuters reports.
New strikes took place on the border of Yarine and the village of Abbassieh (Sour), reports L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south.
Clashes and exchanges of fire were heard at several points on the border with northern Israel, where artillery fire echoes continuously.
The Israeli military said five rockets were launched by Hamas from the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, Haaretz reported.
Two people were slightly injured, the publication said.
U.S. Vice President and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris sidestepped questions about whether Benjamin Netanyahu can be considered a "close ally" of the United States, as critics accuse the Israeli prime minister of obstructing Washington's stated goal of de-escalation in the Middle East.
"I think, with all due respect, the better question is whether there is a meaningful alliance between the American people and the Israeli people. And the answer to that question is yes," she finally responded to a direct question on the subject, relayed in an excerpt from an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes.
An explosion was heard overnight some 500 metres from the Israeli embassy in Denmark, Copenhagen police said on Monday, five days after an attack targeted the diplomatic building.
"We are of course looking into whether there might be a connection with the incident at the Israeli embassy ," Copenhagen police inspector Trine Moller told reporters.
Israeli airstrikes targeted the surroundings of Baalbeck, reports L'Orient Today's correspondent.
Hamas claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Tel Aviv, and Israeli military says alarm sirens have sounded in central Israel, Reuters reports.
Japan on Monday "unequivocally condemned" the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, adding that it was also "gravely concerned" about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip one year later.
"Japan has consistently condemned unequivocally the terrorist attacks by Hamas and other groups, and urges the immediate release of all hostages still in captivity," said newly appointed Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
"France is unwaveringly committed" to Israel's security, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Monday at a ceremony in Israel honoring the victims of the Hamas attack a year ago.
"France mourns alongside Israel, our compatriots" killed in the attack of Oct. 7, 2003, he said against a backdrop of controversy between the two countries after French President Emmanuel Macron spoke out in favor of stopping deliveries to Israel of weapons that could be used in the war in Gaza.
The Oct. 7 attack brought Israel "back to square one," a senior Palestinian Hamas official said Monday, AFP reported.
"Al-Aqsa Flood has brought the occupier back to square one and threatened its existence," Khaled Meshaal, the former leader of Hamas, told Al Arabiya TV, using the name given by the movement to the unprecedented attack on Israeli soil that sparked the war in Gaza.
In south Lebanon:
- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack targeting the town of Kfar Vradim with a salvo of rockets at 9:10 a.m. The town is located about ten kilometers from the border with south Lebanon.
- The Amal Movement, an ally of Hezbollah, announced the death of one of its members, Fadi Abbas Fakih, born in Srifa in 1995.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that his country will not "waver" in the "quest for peace," a year after the "horrific" Oct. 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, AFP reports.
"We will not waver in our quest for peace and on this day of pain and sorrow, we honour those we have lost and remain determined to recover those still held hostage, help those who are suffering and ensure a better future for the Middle East," the British Prime Minister said on X.
An airstrike targeted Jabal al-Rihan (Jezzine), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is present Monday morning in Reim, in southern Israel, at a ceremony in tribute to the victims killed in the Hamas attack a year ago.
According to his schedule, Barrot, who is due to meet his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz in the morning, before going to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, is due to make a statement in Reim in the presence of families of the French victims of Oct. 7.
An Israeli strike targeted an area between Tayr Debba and Bazourieh (Sour).
The Israeli army also carried out another strike on Zaoutar al-Sharqieh (Nabatieh), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
At around 6:50 a.m., Israel bombed Beirut's southern suburbs.
The United Arab Emirates will charter six additional flights to deliver humanitarian aid to Lebanon, according to several local and regional media outlets.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, that "the pain remains as acute as it was a year ago," "that of the Israeli people, ours, that of wounded humanity."
On X, the head of state sent his "fraternal thoughts" to the victims, the hostages and the "families whose hearts are broken by the absence or the wait". Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed to Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday "France's unwavering commitment" to Israel's security, during a telephone conversation intended to dispel the unease between the two countries the day after the French president's statements calling for a halt to certain arms deliveries to Israel.
Israeli strikes targeted Matarieh, near Zahrani , then Badias, and Haloussieh (Sour).
At dawn, Israeli jets attacked a house in the town of Srifa (Sour), killing four people, including a member of the Lebanese army.
Rockets were fired from the south towards the Western Galilee.
Israeli jets attacked the outskirts of the town of Srira (Jezzine).
The Israeli military said 20 rockets were fired at northern Israel in an attack this morning, Haaretz reported.
The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, claimed responsibility Monday morning for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, where the country marked the start of a day of celebrations for the first anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023.
"We targeted [a kibbutz and a military base as well as a gathering of Israeli soldiers] with a number of rockets," a statement from the al-Qassam Brigades said. The Israeli army announced that it had intercepted three projectiles coming from the Gaza Strip, while a fourth "fell on an uninhabited area."
On Sunday night and Monday morning, in south Lebanon:
After 10:00:p.m. Israeli jets attacked Naqoura (Sour). The town of Khiam (Marjayoun) was heavily bombarded by Israeli artillery as well as its surroundings.
Between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Israel targeted several locations.
Israeli airstrikes targeted: Qabrikha, Khiam, Mais al-Jabal, Kafr Kila (Marjayoun), the town of Bint Jbeil, Ainata (Bint Jbeil), Ghassanieh (Saida), Yarine, Zebqine, Janata, Naqoura (Sour).
Artillery bombardments targeted: Blida, Mais al-Jabal, Khiam, Houla, Mhaibib (Marjayoun), Bint Jbeil, Ain Ebel, Rmaish (Bint Jbeil).
After 11:00 p.m., Israeli jets targeted the town of Shehabieh (Sour). A salvo of rockets was fired from the south towards Israeli territory.
Between 11:00 p.m. and midnight, Israeli airstrikes targeted the neighborhoods of Sawana and Blida (Marjayoun), al-Sharqieh (Nabatieh), Majdel Zoun (Sour), Baraasheet (Bint Jbeil).
Artillery bombardments targeted: Blida, Mais al-Jabal, Khiam and its valley, Mhaibib, Kafr Kila (Marjayoun) and Labouneh (Sour).
Hezbollah claimed to have bombed, just after midnight, the Nimra base, "one of the main bases in the northern region," west of Tiberias, with a salvo of rockets.
At 1 a.m., Israeli jets targeted the town of Khiam (Marjayoun), which was hit by five airstrikes.
Airstrikes targeted Kasnaba and Badnayel this morning, west of Baalbeck, reports L'Orient Today's correspondent in Bekaa.
The Families Forum announced on Monday the death of an Israeli hostage one year to the day after he was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack.
"The Hostage Families Forum mourns the murder of Idan Shtivi," 28, whose "body is still" in Gaza, the Forum wrote in a statement.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday called on the world to "support Israel in its fight against its enemies," on the first anniversary of the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israel.
Oct. 7, 2023 leaves "a scar on humanity ... a scar on the face of the Earth," and "the world must realize and understand that in order to change the course of history and bring peace and a better future to the region, it must support Israel in its fight against its enemies," Herzog wrote in a statement.
According to Haaretz, the Israeli army announced that the 91st Division would participate in the attempted ground incursion launched by Israel in southern Lebanon.
The alarm sirens, which are triggered in the event of a rocket attack, were activated a few minutes ago in northern Israel, according to the daily.
Update on the situation in South Lebanon this morning:
- At around 05:30 a.m., raids and artillery fire targeted the town of Khiam (Marjayoun), and rockets were fired towards the center of Galilee
- At 8:00 a.m., Israeli artillery shelling targeted the town of Shebaa and a number of other border villages.
- Hezbollah claimed to have bombed the town of Karmiel in northern Israel with rockets at 6:55 a.m.
Later in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the nation. Other rallies are planned in Tel Aviv and Nir Oz, a kibbutz where some 30 residents were killed and more than 70 taken hostage and taken to Gaza.
“History did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023. All those who have the Palestinian cause at heart like to recall this to counteract a dominant narrative that makes it the alpha and omega of everything that happened during this terrible year, drawing a misleading and simplistic parallel with the attacks of Sept. 11.”
Read Anthony Samrani's editorial: "The Gaza war marks the end of a world"
The Israeli military said Monday that four projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip toward Israel as the country began ceremonies for the first anniversary of Oct. 7. The military said sirens sounded at 6:31 a.m. in several locations around the Gaza Strip, two minutes after the start of the ceremonies, including one attended by the Israeli president on the edge of the Palestinian territory. "Four projectiles were identified" as having been fired from the Gaza Strip, three of which "were shot down," with the fourth "falling on an uninhabited area," a military statement said.
In Lebanon, the night was marked by four new Israeli bombings on the southern suburbs of Beirut as well as on the mountains overlooking the capital.
Twelve people were killed in Israeli strikes targeting Kayfoun and Qmatiyeh (Aley), two villages in the mountains overlooking Beirut and its suburbs, according to the Health Ministry. Hezbollah's Islamic Health Authority denied reports that the strike in Qmatiyeh targeted one of its centers. It said its rescue teams were conducting operations at the site of the strike, which is a residential building.
In Reim, at the site of the Nova music festival massacre, where more than 370 people were killed, a gathered crowd kicked off the ceremonies with a minute of silence at exactly 6:29 a.m, the moment Hamas began its unprecedented attack on southern Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who was present at the scene, met with families of the victims and was due to deliver a speech.
Israel on Monday began ceremonies marking the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, the deadliest day in the country's history that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Make sure to read the Morning Brief so you are caught up with what has been happening.
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