Monday, September 23, 2024
1431 GMT — At least 274 people, including 21 children and 31 women, have been killed and 1,024 wounded in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, the country's health minister said during a press conference.
1413 GMT — Hezbollah targets two Israeli bases after strikes on Lebanon
Lebanon's Hezbollah group said it targeted two more Israeli bases in retaliation for the deadliest strikes on the country's east and south in nearly a year of clashes.
Hezbollah launched "dozens of rockets" at two Israeli bases "in response to the Israeli enemy's attacks on the south and the Beqaa" in Lebanon's east, after targeting three other sites earlier in the day as part of their retaliation.
1338 GMT — Lebanon to open schools to shelter displaced civilians amid intense Israeli attacks
Lebanon said it will open schools and institutes to accommodate civilians displaced by Israeli air strikes in the country’s south.
In a statement, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said he directed governors to cooperate fully with the mass evacuation from southern regions.
He added that schools and institutes will be used as shelters to ensure the safety and security of Lebanese citizens. Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced a two-day suspension of classes in schools in southern Lebanon as thousands fled their homes following intensive Israeli attacks.
1334 GMT - US defence chief speaks with Israeli counterpart to get updates on Hezbollah fire exchanges: Pentagon
United States defence chief spoke with his Israeli counterpart to receive updates on the exchange of fires between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah, the Pentagon said.
In a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "expressed his support for Israel's right to defend itself as Hizballah extends its attacks deeper into Israel," Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
1309 GMT — Iran warns Israel of 'dangerous consequences' of Lebanon strikes
Iran's Foreign Ministry warned Israel of "dangerous consequences" following deadly strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon.
The ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani called the Israeli strikes "insane", and warned of "the dangerous consequences of the Zionists' new adventure".
1245 GMT — At least 182 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon: ministry
At least 182 people have been killed and 727 were wounded, including women, children and medics, in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement.
1201 GMT — Israel kills 24 more Palestinians as death toll surges to 41,455
Israeli army attacks killed 24 more Palestinians in Gaza, pushing up the overall death toll since last Oct. 7 to 41,455, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.
A ministry statement added that a total of 95,878 people have been injured in Israeli attacks since last October.
"Israeli forces killed 24 people and injured 60 others in three 'massacres' of families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.
1158 GMT — Israel plans 'large-scale' strikes on Lebanon's Beqaa — military
Israeli aircraft are preparing to attack Hezbollah's strategic weapons stashed in houses in Lebanon's Beqaa valley, the Israeli military spokesperson said, calling on civilians to evacuate immediately.
"The sights now from south Lebanon are of secondary explosions of Hezbollah weapons, which are exploding inside houses. In every house we are attacking there are weapons. Rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles that were meant for and aimed at killing Israeli civilians," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.
1157 GMT — Iraq's top Shia cleric calls for end to Israeli 'aggression' on Lebanon
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Shia Islam's highest authority in Iraq, appealed for "every possible effort" to end Israeli "aggression" against Lebanon, where Israeli forces are targeting the Shiite Hezbollah movement.
Sistani, in a statement on his website, called for "the exercise of every possible effort" to end this "barbaric aggression and to protect the Lebanese people".
Sistani, 94, urged "believers" to "contribute towards easing the suffering" of the Lebanese people and help "meet their humanitarian needs".
1155 GMT — At least 100 killed, hundreds injured in extensive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon
At least 100 people were killed and more than 400 others injured in intensive Israeli airstrikes targeting several areas in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry.
Children, women and medics were among those injured in the attacks, the ministry added in a statement.
1142 GMT — Australia asks its citizens to leave Lebanon
Australia asked its citizens to leave Lebanon following escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
"The security situation in Lebanon could rapidly deteriorate. Australians in Lebanon should leave immediately while commercial flights are available," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on X.
Australia, the minister said, is "gravely" concerned about escalation in the Middle East.“Further hostilities put civilians at risk,” she added.
1125 GMT — Türkiye to submit evidence over Turkish-American woman's killing to international courts
Türkiye will submit evidence about Israel's killing of a Turkish-American woman in the West Bank this month to the United Nations Security Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), its justice minister said.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was killed on Sept. 6 as she took part in a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank amid the war in Gaza. Israel has acknowledged that its troops shot the activist but says it was an unintentional act during a demonstration that turned violent.
Türkiye has opened an investigation into Eygi's killing and will request international arrest warrants, Ankara said this month, while President Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye would go to the ICJ over the matter.
1019 GMT — At UN, Türkiye to press criticism of Israel over Gaza war
Türkiye, among the world's sharpest critics of the Israeli military operation in Gaza, will use the United Nations General Assembly this week to highlight what it says is a genocide unfolding there and will urge international pressure on Israel.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and several Turkish ministers will take part in the General Assembly in New York, which comes amid the heaviest cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, alongside the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
0951 GMT — Kremlin voices 'extreme concern' over Israel-Hezbollah conflict
The Kremlin said that the threat of escalation of attacks by Israel and Hezbollah was a matter of the utmost concern for Russia.
"The situation is swiftly deteriorating every day. Tension is growing, unpredictability is increasing. This is a matter of extreme concern for us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
0700 GMT — Israel kills 8 Palestinians, including women, children in Gaza
Eight Palestinians, including two women and five children, were killed in Israeli air strikes targeting a school sheltering displaced civilians and a home in central Gaza.
A mother and her four children were killed, and others were injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Al-Samak family’s home in Deir al Balah city, the Gaza Civil Defense said in a statement.
In a separate statement, the Civil Defense added that an Israeli airstrike on Khaled Bin Al-Waleed School in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp killed a man, his wife, and their daughter, and injured others.
0630 GMT — One dead in dozens of Israeli strikes on Lebanon: official media
Dozens of Israeli air strikes hit Lebanon's south and east, killing at least one civilian, official media reported.
The official National News Agency (NNA) said "enemy warplanes launched... more than 80 air strikes in half an hour", targeting south Lebanon's Nabatiyeh district. It also reported strikes in the Tyre area.
At the same time, the NNA reported "intense raids in the Bekaa" Valley in the east, deep inside Lebanon near the Syrian border, including in the vicinity of Baalbek and the outskirts of Hermel.
The NNA said the strikes in the east killed a "civilian", a shepherd, "and wounded two members of his family" and four others.
0600 GMT — Israeli strikes hit Lebanon; army asks civilians to 'move away'
More than 80 Israeli air strikes have targeted various areas in Nabatieh governorate, southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon News Agency.
The Israeli military told people in Lebanon to move away from "Hezbollah targets" and vowed to carry out more extensive strikes against the group.
"We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm's way for their own safety," military spokesman Reard Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a media briefing.
Hagari said the military had launched new strikes against Hezbollah sites since Monday morning.
"The strikes will go on for the near future," he said.
05:50 GMT — Iraqi group targets Israeli base in occupied Golan Heights
An Iraqi militia group has said they targeted the Israeli observation base in the "occupied Palestinian territories".
The Israeli army, too, confirmed that it intercepted two cruise missiles and a drone launched from Iraq towards the occupied Golan Heights.
"Cruise missiles were intercepted this evening (Sunday) before they crossed into the Golan Heights," Israel's Army Radio said on X. It added that "the army intercepted a drone that was also launched from Iraq this morning after it entered the Golan Heights".
05:20 GMT — Israeli army bombs school in Gaza, killing 3 Palestinians
At least three Palestinians were killed when the Israeli army bombed a school sheltering displaced people in central Gaza early Sunday.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Israeli military targeted the upper floor of Khalid bin al-Walid School in Nuseirat.
The attack also left many others injured.
05:00 GMT — Colombia's president denounces media silence over Israeli genocide in Gaza
Colombian President Gustavo Petro denounced the silence over Israel's war in Gaza, insisting that a genocide is taking place in Palestine.
"Anyone who defends this genocide or remains silent in the face of it has destroyed their own human condition," Petro said Sunday on X.
"It would seem as if (Nazi propaganda minister Joseph) Goebbels is the one who directs the world's communications so that tens of thousands of journalists are silenced in the face of their murdered colleagues and 20,000 babies torn to pieces by bombs," he added.
04:22 GMT — Israeli air strikes across Gaza kill at least 24 Palestinians
At least 24 Palestinians were killed and dozens others injured in Israeli air strikes across Gaza, according to medical sources.
Seven people lost their lives and several others were injured in an Israeli strike targeting Kafr Qasim School, where thousands of displaced civilians have sheltered in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said in a statement.
Four more people were killed and 15 others injured in another air strike on a house in the central city of Deir al Balah, he added.
04:00 GMT — Thousands of Palestinians at risk of death as winter approaches: local authorities
Palestinian authorities have warned of the potential deaths of thousands of people in northern Gaza due to cold weather and lack of heating resources amid Israel's ongoing war on the enclave.
"Thousands are at risk of dying from cold weather due to the unavailability of heating supplies like cooking gas, charcoal and wood," the Ministry of Social Development in Gaza said in a statement Sunday.
"Every passing moment exacerbates the suffering of Gaza's residents, who face harsh conditions due to the war."
03:48 GMT — Palestine holds jurisdiction over Gaza and West Bank: Abbas
Palestine has the "jurisdiction" over Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said.
"Palestine has the jurisdiction over Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and will continue to carry out its responsibilities," Abbas said during a meeting with head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Mohammed al Alimi, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Abbas renewed his call for ending Israeli attacks against Palestinians, a complete withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction and holding a political process "that ends the occupation and achieves security, stability and peace for all in the region".
03:28 GMT — Hamas claims to have killed, injured Israeli soldiers in Rafah attacks
Palestinian resistance group Hamas claimed to have killed and injured several Israeli soldiers in attacks in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
In a statement on its Telegram channel, the group's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said that its fighters detonated an explosive device at an Israeli force, leaving several soldiers dead and injured.
The group said it also targeted an Israeli tank and bulldozer with anti-tank shells in al Shoka neighbourhood east of Rafah. There was no immediate Israeli comment on the claim.
03:02 GMT — Lebanese University suspends classes amid Israeli attacks
The Lebanese University, the country's only state-funded public university, said it will suspend classes in three cities in southern Lebanon on Monday amid Israeli attacks.
Bassam Badran, the university president, said in a statement on Sunday evening that university branches in Sidon, Nabatiyeh, and Tyre will remain closed on Monday.
The decision comes "in light of instability resulting from the continued Israeli assaults, and to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff", the statement said.
02:50 GMT — Internet service cut off in central, southern Gaza amid Israeli attacks
Internet service has gone down in central and southern Gaza, the Palestinian telecom company Paltel said.
In a post on X, the company said the service was disrupted by the ongoing Israeli military attacks in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis areas in Gaza. "Our crews are working hard to restore the service as quickly as possible," it added.
The blockaded enclave has faced several communications and internet outages amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the enclave that left more than 41,400 dead since last October.
02:35 GMT — Half of Israeli hostages in Gaza 'are alive': Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about half of the hostages held in Gaza "are alive".
This comes as Netanyahu and his government face accusations from hostages' families of abandoning them through a new proposal for a hostage swap with Hamas.
"According to the information we have, half of the hostages in Gaza are alive," Netanyahu said during a closed meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee as cited by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
02:25 GMT — US 'pushing hard' to prevent 'wider war' in Mideast: Biden
US President Joe Biden said the United States would do everything possible to prevent an escalation of war in the Middle East, as hostilities flared between Israel and Hezbollah.
Affirming that he was worried about rising regional tensions, Biden told reporters from the White House South Lawn that his administration was "going to do everything we can to keep a wider war from breaking out. And we're still pushing hard".
02:19 GMT — Iran's IRGC claims to dismantle Israel-linked network over 'anti-security actions'
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have dismantled a network of "mercenaries and collaborators" allegedly linked to Israel.
In a statement, the IRGC announced the dismantling of a network of 12 "mercenaries and collaborators of the regime", referring to Israel, across six provinces in Iran.
According to the statement, those arrested intended to carry out "anti-security actions" and were identified through "decisive intelligence" obtained by the IRGC's intelligence wing.
02:00 GMT — EU foreign policy chief calls for urgent ceasefire as Israel-Hezbollah border attacks intensify
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed "extreme concern" over escalating violence between Lebanon and Israel, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
In a statement, Borrell highlighted recent attacks in the Lebanese capital Beirut that killed at least three children amid ongoing cross-border violence between Israel and the Hezbollah group.
"A ceasefire is urgent, across the Blue Line as in Gaza," Borrell stated, emphasising the harm that civilians have suffered on both sides.
For our live updates from Sunday, September 22, 2024, click here.
