Live blog: Five Israeli soldiers dead in south Lebanon fighting — army

Thursday, October 24, 2024

1902 GMT — The Israeli army said that five of its soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon, where it has been intensifying its aggressive war for weeks.

The Israeli army provided the names of four soldiers in a statement, saying the troops "fell during combat in southern Lebanon" on Wednesday. A separate statement issued later said another soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Thursday.

The death toll among Israeli troops fighting in southern Lebanon has risen to 27 since the military launched a ground invasion in late September.

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1917 GMT — Over 150 Palestinians killed and injured in Israeli air strikes Gaza's Jabalia

More than 150 Palestinians were killed and injured in Israeli air strikes targeting about 10 homes in Jabalia, northern Gaza, where a siege began 20 days ago.

"A dreadful massacre is unfolding in Jabalia, with over 150 martyrs and injured people due to Israeli shelling. No one is moving to rescue them," the Palestine Civil Defense in Gaza said in a statement.

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1836 GMT — Egypt hosts Hamas talks in Cairo to revive Gaza ceasefire

An Egyptian security delegation met with a delegation of Hamas leaders in Cairo as part of efforts to resume the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said, citing an unnamed official source.

Hamas-affiliated Al Aqsa TV said that a delegation from the Palestinian resistance group, headed by chief negotiator and deputy Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya, arrived in Cairo to meet with the head of general intelligence agency, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad.

1752 GMT — Netanyahu welcomes Egypt's willingness to advance Gaza hostage deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he welcomed Egypt's willingness to advance a deal for the release of hostages in Gaza.

Netanyahu said that after there had been meetings in Cairo, which had been a mediator in Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks, he decided to send the head of the Mossad intelligence agency to Qatar to "promote a series of initiatives on the agenda".

1722 GMT — Hezbollah destroyed Israeli tank in southern Lebanon

Hezbollah said it destroyed an Israeli tank in Ayta Ash-Shaab in southern Lebanon, killing and injuring the crew.

The Lebanese group said it attacked the tank with a “guided missile,” causing it to catch fire, and the crew was either killed or wounded. Hezbollah also targeted the Israeli Zevulun military base for industrial purposes, north of Haifa with “a rocket salvo.”

Hezbollah announced that it bombed the Nishrim base southeast of Haifa in northern Israel with “precision missiles.”

1720 GMT — Putin meets Palestinian leader Abbas at BRICS summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at a BRICS summit in Russia.

"We are strongly for a quick end to the bloodshed (in Gaza)," Putin told Abbas in televised comments, in the pair's second meeting since August.

1555 GMT — Israeli air strikes kill nine more in eastern, southern Lebanon

At least nine people have been killed due to Israeli attacks in the towns of Al-Hallaniyah and Kfar Tebnit in eastern, southern Lebanon, according to the state news agency.

1603 GMT — Israeli hostage families urge Netanyahu, Hamas to reach Gaza deal

An Israeli group representing families of Gaza hostages called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas to secure an agreement for the release of captives after new truce talks were announced.

"We demand the Israeli prime minister grant the negotiating team full authority to secure this deal. Time is running out for the hostages," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, adding: "We urgently call on world leaders to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to accept this deal and end a humanitarian catastrophe that has already claimed too many innocent lives".

1550 GMT — Mossad chief to head to Doha Sunday for Gaza talks

Israeli spy chief David Barnea will head to Doha on Sunday for talks aimed at restarting negotiations towards a Gaza hostage release deal, the Israeli prime minister's office said.

"At the direction of Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu, the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, will leave on Sunday for a meeting in Doha with the head of the CIA, Bill Burns, and with the prime minister of Qatar," said the statement, adding that "the parties will discuss the various options to restart the negotiations to release hostages from Hamas captivity following the latest developments."

1524 GMT — Israeli air strikes kill 19 in Lebanon over last 24 hours

At least 19 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 2,593, according to the Lebanese government.

1459 GMT — US, Qatar working to reach diplomatic resolution to Lebanon conflict: Blinken

"We're working intensely to reach a diplomatic resolution, one that sees the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and as a result allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes and to be able to live there in peace and security," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press conference in Doha with Qatari PM and FM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The chief US diplomat called on Israel to take "the necessary steps to avoid civilian casualties and not endanger UN peacekeepers forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) or the Lebanese Armed Forces."

"We're working with other partners to provide the Lebanese Armed Forces with the resources they need so that they can take greater responsibility for security throughout Lebanon and make sure that Lebanon can reassert its sovereignty," he added.

1456 GMT — Germany expands military exports to Israel: official data

Germany has started to expand its military exports to Israel despite worrying signs of genocide in Gaza, official figures revealed.

The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the government has approved €94 million ($101.5 million) worth of military equipment and weapons to Israel in the last three months.

The volume of the military exports reported by the Foreign Ministry was twice as much as the €45.7 ($49.4 million) that the Ministry of Economic Affairs reported to the German parliament’s economic committee last week.

1422 GMT — Paris aid conference raises $800M for Lebanon aid

A Paris conference on aid for conflict-stricken Lebanon raised around $800 million for humanitarian aid but saw little diplomatic progress as fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah.

"In total, we have jointly gathered $800 million in humanitarian aid," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told participants as the conference closed.

He added that there were a further "$200 million for the security forces" bringing the total to "almost a billion, even more than a billion... with the latest contributions".

1229 GMT — At least five killed in fresh Israeli air strikes in Lebanon

At least five people have been killed in fresh Israeli air strikes in Lebanon amid a devastating offensive on the country, local media said.

An Israeli warplane fired a missile into a car in the Aalay district in Mount Lebanon, east of Beirut, leaving two people dead, the state news agency NNA reported.

Two more people were killed in another air strike targeting a home in the town of Khodor in eastern Lebanon, the broadcaster said, adding a drone strike also targeted a motorbike in the southern city of Tyre, killing one person.

1222 GMT — Blinken announces another $135M in aid to Palestinians

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced another $135 million in US aid for the Palestinians as he called again for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"Today, we're announcing an additional $135 million in humanitarian assistance, water sanitation, internal health for the Palestinians in Gaza and the (occupied) West Bank, as well as in the region," Blinken announced in Qatar, saying it brought the US total to $1.2 billion since the October 7 attack by Hamas last year.

He also stated that negotiators will meet in the coming days to reach a Gaza truce as he again called for Israel and Hamas to reach a deal.

1217 GMT — At least 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on school in central Gaza

At least 17 Palestinians, including children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a school in Nuseirat camp in the central part of Gaza, where people displaced by the fighting were sheltering, Nuseirat's al-Awda hospital said.

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1209 GMT — Israeli claims it dismantled tunnel of Hezbollah's elite forces

Israel's military has claimed it had dismantled a tunnel of Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces in southern Lebanon.

"The underground tunnel was found inside a civilian house, which served as a weapons storage facility in a village in southern Lebanon," the military statement said.

1204 GMT — US, Qatar, Egypt continue efforts on Gaza ceasefire — Qatari PM

The United States, Qatar, and Egypt continue their efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, Qatar's prime minister has said.

"This painful period in the region should come to an end," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also the foreign minister, after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha.

1156 GMT — Hezbollah clashes with Israeli troops in Lebanon border village

Hezbollah said it was clashing at close range with Israeli troops in a south Lebanon border village, weeks after Israel said it launched ground assaults against the group.

Hezbollah militants were engaged in "heavy clashes in the village of Aita al-Shaab" at close range, the group said in a statement, adding that they hit a Merkava tank that came to assist the Israeli troops.

1132 GMT — UN calls for humanitarian access, increased support for Lebanon

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) called on the international community to work urgently on restoring peace in Lebanon and mobilizing more resources to respond to the "dire" humanitarian crisis.


"We need to see concrete actions to end the hostilities, and we need the resources and the access to bring lifesaving aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians gravely affected by the ongoing fighting," IOM’s Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels said.

1022 GMT — Israel plans to 'empty' Gaza of its Palestinians: Abbas

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said that Israel aims to "empty" Gaza of Palestinians, especially in the northern part where it launched a sweeping assault this month.

"It has been a full year since the greatest catastrophe that the Palestinian people experienced after the Nakba of 1948, which is the Israeli war in which crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing are being committed in Gaza," Abbas said in a speech to members of the BRICS group.

"This is part of a plan to empty the territory of its people, especially now in northern Gaza where the occupation forces are resorting to starving the population there."

1015 GMT — Gaza death toll surpasses 42,800 as Israeli aggression continues

At least 55 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in besieged Gaza, pushing up the overall death toll since last year to 42,847, the Health Ministry in the tiny enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 100,544 others were injured in the ongoing assault.

“The Israeli occupation has committed four massacres of families in the last 24 hours, resulting in 55 deaths and 132 injuries,” the ministry said.

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

1014 GMT — 'No more destruction in Palestine, Lebanon': China's Xi urges BRICS to be stabilising force for peace

Stressing that there should be "no more suffering and destruction in Palestine and Lebanon," China’s President Xi Jinping Thursday called on the BRICS member states to "uphold peace and strive for common security."

"We should come forward together to form a stabilising force for peace and explore solutions to address both symptoms and roots of hotspot issues," Xi told the participants of the expanded BRICS bloc format summit held in the southwestern city of Kazan, Russia.

0842 GMT –– Three Lebanese troops killed in south as Israel pounds Beirut

The Lebanese soldiers were killed as they were evacuating wounded people on the outskirts of the southern village of Yater, the Lebanese army said.

They were killed at around 4:15 a.m. (0115 GMT), a security source said. There was no immediate comment on the strike from the Israeli military, which has previously said it is not operating against the Lebanese army.

The area is part of the border region pounded by Israel during its month-long offensive against the heavily armed, Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, in a conflict that spiralled out of the Gaza war.

A security source in Lebanon said 13 Lebanese army troops had been killed whilst on active duty since the start of hostilities last year. Another 16 had been killed whilst at home. Israel has apologised in the past when it has confirmed Lebanese military deaths.

0830 GMT — Middle East is on the brink of full-scale war — Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale war as tensions rose sharply between Israel and Iran.

"The fighting that began a year ago in Gaza has now spread to Lebanon," Putin, sitting beside Chinese President Xi Jinping, told a meeting of the BRICS+ group in the city of Kazan on the Volga.

"Other countries in the region were also affected. The degree of confrontation between Israel and Iran has sharply increased. All this resembles a chain reaction and puts the entire Middle East on the brink of a full-scale war."

0822 GMT — ‘We will always be together,’ South Africa’s Ramaphosa tells Palestine’s Abbas

South Africa and Palestine “will always be together,” President Cyril Ramaphosa told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas when they met for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.

The two leaders discussed opportunities to “strengthen political and economic relations in line with South Africa's national interests and foreign policy priorities,” said a statement from Ramaphosa’s office.

“We are well when you are well, and you are all the time with us,” Abbas told Ramaphosa.

“Yes, of course… of course, without any doubt,” replied Ramaphosa, reiterating South Africa’s support for Palestine.

0806 GMT — Blinken arrives in Qatar on Gaza mediation push

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Doha for talks with Gaza mediator Qatar as part of a diplomatic effort aimed at heading off further escalation in the region.

The visit to the Gulf emirate, which hosts Palestinian resistance group Hamas's political office and has led mediation for a Gaza truce alongside the United States and Egypt, follows talks in Israel and Saudi Arabia on Blinken's 11th visit to the region since the start of the war last year.

0630 GMT — Hamas wants Russia to push Palestinian president towards unity government for post-war Gaza

Palestinian resistance group Hamas wants Russia to push Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to begin negotiations on a national unity government for post-war Gaza, a senior Hamas official told the RIA state news agency after talks in Moscow.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a Hamas politburo member, met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow.

"We discussed issues related to Palestinian national unity and the creation of a government that should govern the Gaza Strip after the war," Marzouk was quoted as saying by RIA.

Marzouk said that Hamas had asked Russia to encourage Abbas, who is attending the BRICS summit in Kazan, to start negotiations about a unity government, RIA reported.

0300 GMT — US and UK jointly strike Yemen’s Al Hudaydah airport — Houthis

Yemen’s Houthi group said that the US and UK carried out joint air strikes targeting the airport in western Al Hudaydah province.

In a brief statement, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said US and British fighter jets targeted Al-Hudaydah airport in two raids, without providing further details.

The statement did not mention any casualties or material damage.

There was also no comment from the US or the UK.

0151 GMT — Israel strikes residential building in Damascus

Syrian state media said Israel struck a residential building in Damascus.

"Initial reports indicate that an Israeli attack targeted a residential building in the Kafr Sousa area of Damascus," said the Sana news agency, without providing a toll.

2341 GMT — Israel heavily bombards southern Beirut

Israeli warplanes carried out more than 17 air strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut's southern suburbs, in one of the most intense bombardments.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli attack included four strikes in the suburb of Laylaki, which destroyed six buildings and caused fires that spread across a wide area.

It also said that Israeli aircraft destroyed the office of the Al Mayadeen TV channel affiliated with the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which was located in an apartment.

2206 GMT — Gaza Civil Defense ceases operations in northern part of enclave

Gaza's Civil Defense announced that it had halted its operations in northern Gaza following the arrest of five personnel and the targeting of three others by Israeli forces.

It also said that its only fire engine in the region was destroyed, describing the situation as "catastrophic."

"Our operations have completely ceased in North Gaza province, and the situation has become catastrophic. Residents in the area are now without essential humanitarian services," the agency said in a statement.

2112 GMT — UN chief calls Israel to halt actions against civilians in besieged North Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern for civilians suffering under Israel's siege in north Gaza.

"People suffering under the ongoing Israeli siege in North Gaza are rapidly exhausting all available means for their survival," Guterres wrote on X.

Emphasising the need to protect civilians and ensure they receive the necessary humanitarian assistance, he reminded Israel of its obligations under international law, saying, "That's what international humanitarian law requires."

For our live updates from Wednesday, October 23, 2024, click here.