Sunday, October 6, 2024
06:21 GMT — Israel escalates, bombards southern Beirut with new air strikes
The Israeli army has begun a new wave of air strikes using fighter jets late on Saturday in Beirut's southern suburbs, Anadolu reports.
The bombing follows an ultimatum by the Israeli army that it will target buildings in five areas of the southern suburbs that "contain interests of Hezbollah", a claim it has repeatedly used to justify hitting civilian targets.
Official Lebanese media said five Israeli strikes hit south Beirut and its outskirts, four of them "very violent".
"Israeli enemy warplanes carried out four very violent strikes on (Beirut's) southern suburbs, and one strike on the Chweifat" area, with ambulances rushing to the site, Lebanon's National News Agency said.
05:50 GMT — US official says Israel has not guaranteed it would not strike Iran's nuclear facilities
A senior US State Department official said Israel has not assured the Biden administration it would refrain from attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, according to CNN.
The official said it is "really hard to tell" whether Tel Aviv would retaliate.
"We hope and expect to see some wisdom as well as strength, but as you guys know, no guarantees," the unnamed official said after CNN asked if Israel provided guarantees to the US on its military intentions toward Iran.
05:43 GMT — Palestinians reaffirm Gaza ceasefire deal must include end to Israeli assault, lifting blockade
Palestinian factions in Gaza reaffirmed that any ceasefire agreement with Israel must include the end of Israeli military operations and a lifting of the blockade.
"There will be no agreement or deal unless our people's demands are met, including ending the aggression, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, opening the crossings, breaking the blockade, reconstruction and a serious prisoner exchange," the unnamed factions said in a statement that was shared by Hamas on Telegram.
The statement emphasised that Palestinians alone had the right to determine Gaza's post-war future and warned against external attempts to impose an alternative administration, saying such efforts would be treated as occupation acts.
05:19 GMT — Six Palestinian farmers injured illegal Israeli settlers attack
Six Palestinian farmers were injured when illegal Israeli settlers attacked the group while they harvested olives on their agricultural land in the occupied West Bank.
"Dozens of illegal settlers attacked farmers while they worked in the olive fields between the villages of Al-Lubban and Rantis, injuring six of them," Majed Khalaf, mayor of the village of Rantis in northwest Ramallah, told Anadolu.
"Illegal settlers from nearby outposts called for reinforcements and launched an attack on the farmers with stones and sticks."
04:42 GMT — Israel's heaviest shelling in months kills dozens of Palestinians in Gaza
Dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured late Saturday in Israeli air and artillery strikes that targeted homes in Gaza, particularly in the northern governorate, which witnessed its heaviest bombardment in five months.
Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal said several Palestinians were killed and others injured in attacks that targeted homes, gatherings and shelters.
"Teams are unable to cope with the large number of residential houses targeted by the Israeli occupation tonight in the northern strip," Bassal said.
04:30 GMT — Man attempts self-immolation at pro-Palestine protest near White House
A man attempted to self-immolate during a pro-Palestine protest near the White House, footage on social media showed.
The man, who claimed to be a journalist, was seen in the video with burns to his arms as those around him poured water on his hands.
His condition is unknown. Police detained the man and established a perimeter around the area.
04:11 GMT — Israeli air strike on Deir al Balah mosque kills several: medics
A new Israeli air strike on a mosque in central Gaza's Deir al Balah neighbourhood has killed at least five Palestinians and wounded several others, first responders told Reuters.
03:43 GMT — Hezbollah says repelled 'attempted' Israeli infiltration at border village
Hezbollah said its fighters pushed away Israeli troops that attempted to storm into a Lebanese border village, in the latest clashes after Israel announced ground operations earlier this week.
The fighters launched "artillery shells" at "Israeli enemy soldiers who attempted to infiltrate from... Blida... forcing (them) to retreat," the group said in a statement.
03:26 GMT — Army warns about Israeli attempts to lure Lebanese into espionage sites
The Lebanese army warned about Israeli attempts to lure citizens to sites designated for espionage and information gathering.
"Amid the ongoing barbaric assaults by the Israeli enemy on various Lebanese regions, this enemy is resorting to disseminating media content on some social media platforms, including videos, links and applications," it wrote on X.
It said the move wants to "draw citizens into locations designed for espionage and intelligence collection".
02:52 GMT — More than 25 Israeli soldiers killed since incursion into southern Lebanon: Hezbollah
More than 25 officers and soldiers from Israel's elite forces have been killed and over 130 injured since the beginning of a ground incursion into southern Lebanon earlier this month, Hezbollah said.
"These numbers have been partially acknowledged by the enemy, and the coming days will reveal what they have hidden from their audience," the Lebanese group said on Telegram.
02:33 GMT — Spain's king calls for end to 'indescribable destruction' in Gaza
Spain's King Felipe VI called for an immediate end to the assault in Gaza, describing it as causing "indescribable destruction and suffering".
During a visit to Jordan, Felipe warned that the conflict, which has been continuing for almost a year, has now spread to Lebanon, worsening the situation, according to Jordanian news agency Petra.
He urged a return to the political process, emphasising the need for a two-state solution for lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
02:00 GMT — Palestinians evacuate areas in northern Gaza amid intense Israeli bombardment
Areas in eastern and northern Gaza witnessed a wave of Palestinian displacement amid intense Israeli air and artillery bombardment, according to an Anadolu reporter.
The bombardment was accompanied by gunfire from Israeli helicopters.
Israeli warplanes continue to carry out intensive airstrikes on northern Gaza, which also targeted civilian homes, said the correspondent.
One Palestinian was killed and three were injured in a strike that targeted the town of Jabalia, witnesses told Anadolu.
For our live updates from Saturday, October 5, 2024, click here.
