Live blog: Israeli strike kills 30 Palestinians in Gaza's Beit Lahia

Monday, November 18, 2024

2202 GMT — Israeli strike in northern Gaza's Beit Lahia has killed at least 30 people, a hospital director said.

The director of the Kamal Adwan ho spital in Beit Lahia, Hosam Abu Safiya, said dozens were wounded in the Israeli strike and other people likely were under the rubble.

Fleeing residents told the AP that houses were hit. An Israeli military statement earlier said it conducted several strike in Beit Lahia, and that efforts to evacuate civilians continued.

Israeli forces have again been on the offensive in northern Gaza.

"Tonight we did not sleep at all," said one fleeing Beit Lahiya resident, Dalal al Bakri. "They destroyed all the houses around us... There are many martyrs."

A woman, Umm Hamza, said the bombing escalated overnight. "It's cold and we don't know where to go," she said.

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2210 GMT — Israel army confirms strike killed Hezbollah spokesperson

Israel's army confirmed a strike Sunday had killed Hezbollah spokesperson Mohammed Afif in the Beirut area.

The army "conducted a precise, intelligence-based strike in the area of Beirut" and killed Mohammed Afif, it said.

Earlier, Hezbollah had also announced the death of Afif, who according to one security source was among four people killed in an Israeli strike on central Beirut.

2208 GMT — Lebanon suspends classes in capital, surrounding regions after Israeli air strikes

Lebanon has suspended in-person classes at schools in Beirut and surrounding areas after Israeli air strikes hit the centre of the capital, Minister of Education Abbas Halabi announced.

Schools and higher educational institutions will be closed Monday and Tuesday in Beirut and Chouf, northern Metn, Baabda and Aley and online learning adopted.

The decision came following two Israeli air strikes targeting buildings in the capital — one in the Ras al Nabaa area and the other in the Mar Elias area.

2029 GMT — Israel reports rocket, drone attacks from Lebanon and Iraq

Israel reported the launch of rockets from Lebanon and a drone from Iraq as regional tensions continue to escalate over Tel Aviv's ongoing war in Gaza.

A military statement said 15 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israeli settlements in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel. The army said some of the rockets were intercepted, while the rest hit open areas.

Israeli Army Radio said one person was slightly injured from the rocket fire in Upper Galilee. The Israeli army said its forces also intercepted a drone fired from the east, a term used by the military to describe attacks from Iraq. Israeli media earlier reported that the drone had fallen in the city of Yavne, south of Tel Aviv.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.

For our live updates from Sunday, November 17, 2024, click here.