22 killed and nearly 120 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut: Day 370 of the Gaza and Lebanon wars

Iran's representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, condemned "the ongoing complicity of the United States and certain Western states that enable Israel's systematic war crimes and genocidal war against the people of Palestine and Lebanon" during his address to the security council.

He denounced “the deliberate targeting of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” calling it “a flagrant war crime, a crime against humanity, and genocide.” He claimed that Israel has destroyed vital infrastructure, massacred innocent civilians, and plunged Lebanon into a growing humanitarian catastrophe.

"The unchecked impunity that Israel continues to enjoy in violating international law is a stain on our collective conscience," Iranian diplomat Amir Saeid Iravani also stated before the Security Council. "Their heinous crimes are not only excused but actively rewarded, and their atrocities are shamelessly normalized before the world. They rely on U.S. support for their campaign of terror and destruction."

He further claimed that Israel had assassinated Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, who he described as "the last best hope for advancing the ceasefire process."

"We demand immediate action. We call for an immediate ceasefire. The ceasefire is not a request but a necessity," he said at the end of his speech.

France’s permanent representative to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, stated that "the situation in Lebanon is extremely serious" before the security council. "It is deteriorating every day," he added.
"Hezbollah continues its attacks against Israel, while Israeli military operations in Lebanon persist, including ground incursions, in violation of Lebanese sovereignty." The diplomat stressed that "all regional actors must exercise restraint. Now is the time for de-escalation." He further emphasized, "It is imperative to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Lebanon's representative to the United Nations, Hadi Hachem, stated Thursday evening before the Security Council that "Lebanon and its government reject war and are ready for a diplomatic solution." He added, "We support the U.S.-French initiative for a 21-day ceasefire" and reiterated Lebanon's commitment to Resolution 1701. Hachem declared that "bombing and war do not bring security; only respect for international resolutions can end the aggression."

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted on August 11, 2006, aimed to end the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. It calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL, and the disarmament of militias.

"France calls for an immediate ceasefire," said France's permanent representative to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, assuring that the 21-day ceasefire proposal for Lebanon, launched by the UN in September, was "still on the table."
 This proposal has been rejected by Israel, which has intensified its airstrikes and conducted ground incursions.

According to Al-Arabiya, citing the Israeli radio, U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the military operation in Lebanon as soon as possible so that a political agreement can be reached. Mr. Netanyahu refused, stating that this is a rare opportunity to achieve military and political advancements, and that any such agreement should be sustainable.

Israeli strikes on Beirut : What we know so far

- Beirut's Basta and Ras al-Nabaa neighborhoods, both residential and densely populated, were hit simultaneously, shortly before 8 p.m. on Thursday evening.
- Israel was reportedly targeting senior Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa, who al-Manar says survived.
- The latest toll from the Lebanese Health Ministry: 22 dead and 117 injured.
- No evacuation orders were issued by the Israeli army prior to the strikes.
- This is the third time that Israel, which is focusing its raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut, has directly targeted the capital since it launched its massive strikes against Hezbollah on September 23.
- The strikes seem to have caused an entire building to collapse, as seen in videos from the scene.

Lebanese General Security arrested a Syrian national in Deir el-Qamar accused of collaborating with Israel, reports the National News Agency (NNA). His mission was to locate and inspect sites after they were bombed. According to NNA, the individual had gone to the Chouf region after being injured in Beirut.

Canada stated that the incident in which Israeli troops fired on peacekeepers was "alarming and unacceptable."
"Canada calls for the protection of peacekeepers and humanitarian workers and urges all parties to comply with international humanitarian law," said the Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement published on X.

UNIFIL spokesperson, Andrea Tenenti, stated that peacekeepers are determined to remain in their positions in South Lebanon despite recent Israeli attacks and the Israeli army's encouragement to leave, as reported by an Al Jazeera journalist on X.

"This is undoubtedly one of the most serious incidents we have observed in the past 12 months. We will stay until it becomes impossible to continue operating," said Tenenti after an Israeli tank fired on the UNIFIL headquarters, injuring two Indonesian peacekeepers.

The latest developments in Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley:

- Israeli aviation targeted the locality of Deir Qanoun el-Nahr (Sour), behind the municipal building. A fierce attack also struck Naqoura, in the same district.
- An attack targeted Temnine (Baalbek) in the Bekaa. Surroundings of Hermel (in the same district) and the vicinity of al-Qasr, a locality near the Syrian border, were also hit.

The Deputy U.S. envoy to the UN stated that the solution to the crisis lies "in a strong and truly sovereign Lebanon, protected by a legitimate security force embodied by the Lebanese Armed Forces," during a statement made at the ongoing Security Council session focused on the situation in the Middle East.

"The international community must focus on helping strengthen Lebanese state institutions so they can exercise effective control over Lebanon's territory," he added during his speech.

"The Americans are in contact with us and tell us they are for a solution. However, there are many words and few actions," stated Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry to al-Jadeed, as reported by the National Information Agency (NNA). "The battles have a direct influence and push the international community towards finding a solution," he added in response to a question about Hezbollah's operations and attacks against Israel.

"The only resolution that matters is 1701. Resolution 1559 is now behind us," Berry stated, indicating that he is working with outgoing Prime Minister Nagib Mikati to achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Abbas Baalbaki, a researcher at AUB specializing in hazardous material, visited the site of the Israeli strike on Beirut's Basta neighborhood around half an hour after the attack and noted a significant number of people displaying severe respiratory symptoms.

"Maybe the pressure affected their lungs, maybe they breathed in too much dust, but the thing is, these people had relatively clean clothes," Baalbaki says. If they had been closer to the explosion, he explains, they would have been covered in dust, "white from top to bottom," like those he saw saw further in.

Explosions like this create particulate matter that can measure 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less, meaning its so fine that it will reach deep into the lungs and be absorbed into the blood, Baalbaki says, adding that what will be important to note is whether, tomorrow morning, in the aftermath of the attack, hospitals report unusual respiratory symptoms in the patients brought in for treatment.

In a video published on X, filmed in a "Shiite village in southern Lebanon" whose name was not disclosed, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that they had found in a residence "a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah's al-Radwan force, containing bulletproof vests, helmets, night vision equipment, and mines."

"All these weapons were gathered in this house, in preparation for the large-scale invasion called the 'Occupation of the Galilee' (...) We are going house to house to collect this equipment (...) Resolution 1701 prohibits the presence of weapons here," Daniel Hagari added.

A new toll of 22 dead and 117 injured from the strike on Beirut this evening has been announced by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

🔴 Hezbollah’s al-Manar channel reports that an "assassination attempt on the head of Hezbollah's coordination unit, Wafic Safa, has failed" in the Israeli strikes on Beirut, citing ‘a source from the party's command.’

One of the strikes on Beirut targeted "a hezbollah official," reports AFP, citing a Lebanese security source, without providing further details.

"We were watching TV and drinking coffee when the strikes happened. It was worse than an earthquake," said a 67-year-old resident of Ras sl-Nabaa.

Ras el-Nabaa is one of the neighborhoods targeted by the Israeli strikes on Beirut.

"The whole neighborhood screamed with fear. My children are still in shock, they can't speak. There were a lot of injured people and red and black smoke. People were trying to flee, not knowing where to go. Next to my house, there is a school full of displaced people. They don't know where to go either," the woman told L'Orient Today.

"And then, what's the point of leaving, nothing is certain in Lebanon. I don't know what to think. I can't think anymore," she sighed.

According to a new report from the Ministry of Health, the Israeli bombing of the Ras al-Nabaa and Basta neighborhoods in Beirut killed 18 and injured 92.

The Israeli troops' shooting at UNIFIL are a "serious violation of international law," the Spanish Foreign Ministry denounced on Thursday, demanding that the safety of the Blue Helmets be "guaranteed."

Three Israeli soldiers were killed in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army announced in a statement on Thursday, as it intensified its operations in the area. According to the army, 353 soldiers have died in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war in Gaza a year ago. The Israeli army is engaged in fighting in the north of the Palestinian territory against Hamas, particularly around Jabalia, which it has been besieging since Sunday. It has also carried out airstrikes, believing that the Palestinian movement is rebuilding its capabilities there, despite months of fighting and bombardments.

The United States is "very concerned" by reports of Israeli fire on UNIFIL, a National Security Council spokesman said Thursday. "Israel is conducting targeted operations near the Blue Line to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure that could be used to threaten Israeli citizens. While they are conducting these operations, it is vital that they do not threaten the security of U.N. peacekeeping forces," he added.

As for developments on the Lebanese-Israeli border:

- Hezbollah said it targeted an Israeli army barracks in the town of Yiftah.

- Israeli fighter jets carried out strikes in Sheaitiyeh, Naqoura, Jibbain (Sour) and Yater (Bint Jbeil), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon.

Several Israeli strikes were reported in the Bekaa this evening:

- Strikes were carried out in Hermel.

- Two strikes were carried out in Baalbeck, including one on the town of Khodr. One of the strikes targeted an aluminum factory.

- Two strikes took place in Nabi Sheet (Baalbeck).

- A strike on Tobshar, in the mountains of Nabi Sheet.

- In Talya (Baalbeck), a strike was reported.

- A strike took place in Shmestar (Baalbeck).

The first official report has been published concerning the Israeli strikes on Beirut: 11 killed and 48 injured. "No blood donation is necessary" for the moment, adds the Ministry of Health in its press release.

The ministry "calls on the media and social networks to stop making appeals to hospitals for blood donations as this risks causing confusion in rescue and emergency operations."

The Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of two buildings in the Haret Hreik neighborhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to maps shown by the Arabic-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Avichay Adraee on X, the first is located near the Lebanese University of Sciences and Letters. The second is very close to an "Alameh" gas station.

Sources cited by L'Orient Today's correspondent in Bekaa have denied information concerning the death of the secretary general of the Baath Party in Lebanon, Ali Hijazi, in the strikes on Beirut this evening.

Israeli strikes on Beirut have left at least six dead, AFP reports, citing a medical source.

This is the third time that Beirut, outside of the southern suburbs, has been targeted by Israel since the beginning of the conflict. A targeted strike killed members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in Cola on Sept. 30. Then a strike hit a center of the Islamic Health Committee (IHC), affiliated with Hezbollah, in Bachoura, last week, killing seven of its members as well as two civilians.

Israeli strikes on Beirut targeted "at least one Hezbollah figure," Reuters reported, citing a Lebanese security source. No names were given.

Israeli Channel 12 claims that the head of Hezbollah's coordination unit, Wafic Safa, was targeted in the attack. But this has not been confirmed at this time.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a strike at 3:40 p.m. against Israeli soldiers in the town of Kfar Giladi, as well as another attack, at 8:05 p.m., against Israeli soldiers who were trying to recover wounded in Ras Naqoura (Sour).

According to Reuters, the toll of the Israeli attacks on Beirut is at least two dead and nine injured.

Israeli strikes on Beirut left at least one dead and five injured, according to a source at the AUB hospital contacted by L'Orient Today.

Hezbollah's al-Manar channel reported that "many dead and wounded" were pulled from the rubble after the Israeli attack on Beirut. Other media also reported several dead and wounded.

Hezbollah's al-Manar channel reported that "many dead and wounded" were pulled from the rubble after the Israeli attack on Beirut. Other media also reported several dead and wounded.

According to MTV, citing "Israeli media," one of the strikes targeted "an exceptional personality" without giving further details.

According to al-Jadeed, one of the two Israeli strikes on Beirut caused the complete collapse of a building.

According to the Al-Jadeed channel, two strikes hit the capital: The first on Ras al-Nabaa, the other nearby on Basta.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reports an "attack in the area of ​​Ras al-Nabaa, Noueiri," without further details. It added that ambulances were heading to the scene.

The Israeli strike targeted an area between the Beirut neighborhoods of Ras al-Nabaa and Burj Abi Haidar, L'Orient Today's correspondent reports.

An explosion was heard in Beirut, several local media outlets report.

France said it was "awaiting explanations" from Israel after U.N. peacekeeping troops were targeted in Lebanon, Reuters reports.

"France expresses its deep concern following the Israeli fire that hit the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and condemns any attack against the security of UNIFIL," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that none of the mission's 700 soldiers had been injured.

"We are waiting for explanations from the Israeli authorities. The protection of peacekeepers is an obligation that applies to all parties to a conflict."

The Israeli strike earlier in Karak left four dead and 18 wounded, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the Bekaa. Two people are still missing.

The strike that hit Riyak left five dead and eight injured, L'Orient Today's correspondent added.

The firing by Israeli troops against the U.N. force deployed between Lebanon and Israel (UNIFIL) "could constitute war crimes," accused Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Thursday evening, quoted by AFP.

"The hostile actions repeatedly committed by Israeli forces against the UNIFIL base could constitute war crimes and certainly represent very serious violations of the norms of international humanitarian law," the minister said at a press conference.

Israeli forces have for the fifth consecutive time turned back fuel deliveries intended for hospitals in Gaza City and the northern part of the enclave, the Gaza government's press office said in a statement.

As a result, the statement warned that all hospitals and facilities of the Ministry of Health risk interrupting their activities within 24 hours due to the lack of fuel, with some facilities having already consumed their stocks.

"We are facing a crime committed by the occupation army in the context of the destruction of the health system and hospitals," the statement said.

"We are focused on the fight against Hezbollah terrorists. Our dialogue and coordination with UNIFIL will continue in southern Lebanon," said Israel's representative to the U.N. Danny Danon. "Our recommendation is that UNIFIL relocate five kilometers to the north to avoid danger, as the fighting intensifies and the situation along the Blue Line remains volatile due to Hezbollah's aggression," he added.

"Israel has no desire to be in Lebanon, but will do what is necessary to remove Hezbollah terrorists from its northern border so that our 70,000 residents, who are refugees in their own country, can safely return home," he stated.

Humanitarian pauses have been agreed to allow a second round of polio vaccinations, targeting 590,000 children under 10, to begin in the Gaza Strip on October 14, the executive director of the U.N. children's agency (UNICEF) Catherine Russell was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“Area-specific humanitarian pauses have been decided. It is essential that these pauses are respected by all parties. Without them, it is impossible to vaccinate children,” she said in a statement.

The first phase of the polio vaccination campaign, which began on Sept. 1, has reached its goal of 90 percent of children under 10, according to the United Nations. It was carried out in phases over two weeks, during humanitarian pauses in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli army struck Kfar Remman and Kfar Dounine (Nabatieh) according to information from L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon.

"The southern suburbs are not like the rest of Beirut. The Lebanese who live in the suburbs have finally understood that Hezbollah has put their lives in danger and turned their suburbs into a terrorist base,” Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X. “Our war is not against the Lebanese people, but against the terrorist Hezbollah, which has stored weapons in the heart of the southern suburbs,” he added.

An Israeli airstrike killed a man in Khiam, in Marjayoun district, southern Lebanon, local residents told L'Orient Today.

Italy has protested to Israel after shots were fired at positions used by U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon, says Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, according to a Reuters report.

Firing on UNIFIL bases was "totally unacceptable" and clearly flouts international law, Crosetto said in a statement. Israeli forces fired on two positions used by U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon this afternoon and at a third one yesterday, the U.N. force said. The Israeli fire wounded two of its peacekeepers.

Hezbollah announced that at 4:15 p.m., its fighters targeted Israeli soldiers that had crossed the Lebanon-Israel border and were stationed near the Yaroun cemetery in Bint Jbeil district, and that at 4:40 p.m., Hezbollah fighters also attacked soldiers stationed in the Israeli town of Yiron, opposite Yaroun.

According to Hezbollah's statements, at 5 p.m., the party's fighters targeted Israeli soldiers for the third time today as they attempted to evacuate wounded soldiers following an attack on a military vehicle in Ras Naqoura, in Sour district.

France and Italy will bring together the European countries contributing to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) after an Israeli tank fired on its headquarters, injuring two Indonesian peacekeepers, AFP learned from the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

This videoconference meeting, decided during a meeting between French Minister Sebastien Lecornu and his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto, will be held next week on a date that has yet to be specified. In addition to France and Italy, Spain and Ireland are the other European contributors to UNIFIL.

According to a report from the Ministry of Health, the Israeli strike earlier in the day in Karak, in the Bekaa, killed four and wounded 17. Rescuers continue to clear the area.

U.N. investigators, calling these "crimes against humanity," accuse Israel of deliberately targeting health facilities in the Gaza Strip, while torturing and killing its medical staff.

"Israel is implementing a concerted policy of destroying Gaza's health system as part of its broader offensive on Gaza," the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry said in a statement on Thursday.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome after an Israeli tank fired on the headquarters of the U.N. Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) the same day, AFP learned from a government source.

Two peacekeepers were injured as a result of the shooting, causing concern in Italy, which is the largest Western contributor to UNIFIL in terms of personnel, with nearly 900 soldiers deployed.

An Israeli man injured yesterday in a stabbing attack in the central Israeli city of Hadera has died of his injuries, Hadera's Hillel Yaffe Medical Center announced. "Unfortunately, despite the many efforts of the medical team, the injured man was pronounced dead in critical condition," the hospital said in a statement.

The municipality identified the man as Rafael Mordechai Fishof, 35, an ultra-Orthodox Jew and father of six. Six people were injured late Wednesday morning in a stabbing attack in Hadera. The assailant, who fled on a motorcycle, was arrested after being wounded by a passerby armed with a pistol.

Police did not provide any information about the suspect's birthdate, but local media identified him as Ahmad Jabareen, 36, an Israeli citizen from the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm.

The Israeli High Court issued an interim order requiring the state to answer why residents of 14 communities near Israel's northern border were not evacuated due to the war or compensated, Haaretz reports.

The publication states that "seven of the localities that submitted the petition are located within a maximum distance of five kilometers from the border. They were also on a list of places to be evacuated authorized by the defense minister in October, but they have not been evacuated. The other seven are located between five and eight kilometers from the border, and "the war has affected the daily lives of their residents."

The caretaker Minister of Telecommunications, Johnny Corm , praised on X the work of the "Touch and Alfa teams who restored communications in Rmaish, in cooperation with the Lebanese army, the president of the Municipal Council and local figures." He said that his ministry "will always remain ready to follow up on any network malfunction to support the resilience of our compatriots in the south and in any other region."

Yesterday, relatives of people who remained in Rmaish said they had lost all contact with the village.

“I have been briefed on the situation in southern Lebanon. All Irish troops are present and continue to carry out their duties with distinction. Any firing in the vicinity of UNIFIL troops or installations is irresponsible and must cease immediately,” wrote Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris on X.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack at 3:30 p.m. against Israeli soldiers "during their advance towards the region of Knayseh, between Mais al-Jabal and Mhaibib (Marjayoun)" on Lebanese territory.

The party also attacked the Israeli town of Zvulun, located north of Haifa, at 3:45 p.m.

Around fifty rockets were fired from Lebanon, according to the Israeli army quoted by Haaretz.

(Illustration: Jaimee Lee Haddad)

Latest developments in south Lebanon:

- Israeli artillery struck an area between Kfar Kila and Tal al-Nhas (Marjayoun).

- An Israeli strike on a house in Mahrouneh (Sour) killed five people, rescuers reported to L'Orient Today's correspondent.

- Israeli air force targeted Zebqine, Majdel Zoun and Tyr Harfa (Sour).

- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 3 p.m. against a troop of Israeli soldiers on Majdal hill in Mais al-Jabal, in southern Lebanon, with salvos of rockets.

- The party also claimed responsibility for another attack carried out at 3:15 p.m. against Israeli soldiers near the Israeli village of Manara, opposite Houla.

The strike on Karak. Photo obtained by L'Orient Today's correspondent Sarah Abdallah

Two missiles launched by an Israeli drone targeted a four-story building in the town of Karak (Bekaa), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent. They were followed by a heavy strike carried out by Israeli fighter jets on the same location.

Photo obtained by L'Orient Today's correspondent Muntasser Abdallah

The Amal Movement held a funeral for the victims of the overnight Israeli strike on Derdghaya (Sour). Among the dead were. Local officials from the Sour district attended the funeral.

Sheikh Mohammad Bazzi led the prayer for the deceased at Al-Zahraa cemetery in Sour.

Joseph Geryes Baddaoui, one of the victims, was given a separate funeral ceremony at the Greek Catholic Church in Sour, led by Father Marius Khairallah, in the presence of Amal Movement leaders. He was then buried in the Sour cemetery.

In a statement, UNIFIL said that the Israeli fire "directly hit" the targeted watchtower and caused the "fall" of the peacekeepers stationed there. It added that their injuries "are fortunately not serious, but that they remain hospitalized."

The Israeli army also fired on UNIFIL position "1-31" in Ras Naqoura, "hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were taking shelter, damaging vehicles and a communications system." An Israeli drone was observed flying over the UNIFIL position to the entrance of the bunker." 

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for two new attacks:

- It "targeted again an Israeli military unit which was once again trying to recover wounded" after a "guided missile" hit a tank in Ras Naqoura.

- It hit Kfar Giladi, a town in northern Israel opposite Maroun al-Ras, with rockets. 

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed that two peacekeepers were injured in an Israeli army Merkava tank attack on an observation tower at the U.N. force headquarters in Naqoura. 

The headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura and several other positions were "repeatedly hit" during an exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, UNIFIL said.

A source within the UN force told L'Orient Today that "three positions had been hit" and two U.N. peacekeepers had been injured.

A "missile launched from Lebanon exploded in an open area in Jenin," in the occupied West Bank, claimed the Israeli army, quoted in Haaretz. No sirens were activated. Jenin is located some 60 km from the Blue Line. So far, Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility for firing at this distance from the border.

Hezbollah announced that it launched a salvo of missiles at a group of Israeli soldiers who were trying to recover wounded at Ras Naqoura. Shortly before, the party had claimed responsibility for a "guided missile" strike on a tank in this area, saying it had destroyed the vehicle and "killed and wounded" its crew.

(Credit: Photo provided by our correspondent in the region)

Here’s an update on the latest Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region: 

- Two people were killed and three injured after a violent airstrike targeted the town of Mayfadoun (Nabatieh district).

- An airstrike targeted the town of Dhahira (Sour district).

- Sounds of gunfire exchange at the border in Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun district), and artillery shelling, were heard around the town and its outskirts, according to residents.

- Two airstrikes targeted the town of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district).

⚡ Israeli troops fired at three UN peacekeepers' (UNIFIL) positions in southern Lebanon today, a UN source told Reuters, without immediately being able to specify the type of fire.

The source said that one of the sites targeted was the main UNIFIL base in Naqoura. Shortly before, Hezbollah had reported firing a "guided missile" at an Israeli tank advancing towards Ras Naqoura, then at soldiers who had come to evacuate the "wounded."

The Gaza Health Ministry announced a new death toll of 42,065 in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war with Israel over a year ago.

At least 55 people have been killed in the last 24 hours, it said in a statement, adding that 97,886 people had been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Hezbollah announced two new attacks: 

- At 11:15 a.m. it launched a salvo of missiles at Israeli soldiers stationed at Kfar Giladi, facing Lebanese Maroun al-Ras in the Bint Jbeil district.

- At 11: 45 a.m., its fighters launched guided missiles at an Israeli tank "advancing toward Ras al-Naqoura," in the Sour district. The party added that the tank was destroyed and set on fire, and its crew were killed and wounded. 

The Israeli army has stepped up its strikes against Gaza in recent days. (Credit: Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)

While Israel focuses on Lebanon, the war in Gaza rages on. Only yesterday, Israeli forces killed 99 Palestinians, one of the highest death tolls in recent months. To read more, press here.👈

At least 16 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced persons in Deir al-Balah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported citing rescue workers. The strike targeted the Roufaida school in western Deir al-Balah.

Two Israeli airstrikes targeted the town of Deir Kifa, in southern Lebanon's Sour district. The first hit a house, while the second struck an orchard, residents reported to our correspondent. 

The Israeli airstrikes on the border between Lebanon and Syria, in Hermel, injured four people, including two Lebanese Army soldiers at Housh al-Sayyed Ali, reported our correspondent. 

An Israeli defense company, Elbit Systems, was targeted by gunfire today in the morning in southwestern Sweden, with no injuries reported, Swedish police and media said.

"We received a report in the morning about a shooting against an Israeli object in Kalleback," said police spokesman Fredrik Svedemyr.

A teenager under the age of 15 was arrested, according to the daily Aftonbladet. A young suspect was apprehended at the scene and a preliminary investigation into suspected attempted murder and serious weapons crime has been initiated, police said in a statement.

Between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. the Israeli army conducted the below attacks in southern Lebanon relayed by our correspondent in the region: 

- In the Marjayoun district, airstrikes targeted Debbine

- In the Bint Jbeil district, airstrikes targeted Braasheet, Safad al-Batikh, Shakra and Deir Antar.

- In the Sour district, airstrikes targeted Deir Kifa and Nafakhieh. Artillery fire shelled Naqoura. 

- In the Nabatieh district, airstrikes targeted Zawtar Gharbieh.

A man arrested yesterday in Beirut's southern suburbs, reportedly in possession of an Israeli passport and posing as an investigative journalist, was deported from Lebanon to the United States, with American intervention, reported Israeli media Yediot Ahronoth. Lebanon prohibits the entry of Israelis under all circumstances and also bars Lebanese citizens from entering Israel.

To read more about his arrest, press here.👈

Here's the latest update on Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, reported by our correspondent in the region:

- An airstrike targeted the outskirts of Naqoura, in the Sour district.

- Three people were reportedly killed in an airstrike on the village of Srifa, Sour district.

- Israeli fighter jets fired missiles at Zawtar al-Gharbieh (Nabatieh).

- An airstrike targeted the town of Debbin (Marjayoun).

As he has done every morning in recent days, the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, reiterated to residents of southern Lebanon that they are "forbidden" from returning to their evacuated homes in southern villages. He said the Israeli army continues "to attack Hezbollah sites in and near villages." "Anyone heading south is putting their life at risk," he wrote on X.

The Amal movement announced four members, fighters and rescue workers, were killed in Israeli strikes:

Following the strike on Derdghaya, which killed seven people, including five Lebanese Civil Defense rescue workers, the Amal movement announced that two of its fighters were killed in the Israeli strike: Mohammad Nazzal, born in Srifa in 1991, and Bassam al-Moussawi, born in Arzoun in 1976.

The Islamic Mission Scouts Association, Amal's relief organization, confirmed the death of one of its rescue workers, 45-year-old Hassan Issa, who was also killed in Derdghaya, east of Sour.

Also, the Amal movement reported the death of another fighter, Mahmoud Bahzad al-Amine, born in Matariyeh in 1980, who was killed in the Israeli attack on Mazraat al-Moutarba in the Saida district.

Hezbollah announced that it launched four simultaneous "missile" strikes against Israeli settlements in the "Finger of Galilee," in northern Israel, facing the Lebanese villages in the Marjayoun district.

- The first attack targeted Kiryat Shmouna, while the second targeted a gathering of soldiers at the al-Marj site. The third attack targeted Israeli soldiers at Beit Hillel, and the last was directed at a deployment of soldiers at Ma'ayan Baruch. 

- The Israeli army claimed that around 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon into the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, adding that some fell in the area, reported Haaretz. Also, the army announced that "some" projectiles have been intercepted on its X account. 

Updates on last night's Israeli strike on a church hall in Derdghaya, east Sour, in southern Lebanon: 

The death toll has risen to seven people killed.

- Five members of the Lebanese Civil Defense team: Abdallah Moussawi, his brother Bassam, Joseph Baddawi, Hassan Issi and Ali Najdi), who were reported dead overnight.

- Two civilians reported dead today: Mohammad Nazzal and Maher Naim

- Rescue efforts and search under the rubble remain ongoing, reported our correspondent in the region. 

A crater after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, October 10, 2024. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/ L'Orient Today)

While U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "minimize" civilian casualties, the Israeli army continued its incessant bombardment across Lebanon. Read our Morning Brief to find out everything you need to know this morning. 

⚡ An Israeli strike targeted the border between Lebanon and Syria — at the village of Hosh al-Sayyed Ali, between Hermel on the Lebanese side and Homs region on the Syrian side. Another strike targeted the "Nasereddine" border post.

12 people were killed this morning in Israeli strikes on the Baalbeck-Hermel and the Western Bekaa, according to our correspondent in the region: 

- Two people were killed and another wounded in the strike reported earlier today on Sohmor, in the Western Bekaa district. Rescue efforts remain ongoing to extract people from under the rubble.  

- Six people were killed and two wounded in the strike on Boudai in the Baalbeck district. 

- The strike on the outskirts of Baalbeck killed four people.

A ship was struck and damaged by an "unknown projectile" in the Red Sea, a British maritime agency, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said today.

"The master of the vessel reports being hit by unknown projectile and the vessel has sustained damage, no fires or casualties reported," said UKMTO. The ship, which was not identified, also reported two more explosions nearby as it came under attack 70 nautical miles southwest of Hodeida, UKMTO said.

The agency did not say who was behind the attack, but the Houthis regularly claim responsibility for firing on ships they believe to be linked to Israel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They state that their actions are in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Since this morning, three Israeli airstrikes concurrent with artillery fire targeted Khiam, in the Marjayoun district.

A fighter jet also bombarded Maashouk, east of Sour.

Also last night in southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes and artillery fire targeted villages in the Marjayoun and Sour district incessantly, namely, Khiam, Kfar Kila, Arzoun, Dhaira, Alma al-Shaab, Naqoura, Matariyeh and Burj al-Shemali throughout the night. Airstrikes also targeted Adloun in the Saida district. 

At least one person was killed in Arzoun, a man identified as Majed Jaber, originally from Srifa. His son was rescued alive from the rubble of the targeted building. In Matariyeh, north of Sour, six people were injured in the strike, one of whom is in critical condition.

- Last night, an Israeli airstrike targeted Bouday, in the Baalbeck district, killing five members of the Shamas family and wounding others.

- Israeli strikes in Maydoun and Sohmor, in western Bekaa, have caused additional casualties — although the official numbers are not immediately clear. Moreover, Israeli drones prevented rescue workers from reaching the scene of the strike.

- In the Bekaa Valley, additional Israeli strikes targeted the outskirts of Baalbeck and Hermel.

In South Lebanon and the Bekaa, it was a deadly night, according to information obtained from local, security and medical sources by our correspondents. Five members of the Lebanese Civil Defense were killed in an Israeli strike on a church's reception hall in Derdghaya, east of Sour.

Among the victims was Abdallah Moussawi, head of the regional Civil Defense branch in the Sour district.

Good morning! 

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