Live blog: Israel kills 3,117 in Lebanon as its brutal attacks intensify

Friday, November 8, 2024

1624 GMT — Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed at least 3,117 people, and wounded 13,888 others since October 2023, Lebanon's health ministry has said.

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1945 GMT — Israeli forces' lethal tactics in occupied West Bank 'exceed law enforcement standards,' UN warns

The UN reported an escalation of Israeli army's actions in the occupied West Bank, warning that it seems to "exceed law enforcement standards."

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN deputy spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said at a news conference that "multiple operations by Israeli forces in the north this week included air strikes and other lethal war-like tactics, which appear to exceed law enforcement standards."

"According to initial information, eight Palestinians were killed and four others injured during Tuesday’s operations in Jenin, Tubas and Tulkarm," she added.

1904 GMT — Palestinian president says he is ready to work with Trump towards 'comprehensive' peace

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Donald Trump on the phone, congratulating him on winning the US presidential elections and saying he is looking forward to working with him to achieve a "just and comprehensive" peace, the official Palestinian news agency said.

1729 GMT — Hezbollah reports Israeli casualties in attack on military bulldozer in southern Lebanon

The Hezbollah group said that it had targeted an Israeli military bulldozer in southern Lebanon and launched rockets at several military sites across the border.

In a series of statements, the group confirmed the attack on Stella Maris, an Israeli naval base north of Haifa city, describing it as a key surveillance and monitoring facility on the country's northern coastline, hit by a salvo of precision rockets.

Hezbollah fighters also targeted the Ramat David military base and airport southeast of Haifa with another barrage.

In a separate statement, Hezbollah said it had destroyed an Israeli bulldozer, killing and wounding its crew in an attack on a military convoy near Kfarkela in southern Lebanon.

The statement added that the bulldozer was accompanied by infantry forces attempting to advance towards the Sari Heights area.

The group also reported casualties among the accompanying infantry unit.

1622 GMT — Israeli army says it detected more rockets, drones fired from Lebanon

The Israeli army has said it detected more rockets and combat drones fired from Lebanon toward areas in northern and central Israel.

The Israeli army said following the activation of air raid sirens in several areas in northern and central, five rockets crossed into Israeli airspace.

It added that its air defences intercepted most of the rockets.

1610 GMT — Hamas hails Spain's decision to deny docking permission to cargo vessels 'transporting' weapons to Israel

Hamas has hailed Spain's decision to deny docking permission at its port to two cargo vessels suspected of transporting weapons to Israel.

In a statement, the Palestinian group said the move is "in line with the honourable position of Spain in rejecting the Zionist aggression on Gaza, and to prevent supplying it with weapons to continue the genocide against our Palestinian people."

It urged the UN to issue a resolution that criminalises and prohibits exporting arms to Israel, and pressurises it to end the war in the enclave, where it has killed more than 43,000 people since Oct. 7.

1524 GMT — Israel urges Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to skip Friday's game in Italy

Israel has urged its citizens to avoid attending Maccabi Tel Aviv's basketball game against Virtus Bologna in Italy on Friday evening.

Citing Israel’s Security Council recommendation, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office advised fans to skip the game due to "concerns for safety."

Tensions flared on Thursday in Amsterdam as Israeli fans clashed with pro-Palestinian demonstrators before and after the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match.

1503 GMT — Hezbollah says fired missiles at central Israel air base

Hezbollah has said its fighters launched missiles at an air base in central Israel, the latest attack by the Iran-backed group in more than a month of war.

Hezbollah said it "targeted the Tel Nof Air Base, south of Tel Aviv... with a salvo of advanced missiles."

1338 GMT — Gaza hospital chief says patients dying due to shortage of supplies, specialists

The number of Palestinians dying is rising due to a shortage of medical supplies and specialised doctors, said the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.

“The situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic. The blockade persists , and every day more injured individuals are lost because of limited resources and the absence of specialised surgical teams,” Hossam Abu Safiya, said in a video released by Gaza’s Health Ministry.

“The blockade on northern Gaza is lethal, blocking water, food, medicine, and medical aid,” he added.

“The hospital is providing care with minimal resources, as Israeli forces have detained specialised medical staff and critical health supplies are scarce,” he continued.

1300 GMT — Gaza ‘massacres’ lead to spontaneous repercussions like Amsterdam unrest: Hamas

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said that unrest in Amsterdam, following a European League match, reflects the spontaneous repercussions of Israel’s continued "massacres" in Gaza, with no international intervention to stop them.

On Thursday night, tensions escalated in Amsterdam after fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team reportedly shouted racist and offensive slurs against Arabs, tore down Palestinian flags, and caused disturbances following their game against Ajax Amsterdam.

Zuhri told Anadolu that "the events in Amsterdam confirm that the ongoing genocide in Gaza, broadcast live without international action to halt it and hold those responsible accountable, can lead to such spontaneous reactions."

1250 GMT — Gaza death toll climbs to 43,508 in Israeli onslaught

The Palestinian Health Ministry in besieged Gaza said that at least 43,508 people have been killed in more than 13 months of Israeli brutal war on the tiny enclave.

The toll includes 39 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 102,684 people have been wounded in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023.

1218 GMT — There’s no other war where women, children are targeted like in Gaza: Turkish President Erdogan

There is no other war where women and children have been directly targeted as much as in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“In the last 13 months, more than two-thirds of the over 50,000 innocent people killed in Gaza were women and children,” said Erdogan in an address to the International Women and Justice Summit in the Turkish commercial capital, Istanbul.

Erdogan also said that he “sincerely” believes that Donald Trump, who won a return to the White House this week after a four-year hiatus, will take the “necessary steps to end wars,” voicing hope that this will happen.​​​​​​​

1118 GMT — Israel reports detecting 10 rockets launched from Lebanon toward Galilee region

Israel reported the launch of at least 10 rockets from Lebanon, aimed at the northern regions of Western Galilee and Upper Galilee.

According to the Israeli army, some of the rockets were intercepted, while others reportedly landed in the targeted areas.

Prior to the incident, air raid sirens sounded in Haifa, Nazareth, and multiple towns across Western and Upper Galilee.

In a statement, the Israeli army noted: “Following alerts activated in the Western and Upper Galilee areas, approximately ten launches from Lebanese territory were identified. Some were intercepted, while others landed in the vicinity.”

The statement did not detail the extent of damage or casualties from the rocket impacts.

1043 GMT — 2 killed in Israeli air strikes in Lebanon

At least two people were killed in an Israeli air strike that destroyed a building in the town of Kfar Tebnit, Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon, the state news agency reported.

The Lebanese National News Agency said the air strike targeted a building located on the main road of Kfar Tebnit, resulting in the deaths of two individuals.

The building, which housed residential apartments and commercial shops, was completely destroyed.

0950 GMT — Another Israeli officer succumbs to injuries sustained in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army announced that an officer had died from injuries sustained during battles in southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the Israeli army identified the officer as 39-year-old Maj. (Res.) Guy Shabtai, who succumbed to severe wounds he had sustained on October 26, during a combat in southern Lebanon.

With this death, the Israeli army’s toll has reached 781 soldiers, with 368 fatalities from the ground offensives in Gaza.

The army also reported that 5,292 soldiers have been injured since the war began, including 2,404 during the ground battles in Gaza.

0433 GMT — Maccabi Tel Aviv fans clash with reported pro-Palestinian protesters at Ajax Europa League match

Supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv clashed with apparent pro-Palestinian protesters before and after a Europa League football match between their team and Ajax outside the Dutch team's home stadium in Amsterdam on Thursday night, media and officials said.

Details of the incidents remained unclear.

There were no immediate reports of arrests or injuries from the clashes outside the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, the city's main arena and Ajax's home stadium. Ajax won the Europa League match 5-0 after leading 3-0 at halftime.

Meanwhile, Israel said it is sending rescue planes to assist citizens in Amsterdam in coordination with the Dutch government, according to a press statement released by the Israeli prime minister's office.

0116 GMT — Lebanon calls Israel's targeting of UN peacekeepers 'war crimes'

Lebanon has condemned an Israeli drone strike in the southern city of Sidon that killed three civilians and injured several Lebanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers, labelling it a "war crime".

Five peacekeepers were injured in the drone strike near a military checkpoint in Sidon in southern Lebanon, the UN mission said.

The Lebanese army confirmed that the attack was carried out by an Israeli drone targeting a vehicle which killed three people inside and injured three of its soldiers stationed at a military checkpoint nearby.

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemns the Israeli assault and called on the international community to denounce such attacks and hold Israel accountable.

The ministry described the attack as "an escalation in Israel's targeting of UNIFIL forces, Lebanese soldiers and civilians constituting war crimes and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law".

2300 GMT — Israel kills dozens in Gaza

In the past 24 hours, Israel has killed at least 48 besieged Palestinians in its ongoing genocidal war in Gaza, Palestinians media and hospital sources said.

The casualties were reported in Beit Lahiam, Jabalia, Rafah, Nuseirat and other areas.

Israel killed at least 14 displaced Palestinians sheltering in a former school in Al-Shati camp in northern Gaza.

Local journalist Hossam Shabat said 11 of the victims were his cousins.

"In a matter of minutes, I found 11 of my cousins killed. We had to collect their bodies in body bags and bury them in a matter of minutes — no funeral, no goodbyes," he wrote on X, with a video of the victims.

2100 GMT — Israel has made progress on aid into Gaza: Pentagon

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that Israel had made some progress in getting assistance into Gaza but more needed to be done. The UN, however, says Israel has blocked most of the aid from entering northern Gaza.

The US told Israel in a letter last month it must take steps in the next month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on US military aid.

While Austin did not specifically comment on the letter, he said: "They have made some progress... but more needs to be made."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Austin wrote to Israeli officials last month demanding concrete measures to address the worsening situation in the Palestinian enclave.

Failure to do so could impact US policy, said the letter.

2000 GMT — UN says Israel severely blocking aid to northern Gaza

Israel is not allowing food and water into northern Gaza and the UN is trying to send there as aid, the UN humanitarian office says.

The only UN assistance Israel has allowed in since the beginning of its latest aggression there a month ago has been hospital supplies during medical evacuation missions, UN associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told reporters.

He said Israel is preventing the estimated 75,000 to 95,000 Palestinians in the north from receiving essential items for their survival.

Tremblay said that "the entire population in north Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence".

Tremblay added that Israeli bombardments and ground operations are preventing humanitarian workers from reaching people in need, adding Israel has ordered Palestinians in parts of Gaza to flee.

For our live updates from Thursday, November 7, 2024, click here.