In a telephone conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern about Israeli strikes on the Lebanese Army, according to Pentagon information reported by Reuters.
Since Sept. 23, when the Israeli escalation began, a total of eight Lebanese Army soldiers have been killed by Israeli fire or strikes.
In an interview with France 24, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who had met American envoy Amos Hochstein, declared that “the important thing is first the cease-fire, then the [Resolution] 1701 and the mechanism for its application, not an annex.”
He added that Hochstein's “proposals” were “still being studied,” without saying what they consisted of. “We can't commit to anything until the Israelis commit to a cease-fire. Then we'll be able to talk,” said Mikati.
Last week, he said he was ready to increase the army's strength in the south so that, in the event of a cease-fire, it would control this border region, Hezbollah's stronghold.
The Israeli air force carried out three strikes on the locality of Khiam, in the Marjayoun district, according to Al Jadeed.
In three statements issued shortly before midnight, Hezbollah announced that its fighters had targeted Israeli soldiers in Dhour al-Hebbariyeh with “a salvo of rockets.”
They also targeted soldiers in the vicinity of the village of Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, twice with “artillery shells."
"All the ingredients" are there for a military and humanitarian "storm" in Syria, U.N. special envoy Geir Pedersen warned the Security Council on Wednesday, expressing alarm at the fallout from hostilities in the Middle East which are already having "serious consequences" for the country.
"The escalation is already having a major impact on Syria and Syrian civilians. I want to send a clear warning signal: a regional spillover into Syria is alarming and could become much worse, with serious implications for Syria and international security and peace," he added.
17 Israeli strikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to the state-run National News Agency.
Six buildings collapsed in the Laylaki neighborhood following Israeli strikes, according to NNA.
Al-Jazeera channel "strongly condemns the recent unfounded allegations by the Israeli occupation forces against its journalists working in northern Gaza," the channel said on its X account.
A few hours ago, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, said that the army had "discovered documents in the Gaza Strip confirming that six journalists working for Al-Jazeera are Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists." These journalists, according to him, are: Anas Al-Sharif, Ala' Salame, Houssam Shabat, Ashraf Al-Saraj, Ismail Abu Omar and Talal al-Arouki.
Fourteen Israeli strikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to Al-Jazeera.
The Israeli airstrike that earlier targeted the road between Nahleh and Baalbeck left 24 people injured, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli attack on Jnah left at least one dead and five wounded, according to an initial report published by the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Among the wounded is a child "whose injuries required his admission to hospital." The others are lightly injured.
An Israeli security source told Haaretz that one person was lightly injured in Qalqiya, in the occupied West Bank, by "a fragment" of a missile that fell "from a barrage of rockets coming from Lebanon."
The total number of strikes carried out by the Israeli air force on the southern suburbs of Beirut this Wednesday evening now stands at 10, according to NNA.
An Israeli airstrike targeted Khiam (Marjayoun) in south Lebanon.
The Amal Movement announced the death of its fighter Abbas Ali Maatouk, born in 1974 and originally from Nabatieh, where he was killed today in an Israeli strike.
The Israeli air force launched four airstrikes at around 10:25 p.m. that targeted a residential complex in the vicinity of the Laylaki neighborhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut, "completely destroying it and causing a major fire," according to NNA.
Hezbollah said it fired rockets at Tel Aviv suburbs, AFP reports.
An explosion in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Oct. 23, 2024, shortly after 10 p.m. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)
Israel bombed Beirut's southern suburbs at least two more times.
Pro-Iranian Al-Mayadeen said its Beirut office suffered an Israeli strike, AFP reported.
An employee of al-Mayadeen had already told L'Orient Today that the channel had transferred some of its employees to Baghdad, Iraq, since the intensification of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
In statements summarizing its operations against Israel, Hezbollah also claimed that Israel has not taken full control of "any village" in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army issued a new evacuation order to residents of several buildings in Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army Avichay Adraee detailed the targeted buildings on several maps: One is located near the Sanabel High School, another near the Imam Hussein High School, another near an Ezzedine supermarket, and another near the Imam Khomeini School.
In lengthy statements summarizing its operations against Israel, Hezbollah claims to have killed 70 Israeli officers and soldiers and wounded 600. It said that it destroyed 28 Merkava tanks, four military bulldozers and armored units, three Hermes-450 drones and one Hermes-900 drone. "This toll does not include enemy losses in military bases, sites and barracks" in Israel, the party added.
In addition, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 7:40 p.m. against Israeli soldiers and enemy infrastructure "around Dhaira," a town in the Sour district in south Lebanon, by a salvo of missiles. It also indicated that it had "repelled enemy warplanes with a surface-to-air missile and forced them to leave Lebanese skies" at 8:45 p.m.
Hezbollah released a video detailing the "targeting operation of the Israeli army's Glilot base near Tel Aviv" with Qader-2 ballistic missiles.
Set to dramatic music, the video shows the missile being fired and footage of the presumably targeted area, with people throwing themselves to the ground to escape the gunfire.
Warning sirens sounded in the evening in central Israel, as far as northern Tel Aviv, following "projectiles fired from Lebanon," the Israeli army announced in a statement quoted by AFP.
Sirens "were activated in several regions in the center of the country due to projectiles fired from Lebanon into the territory," the army said. " Four projectiles were detected and several of them were intercepted," it added in a separate statement.
Two airstrikes hit Nabatieh, reports L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon.
More information on the strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut:
The Israeli strike targeted an area between the Ouzai and Jnah neighborhoods, L'Orient Today's correspondent said. It was a residential building that was targeted. The targeted area is close to the premises of Al-Mayadeen.
The latest developments in south Lebanon:
-The Israeli attack on Sarafand (Saida) targeted a house without causing any casualties.
-The Israeli air force flew over Sidon at a low altitude.
-The surroundings of Jbaa (Saida) were also hit by an air attack.
Hezbollah said it "repelled an Israeli jet with a surface-to-air missile and forced it to leave Lebanese skies" at 7:05 p.m.
Photo sent by residents to L'Orient Today's correspondent Muntasser Abdallah
An Israeli strike targeted Jnah, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, reports L'Orient Today's correspondent.
An Israeli drone attack targeted Sarafand, a town in the Saida district of South Lebanon, near a shopping center close to Kharroubi Hospital, reports a rescue team quoted by L'Orient Today's correspondent.
Hezbollah said it had repelled an "attempted incursion by enemy infantry into Lebanese territory on the eastern side of Aitaroun" (Bint Jbeil) in south Lebanon. " Clashes took place with salvos of machine guns and missiles, and the fighters forced them to retreat behind the border. Then the resistance support forces bombarded the enemies during their retreat," the party detailed, adding that it had "again bombarded" the Israeli troops once they were on the other side of the border.
New update on the situation in south Lebanon and the Bekaa:
-The Israeli air force targeted the villages of Qsaybe and Qalawieh (Nabatieh) before striking the town of Souane (Marjayoun) twice around 7 p.m., according to residents.
-According to information gathered by L'Orient Today's correspondent in the Bekaa, the airstrike that earlier targeted the road between Nahleh and Baalbeck left seven people injured.
"In Lebanon, people fear every day for the safety of their loved ones. Here too, Hezbollah terrorists irresponsibly hide behind civilians while firing rockets at Israel on a daily basis. Israel must defend itself against these attacks," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, quoted on the official German diplomatic account on X on the sidelines of her visit to Beirut.
"International humanitarian law applies in this context. In its self-defense, the Israeli military must always carefully consider how best to protect innocent civilians," she continued, adding that this conflict could not be resolved "by military means alone."
"We continue to work intensively on a diplomatic solution that guarantees the security interests of Israel and Lebanon. The full implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701 is essential to reach a solution," she concluded.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 6:30 p.m. against Israeli soldiers "between the hill of Mdawar and Zar'it," opposite Ramieh, by a salvo of missiles. The party carried out another attack at the same time against Israeli soldiers "near the school of Ramieh" by a salvo of missiles.
The Turkish parliament extended by one year the participation of the Turkish army in the United Nations Interim Force deployed in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, cited by AFP.
"Turkey has undertaken an important task in effectively implementing peacekeeping operations through its contributions to UNIFIL ... It is important to continue our contribution," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote in the presidential motion calling for the extension of Turkish participation, which was put to a vote in parliament.
According to Al Jazeera, citing medical sources, 42 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, including 37 in the north of the enclave, where a siege by the Israeli army has been underway for 19 days.
"A real genocide is taking place against the citizens of the northern Gaza Strip," the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern part of the enclave told a local correspondent of the Qatari media outlet. "The shooting is even targeting the ambulance workers who are trying to reach the wounded, and the hospital is also being targeted," he added.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 6:30 p.m. against Israeli soldiers between Blat hill and Marwahin in South Lebanon, using salvos of missiles.
New update on the situation in the Bekaa:
Shaat was targeted twice along with Halabta, Brital, Nabi Sheet, Nahleh, Tamnine al-Faouqa, Boday, Younine (near the police station), as well as Ali al-Nahri.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out at 5:15 p.m. against Israeli soldiers near Houla (Marjayoun) using missiles.
New update on the security situation in south Lebanon:
- Israeli planes launched an airstrike on Ain al-Zarqa, between Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab, Dhaira, Hosh, Tyr Harfa, Hanaway and Toura (Sour), local sources reported to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
- Israeli jets also targeted Ghassanieh, Jbaa (Saida), Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), and Harouf (Nabatieh).
- Hezbollah also said it had targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of Ramieh (Bint Jbeil) with a salvo of rockets at 5:25 p.m. The party had earlier claimed responsibility for a similar attack on the northern Israeli city of Nahariya at 4:10 p.m.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack by "a squadron of suicide drones" on the Tirat Carmel airbase, located south of Haifa in Israel, saying it "hit its target with precision."
Commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken 's remarks following his visit to Israel on Wednesday, according to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told him that Israel was not considering establishing a permanent presence in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli political source told Haaretz that "Israel's policy in Gaza has not changed."
According to the source, the operations and presence of Israeli troops in the Palestinian enclave "will be based on operational needs, with the aim of eliminating Hamas' military and government capabilities, ensuring the release of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel."
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "continuing his efforts with the United States to reach a cease-fire and find a way to put pressure on Israel to do so," according to a statement from the press office of outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who was received at the Elysee by Macron ahead of the conference on Lebanon scheduled for tomorrow in Paris.
Mikati, accompanied by Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, thanked President Macron "for his constant support for Lebanon" and for the "efforts" made by France towards a cease-fire. "Tomorrow's conference is a good sign, showing France's interest in Lebanon," added Mikati.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Israel was creating the next generation of Palestinian "insurgents" because of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, AFP reports.
Speaking to reporters in Rome, the latter said that he had discussed the scale of the current humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.
"If Israel does not address this humanitarian crisis, it will create a generation of Palestinians who will continue to refuse to cooperate with Israel in the future. If you don't do that, you increase the number of insurgents," Austin said.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for three new attacks: The first against a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the Marj site, facing Markaba (Marjayoun), at 3:45 p.m.
The party also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in Misgav Am, opposite Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), with a barrage of rockets at 3:40 p.m.
The party's latest attack targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in Margaliot, opposite Houla (Marjayoun), with a barrage of rockets at 3:40 p.m.
Medical sources say 35 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Wednesday morning, including 31 in the north of the enclave, according to Haaretz.
According to the latest report from the Lebanese Health Ministry cited by Reuters, 28 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 2,574 since Oct. 8, 2023.
The armed wing of Hamas has released a statement to commemorate the death of the head of the Executive Council of Hezbollah “in a criminal Zionist raid” in Lebanon. The Qassam Brigades praised the role played by Hashem Safieddine “in supporting the Palestinian people and their resistance.”
It also noted his “great contributions to building and strengthening the resistance front against the Zionist occupation over many years.”
Born in 1964 in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, in Sour district, Safieddine is the maternal cousin of Nasrallah. He studied religion in Iran, in the holy city of Qom, until 1994, when Nasrallah, who had been in charge of the party for two years, recalled him to Beirut. He began his career within the party as its representative in southern Lebanon. Following a meteoric rise, he obtained a seat on the Shura Council in 1995 and was appointed head of the Executive Council in 1998.
Safieddine represents one of the last elements of stability within Hezbollah, having been groomed for years by Tehran and Hezbollah to assume the top position within the party, especially in case of the assassination or death of Hassan Nasrallah, of whom he is seen as a continuation.
Shrapnel from an interceptor missile, likely fired by Israel's Iron Dome defense system, has seriously wounded a man in his 50s in the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, Haaretz reports, citing Magen David Adom emergency services. The organization had initially described the man's injuries at moderate.
Some 25 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel in the barrage that targeted Nahariya, among other northern areas, according to Haaretz.
During Iran's retaliatory missile attack against Israel on Oct. 1, in which it fired 180 missiles toward the country, shrapnel from an Israeli interceptor missile killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank — the only casualty reported in the attack.
🔴 Hezbollah has officially announced — and in doing so confirmed — the death of Hashem Safieddine, the head of the party's Executive Council, widely believed to be the successor to Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader who was assassinated in a massive Israeli bombardment on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27. The party did not specify when Safieddine was killed, but Israel claimed that a similarly massive bombardment on the same suburbs a week after the Nasrallah attack, on Oct. 4, had targeted Safieddine. Israel announced having confirmed Safieddine's killing last night.
According to a security source cited by Haaretz, Israel has come upon information that indicates a terror attack against Israelis is being planned in Sri Lanka, to be carried out in the near future.
Local security forces are actively working to thwart the attack, the sources said, adding that although no travel advisory has been issued for Sri Lanka, the risk level has been elevated to 3, with coastal areas raised to level 4. The source told Haaretz that they believe several hundred Israelis are currently in the country.
"We urge Israelis to leave the coastal areas for Colombo," the source stated, advising Israelis against attending Sukkot events, visiting Chabad houses, traveling in groups and generally minimizing their presence in the area.
Updates from our correspondents in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa:
• Israeli strikes targeted the towns of Tamnin, in the western Bekaa, Douris, in Baalbeck district, and the outskirts of the city of Baalbeck.
• According to residents, one man was killed in the attack on Kfar Melki, in Saida district. He was Hassan Ghandour, the brother of a former Hezbollah fighter who was killed in 1997.
• Hezbollah announced in a press release that it had targeted Israeli soldiers stationed in Misgav Am, a northern Israeli town that faces the Lebanese village of Kfar Kila in Marjayoun district, at 3:20 p.m.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that its humanitarian teams led by the WHO have arrived at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza to evacuate critical patients.
“But our request to bring food, fuel, blood and medicines was denied by Israeli authorities,” it said in a post on X.
The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza has released a video that shows Israeli soldiers directly opening fire on emergency responders as they responded to the bombing of a family home in the al-Fakhoura area of Jabalia, in northern Gaza.
The video shared on Telegram shows emergency responders rummaging through debris at night, only to be forced into cover after being targeted by live ammunition. In the morning, bullet holes could be seen in their vehicles, including a fire truck.
The Israeli army said in a statement that it had struck "Hezbollah command and control complexes" in the Sour region of southern Lebanon, in particular, "the headquarters of the Southern Front unit" of the party from which it is said to have carried out several operations against the Hebrew state.
Since Wednesday morning, the city in South Lebanon has been subjected to intense bombardments by the Israeli air force, particularly on residential and industrial areas and part of its municipality, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
The Israeli army is ready for "months" more fighting in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, a security source said during an interview with several foreign journalists, including AFP.
"We are prepared for months, and we will stay as long as necessary to ensure our security," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, referring to ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, as well as a potential Israeli response to the Iranian attack on Oct. 1.
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered "welcome" the paragraph issued on Lebanon by the G7 countries (Germany, Canada, United States, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom) during a summit held Tuesday in Pescara, Italy. It particularly welcomes "the call to immediately stop the aggressions, to favor the diplomatic solution, to implement the resolution 1701" of the U.N., to "strengthen the role of UNIFIL," to protect civilians and to provide the necessary humanitarian aid.
The Foreign Ministry also thanks Italy and its Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani who "explained Lebanon's position" during this G7 summit, in particular "the aggressions to which Lebanon and its people are exposed."
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel as part of preparations for its attack on Iran, which Israel says it wants to carry out in retaliation for the one Tehran launched against its territory on Oct. 1 using more than a hundred ballistic missiles.
"When we attack Iran, the world will understand, both in Israel and in other countries, what your preparation entails and the magnitude of your force," he said, according to the Times of Israel. "All those who dreamed a year ago of beating us and attacking us have paid a heavy price and are no longer in that dream," he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met today with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan.
During the meeting, Putin informed Pezeshkian that the two countries "will soon sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement." He also stressed that the discussions would focus on the situation in Syria and the Middle East.
For his part, Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed: "We must continue constructive cooperation, adding that "our relations are of a strategic nature." These remarks reflect the desire of the two countries to strengthen their bilateral ties.
Vladimir Putin also highlighted the importance of Iran's recent accession to the BRICS group, saying: "Iran has become a full member of the BRICS group." He finally confirmed that the two nations "will soon sign an agreement on comprehensive cooperation," thus strengthening their strategic partnership.
Latest developments on the Lebanese-Israeli border:
- An Israeli attack targeted Wadi Berghoz (Hasbaya).
- The town of Tyr Debba (Sour) was also hit. According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, there were casualties, but their fate is not yet known.
- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a missile attack at 3:20 p.m. on the sites of Sammaka and Rouaissat al-Alam, in the disputed hills of Kfar Shouba, against Israeli troops.
Western countries raised a deployment of international forces in southern Lebanon alongside the Lebanese army as a possibility in the event of a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, a Western diplomat told AFP on Wednesday.
"What we need right now is a ceasefire and a presence that both sides would trust. That could be the Lebanese army with international forces," different from the U.N. peacekeepers, said the diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, echoing the position of the American envoy, Amos Hochstein, that the resolution is no longer "sufficient."
"We need a strengthened 1701. This is a reflection of reality because neither side (Hezbollah and Israel) has implemented 1701," they noted. After the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, a multinational force mandated by the UN was deployed in Lebanon in addition to UNIFIL, created in 1978. The American and French contingents were targeted the following year by two attacks that left nearly 300 dead.
Hezbollah said it fired rockets at a military installation north of Haifa in Israel, whose forces are continuing strikes in Lebanon against the Iran-backed group's strongholds, AFP reports.
A "salvo of rockets" fired by Hezbollah fighters targeted "the Zofolon base for military industries north of the city of Haifa," the movement said in a statement.
The Israeli army claimed it struck Hezbollah command posts in Sour, according to Haaretz.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has renewed his call for a cease-fire in Gaza after Israeli attacks prevented tens of thousands of children from receiving their second dose of polio vaccine, particularly in the northern enclave of Jabalia and Beit Lahia, from where tens of thousands of people have been forcibly displaced over the past week.
“The fact that a significant number of children have not received their second dose of vaccine will seriously compromise efforts to stop poliovirus transmission in Gaza,” he wrote in a message posted on X.
WHO had previously stated that “intense bombardment, massive displacement and lack of access” in the northern Gaza Strip had forced the interruption of the program there.
The Israeli Civil Administration in the Palestinian Territories (COGAT) said that the vaccination campaign in the north of the Palestinian enclave “will begin in the next few days, after a joint assessment and at the request of WHO and UNICEF.”
An update on the security situation in southern Lebanon
Israeli warplanes targeted the towns of Zaoutar al-Sharqiyeh (Nabatieh district), Kfar Melki (Saida) and Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), local residents reported. A house was targeted in Kfar Melki.
One person was killed in the air strike on the town of Harouf (Nabatieh), according to residents.
An update on Hezbollah attacks on Israeli positions and infiltration attempts
Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the Misgav Am site, opposite Kfar Kila (Marjayoun district), with a barrage of rockets at 2:10 p.m.
Hezbollah said it had targeted a gathering of Israeli forces on the outskirts of the town of Rabb Thalathin (Marjayoun) with a rocket barrage at 2:15 p.m.
The party also claimed to have targeted a gathering of Israeli forces on the eastern outskirts of the town of Taybeh (Marjayoun) with rocket fire at 2:20 p.m.
The Israeli army announced that it had intercepted drones from Lebanon for the fifth consecutive time today.
In a message on X, the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said that “the army continues to intercept drones, in the North and in the South.”
“A short while ago, the air force intercepted and destroyed a drone coming from Lebanon before it crossed Israeli airspace,” he added. “Since the morning, the air force has intercepted five drones in the North and South,”, he said.
According to former minister and president of economic organizations Mohammad Choucair, “economic activity [in the private sector] in Lebanon has fallen by 85-90 percent, with the exception of activity linked to foodstuffs and certain basic and essential products,” while the country has been at war with Israel for over a year.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with the Saudi foreign minister in Riyadh ways to establish security, governance and reconstruction in the post-conflict period, State Department spokesman Mathew Miller said. Blinken thanked the Saudi minister “for Saudi Arabia's work in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and Lebanon.”
The two also discussed the need for “a diplomatic solution in Lebanon that allows Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return home,” reports Haaretz.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a conversation with pilots and aircrews at Hatzor Air Base that “when we hit Iran, everyone will understand what you did in the preparation and training process,” according to Haaretz.
He added, “Whoever dreamed a year ago of defeating and striking us has paid a heavy price and is no longer in that dream.”
The Israeli army targeted Khiam (Marjayoun), Harouf and Jibsheet (Nabatieh), according to residents.
The priority of Thursday's international conference on Lebanon in Paris will be to respond to the U.N.'s appeal for more than $400 million in aid for displaced persons, the Elysée Palace said on Wednesday.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has urged Brics member countries to help “end the war” in Gaza and Lebanon, reports AFP.
“I call on all members of the influential Brics group to use all their collective and individual capacities to put an end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon,” said Pezeshkian during a speech in Russia, attended by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The Iranian president's comments come at a time when Iran is conducting an intense diplomatic campaign to promote cease-fires in both Gaza and Lebanon, and to ease regional tensions.
Update on southern Lebanon in the last hour from our correspondent
Israeli aircraft and artillery struck the towns of Taybeh and Khiam again at around 2 p.m.
Violent clashes are also taking place between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on the Qouzah-Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) front, while the Israeli army is bombarding these localities as well as Ramaya with heavy artillery.
According to reports, the Israeli army is destroying homes with explosives in the old quarter of Aita al-Shaab.
A new shipment of Saudi aid including food and medical aid has arrived at Rafic Hariri International Airport, according to the National News Agency.
The Israeli air force bombed the town of Zabboud, in the north of the Baalbeck district, according to our correspondent in the Bekaa.
The Israeli strike that destroyed the Mayfadoun (Nabatieh) religious celebration hall left two people dead, according to our correspondent.
The Israeli air force carried out raids on the locality of Kfar Roummane in Nabatieh and on the village of Hinniyeh in Sour, according to our correspondent.
The Lebanese University has announced that Arabic teacher Mahmoud Khalil was killed in an Israeli raid on his village of Maarakeh in Sour this morning.
The Chinese Embassy in Lebanon announced in a statement on Wednesday the "suspension of its services as of today."
Several embassies in Lebanon have announced the temporary suspension or reduction of their services in connection with the year-long war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, which intensified on Sept. 23.
Hamas member Moussa Abou Marzouk has arrived in Moscow for a planned visit, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing a diplomatic source, according to Reuters. Moussa Abou Marzouk, a member of Hamas's political bureau, will hold a series of meetings with Russian officials, RIA reported without providing further details.
Here are the latest updates from the Lebanese-Israeli border:
- At 12 p.m., Hezbollah announced that it launched a salvo of missiles at Israeli soldiers at a juncture between the Lebanese villages of Robb al-Thalathin, Odaisseh and Markabeh, in the Marjayoun district. This is the third attack of its kind in that area today.
- An Israeli strike targeted a "Husseiniyyeh" (a religious gathering place for the Muslim Shiite community) in Mayfadoun, Nabatieh district.
- An Israeli airstrike bombed an area between Aishieh and Jormok, in the Jezzine district.
Updates on Israeli strikes on Sour, southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region:
- Airstrikes bombed a former building of the Sour municipality; additional airstrikes hit areas in the neighborhoods of Azhar al-Salam and Dinieh, according to our correspondent.
- Strikes also targeted al-Chadid Society, associated with the Islamic Health Committee (Hezbollah-affiliated civil defense) and a branch of Qard al-Hassan.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet Arab foreign ministers in London on Friday to discuss the wars in Gaza and Lebanon with Israel, the State Department announced on Wednesday. He will hold these talks following discussions in Qatar on Thursday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters as Blinken traveled from Israel to Saudi Arabia. Miller did not specify which Arab ministers would be attending the meetings in the British capital.
Hezbollah announced that it launched missiles at a group of Israeli soldiers stationed on the outskirts of the Lebanese village of Odaisseh, Marjayoun district, at 11:30 a.m.
Destruction following Israeli strikes on Sour, southern Lebanon. (Credit: Photo provided by our correspondent in southern Lebanon)
Six Israeli strikes targeted a residential complex in the city of Sour, according to our correspondent.
The Israeli army carried out a strike on Taraya, west of Baalbeck, reported our correspondent in the Bekaa region. So far, no casualties have been reported.
The al-Rissala Scouts, affiliated with the Amal movement, have announced rescue worker Hassan Kassem Roumieh, born in 1995, was killed during the Israeli strike on the village of Maarakeh (Sour district). He was also a member of the al-Wadi Media group, which expressed a "great loss."
"Hassan Roumieh had a clear vision for the work of the al-Wadi Media group since its inception and throughout its development. The group, along with its management, reporters, and photographers, is committed to continuing his work in the way he loved and intended," the statement read in tribute to the victim.
Yesterday, U.S. lawmakers called for an independent investigation into an Israeli attack in Lebanon last year that wounded and killed AFP journalists.
"Lebanon is on the brink of collapse," warned German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during a surprise visit to Beirut amid the war in Lebanon, reported AFP. She also asserted that "any deliberate attack against U.N. peacekeepers" constituted "a violation of international humanitarian law." U.N. peacekeeping forces deployed in southern Lebanon have accused Israel multiple times of firing on some of its posts.
Two Israeli strikes targeted Abu Deeb Street in Sour, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon. A 3rd strike targeted Joumblatt Boulevard, also in Sour.
Here are the latest updates from southern Lebanon, reported by our correspondent in the region:
- At around 10:30 a.m., an Israeli strike on Maarakeh (Sour district) killed three people.
- Additional Israeli strikes targeted the hills in Ain Bousswar (Nabatieh district), in Iklim al-Tuffah.
- Israeli airstrikes bombed the villages of Kabrikha and Arnoun, in the Nabatieh district.
- Violent clashes are taking place between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army at a juncture between Taybeh, Robb al-Thalathin and Odaisseh — in the Marjayoun district. The sounds of explosions echoed in the region, reported our correspondent. Hezbollah has announced that it targeted Israeli soldiers in the area at 11:00 a.m.
The Israeli army said it had identified a barrage of around 25 projectiles launched from Lebanon towards northern Israel, most of which were intercepted. The chairman of the Kiryat Bialik municipal council said that impacts had been identified in the town's industrial zone. No casualties were reported, according to Haaretz.
Hezbollah announced that it launched a salvo of rockets at Israeli soldiers gathering on the Lebanese-Israeli border, at the crossroad between the Lebanese villages of Robb al-Thalantin, Markaba (in the Marjayoun district) and the Israeli locality of Miskav Am.
(Credit: Photo provided by our correspondent in the region)
An Israeli airstrike bombed Abu Deeb Street in the city of Sour, southern Lebanon. This street was included in the Israeli army's evacuation notice earlier today.
(Photo provided by our correspondent in southern Lebanon)
An Israeli strike targeted the city of Sour, according to our correspondent. The strike follows an evacuation notice issued by the Israeli army to the city's inhabitants this morning.
Vaccination against polio has been suspended in Gaza due to "intensive bombardments," said the WHO, quoted by AFP.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that "now is the time" to end the war in Gaza, after Israel achieved "strategic success," according to AFP.
"Since October 7 a year ago, Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza... Now is the time to turn those successes into enduring, strategic success," Blinken said at the end of a visit to Israel.
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The Israeli army has called on Lebanese journalists participating in a new media tour at al-Sahel Commercial Centers to locate "the entrance to the bunker containing half a billion dollars in cash and gold."
In a message on X, Israeli army Arabic-speaking spokesman Avichay Adraee said, "To the Lebanese journalists who have not been able to access the secret hideout of Hassan Nasrallah and who are currently participating in the new media tour at the Sahel Center in the north entrance building, the entrance is located in the east building of the two buildings north of the hospital.' He added, 'We help you further ... According to the information available to us, the entrance to the bunker containing half a billion dollars in cash and gold is located in this building on the east side of the basement/cellar. The spokesman also noted that Hezbollah had prevented journalists from entering the building containing the southern entrance yesterday. 'Hezbollah does not want the money to be exposed, and it is likely that Hezbollah is blocking and hiding the entrance to the cache in various ways that may include building walls to hide the entrance to the area containing the money and gold,' he concluded."
The Israeli army has claimed that it has killed three Hezbollah commanders and some 70 fighters in southern Lebanon in the last 48 hours, a day after confirming that it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council and slain Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's designated successor, Reuters reported.
Lebanese Civil Defense teams are assisting elderly individuals and those in difficult circumstances in evacuating to safe areas following the evacuation notice issued by the Israeli army to residents in a vast region of Sour, reported the National News Agency (NNA).
The Israeli strike on Qana, in the Sour district, killed another scout leader, Hassan Mahmoud Chalhoub.
Yesterday's Israeli strike on a house in the Labbane neighborhood of Arab Salim in the Nabatieh district killed Internal Security Forces (ISF) Corporal Ali Jihad Farhat, our correspondent reported. According to the National News Agency, rescue teams worked throughout the night to recover his body from the rubble of his home.
Hezbollah announced that it launched two missile strikes on "Israeli enemy soldiers gathered between the towns of Odaisseh and Robb al-Thalathin," — one at 9:20 a.m. and another at 9:30 a.m. The towns are inside southern Lebanese territory in the Marjayoun district.
Lufthansa extended the suspension of its flights to Tehran and Beirut until early next year.
Flights to Tehran are suspended "up to and including Jan. 31, 2025," while those to Beirut are suspended up to and including Feb. 28, 2025, the Lufthansa Group said in a statement cited by Reuters.
Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings are all part of the Lufthansa Group. However, SWISS said in a separate statement that flights to Beirut would be canceled "up to and including Jan. 18, 2025."
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The Israeli air force conducted multiple strikes in the Jezzine district, where it violently bombed the Jabbour hills five times and the Hammoudieh locality four times, reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Several airstrikes targeted Khiam and the banks of the Litani River, near the village Blat, in the Marjayoun district.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that his country "fully rejects any Israeli reoccupation of Gaza," reported Reuters.
Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said a woman was slightly injured by shrapnel in the central Israeli town of Herzliya after Hezbollah rockets were fired, according to Haaretz. Israeli police said they had received calls about falling shrapnel in Herzliya and the town of Ramat Hasharon.
Shrapnel from a Lebanese drone, which the Israeli army was tracking on Tuesday, was discovered today in an open area near the northern Israeli town of Yokneam, Haaretz reported, citing the Israeli army.
The military stated that its forces had located the drone, and initial investigations indicate it was likely shot down by Israeli soldiers in an open area. The drone was monitored by the Israeli air force from the moment it was launched from Lebanon until it reached the Yokneam area, the army added.
(Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today)
Our photojournalist reported extensive damage in the Burj al-Barajneh neighborhood, in Beirut's southern suburbs, following yesterday's Israeli strikes in the area.
Israel should avoid "greater escalation" in its response to Iran's Oct. 1 missile attack. "It's also very important that Israel respond in ways that do not create greater escalation," Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv before leaving for Saudi Arabia, the next stop on his Middle East tour.
Blinken added that Israel should seize the "incredible opportunity" to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia. "There remains, despite everything that's happened, an incredible opportunity in this region to move in a totally different direction ... Saudi Arabia would be right at the heart of that, and that includes potentially normalization of relations with Israel."
Shortly after 9 a.m. this morning, the Israeli air force bombed homes in the village of Jwayya in the Sour district.
Multiple victims of yesterday's Israeli strikes were pulled from the rubble in several areas in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent:
- The Israeli strike on the Marj Harouf industrial zone in the Nabatieh district killed three people and destroyed more than 15 homes and commercial establishments.
- The Israeli strike that bombed a funeral in the village of Teffahta (Saida) killed 50 people so far: 19 members of Khodr Ezzeddine's family — including his wife, children, sons-in-law, and relatives — along with 20 members of Sheikh Abdo Abou Rayya's family and 11 others whose identities have yet to be confirmed. The bodies of five women and four children remain trapped under the rubble, as the homes were completely destroyed.
- Israeli strikes on Arab Salim (Nabatieh district) killed one person.
France stands by Lebanon and "will not fail it," assured French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on the eve of the international support conference in Paris.
"The primary goal is to reaffirm the need for a cease-fire, a diplomatic resolution, and an end to hostilities, to mobilize humanitarian aid from as many countries as possible, and to support Lebanese institutions, foremost among them the Lebanese Armed Forces," Barrot emphasized on RTL radio.
The Israeli army announced this morning that it had killed Khalil Mohammad Amhaz, an "important expert in Hezbollah's air unit, known as Unit 127," which is responsible for drones, in a strike on Hermel on Monday. According to a message published on X by the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, this unit "develops and launches explosive and information-gathering drones."
Local authorities in the city of Sour are roaming the streets in areas identified by the Israeli army in evacuation orders, urging residents to evacuate immediately through announcements on loudspeakers, according to our correspondent.
The National News Agency reported that some families have already begun to leave. The Civil Defense is working to facilitate traffic flow.
Shortly before 8 a.m. this morning, the Israeli airstrikes targeted the Qassimieh neighborhood north of the city of Sour, reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Also yesterday, Hezbollah conducted a record-breaking number of attacks against Israel, recording 39 operations within 24 hours. This is the highest number of operations since Oct. 8. On Oct. 14, Hezbollah had carried out 38 operations.
Here are the updates on overnight Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, reported by our correspondent in the region:
- At around 10 p.m., Israeli aircraft and artillery targeted homes in Khiam in the Marjayoun district, with additional strikes bombing the village of Debaal in Sour
- At around 1 a.m., the air force bombed the village of Qana in Sour
Here are the latest updates on Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon this morning, reported by our correspondent in the region:
- At 8:30 a.m., airstrikes targeted the village of Taybeh in Marjayoun and a house in Kfar Roummane in Nabatieh, according to Hezbollah’s al-Manar channel.
- At 8 a.m., airstrikes bombed homes in the villages of Srifa, Selaa, and Baflieh in the Sour district, as well as the village of Froun in Bint Jbeil district.
- At 6 a.m., two airstrikes hit the locality of Wadi Borghouz in the Hasbaya district.
- From dawn until 5 a.m., a series of strikes targeted the town of Khiam in Marjayoun.
Here are the latest updates on Israeli attacks in the Bekaa, reported by our correspondent in the region:
- A dawn airstrike targeted a warehouse in the town of Younine, north of Baalbek, with no reported casualties.
- Warplanes bombed Jabour Heights and the town of Lebbaya, in the Western Bekaa, in a series of airstrikes at dawn, again resulting in no casualties
- Last night's strike on Nabi Sheet in Baalbeck killed one civilian.
Hezbollah claimed this morning to have targeted the Glilot base, home to military intelligence unit 8200, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, with a "quality salvo of missiles." The party has regularly targeted this base.
This morning, the Israeli army warned residents of a vast area in Sour, southern Lebanon, to evacuate north of Awali. "The warning is specifically for those in the buildings between Hiram, Jaafar Charafeddine, Abu Deeb, and al-Athar streets."
"Hezbollah’s activities require the Israeli army to act decisively against it, but there is no intention to harm civilians," the statement emphasized.
Israeli aircraft conducted multiple strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight.
It also claimed to have killed the head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, Hashem Safieddine. Safieddine was targeted in a heavy Israeli bombardment of the Mreijeh suburb on Oct. 3. Since the strike, Hezbollah has stated it has "no information" on his whereabouts. To read more, press here.👈
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