Live blog: Israel kills 3 Lebanese soldiers in Sarafand village

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

1931 GMT — The Lebanese army said that three soldiers were killed in an Israeli air strike on a military post in Sarafand, a village in southern Lebanon.

“The Israeli enemy targeted an army post in Sarafand, leading to the martyrdom of three soldiers,” it wrote on X.

The Health Ministry confirmed the casualties in a separate statement, reporting an initial toll of three soldiers killed and eight wounded, including military personnel and civilians.

More updates 👇

1906 GMT — EU's Borrell headed to Middle East to discuss Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire efforts

The European Union foreign policy chief will visit the Middle East this week and have several meetings, including with Lebanese and Palestinian leaders, according to a statement.

Josep Borrell will travel to Jordan, Greek-administered Cyprus and Lebanon as part of his Middle East visit from Nov. 20 - 24 to discuss with partners in the region a possible way forward toward sustainable ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, and a longer-term process based on a two-state solution, according to the statement from his office.

Borrell is expected to have an audience on Wednesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman followed by a keynote speech he will deliver at the University of Jordan.

He will hold a news conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday, following a bilateral meeting.

Borrell will also meet Palestinian leaders, according to the statement.

1839 GMT — US senator says Washington must end 'complicity' in Israeli 'atrocities' as chamber nears vote on blocking military aid

It is time for the US to end its "complicity" in Israel's "atrocities" in besieged Gaza, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said.

The remarks came as the Senate prepares to vote on measures that would block more than $20 billion in offensive arms sales to Israel.

Sanders urged his fellow lawmakers to support a trio of measures, known as resolutions of disapproval, that are slated to be voted on Wednesday. The US is "currently in violation of the law, and every member of the US Senate who believes in the rule of law should vote for these resolutions," he said.

He pointed in particular to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and Arms Export Control Act of 1976, which prohibit the delivery of arms to any country that violates internationally recognized human right s, or blocks US humanitarian assistance.

1838 GMT — Netanyahu rejects request to expand negotiating team's mandate for Hamas deal: Media

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused a request from his negotiating team to expand its mandate, which would have enabled progress in a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, Israeli media reported.

For months, Israeli negotiators have expressed frustration over the limited mandate granted by Netanyahu, according to media reports and opposition leaders. This restriction is said to have impeded indirect negotiations with Hamas.

According to the Yedioth Ahronoth daily, Netanyahu met the negotiating team earlier this week.

The report said both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected proposals from the team’s leaders to expand their mandate for negotiating a deal to recover Israeli hostages in Gaza. The team “sought to expand the parameters in order to conduct negotiations and bridge the issue of ending the war.”

1818 GMT — UN chief denounces 'systematic' looting of Gaza humanitarian aid

The United Nations chief denounced the "systematic" looting of humanitarian aid in Gaza, a day after the territory's Hamas authorities said 20 were killed in a security operation targeting such groups.

"Armed looting has become systematic and must end immediately. It is hindering life-saving aid operations and further endangering the lives of our staff," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said.

"However, the use of law enforcement operations must be lawful, necessary and proportionate."

1806 GMT — Israeli letter to UN ‘pretext for aggression’ on Iraq: Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani warned that an Israeli letter to the UN Security Council could serve as a pretext for attacking his country.

Israel revealed that it had sent a letter to the Security Council demanding immediate action against groups launching attacks on its territory from Iraq, asserting its “right to self-defence.”

“The message sent by the Zionist entity (Israel) to the UN Security Council represents a pretext for aggression against Iraq and aligns with its ongoing efforts to expand the war in the region,” Sudani said in a statement.

He emphasised Iraq's rejection of such threats.

1801 GMT — 2 Netanyahu associates linked to security leak scandal: Israeli media

Two associates of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are under investigation for leaking classified security documents, Israeli media said.

Haaretz newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said Israeli investigators have evidence linking Yonatan Urich, an external adviser to Netanyahu, and Srulik Einhorn, a former senior adviser, to leaks of military intelligence documents to the German newspaper Bild.

“This evidence prompted police to summon Urich for questioning,” the newspaper said.

Einhorn, a senior adviser to Netanyahu during his recent election campaign, is wanted by Israeli authorities for questioning. He is currently residing in Serbia.

It remains unclear whether Einhorn will return to Israel for questioning, according to the sources.

1704 GMT — Türkiye will continue to stand with the oppressed people facing Israel's attacks: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Türkiye will continue to stand with the oppressed people facing Israel's attacks on Gaza, even if it stands alone.

1633 GMT — Rockets from Lebanon injure 6 in Israel

Six Israelis were injured in a new rocket barrage from Lebanon as cross-border warfare continues to escalate between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah.

A military statement said 75 rockets were fired from Lebanon, triggering air-raid sirens in northern and central Israel.

The army said some of the rockets were intercepted, while others impacted open areas.

Israeli media said sirens sounded in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in central Israel after the rocket fire.

1624 GMT — Death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon rises to 3,544

Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,544 people and wounded 15,036 in Lebanon since October 2023, with 28 fatalities reported on Monday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said in a statement.

1501 GMT — Lebanon files another UN complaint over Israeli attacks

Lebanon filed a new complaint with the UN Security Council regarding Israel’s ongoing military onslaught on the country.

A Foreign Ministry statement said that the complaint detailed Israeli violations and attacks in Lebanon from Oct. 2 until Nov. 11.

The ministry said the complaint aims “to document the effects of Israeli aggression and its consequences on Lebanon and to remind the international community and the Security Council of the need to assume responsibility and take action to stop it.”

It referred to the abduction of Lebanese sea captain Imad Amhaz in the northern city of Batroun, Israel's continued ground incursions, and the destruction of entire villages and neighbourhoods such as Yaron, Aytaroun, Maroun al-Ras, and Mays al-Jabal.

1459 GMT — Qatar to resume Gaza ceasefire mediation if parties are serious

Qatar said that it is ready to resume its mediation efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.

"Doha is ready to resume the negotiations if there is seriousness from the parties,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.

He added that his country has suspended its mediation “due to the lack of seriousness from the parties. ”

Doha "will not accept being exploited for political purposes,” the spokesman said.

“The Qatari position is firm and clear, which is to cease fire and bring aid into the Gaza Strip,” he added.

1359 GMT — US to present UN resolution opposing Israel’s control of occupied West Bank: Israeli media

The United States administration plans to present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council to oppose Israel's control over the occupied West Bank, Israeli media said.

Israel Hayom newspaper, citing a US source close to the Biden administration, said the draft will state that Israel's presence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and its Old City area, violates international law.

The draft is currently being formulated by the US National Security Council, the source said, without specifying when it will be presented to the Security Council.

There was no US comment on the report.

1159 GMT — Ceasefire between Hezbollah, Israel ‘within our grasp’: US envoy

United States envoy Amos Hochstein said that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah to end their conflict is “within our grasp.”

“This is a moment of decision-making. I am here in Beirut to facilitate that decision but it's ultimately the decision of the parties to reach a conclusion to this conflict. It is now within our grasp,” Hochstein told a press conference in Beirut following his talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

“I came back because we have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end," he added.

The US envoy called his discussions with Berri as “very constructive.”

1105 GMT — Death toll from Israel's relentless war on Gaza rises to 43,972

At least 50 more Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since October last year to 43,972, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement added that 104,008 others were wounded in the ongoing assault.

“The Israeli occupation has committed three massacres of families in the last 24 hours, resulting in 50 deaths and 110 injuries,” the ministry said.

“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescue teams are unable to reach them,” it added.

Over 200 children have been killed and 1,100 injured in Lebanon in the past two months, a spokesperson for the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) said.

“The number of over 200 (children killed) is just in the last two months. It’s at least 231 since the start of the war last year,” James Elder told a Geneva press briefing in response to a reporter’s question about casualties.

He did not comment on who was responsible for the killings, saying that it was clear to anyone who follows the media.

1003 GMT — Norway seeks ICJ advisory opinion over Israel’s ban on UNRWA

Norway will seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) condemning Israel’s recent legislative measures against the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik has initiated consultations at the UN to draft a resolution urging the UN General Assembly to request an ICJ advisory opinion, The Guardian reported.

The decision comes in response to Israel’s laws banning UNRWA’s operations within its territories and cutting state-level cooperation with the agency, which serves millions of Palestinian refugees.

0931 GMT — New rockets launched from Lebanon

Several Israelis were injured in a new rocket barrage from Lebanon as the ongoing war continues while US envoy Amos Hochstein returns to Beirut.

A military statement said 15 rockets were fired from Lebanon, triggering air-raid sirens in northern and central Israel.

The army said some of the rockets were intercepted, while others impacted open areas.

Israeli media said sirens sounded in Tel Aviv metropolitan area in central Israel after the rocket fire.

Israel's national ambulance service Magen David Adom said its medics treated four people from light wounds by broken glass in central Israel. Israel’s Army Radio also said two more people sustained light injuries, without providing further details.

Tuesday’s attack was the second on Tel Aviv area in less than 24 hours after a rocket hit the city of Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, on Monday night.

1040 GMT — Hamas political office in Doha has not been permanently closed — Qatar foreign ministry

The political office of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in Doha has not been permanently closed, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said.

Al-Ansari said leaders of the Hamas negotiating team were not in Doha.

1003 GMT — Norway seeks ICJ advisory opinion over Israel’s ban on UNRWA

Norway will seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) condemning Israel’s recent legislative measures against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik has initiated consultations at the UN to draft a resolution urging the UN General Assembly to request an ICJ advisory opinion, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

The decision comes in response to Israel’s laws banning UNRWA’s operations within its territories and cutting state-level cooperation with the agency, which serves millions of Palestinian refugees.

0855 GMT — Israel welcomes EU sanctions on Iran as 'necessary steps'

Israel's Foreign Minister Gidon Saar praised the European Union's decision to widen sanctions on Iran, calling it "necessary" to combat the threats from Iran.

In a post on X, Saar wrote that the fresh EU sanctions announced on Monday, imposed over Iran's support for Russia's military offensive in Ukraine, which Iran denies, were "necessary steps in the international community's fight against the Iranian threat, which constitutes the greatest danger to the security and stability of the Middle East, Europe, and the entire world."

0643 GMT — Hezbollah says it hit military targets in Tel Aviv with swarm of combat drones

The Lebanese Hezbollah group said that it carried out an aerial attack on Israeli military targets in Tel Aviv, central Israel.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that the attack, which took place on Monday evening, involved a swarm of combat drones that struck Israeli military targets in capital Tel Aviv.

It, however, did not provide further details on the attack, but said it will later reveal information about the targeted military points in Israel.

On Monday night, the daily Israel Hayom reported that a rocket fired from Lebanon hit close to a shopping center in the city of Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, resulting in a fire at the site, while the broadcaster Channel 12 reported five injured in the attack.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said the work at the Ben Gurion airport was disrupted at the time of the attack.

0314GMT — Israeli strike kills 5 in Beirut as rocket on Israel kills 1

Lebanon's health ministry said five people were killed and 31 wounded in an Israeli strike in Zuqaq al-Blat. Many people have fled to the densely populated district from southern Beirut.

The official National News Agency (NNA) said an apartment near a Shia Muslim place of worship had been targeted, "causing great damage".

An Israeli strike destroyed a four-storey building in the neighbourhood of Chiyah, wounding multiple people, NNA reported.

0230 GMT — Netanyahu’s office asks Shin Bet to help him avoid testifying in his corruption trial: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has asked the Shin Bet security agency to help him avoid testifying in his ongoing corruption trial, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported Monday.

Netanyahu is scheduled to testify on December 2 in a case involving charge s of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office recently asked the Shin Bet security service to provide an opinion allowing Netanyahu to avoid testifying at his trial on security grounds,” the newspaper said.

The office cited security concerns, claiming that Netanyahu cannot remain in one location for an extended period of time where his arrival is known in advance.

0104 GMT — Israeli army says it intercepted 2 drones fired from Lebanon

Israel said that its air force intercepted two drones launched from Lebanon towards the Western Galilee.

A military statement said that “following sirens that sounded in the Western Galilee area regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration, two UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory were successfully intercepted.”

Earlier, air raid sirens were activated in several locations across northern Israel including Nahariya, Betzet, Shlomi, Liman and Gesher HaZiv as part of heightened security measures following the drone threat, according to the Home Front.

0021 GMT –– G20 calls for 'comprehensive' ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon

G20 leaders called for "comprehensive" ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon in a joint statement at a summit in Brazil on Monday.

The leaders of the world's biggest economies called for a US-proposed permanent ceasefire in Palestine's Gaza in return for the release of all hostages, as well as a Lebanon ceasefire “that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.”

2300 GMT –– Nearly 100 food aid trucks violently looted in Gaza: UN

Nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were looted on Nov. 16 after entering war-torn Gaza in one of the worst aid losses during 13 months of war in the enclave, where hunger is deepening, two UN agencies told Reuters on Monday.

The convoy transporting food provided by UNRWA and the World Food Programme was instructed by Israel to depart at short notice via an unfamiliar route from Karem Abu Salem border crossing, said Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer.

Ninety-eight of the 109 trucks in the convoy were raided and some of the transporters were injured during the incident, she said, without detailing who carried out the ambush.

"This ... highlights the severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central Gaza," she told Reuters.

2220 GMT –– Fresh Israeli strikes on Beirut kills 5

Israel staged a new bombing raid on central Beirut on Monday, killing five people according to the health ministry, as firefighters said a rocket launched from Lebanon killed one woman in Israel.

Israel has staged three strikes in two days against central Beirut, after weeks of air raids aimed at emptying the southern suburbs stronghold of Hezbollah.

2130 GMT –– Fate of millions of Palestinians hangs in the balance: UNRWA chief

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has warned that the suspension of UN operations directly threatens the lives of Palestinian refugees.

Lazzarini was in Geneva for a meeting of UNRWA's advisory commission to discuss the way forward at the organisation's "darkest moment".

"The clock is ticking fast," he told the commission, according to a transcript.

"What hangs in the balance, is the fate of millions of Palestine refugees".