Live blog: Israel kills 28 in Gaza as deadly raids on Lebanon intensify

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

1030 GMT — Israeli attacks killed 28 more Palestinians in Gaza, taking the overall death toll since last October 7 to 41,495, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 96,006 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 28 people and injured 85 others in four ‘massacres’ of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

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

More updates 👇

1123 GMT — At least 16 killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon

At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured in fresh Israeli air strikes in Lebanon on Wednesday, according to Lebanese authorities and media reports.

The Health Ministry said four people were killed and 38 others injured in Israeli air strikes on the Baalbek-Hermel province in eastern Lebanon.

F ive more people were killed and 27 others wounded in Israeli attacks in the towns of Tebnine and Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, the ministry added in a statement.

Israeli warplanes also hit the southern town of Joun, killing four people and injuring several others, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Three more people lost their lives and nine others were injured in another air strike in the town of Maaysrah in Keserwan in northeastern Lebanon, the broadcaster said.

1045 GMT — Israel says 40 rockets fired from Lebanon as border fighting flares

The Israeli army said that 40 rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel as escalation with Hezbollah continues to rise.

Air-raid sirens sounded in several cities in northern Israel, including Safed, Tiberias, Western Galilee, Upper Galilee, Mount Meron, and the Carmel region.

“After sirens were activated in the Upper Galilee area, approximately 40 projectiles were detected crossing from Lebanese territory, some of which were intercepted,” the military said in a statement.

1030 GMT — Pope calls on international community to stop 'terrible escalation' in Lebanon

Pope Francis called on the international community to "make every effort to stop this terrible escalation" after days of intense Israeli air strikes killed hundreds in Lebanon.

"I am saddened by the news coming out of Lebanon," the pope said at his weekly general audience at the Vatican, voicing hope "that the international community will make every effort to stop this terrible escalation," which he called "unacceptable."

He expressed "closeness" to the Lebanese people, "who have already suffered too much in the recent past."

0840 GMT — Strike hits mountain village north of Beirut: state media, residents

Strikes hit a mountain village north of Beirut for the first time, residents said, with state media reporting rockets hit while Israel said it was carrying out "extensive" strikes on Hezbollah strongholds.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported "two rockets fell in Maaysra" a Shia-majority village in a mostly Christian mountain area about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Beirut, with residents confirming the strike hit their village, destroying a house and a café.

0835 GMT — Turkish medical aid aircraft arrives in Lebanon

A Turkish aircraft arrived in Lebanon carrying medical aid and supplies to support the Lebanese health sector amid ongoing Israeli attacks that killed hundreds in the country.

"The Turkish medical aid aircraft sends a message of solidarity with our (Lebanese) people in the face of Israel’s brutal assault," Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad told Anadolu Agency.

0831 GMT — Israeli army intercepts drone from Syria amid regional tensions

The Israeli army said that it had shot down a drone from Syria amid rising regional tensions over Tel Aviv’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon.

A military statement said that the drone was intercepted over the southern area of Tiberias.

Air-raid sirens were activated over Israel-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, according to an Anadolu reporter in the area.

No injuries or damage were reported.

0700 GMT — Israel preparing for ground offensive in Lebanon — Israeli media

Israel is preparing for a possible ground offensive in Lebanon, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

However, Tel Aviv’s UN envoy Danny Danon said earlier on Tuesday that Israel is not eager to carry out a ground invasion in Lebanon and favours a diplomatic solution.

"We are not eager to start any ground invasion anywhere. I don't want to send my son and we don't want to send our boys to fight in a foreign country. But we are determined to protect the civilians of Israel," Danon told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

"We will do whatever is necessary to bring the residents back to the north. If nothing will help, then the goal of any operation is to achieve peace and tranquility," Danon added.

0655 GMT — Israel 'pushing region towards all-out war': Egypt, Iraq, Jordan

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan condemned Israel's "aggression" against Lebanon, warning that it is "pushing the region towards all-out war".

The ministers said that stopping the "dangerous escalation under way in the region... begins by halting Israel's aggression in Gaza", in a joint statement issued after a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

0500 GMT — New Israeli strikes hit south and east Lebanon — official media

Israel carried out air strikes on south and east Lebanon for a third day, Lebanese official media reported.

"Since 5:00 am (0200 GMT) enemy warplanes have launched strikes" on several areas of southern Lebanon, the official National News Agency said, adding that "the air aggression continued overnight" on other parts of the south, reporting unspecified casualties.

It also reported that "enemy warplanes and drones" targeted multiple locations the Baalbek area in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley after midnight, also reporting casualties there.

0430 GMT — Israeli military says missile intercepted as Tel Aviv sirens sound

Warning sirens sounded in Israel's economic capital Tel Aviv as a single surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by air defence systems after it was detected crossing from Lebanon, the Israeli military said.

There were no reports of damage or casualties and the military said there was no change to civil defence instructions for central Israel.

The warning sirens also sounded in other areas of central Israel, including the city of Netanya.

0420 GMT — Palestinian prime minister says Fatah, Hamas to meet in Cairo

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said representatives of the Fatah and Hamas groups will soon hold a meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

In an interview with Al Jazeera’s Mubasher channel on Tuesday, Mustafa said the talks aim to reach agreements to improve conditions for serving the people of Gaza.

The talks could later expand to include other Palestinian groups, he added.

0233 GMT — Israel kills dozens of Palestinians in new Gaza air strikes

Israel has killed at least 51 Palestinians, including children, and wounded several more in its air strikes on besieged Gaza.

The Palestinian Civil Defense issued a statement confirming the extent of the damage and casualties caused by the latest Israeli attacks on the blockaded enclave.

The Israeli army strikes targeted residential homes, two vehicles, and areas where large numbers of civilians had gathered, the statement said.

0155 GMT — Protesters rally in Tunisia, Morocco against Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza

Dozens of protesters gathered in Tunisia and Morocco to condemn Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, calling for action.

In Tunisia, people gathered to demonstrate solidarity with the Lebanese people against the Israeli assaults.

The protest, organised by the Tunisian Net work to Address Normalisation, a non-governmental organisation, took place in front of the municipal theater in the capital Tunis in response to Israel's attacks on Lebanon.

Participants chanted slogans like "Raise your voice, our pride is Beirut" and "No compromise, no bargaining."

0001 GMT — Israel says hostage negotiations with Hamas reached dead end

The Israeli military's envoy to negotiations aimed at freeing hostages held in besieged Gaza expressed pessimism over mediation attempts between Israel and Hamas.

General Nitzan Alon spoke with families of Israelis held captive in Gaza and informed them that the talks had reached a dead end, according to Israel's Channel 12.

"At the moment, there is no deal," he told the families, saying "the gaps are too great."

Channel 12 reported that the overall sentiment among the families was one of frustration and pessimism.

"The families are left desperate, frustrated and hurt," it said.

0105 GMT — Greece says Israel should be pressured to stop its onslaught in Gaza

Greece's prime minister said that Israel's onslaught in Gaza should end as quickly as possible.

Asked in an interview with CNN whether Israel should be pressured for a ceasefire in Gaza, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: "I think they should (be). And we made it very, very clear to our Israeli friends that there were opportunities to get to a ceasefire. That is at least how we feel, and those opportunities were not taken."

"And as long as you don't have a ceasefire in Gaza, the hostages will not be released. You will have an unnecessary loss of life, compounding already on the humanitarian catastrophe that has taken place. And you will always give Hezbollah a reason to continue firing rockets into Israel. So it seems to me that it is also in Israel's interest to get to a ceasefire as quickly as possible," he added.

2354 GMT — Israel wounds two Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Two Palestinian men have been wounded by Israeli army gunfire during a raid on al-Fawwar refugee camp in the southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its crews transported two injured to the hospital, one in critical condition after being shot in the chest and the other shot in the legs.

2022 GMT — UNSC to hold emergency meeting over Israel's attacks on Lebanon

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday on the escalating violence in Lebanon, said Slovenia's mission to the UN, which holds the rotating presidency of the council.

"After consulting with the delegations... the Presidency intends to schedule the briefing on the situation in Lebanon for tomorrow, Wednesday, September 25, at 6:00 pm (2200 GMT)," the mission said Tuesday, adding that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would speak at the meeting.

2033 GMT — Iran's president says Israel must end its genocide in Gaza

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly that Israel's aggression in besieged Gaza must stop immediately, calling it a "genocide in Gaza."

"It is imperative that the international community should immediately ... secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon, before it engulfs the region and the world," he said.

2103 GMT — Number of displaced Lebanese approaching one-half million

Lebanon's foreign minister has said the number of displaced people due to Israeli strikes is approaching one-half million.

Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib also said a war in Lebanon won't bring back Israelis to their homes; only negotiations will.

2057 GMT — Lebanon calls Biden's remarks on conflict with Israel 'not promising'

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed disappointment with US President Joe Biden's remarks about the escalating crisis between Lebanon and Israel, but said he held out hope that Washington could still intervene to help.

"It was not strong. It is not promising, and it would not solve this problem," Habib said of Biden's speech at the United Nations earlier in the day. "I (am) still hoping. The United States is the only country that can really make a difference in the Middle East and with regard to Lebanon."

2100 GMT — Maldives president urges UNGA to hold Israel accountable

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for "acts of terrorism" as he pushed back against violation of international law.

"Israel must be held accountable for these acts of terrorism, for these violations of international law and UN resolutions," Muizzu told the UN General Assembly in New York, referring to the indiscriminate bombing of besieged Gaza by Tel Aviv.

2034 GMT — Egypt's Al Azhar calls for global action to stop Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon

Egypt's leading Islamic university, Al-Azhar, called for urgent international action to stop Israel's "bloodshed of innocent civilians" in Gaza and Lebanon.

In a statement, Al-Azhar strongly condemned the "Zionist terrorist aggression" on southern and eastern Lebanon, which has resulted in hundreds of casualties, including women and children, and forced thousands to flee.

The statement criticised the global community and UN's silence as "unprecedented and unjustified."

Al-Azhar argued: "The Israeli occupation's assault on Lebanon demonstrates its ongoing efforts to turn the Middle East into a battleground, expanding conflicts to other countries and regions."

For our live updates from Tuesday, September 24, 2024, click here.