Israeli Hostilities
Live Reporting
Netanyahu tells Iran no part of region out of Israel’s reach as land invasion looms
Israel has warned Iran that nowhere in the Middle East was beyond its reach and hinted at a land invasion of Lebanon after assassinating the leader of the Tehran-backed Hezbollah group, one of its biggest adversaries, in a Beirut suburb, Reuters reports.
“There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a three-minute video clip in English that he addressed to the Iranian people.
US to announce over $300m in aid for Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank
The United States is set to announce nearly $336 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, according to a US Agency for International Development (USAID) statement seen by Reuters.
The funding, first reported by Reuters, will enable USAID’s partners to continue to provide humanitarian aid, including food assistance, healthcare, nutrition and other services, according to the statement.
The funding will also support emergency shelter assistance to displaced Gazans ahead of winter, the statement said.
“Over the last year, this conflict has cost the lives of innocent Palestinians and Israelis and has left Gaza and the West Bank in a state of humanitarian crisis and dire humanitarian need,” the statement said.
Two-thirds of Gaza buildings damaged in war: UN
Two-thirds of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023, AFP reports according to figures from the United Nations.
Updating its damage assessment, the UN Satellite Centre (Unosat) said very high-resolution imagery collected on September 3 and 6 showed a clear deterioration.
“This analysis… shows that two-thirds of the total structures in the Gaza Strip have sustained damage,” Unosat said. “Those 66 per cent of damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip account for 163,778 structures in total,” it said.
Britain calls for ceasefire after Israeli strikes in Lebanon
Britain said that all sides should seek de-escalation and a ceasefire after Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, reiterating that the region needs to pull back from the brink, Reuters reports.
“We are ironclad in our support for Israel’s right to self-defence,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. “But our very clear message now is, on all sides, (for) all parties to show restraint.”
“We want to see all sides step back from the brink,” he said. “Any further escalation must be avoided. A ceasefire will provide the space necessary to find the political solution that is necessary to secure peace in the region.”
Lebanon PM calls for ceasefire with Israel
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut, AFP reports.
“The key to the solution is to put an end to the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and to revive the appeal launched by the United States and France… in favour of a ceasefire,” Mikati said, according to a statement from his office.
Mikati added that the “priority is applying resolution 1701” of the United Nations Security Council, which ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon says Israeli weekend strike near Sidon killed 45
Lebanon said that an Israeli strike a day earlier near the southern city of Sidon killed 45 people, raising an earlier toll, AFP reports.
In a statement, the health ministry announced “45 dead and 70 wounded in an updated toll for the Israeli enemy attack on Ain al-Delb” on Sunday, while the official National News Agency said the strike targeted a building which an AFP correspondent said had completely collapsed.
Iran draws a line in the sand
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says no “criminal acts” of Israel will be left unanswered, adding that “anyone who stands against Iran’s national security will undoubtedly receive a response from Iran.”
“We do not make empty promises, we have shown in practice that we stand firmly against aggressors who intend to violate Iran’s national security, and our response will be regretful for them,” Nasser Kanaani said during a news briefing.
“Iran will not leave any aggressive actions of the Zionist regime, which target Iran’s interests, unanswered. This regime will not go unpunished for the crimes it has committed, and Iran will take appropriate measures in response.”
Israeli attacks kill 105 in Lebanon in 24 hours
Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of 105 people in the last 24 hours, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says.
The ministry said that army jets have continued to bombard various parts of the country.
Hezbollah vows to resist Israeli invasion
Hezbollah's deputy chief, Naim Qassem ,delivered his maiden address, saying that the group is ready for any Israeli ground invasion.
He said the group will select a new head based on existing mechanism.
Qassem was appointed as the group's deputy chief after the killing of Hassan Nasrallah.
US touts 'robust' military presence in Mideast as crisis grows
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States said Sunday that it had a strong military presence in the Middle East after deploying reinforcements amid Israel's widening of the war to include hundreds of targets in Lebanon.
With Israel pressing on with a bombing campaign against Hezbollah and with its campaign in Gaza, White House national security spokesman John Kirby characterized the US deployment as "robust," without providing details.
Israel continues strikes on Lebanon as Iran vows to avenge Nasrallah death
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel struck multiple targets in Lebanon on Sunday, after killing the Iran-backed Hezbollah group's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on Friday. Iran has vowed to avenge his death, while Lebanon's top Christian cleric has urged diplomacy in what risks turning into a wider Middle East conflict.
The Israeli military said Sunday that the air force had "struck dozens of Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including launchers that were aimed toward Israeli territory – structures in which weapons were stored and additional Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure".
Israel strikes Yemen port, keeps up Lebanon assault
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said it bombed Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday (Sep 29) and mounted further airstrikes in Lebanon, expanding its confrontation with Iran's allies in the region two days after killing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
The airstrikes on Yemen's port of Hodeidah were a response to Houthi missile attacks on Israel in recent days, Israel said, amid fears that Middle East fighting could spin out of control and draw in Iran and the United States, Israel's main ally.
Pakistan slams Israel's growing adventurism in Middle East
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned the growing Israeli adventurism in the Middle East and said that its unbridled attacks on civilian populations and disregard of international law have reached alarming levels.
“For the last several days, Israeli forces have engaged in unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of Lebanon, relentlessly targeting civilian population centers, and undermining its stability and security. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of Israeli aggression and the people of Lebanon,” Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a statement.
Israel used US-made bomb in attack on Hezbollah head, US senator says
(Reuters) – The bomb that Israel used to kill Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah in Beirut last week was an American-made guided weapon, a US senator said on Sunday.
Mark Kelly, chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, said Israel used a 2,000-lb (900-kg) Mark 84 series bomb, during an interview with NBC. His statement marks the first US indication of what weapon had been used.
Iran's 'serious dilemma' after Hezbollah chief killing
TEHRAN (AFP) – Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has given Iran a serious dilemma -- how to cope with the loss of a crucial ally and still maintain its regional influence.
Lebanon's Hezbollah group, which has long been armed and financed by Iran, on Saturday confirmed Nasrallah's death after Israel said it had "eliminated" him in an air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Lebanon says over 100 killed in new Israeli strikes
BEIRUT (Lebanon) (AFP) – Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes killed more than 100 people on Sunday, after Israel's military said it had kept up its bombardment of Hezbollah targets there and also struck Yemen.
The health ministry in a revised toll issued late Sunday put the total killed at 105 and 359 wounded.
