Thursday, October 3, 2024
05:40 GMT — Lebanon's Beirut under massive Israeli air strikes
Israel has bombed central Beirut in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least six people, after its invading military suffered their deadliest day on the Lebanese front in a year of clashes against Hezbollah.
Witnesses reported hearing a massive blast and a security source said Israel targeted a building in central Beirut's Bachoura neighbourhood close to parliament, the nearest Israeli strikes have come to Lebanon's seat of government.
At least six people were killed and seven wounded, Lebanese health officials said. A photo being circulated on Lebanese WhatsApp groups showed a heavily damaged building with its first floor on fire.
04:50 GMT — US resident killed by Israel in Lebanon
A US resident from Dearborn, Michigan, has been killed in Lebanon, the American government said, with the man's friend and neighbours saying he was killed in an Israeli air strike.
"We are deeply saddened by the death of Kamel Ahmad Jawad, and our hearts go out to his family and friends. His death is a tragedy, as are the deaths of many civilians in Lebanon," a White House spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, a State Department spokesperson, when asked about reports of an American's death in Lebanon, said: "It's our understanding that it was a legal permanent resident, not an American citizen (who got killed in Lebanon) but we obviously offer our sincerest condolences to the family."
04:17 GMT — Spain expresses solidarity with Lebanon
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed solidarity with his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati, reiterating his call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.
"I just spoke with the Prime Minister of Lebanon @Najib_Mikati to express my solidarity and support in the difficult times his country is going through," Sanchez wrote on X, noting that Spain has increased its humanitarian aid to assist the Lebanese civilian population.
"It is essential that international law and international humanitarian law, as well as Lebanon's territorial integrity, be respected," he added.
03:49 GMT — Dozens of Australian citizens flee Lebanon
Australia has organised dozens of airline seats for its citizens to leave Lebanon, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, as she urged the many thousands of Australians that remain in Lebanon to leave the country while they still can.
Australia has secured 580 seats on flights departing on Thursday and Saturday for citizens, permanent residents and their families who want to leave Lebanon, Wong told a press conference. Flights were also organised earlier in the week.
Some 1,700 Australians and their families have registered their desire to leave Lebanon with the government, she said.
03:17 GMT — Hassan Nasrallah agreed to truce before Israel assassinated him
Former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a ceasefire with Israel shortly before he was assassinated by Tel Aviv in an air strike in Beirut, Lebanon's foreign minister has said.
"He agreed. Yes, the Lebanese side agreed," Abdallah Bouhabib told CNN.
"We consulted with Hezbollah, (Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri consulted with Hezbollah, and we informed US and French representatives (about the decision)," he added.
"The US and France told us that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed on the statement that was issued by (US President) Joe Biden and (French President) Emmanuel Macron."
02:47 GMT — Israel kills 46 people, wounds 85 in Lebanon in 24 hours
The Lebanese Health Ministry has said that 46 people were killed and 85 others wounded by "enemy Israeli strikes" across the country over the past 24 hours.
Lebanon's disaster management agency said earlier that 1,928 people have been killed since October 8, 2023.
02:13 GMT — Hospitals in Lebanon 'overwhelmed' with influx of wounded
Hospitals in Lebanon are "overwhelmed" with the influx of wounded patients amid the ongoing aggression by Israel, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
"The death toll in #Lebanon is rising, and hospitals are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients. The health system has been weakened by successive crises and is struggling to cope with the immense needs," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.
"But more help is needed, and we are scaling up our response. However, what the people of Lebanon, Gaza, Israel and throughout the Middle East need is peace," the WHO secretary general said.
02:00 GMT — Qatar urges halting of Israeli aggression in Gaza, Lebanon
Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has urged the international community to halt Israeli aggression against Lebanon and besieged Gaza.
His remarks were made during a news conference in Doha alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which was broadcast by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news outlet.
The emir said his meeting with Pezeshkian was "part of the ongoing dialogue between the two countries, during which areas of cooperation, particularly in trade and economics, were discussed."
For our live updates from Wednesday, October 2, 2024, click here.
