By The Independent (World News) | Created at 2024-09-24 11:10:19 | Updated at 2024-09-30 09:30:05
5 days ago
Israel says it’s ‘not looking for wars’ but army is ‘in full readiness’ to push Hezbollah back from border
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The death toll in Lebanon has reached 558 including 50 children since Israel launched fresh strikes on Monday, the country’s health minister said.
A fresh wave of strikes began on Tuesday, after Monday saw the deadliest day of strikes in Lebanon in nearly two decades of the conflict.
After almost a year of war against Hamas in Gaza on its southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to the northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, also backed by Iran.
The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah militant cell and its artillery and tanks hit other Hezbollah targets in the south overnight in the latest round of strikes.
Hezbollah on Tuesday morning said it had attacked several Israeli military targets, including an explosives factory 60 km (37 miles) into Israel.
It comes as thousands were pictured fleeing southern Lebanon in loaded cars, vans and trucks. Highways north were gridlocked. Images also showed scores of civilians sleeping on beaches and walkways after having fled last night.
Pictured: Scenes on the ground in Lebanon
Alex Croft24 September 2024 11:49
Around 100 projectiles fired by Hezbollah, Israeli military says
Around 100 projectiles, including rockets, were launched towards Israel by Hezbollah since midnight, the Israeli military says.
Lower Galilee and HaAmakim appear to be the targets of most of the rockets, a spokesperson told CNN.
Upper Galilee and Haifa were both also targeted, with buildings damaged and fires started in the north.
Most of the projectiles fired at Israel were intercepted by the Israeli military, it claims.
It comes as Israel continues to strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, having ramped up strikes once again in the last couple of hours.
Alex Croft24 September 2024 11:28
Breaking: Number killed in Lebanon rises to 558 including 50 children
The number killed by Israeli strikes on Lebanon this week has risen to 558 including 50 children, the Lebanese health minister said.
Firass Abiad added that 94 women were included in the dead, and 1,835 have been injured.
The death count was last counted at 492 and 1,645 wounded yesterday.
Alex Croft24 September 2024 11:23
Nearly 50 flights cancelled in and out of Beirut
Beirut’s main airport, Rafic Hariri, has announced that at least 40 flights were cancelled as of Tuesday morning.
The airport’s website shows dozens of cancelations including for trips between Germany, France, Turkey, Iraq and Qatar.
Aviation authorities in Lebanon have denied that any full flight suspensions are taking place, and confirmed cancellations by certain airlines due to Israeli strikes.
Alex Croft24 September 2024 11:07
Iranian president arrives at UN summit
The leaders of 193 countries have been invited to New York for the UN’s highest-level annual summit.
The Middle East will be high on the agenda following the most deadly day of Israeli strikes on Lebanon in decades.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York yesterday. It is his first summit as president after the helicopter crash in May which killed former President Ebrahim Raisi - who many touted to be Iran’s next Supreme Leader.
Upon his arrival, Pezeshkian said: "We do not wish to be the cause of instability in the Middle East as its consequences would be irreversible.”
"It’s Israel that wants to drag everyone into war and destabilise the region… They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go."
Alex Croft24 September 2024 10:47
Pictured: Thousands in Lebanon struck in gridlock traffic as they flee homes
Alex Croft24 September 2024 10:24
Another wave of Israeli strikes begins
Israeli airstrikes are building up again on Lebanon, according to reports on Israeli radio.
A brief lull in strikes appears to have ended, after nearly 500 people were killed on Monday.
Lebanese state news agency NNA said on Tuesday: “Hostile airstrikes resumed on Baalbek and its surrounding areas, targeting Al-Tal Al-Abyad district at the northern entrance of Baalbek, the town of Talia, and the outskirts of Shamstar.”
Sky News reports that four strikes hit the area around Tyre, southern Lebanon, within a few minutes.
Israeli army radio confirmed that another wave of strikes is underway.
Alex Croft24 September 2024 10:01
What is Israel planning?
Israeli officials say they have not yet made an official decision to expand military operations against Hezbollah - and have not said publicly what those operations might be. Last week, however, the head of Israel’s Northern Command was quoted in local media as advocating for a ground invasion of Lebanon.
Meanwhile, as fighting in Gaza has slowed, Israel has increased its forces along the Lebanese border, including the arrival of a powerful army division believed to include thousands of troops.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant last week declared the start of a “new phase” of the war as Israel turns its focus towards Hezbollah.
“The centre of gravity is shifting to the north,” he said.
A UN-brokered truce to the 2006 war called on Hezbollah to pull back 29 kilometres (18 miles) from the border, but it has refused, accusing Israel of also failing to carry out some provisions.
Israel is now demanding Hezbollah withdraw eight to 10 kilometres (five to six miles) from the border - the range of Hezbollah’s anti-tank guided missiles.
Barney Davis24 September 2024 09:42
US sends troops to the Middle East
A small number of US troops will be sent to the MIddle East following escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Pentagon said.
It is unclear how many troops will be deployed and whether they have a specific mission, The Guardian reports.
Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder told reporters: “Out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region.”
“We have more capability in the region today than we did on April 14th when Iran conducted its drone and missile attack against Israel.”
Ryder referred to a 300-missile attack by Iran which sustained modest damage inside Israel after being intercepted by western air defence.
Alex Croft24 September 2024 09:20
Saudi Arabia concerned with Lebanon airstrikes
Saudi Arabia expressed deep concern in a statement on Monday over security developments in Lebanon, warning of escalating violence and urging all parties to exercise restraint, state news agency SPA reported.
Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday, killing 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, as the Israeli military called on residents to immediately evacuate places where it claimed the Hezbollah militant group stores weapons.
Thousands of people fled southern Lebanon, jamming the main highway to Beirut in the biggest exodus since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
More than 1,645 people were wounded in the strikes, the Health Ministry said, a staggering one-day toll for the country.
Barney Davis24 September 2024 09:00
