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Journalists film amid the rubble of an apartment building that was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in the village of Wardaniyeh, south of Beirut on October 9, 2024. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

Live MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT

Israeli army strikes southern suburbs an hour after issuing evacuation notice for building in Haret Hreik: Day 369 of the Gaza and Lebanon wars

What you need to know

Five members of the Lebanese Civil Defense killed in an Israeli strike on the reception area of a church near Sour.

Joe Biden asks Benjamin Netanyahu to "minimize the impact on civilians" in Lebanon, particularly in Beirut.

High tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Hezbollah claims to have repelled several attempts by Israeli forces to advance.

Yoav Gallant said that retaliation against Iran for its missile attack will be "lethal, precise and surprising."

In Wardaniyeh, an air raid on a community center housing displaced persons from southern Lebanon kills five people.


01:56 Beirut Time

"An Israeli aggression targeted the industrial zone in Husseiniyeh," in the governorate of Homs, announces the official Syrian media agency Sana.

01:44 Beirut Time

Two people were killed and several others wounded after Israeli strikes on Maydoun and Sohmor in the western Bekaa, reports Al Jadid. According to the channel, rescue teams are encountering difficulties gaining access to the area due to the presence of drones.

01:32 Beirut Time

The Israeli army carried out a strike on Beirut's southern suburbs. An hour ago, its Arabic-speaking spokesperson issued an evacuation notice on X, calling on residents of a building in Haret Hreik to leave.

00:31 Beirut Time

The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, has issued an evacuation notice to residents of a building in the Haret Hreik district of Beirut's southern suburbs.

He said, “You are in the vicinity of Hezbollah-affiliated facilities and interests, which the Israeli army will target in the near future. For your safety and that of your family, you must immediately evacuate this and surrounding buildings and move at least 500 meters away.” 

This message was published on X and is accompanied by a map where the building in question is circled in red. The building is just a few meters from the Haret Hreik public school.

00:01 Beirut Time

U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to minimize harm to civilians in Lebanon, especially in the populated areas of Beirut, while reiterating support to target Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militants, the White House said after their call, according to Reuters.

On Gaza, the leaders discussed "the urgent need to renew diplomacy to release the hostages held by Hamas," the White House said in a statement.

Biden also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the imperative to restore access to the north, including by reinvigorating the corridor from Jordan immediately, according to the White House.

23:56 Beirut Time

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it intercepted a drone that approached Israel over the Red Sea but did not cross into Israeli territory, minutes after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said it targeted Israel's Eilat with drones, according to Reuters.

23:50 Beirut Time

The Israeli army has announced that it has killed a Hezbollah member in Syria in an air strike in the Quneitra region, on the edge of the Syrian Golan occupied and annexed by Israel, reports AFP.

"Earlier today" (Wednesday), the Air Force "struck and eliminated Adham Jahout, [a member of] Hezbollah's terrorist cell in Syria, in the Qouneitra region," said a military statement, claiming that Jahout was passing "intelligence from Syrian regime sources" to Hezbollah and that he was "passing on intelligence amassed on the Syrian front to enable operations against Israel on the Golan."

23:45 Beirut Time

A major clash broke out on Wednesday evening between Syrian and Lebanese displaced persons on the one hand, and security forces on the other, on the Ain al-Mreisseh corniche in Beirut, several media outlets reported, including local channels LBCI and Al Jadeed.

More details here.



23:18 Beirut Time

🔴 According to our correspondent, the Israeli strike that was initially identified as having targeted the vicinity of the Derdghaya church, east of Sour, actually hit the church's reception area, killing at least five Civil Defense members who were there, according to a provisional toll.

Abdallah Moussaoui, head of the regional Civil Defense branch in the Sour district, was among the victims.

The Civil Defense confirmed the death toll in a statement. The Director General of Civil Defense, Raymond Khattar, offered his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.

22:22 Beirut Time

The Lebanese Army announced on its X account that it had arrested two Syrian nationals, identified only by the initials of their first and last names, on suspicion of spying for Israel.

In its message, the Lebanese Army claims that the two people arrested were “photographing various places” that had been hit by the Israeli army, which has been shelling southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, Beirut's southern suburbs and even localities in the Chouf and Jbeil, since late September. The two men were also monitoring “search and rescue operations and the identification of bodies” of the victims of these bombardments.

Finally, the army specified that the two people arrested had been recruited via social networks, concluding that an investigation had been opened under the supervision of the competent judicial authorities.

22:02 Beirut Time

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the phone conversation between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was frank and productive, lasting 30 minutes.


According to the spokesperson, discussions about the attack on Iran continued, as reported by Reuters. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined the conversation, according to the State Department.

22:02 Beirut Time

The White House announced, according to a statement relayed by Reuters, that it is working on options for allowing U.S. citizens and their families to leave Lebanon, as the security situation in the country becomes increasingly volatile. According to the statement, as long as Beirut's airport remains open, additional seats will be made available daily.


Furthermore, the U.S. administration clarified that the U.S. Embassy in Beirut remains operational and is able to issue emergency passports and other documents to Americans on the ground.

22:01 Beirut Time

⚡ The U.S. State Department stated that it is "unacceptable" for the situation in Lebanon to become as severe as in Gaza, according to remarks reported by Reuters.

21:59 Beirut Time

⚡ The U.S. State Department stated that it is "unacceptable" for the situation in Lebanon to become as severe as in Gaza, according to remarks reported by Reuters.

21:58 Beirut Time

⚡ The U.S. State Department stated that it is "unacceptable" for the situation in Lebanon to become as severe as in Gaza, according to remarks reported by Reuters.

21:57 Beirut Time

The Israeli army vowed in a statement to continue striking Hezbollah "relentlessly," according to AFP.


"We will continue to strike Hezbollah intensely, not giving them any respite or opportunity to recover," following the "significant damage we inflicted on them," Israeli army Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi said in the statement.


Earlier, the Israeli army said in a statement relayed by Haaretz that it had destroyed "hundreds of Hezbollah infrastructures, including tunnels, during the ground incursion into Lebanon."

21:56 Beirut Time

In South Lebanon:

* Israeli airstrikes are targeting Jabal Safi and Toul (in Nabatieh district), Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), and Khiam (Marjayoun).

21:52 Beirut Time

In South Lebanon:

* Israeli airstrikes are targeting Jabal Safi and Toul (in Nabatieh district), Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), and Khiam (Marjayoun).

20:37 Beirut Time

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Wednesday that Israel’s retaliation against Iran for its missile attack would be "lethal, precise, and surprising," according to a video released by Israeli media and reported by Reuters.


After labeling Iran's Oct. 1 missile attack as a failure, Gallant asserted: "Anyone who attacks us will be hurt and will pay the price. Our response will be lethal, precise, and above all surprising. They won’t understand what happened or how it happened — they will only see the results."

19:41 Beirut Time

Here are the latest developments in South Lebanon and the Bekaa region, according to our correspondents:

- From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Israeli army conducted raids on the villages of Aita el-Chaab (Bint Jbeil) and Alma el-Chaab (Sour).
- Around 6:30 p.m., an Israeli airstrike targeted the village of Zawtar el-Charqiya (Nabatiyeh).
- Shortly after 7 p.m., Israeli missiles struck the village of Adloun (Saida), then Debbine (Marjeyoun), and Saksakiyeh (Saida).
- Just before 7:30 p.m., raids targeted the village of Nabi Chit and an area east of the city of Baalbek, in northern Bekaa.

19:24 Beirut Time

⚡ Hezbollah releases new images of Israeli territory taken from a drone, as part of its series titled "al-Hodhod."

19:09 Beirut Time

According to al-Jadeed, Israel targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut multiple times between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. without warning, with the last strike being particularly powerful and specifically hitting Mrayjeh.

18:53 Beirut Time

⚡ The Israeli army carried out several consecutive strikes on Haret Hreik, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to al-Jadeed.

18:49 Beirut Time

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stated on Wednesday that there has been no significant progress in "stopping the war with Israel."

In an interview with the Saudi newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat, the head of the Amal movement suggested that "the Americans say they want to stop the fighting, but they do nothing about it."

Commenting on Hezbollah's mandate to negotiate with him, Berri remarked that "this is nothing new and it changes nothing."

18:47 Beirut Time

Energy Minister Walid Fayyad organized a meeting to assess the impact of Israeli attacks — specifically on high-voltage lines — as well as on the electricity distribution network. Kamal Hayek, the General Director of Electricité du Liban (EDL), stated that maintenance teams continue to carry out repairs in "areas affected by the Israeli aggression," in coordination with "the Lebanese army, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the Red Cross."

"Emergency plans have been activated to expedite repair operations and restore electricity in affected areas as quickly as possible, increase the number of hours of electricity supply in vital areas, and in centers hosting displaced people and shelters," according to the statement released after the meeting.

18:34 Beirut Time

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has focused its strikes and attacks on the localities of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) and Alma al-Shaab (Sour) between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

18:23 Beirut Time

Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly stated at a press conference in Egypt that his government is considering scenarios in which the war initiated by Israel in Lebanon could spill over beyond the borders of these two countries, more than a year after the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
"The war in Lebanon may last a long time, and the consequences of a regional war will be severe," added the Egyptian leader, shortly after the weekly meeting of his cabinet, according to statements reported by several Lebanese and Arab media outlets.

18:20 Beirut Time

⚡ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden began a phone discussion on Wednesday, according to a statement from Netanyahu's office published late afternoon in Jerusalem.

The statement noted that Netanyahu "is currently discussing with U.S. President Joe Biden," accompanied by a photo showing the Prime Minister seated around a table with several advisors.

18:12 Beirut Time

For its 22nd operation of the day, Hezbollah targeted, at 5:35 p.m., a deployment of Israeli soldiers who were attempting to infiltrate the area of Ras Al-Naqoura (Sour) towards Al-Mushairfeh, the party declared in a statement.

18:09 Beirut Time

According to the latest death toll released by the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israeli bombings in Lebanon since Oct. 8, 2023, have killed 2,141 people and injured 10,099 others. On Tuesday alone, there were 22 killed and 80 injured.


By region, Tuesday saw 12 killed and 37 injured in South Lebanon, two killed and 34 injured in Nabatieh, and one killed and two injured in Baalbek-Hermel.

17:57 Beirut Time

Hezbollah announced in two statements that it launched "a large salvo of rockets" at the city of Safed, one of the major cities in northern Israel, located about twelve kilometers from the Blue Line, and targeted Israeli forces in the Hazor area with another large salvo of rockets.

Israeli media, including Yediot Ahronoth, had already reported numerous rocket fire on Safed. These media reports mentioned one minor injury in the city, according to Israeli rescue services cited by Haaretz, which also reported fires in the area.

17:43 Beirut Time

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, received a call from Kuwaiti Prime Minister Mohammed Sabah al-Salem Al-Sabah, who expressed Kuwait's "solidarity with Lebanon" and support in efforts to "end the Israeli aggression."


Kuwait's Prime Minister emphasized that "the Emir of Kuwait, Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, has directed full support for Lebanon with anything it needs during this difficult time."

17:31 Beirut Time

Civilian Dalal al-Maqdah succumbed to her wounds as a result of the Israeli airstrike that targeted last Tuesday the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh, near Saida. The strike aimed to kill the head of Palestinian Fatah Movement armed wing in Lebanon, Mounir Maqdah.
Maqdah escaped, but his son was killed, along with his daughter-in-law and civilians.

17:20 Beirut Time

More information has emerged regarding the Israeli airstrike on Wardanieh in the Chouf district. The strike targeted a community center housing displaced people from southern Lebanon, killing four individuals, who have been identified as:


- Ali Chalhoub, the principal of the Marwaniye Secondary School (Nabatieh) and originally from Sarafand (Sour), along with his wife. Their children were severely injured.


- Two people from Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil): Jawad Moussa and his son Mohammad.


According to a Palestinian source from the Rashidieh camp (near Sour), two individuals originally from the camp, who had been displaced to Wardanieh, remain trapped under the rubble.

17:11 Beirut Time

In the past 2 hours, Israeli airstrikes have targeted several areas in southern Lebanon, including Wadi Jeelo, Majdal Selm, Burj Qalaway, Jibsheet, Shebaa, Habboush, Derdghaya, and Hawsh, according to sources from our correspondent.


A drone strike was reported in Adloun, while Alma al-Shaab and Khiam were hit by artillery fire.

17:00 Beirut Time

Hezbollah has claimed two new strikes carried out at 4 p.m. with "salvos of missiles" against Israeli soldiers located "in Blida" and "behind Maroun el-Ras," in Lebanese territory.

On its end, Haaretz reports that alarm sirens are continuously sounding across various regions in northern Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan. Israeli media outlets, including Yediot Ahronoth, have reported numerous rocket attacks on Safed, one of the major cities in northern Israel, located about a dozen kilometers from the Blue Line. According to Israeli rescue services, one person was slightly injured in the city, and Haaretz also mentions that fires have broken out in the area.

17:00 Beirut Time

In a statement published by the National News Agency (NNA), caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil urged customs officials to "double efforts" to expedite the customs clearance process for goods. He emphasized that the ministry's operations "depend on customs revenues that feed into the public treasury."


Khalil also expressed hope that "this difficult phase will not be prolonged" and called on countries and international organizations that care about Lebanon to "translate their positions into practical measures."

16:55 Beirut Time

Here’s an update on the security situation in southern Lebanon:

- Israeli artillery targeted the town of Shebaa (Hasbaya), with five strikes, local residents reported.
- Israeli artillery targeted the southern town of Jibchit (Nabatieh), according to local residents.

16:44 Beirut Time

Here is an update of Hezbollah attacks against Israeli positions and attempted infiltrations:

- Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli forces in the Manara orchards, in Israeli territory, with a missile strike at 2:40 p.m.
- The party also said it targeted an Israeli forces gathering in the Kroum al-Marrah in Mais al-Jabal (Bint Jbeil), in the Lebanese territory, with artillery shells at 2:40 p.m.
- Hezbollah also said that "during an attempted infiltration by Israeli ground forces in Ras al-Naqoura (Sour) its fighters targeted them with a missile strike at 3:15 p.m.
- The party also targeted an Israeli enemy forces gathering in the Israeli Kfar Giladi town, facing Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) with a large missile strike at 3:15 p.m .

16:40 Beirut Time

A phone call is scheduled for today between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a source close to the U.S. administration has indicated, confirming information from the Axios website.

The two leaders, whose relationship has been strained, have not spoken in seven weeks and have therefore not had a direct conversation regarding the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon.

16:34 Beirut Time

The Iranian Foreign Minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, reported a Saudi state media outlet, to discuss efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

The channel Al-Ekhbariya aired a video of Abbas Araghchi being received by his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

The Iranian Foreign Minister is in Riyadh "to coordinate with the countries in the region on how to end the genocide and aggression of the Israeli regime and reduce the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Lebanon," stated the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esma'il Baghaï, earlier on X.

16:28 Beirut Time

The General Director of the Port of Beirut, Omar Itani, stated to the National Information Agency that the Port of Beirut is operating ‘almost normally’ despite the war between Israel and Hezbollah. "We are working almost normally at the port, both in terms of handling imports and exports," he specified.

He also indicated that the customs clearance process for pending goods has been expedited in several stages, and it has been decided, "after several meetings with the relevant authorities, to issue special permits exceptionally in order to accelerate the pace of work." He further assured that these operations are being conducted "under the strict control of the Lebanese army."

Omar Itani finally stated that "all the information circulating indicating that Israel was considering targeting the port was unfounded," adding that an "emergency plan" has nonetheless been implemented to address any eventuality and that there is "no official decision for a maritime blockade" of the country.

15:57 Beirut Time

Intensified military operations in the north are forcing us to shut down lifesaving services,” the UNRWA said on X.
At least seven schools sheltering displaced people are being evacuated, the UN agency said. Only two out of eight water wells in the Jabalia refugee camp are still operational, it added.

15:43 Beirut Time

Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that it targeted Israeli troops in Mais al-Jabal, in southern Lebanon, with ‘artillery shells.’
The party had previously reported clashes as Israeli troops attempted to advance in the region "from multiple directions."

15:27 Beirut Time

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday that Hezbollah remains organized and has not lost its chain of command despite Israeli strikes, which Moscow claims are attempting to fuel an armed conflict in the Middle East.

"According to our assessments, Hezbollah, including its military branch, has not lost its chain of command and demonstrates organization," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to the press.

15:08 Beirut Time

Israeli air forces have launched several strikes on southern Lebanon, targeting Yater, Haouch, Sultaniyeh, Arabsalim, Debaal, Jabal el-Rafih, and Jabal Blat, as well as residences in Naqoura.

Israeli drones also targeted two motorcycles in Tebnin and a car in Chakra.

15:07 Beirut Time

Two people were killed by rocket fire from Lebanon on Kiryat Shmona, in northern Israel, Israeli rescue services reported.

"We found a man and a woman, both about 40 years old, unconscious and injured by shrapnel. We conducted medical examinations, but their injuries were severe, and we had to pronounce them dead on the spot," said Magen David Adom, Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross, in a statement.

Hezbollah had claimed responsibility for a "missile" strike around 2 p.m. against "soldiers gathered in Kiryat Shmona", as well as for two additional airstrikes against soldiers located in Kfar Giladi and Misgav Am, two towns in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon.

14:57 Beirut Time

Hamas announced on Wednesday that a meeting with the rival Fatah party, based in the occupied West Bank, was taking place in Cairo to discuss the war in Gaza with Israel and efforts for national unity.

"A meeting has just begun in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, between delegations from Hamas (...) and Fatah," it stated in a release, adding that the gathering aimed to "discuss the aggression against the Gaza Strip, political and ground developments, and the unification (...) of Palestinian ranks."

14:41 Beirut Time

About 20 projectiles were detected coming from Lebanon after alarm sirens were activated in Kiryat Shmona, a village in northern Israel located near the border. Some of the identified projectiles crashed, the Israeli army reported on X.

14:41 Beirut Time

The European Union announced on Wednesday the dispatch of three planes loaded with humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

"The EU stands with the populations affected by the ongoing crisis in Lebanon," emphasized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.

These planes, filled with hygiene products and temporary shelters, will take off from Brindisi, in southern Italy, or Dubai. The first is expected to arrive in Beirut on October 11, according to the European Commission in a statement.

The European Union will also fund the delivery of aid to Lebanon provided by several member states, including Spain, Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, Greece, and France, according to the statement.

This aid includes medicines and medical equipment, essential to assist the Lebanese, particularly displaced persons.

14:34 Beirut Time

The Israeli air force is preventing Red Cross rescuers, Civil Defense teams, and the Lebanese army from reaching the headquarters of the Union of Municipalities of Bint Jbeil in Baraachit, which was destroyed two days ago by an Israeli strike, according to a statement from the Union.
Rescuers are unable to access the site, while several firefighters who were present at the time of the bombing are still trapped under the rubble, and "their fate remains unknown."
The Union of Municipalities is calling on the international community to "intervene to put an end to Israeli attacks against humanitarian workers."

14:25 Beirut Time

The village of Khiam is still being relentlessly hit by Israeli artillery. In the morning, about ten strikes were launched against this village in the district of Marjayoun.

14:23 Beirut Time

Hezbollah again claimed responsibility for firing at Israeli soldiers who tried to "infiltrate Lebanon" in Labouneh, where they fired "a large salvo of missiles" at an infantry unit at 7 a.m., causing casualties. In another statement, the party claimed to have also fired artillery shells and rockets at an Israeli force "that is trying to advance on Mais al-Jabal, from several different locations."

"The fighting is still ongoing," the party's statement said.

In addition, Hezbollah claimed to have attacked with "a large number of rockets" on the Zvulun region, east of Haifa, about 30 kilometers from the border.

14:12 Beirut Time

In a still preliminary assessment, the Health Ministry reported four dead and ten wounded in the strike on Wardanieh, in the Chouf. This airstrike targeted an associative center sheltering displaced people from south Lebanon.

14:11 Beirut Time

A policeman was killed and another wounded in an Israeli bombing on the Syrian Golan Heights, part of which is occupied by Israel, the state-run Syrian news agency reported. The strike targeted "the eastern entrance to the city of Quneitra " in southern Syria, the SANA news agency said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) indicated that "an Israeli drone targeted a public building and the police station" at the entrance to the city.

14:10 Beirut Time

The Israeli army carried out intense bombardments on the northern Gaza Strip, where it is continuing ground operations, and closed roads preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid, the Palestinian Civil Defense said.

Over the weekend, the army announced that it had surrounded the Jabalia area in the northern Gaza Strip and issued new calls to evacuate the area on Tuesday, saying Hamas was seeking to rebuild its capabilities there, a year after Israel began its war against the Palestinian Islamist movement.

14:10 Beirut Time

Hezbollah announced that it targeted Israeli soldiers who were "advancing in the Tufa plain, towards Mais al-Jabal and Mhaibib" with a "salvo of rockets." Other Israeli soldiers who were "trying to advance towards Labouneh" were also hit with "a guided missile," causing casualties.

14:07 Beirut Time

The situation in south Lebanon and the Bekaa, in addition to the strike on Wardaniye:

- Strikes targeted Labouneh and Naqoura (Sour)

- A strike on Hellanieh (Baalbeck) left ten people injured. Rescuers are still searching for two people.

- A school in Samaaiyeh (Sour) was targeted by an airstrike.

14:06 Beirut Time

The situation in south Lebanon and the Bekaa, in addition to the strike on Wardaniye:

- Strikes targeted Labouneh and Naqoura (Sour)

- A strike on Hellanieh (Baalbeck) left ten people injured. Rescuers are still searching for two people.

- A school in Samaaiyeh (Sour) was targeted by an airstrike.

13:47 Beirut Time

The strike on Wardanieh in Chouf has so far killed three people and injured five, according to information from L'Orient Today's correspondent.

13:30 Beirut Time

Six people were injured at midday by an assailant who stabbed passers-by in Hadera, a city in central Israel, before being "neutralized," police said.

"This is a terrorist incident in four different locations in which six people were stabbed," police said, adding that the assailant, who fled on a motorbike, had been "neutralized." Magen David Adom, Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross, reported "several people injured to varying degrees, some seriously."

13:29 Beirut Time

According to residents of Wardaniyeh, in the Chouf, the Israeli strike targeting the village was carried out with a guided missile, which hit the building housing the premises of the Dar al-Salam social association. This building houses several displaced people from south Lebanon, notably from Aitaroun.

At least two people were killed, according to initial reports. 

12:59 Beirut Time

Turkey is preparing to evacuate 2,000 of its citizens and their relatives from Lebanon by sea, the Turkish ambassador to Beirut announced. A Turkish diplomatic source told AFP that two ships that will carry the evacuated Turkish citizens are expected Thursday morning at the port of Mersin in southern Turkey. The two Turkish navy ships were en route Wednesday morning to the Lebanese capital, whose southern suburbs suffered renewed Israeli bombardments overnight.

12:31 Beirut Time

Israeli jets attacked Wardanieh, a town in the Chouf district located north of Saida, L'Orient Today's correspondent reports. This is the first time that this village has been targeted since the start of the war.

12:20 Beirut Time

At least 42,010 people have been killed and 97,720 wounded in Israeli military attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, the enclave’s Health Ministry says.

Of those, 45 Palestinians were killed and 130 wounded in the latest 24-hour reporting period, the ministry added.

12:17 Beirut Time

Dozens of Iranian lawmakers wrote to the country’s Supreme National Security Council calling for urgent action toward developing nuclear weapons as Israeli threats rise in the region.

The 39 members of parliament argued Iran needs to “reevaluate its defense doctrine,” Hassan Ali Akhlaghi, one of the signatories, told the semi-official ISNA news website.

“Today, none of the international organizations or even European countries or the US are capable of controlling the Zionist regime, and the regime is committing any crimes it can, so we wrote this letter,” he said.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious ruling two decades ago saying nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islamic principles. But calls to shift that policy have gained more favor among hardliners in Tehran during growing hostilities across the region.

12:16 Beirut Time

Hamas and Fatah leaders will hold further unity talks in Cairo on Wednesday, a Hamas official told Reuters.

According to Taher Al-Nono, the media adviser of the Hamas political chief, cited by Reuters, the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday. It was led by Khalil Al-Hayya, the group's chief negotiator and Hamas's second-in-command, currently based in Qatar.

"The meeting will discuss the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the challenges facing the Palestinian cause," Nono said.

The meeting will be the first in months since the two groups held talks in the Chinese capital in July, agreeing on steps to form a unity government. Similar rounds in the past have so far failed to make progress.

11:48 Beirut Time

Air France announced that it opened an "internal investigation" into the overflight of Iraqi territory on Oct. 1 by one of its planes, flying from Paris to Dubai, at the same time as the Iranian missile attack on Israel began.

"On Oct. 1, information identified an upcoming attack on Israel by Iran with the sending of ballistic missiles. Consequently, and without waiting for instructions from the Iraqi authorities, Air France decided to suspend flights over the country's airspace by its aircraft as of 5 p.m. universal time (i.e. 7 p.m. Paris time)," said a press release from the company sent to AFP.

10:44 Beirut Time

The State Security Directorate confirmed the death of one of its agents in an Israeli strike on Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh). Mohammad Idriss was killed while he was at home.

10:20 Beirut Time

An Israeli strike was reported in south Lebanon on Samaaieh (Sour). A drone also launched two missiles at construction equipment that was trying to clear the rubble of a strike that occurred on Monday in Tyr Debba. This drone strike injured six people, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent's sources in the south. 

10:19 Beirut Time

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket strike on a group of Israeli soldiers south of Maroun al-Ras. It was in the park of this border village that soldiers had taken a photo of an Israeli flag yesterday.

In addition, the state-run National News Agency, reports that "exchanges of fire" are taking place between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah fighters in the vicinity of Labuoneh, near Naqoura (Sour). It is in this area that the party had already said it had repelled, around 5 a.m., an infiltration attempt. 

10:13 Beirut Time

The national telecom company, Ogero, denied to L'Orient Today the presence of major telecommunications outages in south Lebanon. A spokesperson for Ogero confirmed that the company recently carried out repairs in the villages of Maaroub (Sour), Qaaqaiyet al-Jisr (Nabatieh), Zrarieh (Saida), Shehour (Sour), Srifa (Sour), Kharayib (Saida) and Abbassieh (Sour).

"To repair some breakdowns in some places, we need security permits. We carried out these last repairs under the bombs," said Karim Rifai, spokesperson for Ogero. "We are now waiting for new permits to work in other villages," he added, specifying that the village of Rmaish (Bint Jbeil) has been deprived of internet since the latest strikes.

09:30 Beirut Time

Since this morning, about ten strikes have targeted Khiam, completely destroying houses and buildings. So far, no source from L'Orient Today's correspondent has reported any casualties.

In the Bekaa, the night was marked by violent strikes on Khoder(Baalbeck), which left five civilians dead, including a woman and a child. Bombings also targeted Nabi Sheet, Haoush, Saraine, the outskirts of Taraya, Halbta and Saaideh, where one person was killed and a dozen injured. 

09:24 Beirut Time

There are also reports of cuts in mobile phone networks in several regions of the south, according to L'Orient TOday's correspondent. Reportedly, all communication is impossible with the inhabitants of Rmaish, where "the Alfa and Touch networks are cut."

Last night, a member of the Civil Defense of the Sour region reported to our publication a similar cut in telecommunications in the Sour area, which made rescue operations difficult. 

09:16 Beirut Time

The Amal Movement announced the death of two of its members, Ahmad Lakkis and Haidar Mohammad Atweh, from Aitit, who were killed in a strike on this village yesterday. A member of the movement's rescuers, Bilal Hussein Sharara, was also killed in a strike, according to a statement published by the association of al-Rissala Scouts.

09:14 Beirut Time

Last night, Israel targeted Batoulieh, Kfar Dounine, Maarakeh, Samaieh, Ain Baal, Kfar Tibnit, Kfar Hammam, Khiam, Deir Antar and Labouneh. Casualties were reported after the strikes on Batoulieh and Kfar Dounine, as well as in Kfar Tibnit. In this village, one of the two reported casualties was a member of State Security.

09:11 Beirut Time

The Israeli army announced this morning that it had intercepted "two projectiles" coming from Lebanon shortly after warning sirens sounded in several towns on the coastal plain south of Haifa.

Sirens also sounded in the north of the country. Yesterday, the army said that "about 180 projectiles" had been fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah, mainly at Haifa and the north of the country.

09:10 Beirut Time

In Syria, the Syrian Defense Ministry reported last night that at least seven civilians were killed in an Israeli strike in Damascus on a building that, according to a London-based NGO, was frequented by Iranian Revolutionary Guards and members of Hezbollah.

09:10 Beirut Time

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant not to leave for Washington until the prime minister meets with U.S. President Joe Biden, Haaretz reports, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

Gallant's trip was scheduled for today.

09:09 Beirut Time

During the night, around midnight, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack against Israeli soldiers who were trying to infiltrate Blida (Bint Jbeil). In a statement published a few hours later, the party announced a similar attack against Israeli soldiers who were this time attempting an incursion at Labouneh, in the Naqoura region, on the coast.

This is the second time in two days that the party announced that Israeli soldiers were attempting an incursion into the western border between Lebanon and Israel after the Israeli army announced on Tuesday that it was extending its ground offensive in this area and preventing access to the coastline in southern Lebanon.  

09:08 Beirut Time

Last night was once again marked by a series of Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, which caused "massive destruction," according to the state-run National News Agency, and in particular razed four residential buildings in the Burj al-Barajneh neighborhood. 

08:38 Beirut Time
08:34 Beirut Time

Good morning.

Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of the ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon.