The New York Times says Iranians are reporting they've heard explosions in other cities in country besides the capital Tehran, including Isfahan and Shahid.
According to the Israeli news outlet Israel Hayom, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have gone into an underground bunker beneath the Defense Ministry headquarters.
The White House was notified shortly before Israel began its attack on Iran, Al Jazeera reports. Just a few hours earlier, CENTCOM announced that American F-16 fighter jets had arrived "in CENTCOM's area of responsibility."
Since Iran's attack at the beginning of this month, the U.S. has been very public about its efforts to prevent Israel from hitting any of Iran's nuclear facilities or oil infrastructure.
Again, Israeli jets have broken the sound barrier over Beirut. The explosions were heard in the capital, Mount Lebanon, and Kesrouan.
According to Israeli army radio, cited by CNN, dozens of Israeli fighter jets are conducting air raids in Iran's Karaj district, in Alborz province.
An Israeli army spokesperson has said that Israel is currently hitting "military targets in Iran with precision" as part of its retaliation against the country for attacks on Israel in recent months. The statement did not mention Iraq or Syria, where explosions were heard simultaneous to those in Tehran, shortly before 2 a.m.
Axios and Al Jazeera are now also both reporting that Israel's retaliatory strike against Iran has begun, citing American and Israeli officials.
Israel's Channel 12 news is reporting that Israel's retaliation against Iran has begun, citing American officials.
This anticipated attack is in response to Iran firing 180 missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 which was in turn in retaliation for the assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh as he was attending the Iranian presidential inauguration in Tehran and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's assassination in Beirut one month ago.
🔴 Several explosions were heard shortly before 2 a.m. in Tehran, northern Iraq, and the suburbs of Damascus, according to a Reuters report citing Axios and Iranian state media. Around the same time, Israeli jets broke the sound barrier over Beirut.
"Do what you have to do," the former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reportedly said to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, regarding Israel's offensives in Gaza and Lebanon, The Washington Post (WP) reports.
The WP cites six sources — who preferred to remain anonymous — familiar with the details of a phone call between the two men earlier this month.
At 12:15 a.m., Hezbollah announced a rocket strike on Kiryat Shmona, a town in northern Israel opposite Houla (Marjayoun).
At the same time, the Israeli army said it had spotted 10 rockets coming from Lebanon around midnight, and had intercepted “some” of them.
Senior Israeli defense officials have told a military correspondent for Israel's Kan 11 radio that Israel's ground offensive in southern Lebanon is in its “final phase.”
According to estimates, the ground maneuvers could be finalized within one to two weeks, if there are no last-minute changes, and based on operational and political considerations, added these sources, quoted by journalist Itay Blumenthal.
According to Blumenthal, from a strictly military point of view, the Israeli army has made “significant progress” along the border, dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure in villages in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army has not yet reached the villages below Mount Hermon on the eastern side of the border, notably in the Hasbaya district, “but is preparing to do so.”
While the Israeli army's advances have mainly been concentrated on border villages in the districts, from west to east, of Sour, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun, it has only made a few incursion attempts at Shebaa, in the Hasbaya district.
“Beyond military efforts, other considerations must be taken into account before withdrawal” from southern Lebanon, mainly political ones. The Israeli journalist points out that Israel had previously stated that it would only be prepared to conduct cease-fire negotiations in Lebanon “under intense military pressure.”
“There are no positive signs that the Israeli aggression against Lebanon will stop, especially with the absence of international powers and firm positions” on the subject, said outgoing Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Walid Fayad in an interview with Radio Sputnik relayed by the National News Agency.
He described the Israeli project as “expansionist,” carried out “at the cost of the death of all peoples, their displacement and the destruction of infrastructure, homes and everything that symbolizes life” in the territories coveted by Israel.
In an interview given to Russia Today and relayed by the National News Agency, the former president of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Joumblatt, asserted that “it is time for the Islamic Republic of Iran to become aware of the existence of a state in Lebanon,” following a controversy over statements made by the head of the Iranian parliament, which had provoked an outcry in Lebanon.
Outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati went so far as to denounce Tehran's interference in Lebanese affairs.
Joumblatt also hoped that “the Gaza scenario will not be repeated in Lebanon," while Israel is bombing several regions of the country on a daily basis. “How can the war stop if Israel feels no pressure?” he asked.
Gaza's health ministry said two children had died in the last remaining hospital in the enclave's north after generators broke down and oxygen cylinders were “targeted” by the Israeli military.
“Two children in the intensive care unit died after the generators stopped working and the oxygen station was targeted” in the Kamal Adwan hospital in Jabalia, the ministry said in a statement. “Israeli forces are searching the hospital and firing inside the various wards,” it added. The army told AFP it was “verifying” this information.
According to Al Jadeed, six of the seven strikes targeted Haret Hreik, and one Burj al-Barajneh.
⚡ A new strike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, bringing the number of bombings carried out so far to seven in about 30 minutes.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket strike carried out at 10:20 p.m. against “Israeli soldiers in Kiryat Shmona,” in northern Israel, opposite Houla (Marjayoun).
This is the 48th statement issued today by the party announcing an attack on Israeli positions in southern Lebanon, in the border strip or on a major city in northern Israel.
According to local media, a sixth strike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs.
According to the National News Agency, the first series of strikes on the southern suburbs took place at around 10:30 p.m., and at least four strikes were launched, including on Haret Hreik.
Ten minutes later, two bombardments were carried out by the Israeli air force, according to local media.
According to information from Al Jadeed, Saudi Arabia is to host the next Arab Islamic summit on Nov. 11.
Earlier in the week, Sky News Arabia had reported, also citing unnamed sources, that the summit was due to take place in November, and that it would focus on aid to Gaza, a cease-fire in the enclave, as well as the two-state solution and the Arab peace plan. Support for a cease-fire in Lebanon is also expected to be on the agenda.
⚡Two new detonations caused by Israeli strikes were heard in the vicinity of Beirut.
As U.S. President Joe Biden spoke from the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona to offer a historic apology to Native American peoples, he was interrupted by a protester. “Let her go,” he told his security detail, who prevented her from approaching the president.
“There are a lot of innocent people being killed, and it has to stop,” he also said, referring to the war in Gaza.
In statements numbers 46 and 47, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for two “air attacks carried out by a group of kamikaze drones against Israeli soldiers ” in northern Israel. The first was carried out at 5:30 p.m. in Yaara, and the second at 6 p.m. in Kfar Giladi. In both cases, Hezbollah claims to have hit its “targets” with precision.
In its 45th statement of the day, Hezbollah claims to have targeted Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Roueissat al-Alam, in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills, with a “salvo of rockets” at 9:45 p.m.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for two attacks carried out at 9:30 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. against Israeli soldiers in Kfar Giladi and Misgav Am, respectively, in northern Israel. Both attacks were carried out “with a salvo of rockets.”
⚡ An Israeli strike this evening targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, according to local media, including Al Jadeed.
According to the latter, it was the Haret Hreik district that was hit. Future TV reports three strikes.
The Israeli strike in which three journalists died on Friday morning in southern Lebanon is “under analysis,” the Israeli army said in the evening, accused by the Lebanese authorities of having committed a “war crime.”
The Israeli army “carried out a strike against a Hezbollah military structure in Hasbaya in southern Lebanon while terrorists were inside,” the army explained in a statement. “A few hours after the strike, information was received that journalists had been hit in the strike. "The incident is currently being analyzed," the army added.
Three members of the Moussalmani family were killed in Israeli strikes in Shaatiyeh, in the Sour, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army has called for the evacuation of several buildings in Burj al-Barajneh and Haret Hreik. According to maps shared on X by Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, the affected buildings are as follows:
- Haret Hreik, one building located near the Al-Bayan public school and another a few meters from the Bahman hospital.
- In Burj al-Barajneh, a building near the Al-Anabel school must also be evacuated.
Around 60 rockets fired by Hezbollah have targeted northern Israel since Friday morning, the Israeli army claims, according to Haaretz.
➡️ So far, Hezbollah has announced 42 attacks against Israel today.
This is the first time it has claimed so many in a single day since the clashes began on Oct. 8, 2023. The high number of attacks can be explained by the fact that the party is reacting to attempts by Israeli soldiers to advance into Lebanese territory on several fronts, following the launch of the Israeli army's ground offensive on Sept. 30.
The party's fighters are also carrying out numerous strikes on border positions. In addition, since Sept. 23, Israel has been conducting an intensive air campaign against Hezbollah strongholds, prompting the latter to retaliate by regularly striking large towns in northern Israel.
More than 500,000 people in Lebanon have crossed the border into Syria since the country became the scene of a war between Hezbollah and Israel, the government crisis management committee said on Friday.
“From Sept. 23 to Oct. 25, General Security recorded the passage of 348,237 Syrian citizens and 156,505 Lebanese citizens to Syrian territory,” the committee said in a statement.
According to Roula Amine, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), almost 430,000 people have crossed the border between Lebanon and Syria since the start of the Israeli army's extended offensive on Sept. 23.
Hezbollah claims that its fighters struck the Ramat David air base, southeast of Haifa, with a “high-quality missile” at 6:41p.m.
Hezbollah says the attack was part of its “Khaybar” series of operations, launched shortly after the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, at the end of September.
Hezbollah claims that its fighters targeted a group of Israeli soldiers at the Beit Hallel base, as well as another group at Manara, in northern Israel, and another near the Kfar Kila crossing, in the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon.
In its 41st statement of the day, it also declared that it had bombed the Israeli town of Qatsrin in the occupied Syrian Golan. All these attacks were carried out with “salvos of rockets.”
The Israeli air force carried out strikes targeting the locality of Deir Siryan (Marjayoun), reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah announced that its fighters had twice targeted a group of Israeli soldiers, east of Markaba (Marjayoun), with a salvo of rockets. The group had already carried out a similar attack earlier.
The party also claims to have targeted a group of soldiers located “between Kfar Kila and Metula” with another salvo of rockets.
In addition, Hezbollah says it bombed Hatzor and targeted a group of soldiers in Misgav Am, both in northern Israel. Both attacks were carried out “with a salvo of rockets.”
Four people were killed in the Israeli strike in Nabi Sheet, reports our correspondent in the Bekaa. Among them was Malek Radwan Moussaoui, a soccer player with the Al-Ahed Nabi Sheet club. Rescue operations are still underway.
Hezbollah announced that its fighters had targeted a group of Israeli soldiers east of the town of Markaba (Marjayoun) with a “salvo of rockets."
Southern Lebanon
An Israeli strike took place on the outskirts of Kfar Melki, east of Saida. Three strikes targeted the town of Toul, while two others hit Harouf, in the Nabatieh district.
Israel struck Nabi Sheet, in the Baalbeck district, reports our correspondent in the Bekaa.
Hezbollah claims to have attacked a group of Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of Houla, in the Marjayoun district.
According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile into the sea off the beach in the Ras al-Ain area, near the Rashidiya refugee camp, the second most populated Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. The missile's explosion shattered the windows of the camp's houses.
In its 29th and 30th operations of the day, Hezbollah claimed to have attacked at 5:45 p.m. four Israeli soldiers near a vehicle parked in the Wazzani neighborhood, in the Lebanese locality of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun); then another team consisting of three soldiers and another vehicle in the same area.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced that it will replace one of the judges in charge of the application for an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for health reasons, a decision that could lead to further delays in the case.
Romanian magistrate Iulia Motoc was immediately replaced by Slovenian judge Beti Hohler.
In May, prosecutors had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders, claiming that there were reasonable grounds to believe that these men had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Latest news from southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region
An Israeli air strike targeted the village of Qleileh (Sour).
Israeli artillery fire targeted the road between Burj al-Muluk and Khiam (Marjayoun).
Gaza's Civil Defense announced 12 deaths in strikes on a group waiting for humanitarian aid, reports AFP.
Hezbollah announced that it had fired rockets at a group of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Houla (Marjayoun) at 5 p.m.
The group also claimed to have fired a guided missile at an Israeli force of 12 soldiers on the outskirts of Adaisseh (Marjayoun) at 5:20 p.m., causing “confirmed casualties."
Hezbollah said that 20 minutes later, after an Israeli Hummer military vehicle carrying four soldiers had intervened to support the first force, it fired another guided missile at the vehicle, “killing and wounding” its crew.
Several localities in the Hasbaya district have been without water for over a week, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
The municipalities and residents of the villages of Shebaa, Hebbarieh, Freidis, Kawkaba, Abu Qamha, Kfar Hamam, Rachaya al-Foukhar, and Majidieh-Mari have called on Lebanese state officials to repair the damage caused by an Israeli bombardment on the main water network linking the Shebaa spring to these villages. “We call on all those responsible, in cooperation with the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL, to resolve this urgent and vital issue in order to support our people, who remain firmly attached to their villages,” they said.
Ayman Choucair, president of the Hebbarieh municipal council, told our correspondent that they had contacted officials over the past 10 days for help and the necessary materials, but that “no one is responding."
Hezbollah said it had fired a guided missile at an Israeli Merkava tank on the road between Markaba and Adaisseh (Marjayoun) at 4:40 p.m., “killing and wounding its crew”. The group added that it had forced an Israeli force to withdraw to the Israeli site of al-Abbad.
In another statement, the group announced that its air defense unit had repelled an Israeli Hermes 450 drone with a surface-to-air missile over the Nabatieh region at 4:30 p.m., forcing it to leave Lebanese airspace.
Finally, Hezbollah reported that “after an Israeli force, supported by a Merkava tank, advanced towards Houla [in Marjayoun] at 5 p.m.”, the group's fighters ambushed the tank with a guided missile and opened fire on the Israeli force with machine guns and rocket shells. The party claimed that members of the tank's crew had been “killed or wounded.”
Israeli fighter jets carried out an air strike on the village of Ainata, located in the Bint Jbeil region, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
A truck carrying vegetables was targeted in Ksar Naba, in the Baalbek district, reports our correspondent in the Bekaa.
The head of U.S. diplomacy, Antony Blinken, told Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati that the soldiers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) must be protected, reports a State Department press release.
Blinken “expressed his support for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and stressed that the safety and security of its personnel are essential."
A Hezbollah drone was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force in northern Israel, Haaretz reports.
Air France and its low-cost subsidiary Transavia have extended the suspension of their flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 29 and to Beirut until Nov. 30 inclusive “due to the security situation,” said a spokesperson.
Israeli air strikes targeted the villages of Toul (Nabatieh), Srifa (Sour) and Adaisseh (Marjayoun), reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Shortly before dawn in Hasbaya, at around 3.30 a.m., reporters from Lebanese and Arab TV stations rose in panic, their accommodation engulfed in flames, thick smoke and screams.
“I was woken up by the whistle of the missile,” said Darine al-Helwe, a senior reporter for UAE television station Sky News Arabia.
Hezbollah announced that at 5 p.m., it fired two guided missiles at two Israeli Merkava tanks on the outskirts of Adaisseh (Marjayoun), “killing and wounding” their crew members.
Hezbollah also claimed to have fired a guided missile at a Merkava tank near the Israeli site of Misgav Am, facing Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), at 4:35 p.m. The party added that it had “killed and wounded” the tank's crew.
Israeli artillery fire targeted Khiam (Marjayoun district).
Israeli air strikes targeted the villages of Shaatiyeh and Qleileh (Sour), according to our correspondent in the south.
The funerals of three journalists killed in an Israeli strike in Hasbaya: Ghassan Najjar and Mohammad Rida of Al Mayadeen and Wissam Kassem of the Al Manar channel, were held in Choueifat until their remains can be transported to their home villages in southern Lebanon, at the end of the war against Israel, reports the National News Agency.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has arrived in Ireland and met with his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, reported the National News Agency. They had a private meeting, followed by an extended meeting. No statement has yet been made.
Earlier in the day, in London, Mikati met the head of U.S. diplomacy, Antony Blinken.
Two people injured in a rocket attack on Majd al-Kroum in northern Israel have died, according to Israeli emergency services quoted by Haaretz. Earlier, the emergency services had reported that nine people had been injured in the attack.
At 5 p.m., Hezbollah announced that it had launched an air attack “with a squadron of drones” against the Israeli base of Filon, including the headquarters and emergency depots of the 36th and 210th divisions, located east of the town of Safed.
Outgoing Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib welcomed Richard Verma, Deputy U.S. Secretary of State, at the Lebanese Embassy in Paris.
They discussed the next steps regarding U.S. aid pledged at the Paris Conference, reported the National News Agency. The two men also discussed “the conditions necessary to ensure the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the south.”
Latest developments in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region
Four people were killed and four wounded in an Israeli air strike against a building in the village of Khirbet Silm (Bint Jbeil).
An Israeli air strike also targeted the village of Shihine (Sour).
Hezbollah announced that it had fired rockets at the town of Safed, in northern Israel, at 4:15 p.m.
The head of the World Health Organization said he had lost contact with staff at the last hospital operating in northern Gaza, after the Israeli army said it was operating in the area.
“Since reports this morning of a raid on the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, we have lost contact with the staff there. This is a deeply worrying development, given the number of patients being treated and the number of people taking refuge there,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X.
British Airways has extended the suspension of its services to Tel Aviv, which have been suspended since Sept. 24 and were originally due to last until this Saturday, until March.
“We have suspended our flights to Tel Aviv until the end of March next year,” a company spokesman told AFP.
British Airways, like many other international airlines, had cancelled these flights due to the growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Israeli army has announced the deaths of three soldiers killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.
The army said in a statement that the soldiers, aged in their 20s and belonging to the same battalion of an armored brigade, had “fallen in combat in the northern Gaza Strip,” bringing to 361 the number of soldiers killed since the launch of the military ground operation against Hamas on Oct. 27, 2023.
The firing of rockets from Lebanon into Majd al-Kroum, in northern Israel, left nine people injured, according to Israeli emergency services quoted by Haaretz.
According to The Times of Israel, three of the wounded are in critical condition and one is seriously injured. The Israeli army reports that around thirty rockets were fired in the attack.
A violent Israeli air strike targeted a house in Khiam, in the Marjayoun district. (Credit: Mountasser Abdallah)
Latest developments in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region
The Islamic Health Committee in Khirbet Silm (Bint Jbeil) was targeted by an Israeli air strike.
Israeli air strikes targeted Tallet al-Hamames, south of Khiam (Marjayoun), as well as the Maydana plain between the villages of Jermaq (Jezzine) and Kfar Roummane (Nabatieh).
Other Israeli strikes also hit the villages of Tayr Debba and Siddiqine (Sour), as well as the Litani river near Marjayoun.
Finally, the Israeli army bombarded the villages of Kounin and Beit Yahoun (Bint Jbeil), as well as Khiam.
The northern Gaza Strip is living through its “darkest hours,” said the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, warning that Israel's actions could amount to “criminal atrocities.”
“The situation is getting unimaginably worse by the day. The policies and practices of the Israeli government in northern Gaza risk emptying the area of all Palestinians. We are facing what could amount to criminal atrocities, including possible crimes against humanity,” said Volker Turk in a statement.
⚡ Hezbollah announced it had fired a major rocket salvo at Karmiel, in northern Israel, at 3 p.m.
Here are the latest updates on Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon:
- At least one person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a car in the village of Qasmiyeh (south district), reported our correspondent in the region.
- Two airstrikes targeted the outskirts of Yanouh and Bazourieh, Sour district.
Israeli strikes on a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria threaten the primary transit route for those attempting to flee the conflict in Lebanon, the United Nations said on Friday. "This really hinders and endangers a critical lifeline that people use to escape the conflict in Lebanon and cross into Syria," said Rula Amin, the U.N. refugee agency's Middle East spokeswoman, during a press briefing in Geneva.
Hezbollah announced that it fired rockets at a group of Israeli soldiers north of the village of Kfar Giladi in northern Israel at 10 a.m. The party also stated that it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near the Israeli site of Marj, opposite Markaba (Marjayoun district), at 1 p.m.
The latest Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, reported by our correspondent:
- Artillery fire targeted the center of Khiam, in the Marjayoun district.
- Airstrike targeted Jebsheet, in the Nabatieh district.
- Fighter jets broke the sound barrier over southern Lebanon twice, causing a loud sonic boom.
Hezbollah also announced several attacks on positions in northern Israel, including one targeting soldiers gathered in Malkiya, opposite Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) and another on a group of Israeli soldiers at the Shomera barracks, opposite Ramieh (Bint Jbeil), at 1:20 p.m. The Israeli daily Haaretz previously reported that several people were wounded by a rocket that landed in the Shomera area.
The party also claimed to have carried out an attack with a squadron of drones on the Israeli Baghdadi site, opposite Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), at 1:30 p.m. Citing emergency services, Haaretz reported that five people were seriously injured in the northern Israeli town of Majd al-Kroum due to rocket fire from Lebanon.
Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for several strikes against Israeli soldiers on Lebanese territory in recent hours. In particular, it claimed to have twice targeted Israeli soldiers to the east of the village of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil), as well as on the outskirts of Taybeh in the morning. It also hit soldiers in the border area between Misgav Am, in northern Israel, and Odaisseh (Marjayoun).
The funeral of Ismail al-Ghoul, an al-Jazeera journalist, who was killed along with cameraman Rami al-Rifi in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza on July 31, 2024. (Credit: Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)
While Lebanon condemns Israeli attacks on journalists to "intimidate the media" after an Israeli strike killed three journalists and injured others in Hasbaya, Israel continues its attacks against the al-Jazeera news channel. Read Noura Doukhi's dive into why six al-Jazeera journalists are in the crosshairs of the Israel army. 👈
Here are the latest updates on Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon:
- In Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh), an airstrike targeted a funeral of people killed in an Israel attack yesterday.
- Airstrikes targeted the villages of Choukine, Kfar Sir and Nabatieh al-Fawqa in the Nabatieh district.
- Airstrikes also targeted Kafra and Kfar Dounine, in the Bint Jbeil district.
- Additional airstrikes targeted Khiam and Tallet al-Hamames, in the Marjayoun district.
- Fighter jets targeted the Rihan mountains in the Jezzine district.
The Israeli army caused explosions in the village of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun district), reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon. Residents of Burj al-Muluk (Nabatieh) and the surrounding area reported hearing detonations and seeing clouds of smoke fill the area.
A few days ago, the Israeli army razed an entire southern Lebanese village, Mhaybib, located between Mais al-Jabal and Blida — around two kilometers from the Blue Line — in the Marjayoun district.
United Nations peacekeepers said Friday that Israeli soldiers fired at one of their observation posts in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, in Dhayra, in the Sour district.
In a statement, the U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated that on Oct. 22 peacekeepers "on duty at a permanent observation post near Dhaira observed Israeli soldiers carrying out operations" in nearby houses. "Realizing that they were being observed," the Israeli soldiers "fired on the observation post." The peacekeepers on duty "withdrew to avoid being shot," the statement added.
The UNIFIL has come under Israeli fire multiple times since the start of the Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon. To read more about the latest incident, press here.👈
Iraq is concerned that the war, which it has sought to avoid, could extend to its own territory, Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein said. "We are very worried about the conflict spreading from Lebanon to neighboring countries and about Iraqi territory becoming a party to this war," Hussein told journalists in Paris following an international conference on Lebanon.
Pro-Iranian factions in Iraq have repeatedly claimed responsibility for drone attacks on targets in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that his country is defending itself "on seven fronts," including against "Shiite militias in Iraq."
The Israeli army confirmed that it conducted a strike on a border post between Lebanon and Syria, claiming it was used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. "During the night ... the Israeli air force struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure at the Jusiyeh border post in the northern Bekaa region," the army stated, referring to the crossing by its Syrian name, known as al-Qaa in Lebanon. The Israeli army alleged that the party "exploits this post, controlled by the Syrian regime ... to transfer weapons used to conduct numerous terrorist operations."
The bodies of the three journalists killed in an Israeli attack in Hasbaya have arrived at Al-Zahraa Hospital in Beirut, the pro-Iranian channel Al-Mayadeen announced on X. In a video, Red Cross rescuers are seen pulling the bodies from an ambulance as dozens of people gather around, shouting and making celebratory ululations. Al-Mayadeen confirmed the deaths of its cameraman, Ghassan Najjar, and sound engineer, Mohammad Rida. A photographer from Al-Manar, a Hezbollah-affiliated channel, Wissam Kassem, was also killed.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the "deliberate attack" on journalists in Lebanon after an Israeli strike in Hasbaya killed three journalists and injured others. He described the incident as a "new chapter in war crimes" committed by Israel, lamenting the lack of response from the international community.
This "deliberate aggression aims to intimidate the media and conceal the crimes and destruction underway" in Lebanon, Mikati added.
He also noted that he had instructed the Foreign Affairs Ministry "to add this new crime to the files documenting Israeli crimes that will be submitted to the appropriate international authorities." Since the start of the attrition war in Lebanon on Oct. 8, the country has filed numerous complaints against Israel with the U.N. Security Council.
Jordan's Foreign Minister called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop "ethnic cleansing," during a meeting with the head of U.S. diplomacy Antony Blinken in London. Deploring the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza, Minister Ayman Safadi told Mr. Blinken: "We see that ethnic cleansing is going on, and it has to stop."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that there was "a real sense of urgency" to reach a "diplomatic solution" in Lebanon.
"We have a sense of real urgency in getting to a diplomatic resolution and the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, such that there can be real security along the border between Israel and Lebanon," Blinken said after meeting Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in London.
A photo taken from the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on the Jusiyeh border crossing on Oct. 25, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
UNHCR's Amman-based spokesperson, Rula Amin, expressed her concern over a strike that occurred just 500 meters from the main border crossing, rendering it unusable. She noted that there was no indication of a warning prior to the attack.
Amin highlighted the alarming situation, revealing that around 430,000 individuals have fled from Lebanon to Syria since the onset of Israel's campaign. "The attacks on the border crossings are a major concern," she emphasized. "They are blocking the path to safety for people fleeing conflict."
To find out more about Israel's strike on al-Qaa border crossing on the Lebanese-Syrian border, press here.
Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad announced that 163 rescue workers and caregivers have been killed in Israeli strikes across the country since October 8, 2023. He reported that the total number of nurses and rescue workers killed "so far stands at 163," with an additional "272 wounded," during a press conference focused on "the damage caused by Israeli attacks on the health sector in Lebanon."
The Israeli army announced in a statement that it "intercepted a drone that had entered Israel from Syria," following the sounding of sirens in the north.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket strike carried out at 1 a.m. last night on Menara, in northern Israel, opposite the Lebanese village of Houla (Marjayoun), and another at 11 a.m. this morning on the Israeli Habushit position in the occupied Syrian Golan.
Since the start of the war in Lebanon, 22 Lebanese soldiers have been killed by Israel: 12 while stationed in southern Lebanon and 10 others in their homes targeted by Israeli bombings.
With each new strike on Lebanese troops, the Israeli military rushes to offer ‘apologies,’ citing “mistakes” — a justification that military experts find unconvincing. Read Jeanine Jalkh's analysis: Why is Israel targeting the Lebanese Army?
Mossad director David Barnea met with Egypt's new intelligence chief, Hassan Mahmoud Rachad, in Cairo yesterday, according to Haaretz. The two discussed Egypt's role in negotiations for an agreement on the release of hostages and the potential for promoting a new proposal at the Doha summit, scheduled for Sunday. They also addressed "the fight against Hamas terrorist activities and the prevention of smuggling between Egypt and Gaza," the Israeli newspaper reported. Rachad is not expected to attend the summit.
A cease-fire and a swift political solution in Lebanon are essential to avoid a "generalized conflagration," warned Josep Borrell, the head of European diplomacy. "We are currently engaged in a race against time between the possible start of a political process in Lebanon and a generalized conflagration with incalculable consequences," Borrell said in a statement.
"Without a suspension of hostilities, nothing will be possible," he added. Borrell said once fighting was halted, Lebanon needed to organize long-postponed presidential elections "as soon as possible."
The Israeli strike this morning, which killed three journalists and wounded others as they slept in a guesthouse in Hasbaya, was widely condemned in Lebanon.
To read more about the reactions to the bombing and more details about the strike, press here.
Hezbollah fighters in a military parade in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, displaying Palestine and Hezbollah's flag aside a missile, Jan. 10, 2009 (Credit: AFP archive photo)
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a strike carried out with a "salvo of qualitative rockets," likely precision-guided projectiles, at 9:30 this morning against the "Carmel" base, south of Haifa.
Read Malek Jadah and Jaimee Hadad's article to learn more about what we know about Hezbollah's arsenal, press here.👈
This morning, an Israeli strike targeting the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon severed a border crossing between the two countries, caretaker Transport Minister Ali Hamieh told AFP. Out of three border crossings, this is the second to be blocked due to Israeli attacks.
"The al-Qaa crossing is out of service after an Israeli strike on Syrian territory, just hundreds of meters from Syrian border guards," said Hamieh, adding that the strike had severed the road for car and truck traffic, leaving only one crossing still operational. According to information obtained by L'Orient Today, the airstrike targeted a bridge in the "Jousseh" area and destroyed a nearby cemetery.
The UNHCR announced today that "as of yesterday 430,000 people have crossed from Lebanon to Syria," according to Reuters.
The Israeli army announced the deaths of five soldiers killed in fighting in southern Lebanon. In a statement, the army said the soldiers, all reservists, had "fallen in combat in southern Lebanon" on Thursday. 30 Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in Lebanon since the start of the ground offensive on Sept. 30, according to AFP tally.
Yesterday, Hezbollah announced multiple operations against Israeli soldiers attempting to advance toward positions in southern Lebanon, notably at Aita al-Shaab and Odaisseh.
At least 20 people were killed in two overnight Israeli airstrikes on Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory's Civil Defense announced. The first strike targeted a family home in the al-Manara neighborhood in the southeast of the city, killing 14 people. The second strike targeted a nearby house, resulting in the deaths of six people, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense spokesman, Mahmoud Bassal.
Since the early morning, the Israeli news platform Haaretz reported multiple sirens sounding across Israel:
- Rocket sirens were activated "across central Israel, including Caesarea," — the area that houses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's house. Following that report, the Israeli army stated that it had intercepted one rocket that crossed from Lebanon
- Later, rocket sirens sounded in Haifa, Acre and the surrounding communities; the Israeli army reported that it had intercepted some, while others fell in "open areas."
- Finally, rocket sirens sounded twice in the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel.
Last night, an Israeli strike on Debbine, in southern Lebanon's Marjayoun district, killed one person and wounded two others, reported our correspondent in the region.
Also, five Israeli airstrikes targeted Habboush (Nabatieh), Jbaa, in Iklim al-Tuffah, and the Rihan mountains, in the Jezzine district. Additional airstrikes targeted Maarakeh, in the sour district.
The Israeli army announced at around 8 a.m. that it had "killed a commander of Hezbollah's elite al-Radwan unit, Abbas Adnane Maslam." Without specifying where or how the commander had been killed, the army added that he was "responsible for shooting at and attacking Israeli soldiers and villages." Yesterday, the army said it had attacked "nearly 200 targets in Lebanon."
In the Bekaa region, on the border between Lebanon and Syria, Israeli aircraft bombed the "al-Joussi" area near al-Qaa at dawn. According to our correspondent in the region, the strike targeted a bridge. A cemetery was also destroyed in the locality.
(Credit: Photo supplied by L'Orient Today correspondent)
At dawn, an Israeli strike targeted a building housing journalists in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, and killed three: a cameraman and sound engineer from al-Mayadeen, and a photographer from al-Manar.
To find out more, press here.👈
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