Israel-Hezbollah war highlights: Iran launches missiles into Israel; Netanyahu says ‘whoever attacks us, we attack them’

The Israeli military said early Wednesday that it was carrying out air strikes in Beirut against targets of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

“The IDF (Israeli military) is currently striking Hezbollah terror targets in Beirut,” the military said, as a Lebanese security source said Israeli had struck the capital’s southern suburbs.- AFP

US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Tuesday promised her “unwavering” commitment to the security of Israel after it came under a massive ballistic attack from arch-foe Iran.

“I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias,” Harris said.- AFP

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called Iran’s massive missile attack on Israel “a big mistake” and vowed to make Tehran “pay for it”.

“Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it,” said Netanyahu hours after the attack, and warned: “Whoever attacks us, we attack them”.- AFP

Iran’s missile attack against Israel on Tuesday aimed to “kill thousands” of Israeli civilians and was “unprecedented”, a military spokesman told AFP.

“The intention to kill civilians is unprecedented. The goal of Iran was to kill thousands of civilians” by launching approximately 180 missiles on Israel, the spokesman said.- AFP

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, the Swiss presidency of the Council announced.

“We have scheduled a meeting” at 10:00 am (1400 GMT), a spokesperson for the Swiss mission told reporters.- AFP

Russia on Tuesday said the United States’ approach in the Middle East was a “complete failure” after Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel.

“Complete failure of the Biden administration in the Middle East,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a post on Telegram.

“A bloody drama that is only gaining momentum. The White House’s incomprehensible statements demonstrate its complete helplessness in resolving crises.”- AFP

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the United States was “fully supportive” of Israel after Iran’s ballistic missile attacks, describing Tehran’s assault as “defeated and ineffective.”

“The United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” Biden told reporters at the White House.- AFP

The European Union on Tuesday condemned “in the strongest terms” an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire across the Middle East.

“The dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks … spiralling out of control,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted on X. “An immediate ceasefire across the region is needed.”- Reuters

World leaders on Tuesday urged Iran and Israel to step back from the brink after Tehran fired a barrage of rockets at its arch rival.

Tehran said the attack — which took place as Israel said it was mounting a ground offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon — was in response to the killings of Iran-backed militant leaders.

It was the second time Iran has directly attacked Israel, after a missile and drone attack in April in retaliation for a deadly Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.- AFP

– Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed Tuesday night’s missile attack against Israel as a “decisive response” to what he called Israeli “aggression”.

“In accordance with legitimate rights and with the aim of (establishing) peace and security in Iran and the region, a decisive response has been made to the Zionist regime’s aggression,” Pezeshkian posted on X.- AFP

Lebanon said Tuesday that almost 240,000 people, mostly Syrians, have crossed to Syria since Israel began pounding the country last week with intense air strikes on what it says are Hezbollah targets.

Lebanese authorities registered “the crossing of 176,080 Syrian citizens and 63,373 Lebanese citizens into Syrian territory” from September 23, a report from the country’s disaster management unit said.- AFP

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday his country’s “steadfast commitment” to Israeli security and protection of civilians after Iran’s missile attack.

A spokesperson for Starmer’s office said the prime minister spoke with Netanyahu on Tuesday afternoon, and the leaders discussed the escalating situation across the Middle East.

Starmer condemned Iran’s attack on Israel, which began during the leaders’ conversation, in the “strongest terms”, the spokesperson added.

Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, and Israel vowed a “painful response” against its enemy.- Reuters

The Israeli army said its troops fired on “dozens of suspects” on Tuesday after deeming them a threat as they moved toward a military position in the Gaza Strip.

“IDF (Israeli army) troops identified dozens of suspects moving toward troops operating in the central Gaza Strip and posing an immediate threat to them. The troops fired at the suspects, hits were identified,” said the statement, adding that no military casualties were reported.- AFP

Hours after Iran launched a massive missile attack on the Israel capital Tel Aviv on Tuesday night, more than 700 Telugu expatriates working in the Capital are on the edge.

“The situation is very critical and I have not seen such deafening sound of missiles landing in our city,” said Mahesh, former President of Israel Telangana Association from the Israeli Capital.

Talking to The Hindu on phone even as missiles pounded the Capital, Mr. Mahesh said that there was some tension in the morning but all of a sudden from 8 p.m. local time, missiles started landing. “This is the first time enemy missiles landed in the centre of the city,” he said adding the attack came a day ahead of the Israeli New Year Rosh Hasanah (Jewish New Year) on October 2,” he pointed out.

Iran did not give the United States prior notice of its attack on Israel on Tuesday, Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York said.

“No notice was given to the United States prior to our response; however, a serious warning was issued afterwards,” the Iranian mission said in a statement.- Reuters

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to carry out “crushing attacks” against arch-foe Israel if it retaliates for a missile attack by the Islamic republic on Tuesday. “If the Zionist regime reacts to Iranian operations, it will face crushing attacks,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement carried by the Fars news agency.

The IRGC said the attack was “in accordance with the United Nations Charter”.

It said it came “after a period of restraint” following an “attack on the sovereignty” of Iran — a reference to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.- AFP

Iran’s ballistic missile assault on Israel was “defeated and ineffective”, the White House said on Tuesday, hailing US involvement in repelling some of the attacks.

“Based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective,” Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor, told reporters.- AFP

The Israeli military said Iran fired roughly 180 missiles at the country on Tuesday.

“IDF (Israeli army) systems have identified approximately 180 missiles fired towards Israeli territory from Iran,” the military said. A security official also confirmed the figure to AFP.- AFP

Hamas praised on Tuesday the Iranian missile strikes avenging deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan.

“We congratulate the heroic rocket launch carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran, on large areas of our occupied territories, in response to the occupation’s continuing crimes against the peoples of the region, and in retaliation for the blood of our nation’s heroic martyrs.- Reuters

Falling shrapnel from an Iranian missile fired at Israel killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the local governor told AFP.

“A Palestinian worker in Jericho was killed when pieces of a rocket fell from the sky and hit him,” Jericho governor Hussein Hamayel told AFP.- AFP

Israeli Army says no more threat from Iran “for now”. An Israeli military spokesman says that they are now aware of any injuries from Iran missile attack. The military also says citizens are now permitted to leave protected spaces throughout the country.

– Agencies

Iran’s missile attack was serious and will have consequences, Israel’s military spokesman said, declining to specify how and when Israel would respond.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said he was not aware of any casualties from the missile volley. He said there were a few hits in the centre of the country and in the south.

– Reuters

President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. military to “aid Israel’s defence” and shoot down Iranian missiles targeting Israel, the White House said.

Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee in next month’s U.S. presidential election, are both monitoring Iran’s attack on Israel from the White House situation room, it said in a statement.

– AFP

Senior Iranian officials say Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei remains in secure location after missiles fired at Israel.

– Reuters

Iran says it fired dozens of missiles into Israel as the months-long fighting between Israel and Iran’s proxies in the region — Hezbollah and Hamas — escalated, threatening a wider regional conflict.

Israel ordered residents to remain close to bomb shelters as air raid sirens sounded across the country.

A series of window-shaking explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem, though it was not immediately clear whether the sounds were from missiles landing or being intercepted by Israeli defences, or both.

Israel and the United States have warned there would be severe consequences in the event of an attack on Israel from Iran, which backs the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

– AP

Four people were killed and seven wounded in a shooting attack in the Jaffa neighbourhood of Tel Aviv today, Israeli police said in a statement.

They said two shooters were “neutralised” and that the families of the victims had been notified.

– Reuters

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they launched tens of missiles toward Israel and warned that if Israel retaliated Tehran’s response would be “more crushing and ruinous”, Iranian state TV reported.

– Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States was prepared to help Israel defend itself from Iranian missile attacks and to protect American military in the region.

“We discussed how the United States is prepared to help Israel defend against these attacks, and protect American personnel in the region,” Biden said on X about a meeting held with Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House national security team earlier in the day.

– Reuters

Iran has launched missiles targeting Israel, the military said, following U.S. warnings that an Iranian attack was imminent. 

“A short while ago, missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel,” the military said in a statement. It said sirens were sounded across Israel, including in Jerusalem.

– AFP

Israel’s Channel 12 television reports shooting attack in Jaffa near Tel Aviv with casualties. Israeli police confirm the shooting attack with “number of casualties” and suspect that the motive could be “terror”.

– Reuters

Israel’s military spokesman said that any missile attack from Iran was expected to be on a wide scale and urged citizens to take shelter in safe rooms in such an event.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, in a televised briefing, also said a barrage of rocket attacks aimed at the Tel Aviv region, which set off sirens, came from the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

– Reuters

Israel’s military says it has killed Muhammad Jaafar Qasir, a commander in charge of weapons transfers from Iran and its affiliates to Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

– Reuters

Air raid sirens sounded in central Israel the military said, a day after the Army launched ground operations into southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions. “Sirens sounded in central Israel,” the military said, without providing details of the areas that were affected.

– AFP

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country to be respected, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

“An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs,” Mr. Dujarric said in a statement, adding that Mr. Guterres spoke with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati earlier, telling him the U.N. was ready to help those in need.

“The Secretary-General will continue his contacts, and his representatives on the ground will also continue their efforts to de-escalate the situation,” Mr. Dujarric said.

– Reuters

The United States unveiled further sanctions against Israeli settlers over attacks on Palestinians and destruction of property in the West Bank.

The latest sanctions target the Hilltop Youth, which the U.S. Treasury Department described as a “violent extremist group,” and comes amid soaring tensions in the region nearly a year after Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel.

The U.S. sanctions follow similar moves targeting the group by Australia, Britain and the European Union.

– AFP

Turkey is ready to carry out a possible evacuation of Turks from Lebanon via air and sea, and is working with around 20 countries on preparing for a possible evacuation of foreign nationals via Turkey, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

It said the security conditions in Lebanon could deteriorate and added a coordination centre had been set up to handle evacuation requests in line with the plans made by Turkish institutions.

– Reuters

The U.S. embassy in Israel directed all U.S. government employees and their family members in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza to shelter in place until further notice, a post on the mission’s website said.

– Reuters

Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel could be as big or potentially bigger than the one in April, if it goes ahead, although that assessment is based on initial indications and it is difficult to be certain, a U.S. official told Reuters.

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Iran appeared to be preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.

– Reuters

Hezbollah said it targeted an air base in Tel Aviv in retaliation for attacks on civilians in Lebanon, in the second operation it dedicated to its slain leader.

The Iran-backed group said its fighters launched “a salvo of Fadi-4 rockets at the Sde Dov air base in Tel Aviv”, adding the attack came in defence of Lebanon and “in response to the targeting of civilians and the massacres that the enemy carried out”.

– AFP

The Israeli military said it had not detected an incoming aerial strike from Iran “for now”, after a U.S. official said there were indications of an imminent missile attack.

“For now, we have not detected any aerial threat launched from Iran,” military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, adding that the Israeli army was “prepared to defend and attack” Iran in the event of a strike launched from the Islamic republic.

– AFP

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli strikes hit two areas of south Beirut today in the latest raids targeting Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

NNA reported a “violent enemy strike that targeted the area between Jnah and Ouzai in the vicinity of Al-Zahraa Hospital”, then another minutes later on a roundabout near the Kuwaiti embassy.

– AFP

Lebanon’s Iran-aligned Hezbollah movement said on Tuesday it had launched missiles towards Sde Dov airbase on the outskirts of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

– Reuters

The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, a senior White House official said.

The United States is actively supporting preparations to defend Israel against this, the official said.

“A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” the official said. 

Meanwhile, Israel says it has not detected any “aerial threat from Iran for now”.

– Agencies

Iran preparing imminent ballistic missile attack on Israel, U.S. official says, warning of ‘severe consequences’ for Iran.

– AP

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye would stand by Lebanon and support it with all its means after Israel launched raids into Lebanon as part of a “limited” ground incursion.

“We will never leave our Lebanese brothers on their own in these difficult days and will support them with all our means,” Erdogan said in a speech at the reopening of the Turkish Parliament following its summer recess.

– Reuters

The Israeli Army mobilised four additional brigades to be deployed in missions along the northern border, the military said today, after launching ground operations targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon overnight.

“This will enable the continuation of operational activity against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and the achievement of operational goals, including the safe return of the residents of northern Israel to their homes,” the Army said.

– AFP

Russia called on Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon, warning that the attack would lead to a further escalation of violence in West Asia.

“Russia strongly condemns the attack on Lebanon and calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately cease hostilities, withdraw their troops from Lebanese territory and engage in a real search for peaceful ways to resolve the Middle East conflict,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.

“It is obvious that such a step taken by the Israeli military and political leadership following the assassination of a number of Hezbollah leaders will lead to a further escalation of violence in the Middle East region.”

– Reuters

China said it opposed “infringements on Lebanon’s sovereignty” after Israel said it had launched a ground offensive there, and that Beijing was “highly concerned” about growing tensions

“China is highly concerned about the current situation between Lebanon and Israel and is deeply concerned about the further escalation of regional tensions due to related military actions,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. 

“China… opposes infringements on Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and opposes any actions that exacerbate conflicts and lead to a further escalation of the regional situation.”

Beijing urged Israel “to take concrete actions to de-escalate the situation”, the statement said.

– AFP

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant briefed U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on ground operations the Army launched inside south Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions, his office said today.

“The Minister discussed the localised and targeted raids that the IDF (Israeli army) launched overnight, against Hezbollah terror targets in the border area of southern Lebanon,” said the statement from the Defence Ministry. – AFP

The Indian contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) will be staying put and performing its duties in the face of Israel’s decision to enter the country amid escalating tensions in the region.

“The (Indian) battalion of more than 900 people is holding its position and everybody is safe,” a UNIFIL source in south Lebanon told PTI over the phone today.

The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said today that violence is spiralling to dangerous heights with strikes throughout Lebanon and incursions across the Blue Line.

“This cycle of violence will not end well for anyone,” Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert added.

Iran wanted to change the rules of the game in its hostile engagement with Israel.

Read the analysis:

Western nations are updating contingency plans for organising evacuations from Lebanon after a sharp escalation in border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.

Cyprus, the closest European Union member state to the Middle East, is a likely hub, having processed around 60,000 people fleeing the Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006.

Neighbouring Turkey has offered facilities as well.

No country has activated a large-scale military evacuation yet, though some are chartering aircraft to assist their nationals leaving as Beirut airport remains open. There have also been plans to evacuate by sea to Cyprus, enabling the movement of larger groups of people at a time.

Click here to read the details on contingency planning

The head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif, said on Tuesday that no Israeli troops have entered Lebanese territory, and warned that the group’s strikes on Tel Aviv hours earlier were “only the beginning”.

In a written statement to Reuters, Afif said Hezbollah had not engaged in “direct ground clashes” with Israeli troops, but that it would be ready to do so.

Israel should cease conducting ground raids in southern Lebanon to avoid an escalation of the conflict enveloping the region, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters today.

Since February 2022, Spain has commanded the United Nations’ Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and deployed 650 troops along the southern Lebanese border with Israel.

– Reuters

The Israeli army asked the inhabitants of 26 towns in Lebanese to equate immediately. IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced this through a statement posted as a post on X through this official X handle.

“The IDF does not want to harm you, and for your own safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah members, installations and combat equipment is putting his life in danger. Any home used by Hezbollah for its military needs is expected to be targeted,” he wrote in the statement.

They are asked to immediately head to the north of the Awali River for saving their lives.

A UK government-chartered flight will tomorrow fly out of Lebanon those British nationals who want to leave following escalating violence in the region.

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s announcement on yesterday evening comes amid growing safety concerns following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut at the weekend.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously called on British nationals in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as tensions continue to mount in West Asia.

Lammy, who described the situation in Lebanon as “volatile” and warned it could “deteriorate quickly”, said in a statement: “The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority.” “That’s why the U.K. government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed,” he said.

Turkey’s foreign ministry said that Israel’s ground offensive into Lebanon was an illegal attempt at occupation that violated Lebanese territorial integrity, and added the operation must immediately end with Israel withdrawing from Lebanon.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said Israel’s offensive targeted regional countries’ security and stability as well, and added it was “highly likely” that a new migrant wave will emerge from the fighting. It called on the U.N. Security Council to “do what is necessary” in line with international law.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it fired missiles at the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and a military intelligence unit on the outskirts of Tel Aviv today.

– Reuters

The U.N. peacekeeping force said today the Israeli army had notified it of its intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon.

United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement that despite the developments in Lebanon, peacekeepers remained in position. It urged all actors to step back from escalatory acts.

“Any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of (U.N. Security Council) resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said.

UNSC 1701 ended the month-long 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and called for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and that the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers be the only armed force south of the Litani River.

– Reuters

Lufthansa Group said on today that its airlines had extended the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut and Tehran amid an escalation of an armed conflict in the Middle East.

Flights to and from Tel Aviv will be suspended through October 31, while flights to and from Beirut and Tehran will be suspended through November 30 and October 14, respectively, the group said in a statement.

Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings are all part of the Lufthansa Group.

– Reuters

The Kremlin said it was deeply concerned about Israel’s military activity in Lebanon and a strike on the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Israel said intense fighting had erupted with the Hezbollah movement in south Lebanon today after its paratroops and commandos launched raids there, at the start of a ground incursion that followed airstrikes against Hezbollah’s leadership.

– Reuters

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has briefed U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Israel’s raids into Lebanon, Mr. Gallant’s office said.

“The Minister discussed the localised and targeted raids that the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) launched overnight, against Hezbollah terror targets in the border area of southern Lebanon,” it said.

“These ground operations build on the recent and ongoing measures taken to eliminate senior Hezbollah leadership and to degrade Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities.”

– Reuters

The raids by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon that began overnight were limited and went only a short distance over the border, a security official said today, adding that no direct clashes with Hezbollah fighters were reported.

The official said a wider operation targeting the Lebanese capital Beirut, which has been hit by repeated airstrikes in recent days, was “not on the table”.

– Reuters

Sirens sounded in central Israel following the launch of projectiles which then crossed the border from Lebanon, the Israeli military said.

An explosion was heard in Tel Aviv and air raid sirens went off, a witness told Reuters.

Israel Defence Force spoke person Daniel Hagari claimed in a statement that Hezbollah had prepared to use the villages in Lebanon, where the Israeli army launched the attack today, as staging grounds for an October 7-style invasion into Israeli homes.

“Hezbollah planned to invade Israel, attack Israeli communities, and massacre innocent men women and children,” he added.

Watch the video statement:

Yemen’s Houthi movement targeted Israeli military posts in Tel Aviv and Eilat with drones today. The group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree converted this information in a televised speech.

– Reuters

Despite international calls for de-escalation, Israel has vowed to continue its fight against Hezbollah and declared a military zone in parts of its border with Lebanon.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the battle was not over even after a massive strike on Beirut that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on September 27.

Watch the video:

Israel’s ground raids into southern Lebanon will target Hezbollah strongholds along the border that threaten Israel, not a war against the Lebanese people, Israel’s military said today.

“These localised ground raids will target Hezbollah strongholds that threaten Israeli towns, kibbutzim and communities along our border,” said military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. “Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases ready for an attack on Israel.”

– Reuters

Lebanon is facing one of the most dangerous stages in its history, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said today during a meeting with U.N. organisations and ambassadors of donor countries.

– Reuters

An Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said “heavy fighting’ is taking place in in southern Lebanon.

“For your personal safety, we ask you not to move vehicles from the northern region to the southern region of the Litani River,” Mr. Adraee wrote in a post on X, written in Arabic.

The Israeli military began what it called a “limited, localised” operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon today, carrying out “targeted ground raids” in villages close to the Israeli border. The targets, it said, pose an “immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning yesterday to Iran, which backs Hezbollah and Hamas. “There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach,” Mr. Netanyahu said, just days after an airstrike south of Beirut killed the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

– AP

After the talks with Israeli Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant The United States Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin reiterated “serious consequences” for Iran if Tehran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel.

The US Defence Secretary in his talks to Gallant, further ensured that the US is “well-postured to defend” US personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran.

He said, “I reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border and made clear that the United States is well-postured to defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict.”

“I reiterated the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel,” Mr. Austin added.

– ANI

See the tweet by Mr. Austin

Hezbollah said in a statement today that it had targeted Israeli troops across the border in Metula with artillery fire but made no mention of Israel’s announcement that it had begun a ground incursion into Lebanon.

Israel announced overnight that it had begun “limited” raids in the border area of southern Lebanon. 

– Reuters

A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Red Sea, likely marking their first assault on commercial shipping in weeks as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a regional conflict.

The attack comes as Israeli ground forces entered Lebanon after days of Israeli airstrikes that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top leaders and the earlier explosions of sabotaged electronic devices used by the Shiite militia. The Houthis had threatened “escalating military operations” targeting Israel yesterday after they shot down a U.S. military drone flying over the country.

The attack today morning took place some 110 kilometres off the port city of Hodeida in the Red Sea, which has become a battlefield for shippers since the Houthis began their campaign targeting ships travelling through a waterway that once saw $1 trillion a year of cargo pass through it.

Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They have seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors.

Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels. The last attack on a merchant ship by the Houthis came on September 2.

– AP

The United Arab Emirates reaffirmed its unwavering position towards the unity of Lebanon, its national sovereignty, and its territorial integrity, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

– Reuters

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on yesterday, the Department of Defense said.

“They agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” the department said in a statement.

Mr. Austin reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border, according to the department.

– Reuters

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran yesterday, just days after an airstrike south of Beirut killed the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach.” Yesterday, officials in Washington confirmed Israeli troops were conducting small raids across the border in Lebanon, but provided no details.

– AP

The White House National Security Council said Israel’s “limited operations” to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure across the border were in line with the country’s right to defend itself.

The NSC, however, warned that the an expansion of that operation was a risk. It added that a diplomatic solution was the only way to achieve lasting stability along Israel’s border with Lebanon.

-AP

The Israeli army said today that troops have started “ground raids” in villages in southern Lebanon, after militant group Hezbollah said it had targeted “enemy soldiers” at the countries’ border.

A Lebanese security official said Israel had also conducted at least six strikes on south Beirut, while Syrian state media reported deadly strikes around the capital Damascus.

The targets “pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel”, the military said.

-AFP