Live blog: Hezbollah targets military base in central Israel with drones

Friday, October 18, 2024

1747 GMT — Lebanon's Hezbollah group said it had launched drones at a military base in central Israel.

Separately, the group said it targeted the Israeli city of Haifa and areas to its north with rockets, dedicating one of the salvos to the group's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah fighters launched "a salvo of rockets... that targeted the city of Haifa", the group said in a statement, adding the attack was "at the service" of Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike last month.

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1705 GMT — Afghanistan expresses 'profound sorrow' over Sinwar's killing

Afghanistan's Taliban government has said it felt "profound sorrow" over the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

"It is with profound sorrow that we have received the news of the martyrdom of Yahya Sinwar," government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, adding his killing would "serve to intensify and fortify the resistance" against Israeli forces.

1626 GMT — Palestine calls on UN to act against Gaza genocide, forced displacement

Palestine has called on the UN Security Council to intervene to stop the genocide and displacement in Gaza and warned of the risks of any deals that would entrench the separation of the territory.


A statement from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the UN Security Council to "fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities by taking action to immediately stop the genocide and displacement of our people, push for a prisoner exchange deal, and take the necessary decisions and actions to ensure Gaza’s return to the fold of the Palestinian state and its legitimate institutions."

1614 GMT — Al Sultan Brigade commander also killed alongside Sinwar in Gaza: Hamas

Hamas has announced that Mahmoud Hamdan, also known as "Abu Yusuf," who served as the commander of the Al Sultan Brigade in Rafah, was killed alongside the group's slain leader Sinwar.

The movement said in a statement that Hamdan was killed while actively fighting against the Israeli army, reportedly alongside Sinwar.

1556 GMT — Turkish President Erdogan reiterates call for UN arms embargo on Israel

"A UN arms embargo on Israel would be an effective measure to stop it," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, vowing that Türkiye would continue to advocate for such a step "on every platform."

Erdogan warned that each day without a ceasefire brings the region closer to a wider war. He stated that Israel is seeking provocations to spread the conflict.

1553 GMT — Gaza war must end with establishment of Palestinian state: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the war in Gaza must end with the establishment of a "full-fledged" Palestinian state, urging the Middle East Quartet to be reactivated in order to resume mediation efforts in the region.

"The primary solution to the Palestinian problem is the establishment of a fully-fledged Palestinian state. The Russian side has upheld this position since the Soviet era," he remarked during a meeting with BRICS media managers in Moscow.

1453 GMT — It is 'unacceptable' to target UN peacekeepers in Lebanon: Italian PM

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has slammed attacks on UN peacekeepers as "unacceptable" after the UN force reported Israeli troops firing at their positions in south Lebanon.

"I consider targeting UNIFIL unacceptable, and I ask once again, that all parties strive to ensure at all times that the safety of each of these soldiers is guaranteed," Meloni told a press conference in Beirut.

1416 GMT — Russia urges UN chief to stand up for his peacekeepers in Lebanon

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to stand up in support of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping troops who have been targeted by Israeli army attacks in southern Lebanon over the past week.

At a press conference in Istanbul after a meeting of the 3+3 format on the South Caucasus involving Iran, Russia, Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, Lavrov said the participants extensively discussed the situation in the Middle East.

"When UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are forced to relocate because Israel needs to strike the positions they occupy, it crosses a (red) line. I sincerely hope that the UN secretary-general will take a principled stance in support of his staff," Lavrov emphasised.

1416 GMT — Muslim Labour councillors in UK call for immediate suspension of arms sales to Israel

More than 100 Labour Muslim councilors have called on the British prime minister to completely and immediately halt arms sales to Israel which has killed 42,500 Palestinians in Gaza since Oct. 7 last year.

In a letter to Keir Starmer, the signatories representing communities all across Britain stressed the tragic human toll in occupied Gaza has been "unimaginable."

1400 GMT — Israel calls up one more reserve brigade for Lebanon incursion

The Israeli army has called up an additional reserve brigade to its northern border as it continues to battle Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.

"In accordance with the situational assessment, the IDF (army) is calling up an additional reserve brigade for operational missions in the northern arena," a military statement said.

"This will enable the continuation of combat efforts against Hezbollah and the achievement of the goals of the war, including the safe return of the residents of northern Israel to their homes," the statement added.

1315 GMT — Yemen's Houthis mourn killing of Hamas politburo chief Sinwar

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they mourned Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar following his killing by the Israeli military in Gaza.

"My sincere condolences and great blessings to the Hamas movement and the dear Palestinian people for the great leader Yahya Sinwar receiving the medal of martyrdom," a spokesman for rebel group wrote on X, adding that "Gaza and the Palestinian cause are destined for victory, no matter how great the sacrifices".

1301 GMT — Sinwar was chief obstacle to Gaza ceasefire, White House claims

Hamas leader Sinwar was the 'chief obstacle' to securing a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and his killing by Israel creates an "inflection point" that could accelerate talks to wind down the war, White House spokesperson John Kirby claims.

1300 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli onslaught rises to 42,500

At least 42,500 Palestinians have been killed and 99,546 wounded in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, Gaza's Health Ministry said in a statement.

1232 GMT — Israeli strikes on Jabalia camp kill six Palestinians, wound 50

Six Palestinians have been killed and 50 others injured in Israeli air strikes targeting a house and a group of civilians in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, which has been under assault for 14 days.

Al Awda Hospital reported in a statement that three Palestinians were killed and 50 injured in an Israeli air strike on a home in Jabalia Camp.

A medical source at Kamal Adwan Hospital confirmed that three Palestinians were killed in another Israeli strike on a gathering of civilians in the Al Fakhura area of Jabalia.

1212 GMT — Hamas vows to continue struggle, confirms Sinwar's killing

A top political leader of Hamas, Khalil al Hayya, has confirmed the killing of the group's leader Sinwar.

Al Hayya, in a video statement, reiterated the Palestinian militant group’s stance that it will not release the hostages captured in the group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel until there is a cease-fire in the yearlong war on Gaza.

"Those prisoners will not return to you before the end of the aggression on Gaza and the withdrawal from Gaza," he said.

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1050 GMT — Jordan denies Israeli reports of its soldiers crossing border

Jordan's military dismissed Israeli media reports alleging that military personnel from the kingdom had crossed its western borders into Israel.

In an official statement, the Jordanian army urged the public to “rely on official sources for accurate information and to avoid spreading rumours and misinformation.”

Earlier, two Israeli soldiers were reported injured in a shooting incident by armed individuals who allegedly infiltrated from Jordan near the southern Dead Sea region.

The Israeli army announced that two of the infiltrators were "neutralised" and that a potential third suspect might be at large.

According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, the armed individuals reportedly crossed the border on foot, dressed in military uniforms.

1030 GMT — Belgium opens war crimes probe into soldier fighting for Israel in Gaza

Belgian authorities said they have launched an investigation into possible war crimes committed by a Belgian-Israeli soldier fighting for Israel in Gaza.

The federal prosecutor's office said the probe focuses on a Belgian member of an elite unit of the Israeli military comprising several other dual passport holders.

"We have opened a file on possible war crimes," a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office told AFP.

The suspect, who has not been named, is said to be a man in his 20s from Brussels' upmarket suburb of Uccle.

1020 GMT — Israel sends more troops to Gaza, intensifies raids on civilians

The Israeli military said it sent another army unit to support its forces operating in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, where residents said tanks blew up roads and houses as they thrust further into the enclave.

Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire, after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.

They added that the Israeli army was destroying dozens of houses on a daily basis, sometimes from the air and the ground and by placing bombs in buildings then detonating them remotely.

Residents said Israeli forces had isolated the far northern Gazan towns of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahiya from Gaza City.

Health officials appealed for fuel, medical supplies and food to be sent immediately to three northern Gaza hospitals overwhelmed by the number of patients and injuries.

1002 GMT — China calls for Gaza ceasefire after death of Hamas leader

China reiterated the call for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, a day after Israel claimed the death of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

“The pressing priority is to immediately reach a ceasefire in Gaza, protect civilians, ensure humanitarian aid and avoid further escalation of the conflict and confrontation,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

Mao was reacting to claims made by Israel that Hamas political bureau chief Sinwar was killed in Gaza on Wednesday, Chinese state media reported.

0942 GMT — Kremlin concerned about 'human catastrophe' in Gaza, Lebanon after Sinwar killing

The Kremlin said it was more concerned about the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza and Lebanon, when asked about Israel's killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.

"For us, the main thing is the consequences for civilians that we are seeing... The humanitarian catastrophe that is observed both in Gaza and in Lebanon is the subject of our serious concern," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

0735 GMT — Hezbollah launches missile attack on northern Israel

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a major missile barrage targeting the Zevulun settlement near Haifa in northern Israel.

According to Hezbollah, the strike involved a “large salvo of missiles” launched from Lebanon.

The Israeli army also reported that 15 rockets were fired from the Lebanese territory into the Galilee region of northern Israel.

The extent of the damage and casualties remains unclear.

Separately, the Lebanese National News Agency reported that the Israeli army bombed the Old Mosque in the Majdal Selm town in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon.

0723 GMT — Almost everyone in Gaza going hungry: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said that almost everyone in Gaza is going hungry, calling this situation "inhumane."

"@WHO calls for immediate access for all humanitarian aid, starting with food and medicine for severely malnourished children, who need to be treated urgently," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

WHO continues to call for a cease-fire as "best medicine is peace," he said.

0725 GMT — Italian defence chief calls for strengthening UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

Italy’s defence minister raised concerns over Israeli strikes against the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, calling for a bolstering of the UN forces in the country with updated rules of engagement.

“UNIFIL must be strengthened, and Lebanese forces made more credible … New rules of engagement are needed,” Italian news agency ANSA quoted Defense Minister Guido Crosetto as telling the Senate on Thursday.

Crosetto stressed that Israel should play a role in strengthening the UN peacekeepers, which need real deterrence capability to prevent the use of force.

0655 GMT — South Africa still considering cutting ties with Israel: Ramaphosa

South Africa is still considering cutting diplomatic ties with Israel, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa, however, stressed South Africa’s support for the Palestinian cause was “irrevocable.”

“This matter (cutting ties with Israel) is being considered in a very active manner and in due course will be able to articulate precisely what the executive’s response is to the resolution that was taken by the National Assembly,” Ramaphosa told lawmakers.

The South African president was asked about a non-binding resolution passed by the parliament last November urging the government to cut ties with Tel Aviv in the wake of the Israeli war on the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

0044 GMT — ‘By chance, during routine sweep’: Israeli media reveals circumstances of Sinwar's killing

Israeli media revealed that the Israeli army killed Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas, “by chance” and during “routine sweeps,” without relying on intelligence information.

Reports indicated that Sinwar, Israel's top target, was killed during a field confrontation, where he was dressed in full military uniform, contradicting previous Israeli claims that he had been hiding among Israeli prisoners in tunnels for months in tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier Thursday, the army said, in cooperation with the Shin Bet security agency, it carried out dozens of operations in recent months, which restricted Sinwar's movements and eventually led to his death.

2210 GMT — US 'not directly involved' in Sinwar's killing, Pentagon says

The US forces were "not directly involved" in Israel's killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the Pentagon said.

"This was an Israeli operation. US forces were not directly involved," Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder told reporters.

0258 GMT — US reiterates call for Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza after war ends

The US "ultimately" wants to see Israel fully withdrawn from besieged Gaza, the State Department reiterated.

That was after remarks by Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz, who suggested the Israeli military would remain active in Gaza for years.

"We ultimately want to see Israel fully withdrawn from Gaza," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said when asked by Anadolu about Gantz's comment.

2127 GMT — Hezbollah announces new, 'escalating' phase in war with Israel

Lebanese Hezbollah has announced "the transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel".

In a statement, the group said Israel's military losses had totalled 55 dead and more than 500 wounded soldiers and officers since October 1.

2130 GMT — Biden, Harris react on Sinwar killing

US President Joe Biden has described Israel's killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as a significant step, saying it removed a key obstacle to a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage deal.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee in November's US election, added it was a chance to "finally end the war in Gaza."

2100 GMT — Israel's Netanyahu says Sinwar killing 'beginning of the end' of Gaza war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Thursday that the killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was the "beginning of the end" of the war in Gaza.

In an English-language video statement released by his office, Netanyahu said, "While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it's the beginning of the end."

2024 GMT — EU chief says Sinwar's death 'significantly' weakens Hamas

The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar "significantly" weakens Hamas, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said.

"(Sinwar's) death is certainly significantly weakening Hamas, " von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.

2101 GMT — Death toll from Israel aggression in Lebanon rises past 2,400

The death toll from Israel's ongoing onslaught on Lebanon since October 8, 2023, has surged to 2,412, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said that 45 people were killed and 179 others wounded in Israeli attacks over the last 24 hours, taking the number of wounded people to 11,267.

2021 GMT — 2 killed, 15 wounded in Israeli air strikes on eastern Lebanon

Two people were killed and 15 others wounded in Israeli air strikes targeting two towns in the Baalbek-Hermel province, eastern Lebanon, the Health Ministry said.

"An Israeli air strike on the town of Yammoune in Baalbek-Hermel resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to nine others," Lebanon's official news agency quoted a Health Ministry statement as saying.

2032 GMT — Qassam Brigades says it targeted Israeli troops, 2 military vehicles

Hamas' military wing said that its fighters targeted Israeli troops and two Israeli military vehicles in northern Gaza.

In a statement, the Qassam Brigades said its fighters struck two Israeli armoured personnel carriers with Yassin 105 rockets in the Falouja area west of the Jabalia camp.

In a separate statement, the group said it targeted an Israeli infantry force with a TBG rocket, and then inflicted casualties among them with "appropriate weapons."

For our live updates from Thursday, October 17, 2024, click here.