Live blog: Israeli strikes push Lebanon's death toll close to 2,900

Friday, November 1, 2024

1734 GMT — Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,897 people and injured 13,150 in Lebanon, with 30 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.

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1912 GMT — Baalbek death toll rises to 41: governor

At least 41 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon's Baalbek region, the regional governor said.

1830 GMT — Israel kills one of Hamas's last senior officials

The Israeli military has claimed it killed senior Hamas official Izz al-Din Kassab, in an air strike in Khan Younis.

The Palestinian group mourned the death of Kassab in a statement, adding that he was killed along with another Hamas official named Ayman Ayesh in an Israeli attack on their car in the enclave.

The Israeli military described Kassab as one of the last high-ranking members of the Palestinian resistance group responsible for coordinating with other groups in Gaza.

Hamas sources, however, told Reuters that Kassab was a local group official in Gaza but not a member of its decision-making political office.

1813 GMT — Another Palestinian journalist killed by Israeli army in Gaza

Another Palestinian journalist was killed by the Israeli army in Gaza, local authorities said.

In a statement, the Government Media Office in Gaza said photojournalist Bilal Rajab was killed by the Israeli army in Gaza.

The statement urged the international community and international journalist groups to prosecute Israel before the international courts for its crimes against Palestinians and journalists.

Rajab's death brings the number of journalists killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7, 2023 to 183, the Media Office noted.

1745 GMT — Eight Palestinians killed in two Israeli air strikes on Gaza

At least eight Palestinians, including a woman, were killed in two Israeli air strikes on Gaza City and Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.

A medical source in the al-Ahli Arab hospital told Anadolu that three Palestinians, including a woman, were killed in an Israeli air strike in the vicinity of the Firas Market in the central Gaza City.

In northern Gaza, where the Israeli army has been launching a deadly incursion for nearly a month, five Palestinians were killed and others injured in an Israeli air strike in Beit Lahia area.

1732 GMT — Israel wasted opportunities for ceasefire with Lebanon: parliament speaker

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Israel wasted several opportunities to achieve a ceasefire and implement UN Resolution 1701.

Berri made the statement during his meeting with General Aroldo Lazaro, commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), according to a statement by Berri's office cited by the official Lebanese news agency NNA.

Israel has wasted more than one tangible opportunities to achieve a ceasefire, implement Resolution 1701, restore calm and return the displaced persons on both sides of the border, Berri told the UNIFIL commander.

They also discussed the political and field developments as well as the issue of displaced people, the statement added.

1714 GMT — Lawmakers send letter to Biden questioning US role in Israel's regional war

Some lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden questioning the involvement of the US armed forces in Israel's expanding regional war across the Middle East.

"American military involvement in these wars has not been authorized by the United States Congress, as required by the Constitution and US law.

"The American people have made it clear that they want to see an immediate ceasefire, an end to these wars, and the return of hostages, not deepening American involvement in potentially endless regional war," the lawmakers wrote.

The letter was signed by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Congresswoman Cori Bush, Congressman Andre Carson, Congresswoman Summer Lee and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

1706 GMT — UN well short of funds pledged for Lebanon aid

The United Nations warned its flash appeal for humanitarian aid in Lebanon was so far only 17 percent funded, urging donor countries to turn pledges into cash.

"We are facing a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation," said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA. "The needs are rising by the minute, and the pledge does not buy food, medicine or shelter. So we're hoping for a rapid disbursement."

He told a press conference that only 17 percent of the $426 million sought in the flash appeal had been received.

1704 GMT — Palestinians in north Gaza at 'imminent risk' of death: UN

The situation in northern Gaza "apocalyptic" as Israel pursues a brutal military offensive in the area, top United Nations officials warned.

"The entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence," they said in a statement signed by the heads of UN agencies, including the UN children's agency UNICEF and the World Food Programme, and other aid groups.

Israel began a wide military push in northern Gaza earlier this month. The United States has said it was watching to ensure that its ally's actions on the ground show it does not have a "policy of starvation" in the north.

"Humanitarian aid cannot keep up with the scale of the needs due to the access constraints. Basic, life-saving goods are not available. Humanitarians are not safe to do their work and are blocked by Israeli forces and by insecurity from reaching people in need," they said.

They urged all parties fighting in Gaza to protect civilians and called on Israel to "ceases its assault on Gaza and on the humanitarians trying to help".

1607 GMT — Mideast 'one of the most dangerous places ever for journalists,' UN rights chief says

The Middle East has become "one of the most dangerous places ever for journalists", the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.

Volker Turk marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists that falls on November 2, and stressed that journalists "are the eyes and ears of a world on fire, and the voice of victims in crisis".

Turk said attacks against journalists are increasing, and they "are being killed, harassed, intimidated, imprisoned or silenced — from Gaza and Ukraine to Sudan, Myanmar and beyond".

1553 GMT — Hospital in central Gaza receives 14 people killed in Israeli air strikes

A hospital in central Gaza received bodies of 14 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes in the northern area of the Nuseirat refugee camp.

"Since early morning, we have received 14 Palestinian martyrs and 69 others injured, including 21 in serious condition, from Israeli air strikes on the Nuseirat camp," Al-Awda Hospital said in a statement.

Witnesses told Anadolu that the Israeli warplanes launched at least 10 air strikes on the camp, which is crowded with displaced people.

1544 GMT — Hamas official says group rejected Gaza truce proposal

A Hamas official said the group received a proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar for a short-term truce in Gaza and rejected it for not including a lasting ceasefire.

"The proposals do not include a permanent cessation of aggression, nor do they entail the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip or the return of displaced persons," the official, a member of Hamas's political bureau, told AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly on the issue.

1526 GMT — Israeli attacks damaged or destroyed almost quarter of buildings in southern Lebanon: report

Roughly one-quarter of buildings in southern Lebanon have been damaged or destroyed due to intensified Israeli attacks, according to a Washington Post report based on satellite data.

An analysis by the paper, in collaboration with City University of New York Graduate Center and Oregon State University, used Sentinel-1 satellite images and verified videos from social media to examine the impact.

Findings revealed extensive destruction of homes and infrastructure due to ongoing air strikes and increased ground attacks. The analysis showed that nearly 25 percent of structures in 25 municipalities near the Israeli border sustained damage, with controlled demolitions destroyed at least nine religious sites.

1448 GMT — Israel is falling far short of a US ultimatum to surge aid to Gaza

Halfway through the Biden administration's 30-day ultimatum for Israel to surge the level of humanitarian assistance allowed into Gaza or risk possible restrictions on US military funding, Israel is falling far short, an Associated Press review of UN and Israeli data shows.

Israel also has missed some other deadlines and demands outlined in a October 13 letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The mid-November deadline — following the US election — may serve as a final test of President Joe Biden's willingness to check a close ally that has shrugged off repeated US appeals to protect Palestinian civilians during its war.

1427 GMT — Israel cabinet approves 2025 wartime budget

Israel's cabinet approved a 2025 national budget, a wartime financial package that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said supported the country's ongoing wars and encouraged economic growth.

"The main objective of the 2025 budget is to maintain the security of the state and achieve victory on all fronts, while safeguarding the resilience of the Israeli economy," Smotrich said.

The budget, totalling about $162 billion, includes a $2.4 billion package to support reserve soldiers. It will now move to the Knesset, or parliament, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition holds a majority, making approval likely.

1417 GMT — Russia ready to assist in settlement of Mideast wars

Moscow is ready to assist in the settlement of conflicts in the Middle East and has contacts with all parties concerned, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Commenting at a press briefing in Moscow on media reports claiming Israel asked Russia to serve as a mediator in contacts with Hezbollah, Peskov cited President Vladimir Putin who earlier said Moscow "maintains contacts with all relevant parties".

"And, of course, if our efforts can be effective somewhere, than Russia will be ready to make them," he added.

1347 GMT — Nine injured as rockets from Lebanon strike Israel's Upper Galilee

Nine Israelis were injured, including one critically, after rockets launched from Lebanon struck the town of Karmiel in Upper Galilee, Israeli media reported.

Channel 13 reported that sirens sounded across Karmiel and nearby areas in northern Israel before the rockets impact, which injured multiple residents.

The Israeli army confirmed that it detected 30 rockets launched from Lebanese territory toward Upper Galilee, according to a statement. The army said that "several rockets were intercepted, while others struck within the region".

1336 GMT — Turkish ship delivers 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Beirut

A Turkish ship carrying 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid arrived at Beirut's port, providing vital support to Lebanon amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

The aid, organised by Türkiye in collaboration with Lebanese officials, includes food supplies, medical equipment and essential goods aimed at assisting vulnerable citizens.

1306 GMT — Multiple Israeli strikes kill at least 13 more in Lebanon

At least 13 people have been killed in latest Israeli strikes across Lebanon, officials said.

Despite growing pressure from the United States and others in the international community for a ceasefire both in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel's air force launched multiple attacks in Lebanon.

In an attack in the northeastern Baalbek-Hermel region, eight people were killed when a home was hit in the village of Amhaz and two more were killed in the village of Taraya, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.

Three more people were killed and five wounded in an air strike on the edge of Qamatiyeh, southeast of Beirut, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

Israel's military said in a statement that attacks targeted Hezbollah weapons manufacturing sites, command centres and other infrastructure.

1242 GMT — Gaza polio vaccinations to resume Saturday: WHO

The World Health Organization said the necessary second round of child polio vaccinations in northern Gaza would begin on Saturday, after Israeli bombing had halted the drive.

The announcement that the final phase of polio vaccination in Gaza can go ahead came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urgently called on Israel to facilitate a quick completion of the campaign.

The vaccination drive began on September 1 after the besieged Palestinian territory confirmed its first case of polio in 25 years.

1229 GMT — Israel pounds Gaza after US truce push

Israeli air strikes on Gaza killed more than 60 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, medics said.

Medics in Gaza said about 60 people were killed and dozens more injured overnight and into Friday morning in Israeli strikes on the city of Deir al-Balah, the Nuseirat camp and the town of Zawayda all in the central area of the Palestinian coastal enclave, as well as in the south.

1112 GMT — UN chief says journalists killings in Gaza 'unacceptable'

The UN secretary-general has said the killings of journalists since the start of Israel's brutal war on Gaza are "unacceptable," urging for the protection of the press.

Antonio Guterres' remarks came in a message read at the opening of the UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East 2024 in Geneva.

Noting that this seminar is being held under "profoundly difficult circumstances" as the brutal war in Gaza marked one year last month while the violation spread to Lebanon, Guterres said: "At the same time, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to deteriorate with Israeli military operations, construction of settlements ... , intensification of settler attacks that progressively undermines any possibility of a two-state solution."

1105 GMT — At least 10 Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on school in Gaza, medics say

At least 10 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli strike targeting the entrance of a school sheltering displaced people in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, medics said.

1057 GMT — Gaza death toll tops 43,200 as Israel continues its brutal war

At least 55 more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since last year to 43,259, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

A ministry statement added that some 101,827 others have been wounded in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 55 people and injured 186 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

1036 GMT — Lebanese PM's office denies US asked Lebanon to declare unilateral ceasefire with Israel

The office of Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has denied that the US had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire after two sources said that a US envoy had made the request to inject momentum into stalled talks on a deal to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a statement to Reuters, Mikati's office said the government's stance was clear on seeking a ceasefire from both sides and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between the two foes in 2006.

1026 GMT — Israeli officer dies from injuries sustained in southern Gaza

The Israeli army has announced the death of Capt. Yarden Zakay, a platoon leader in the Givati Brigade, succumbed to injuries sustained during military offensives in southern Gaza last September.

According to the army, Zakay, 21, was critically injured in a battle on Sept. 17, 2023.

1024 GMT — WHO: Attacks on healthcare workers, facilities in Lebanon on the rise

The World Health Organisation is deeply concerned about rising attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Lebanon, a WHO official has said.

While 55 attacks have been verified, the actual number of incidents is likely to be significantly higher, Margaret Harris said at a UN briefing.

0952 GMT — US allegedly asked Lebanon to declare unilateral ceasefire with Israel, two sources say

A US envoy this week allegedly asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel as part of an effort to help negotiations to reach a resolution for the more than year-long conflict, a senior Lebanese political source and a senior diplomat have said.

The sources claim the effort was communicated by US Lebanon Envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

But such an announcement was seen as a non-starter in Lebanon, the sources said, where it would likely be equated with a surrender.

0914 GMT — Lebanon PM says expanded strikes suggest Israel's 'rejection' of ceasefire

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati has criticised Israel's "expansion" of its attacks on his country, saying they indicated a rejection of efforts to broker a truce after more than a month of war.

"The Israeli enemy's renewed expansion of the scope of its aggression on Lebanese regions, its repeated threats to the population to evacuate entire cities and villages, and its renewed targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut with destructive raids are all indicators that confirm the Israeli enemy's rejection of all efforts being made to secure a ceasefire," Mikati said.

Mikati's statement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met visiting US officials to discuss a possible deal to end the war on Lebanon.

0700 GMT — Israeli overnight strikes kill more Palestinians in Gaza

At least 47 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded overnight, most of them children and women, in Israeli bombardment on the city of Deir Al Balah, the Nuseirat camp and the town of Al Zawayda in central Gaza, the Palestinian news agency WAFA has reported.

0627 GMT — Fresh strikes hit south Beirut after Israeli evacuation calls

At least 10 strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs, after the Israeli army issued orders for buildings to be evacuated.

AFPTV footage showed explosions followed by clouds of smoke unfurling in the suburbs.

"The raids left massive destruction in the targeted areas, as dozens of buildings were levelled to the ground, in addition to the outbreak of fires," Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said.

The strikes targeted the suburban areas of Ghobeiry and Al Kafaat, the Sayyed Hadi Highway, the vicinity of the Al Mujtaba Complex and the old airport road, it added.

0626 GMT — Israeli army issues evacuation orders to residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs

The Israeli army has issued evacuation orders to residents of certain neighbourhoods in Beirut's southern suburbs as Israel continued its air and ground attacks on the country.

In a statement, the Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed that residents “are located near facilities and interests belonging to Hezbollah, which the Israeli army will act against in the near future.”

“You must immediately evacuate these buildings and adjacent structures and distance yourselves by at least 500 meters (1,640 feet),” the spokesperson added.

0532 GMT — Israeli military says it intercepted a UAV in Syrian territory that was launched towards Israel

The Israeli military has said it intercepted overnight an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Syrian territory that was launched towards Israel.

The UAV was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory, the Israeli army said.

0349 GMT — Rocket fire from Lebanon kills 7 in Israel including four Thai nationals

Rocket barrages from Lebanon into northern Israel have killed four foreign workers and three Israelis, Israeli medics have said, the deadliest cross-border strikes in Israel since it invaded Lebanon.

Thailand confirmed the death of four of its nationals in the rocket attack.

Thailand's Foreign Minister, Maris Sangiampongsa posted on social media platform X that he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths close to the town of Metula on Thursday, adding another Thai citizen was wounded as well.

2346 GMT — Israel kills 26 Palestinians in air strikes across Gaza

At least 26 Palestinians were killed and 47 wounded in Israeli air strikes on besieged Gaza, said medical sources.

An Israeli bombardment targeted a house in the Sabra neighbourhood in southern Gaza City, killing two Palestinians and wounding four, they said.

Another strike targeted a gathering in the town of Al-Zawayda in central Gaza, killing two Palestinians and injuring three others.

At least 16 Palestinians were killed and 30 wounded, including children, in strikes that targeted two houses north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, said medical sources.

Four Palestinians were killed and ten others were wounded, including children, in a bombardment that targeted a house in northwest Gaza City, sources said.

Two Palestinian brothers were killed and several others wounded when an Israeli warplane bombed a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Palestinian paramedics told Anadolu Agency.

2229 GMT — Arab League calls for UN resolution against Israel's UNRWA ban

The Arab League called for the passage of a UN resolution opposing Israel's move to ban the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in the country.

The meeting demanded in its decision that "the representatives of Arab countries in New York coordinate with the ambassadors and representatives of friendly countries and the UN Secretariat to request a special session of the UN General Assembly, as it is the body that issued the decision to establish UNRWA, to discuss the repercussions of this serious Israeli law and to issue a UN resolution rejecting this illegal Israeli measure."

2204 GMT — Russia says Israel's UNRWA ban violates international law

Russia said that Israel's decision to ban the activities of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) violates international law.

"The adoption of these bills (by Israel's parliament) not only violates international law, including UN General Assembly decisions and the UN Charter, but also contradicts the conditions for Israel's admission to the UN," said a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

2041 GMT — Israel killed 1,200+ Palestinians in northern Gaza in 4 weeks

The Israeli army has killed over 1,200 Palestinians in its siege of northern Gaza that started nearly four weeks ago, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

"The Israeli army continues to commit massacres and target shelters and civilians in Beit Lahia, resulting in casualties amidst a severely strained health care system," Munir al-Bursh, director general of the ministry, told Anadolu Agency.

He stressed that "the Israeli occupation is committing murder and destruction due to the absence of oversight or accountability to stop its crimes."

2104 GMT — US envoys in Israel to seek Lebanon truce plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met visiting US officials to discuss a possible deal to end Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Netanyahu told Washington envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk that any Lebanon deal must guarantee Israel's longer-term scrutiny.

2101 GMT — Israel 'waging an open war on the UN,': Palestinian envoy

Officials and representatives voiced grave concern about Israel's acts against Palestinians, as the Palestinian deputy envoy to the UN emphasised that Israel is "waging an open war on the UN."

"Israel claims it is the one under attack by the UN, even as it is the one waging an open war on the UN not just on UNRWA but on; the secretary-general (Antonio Guterres), on special rapporteurs, commissioners, on the Security Council, General Assembly, Human Rights Council, the ICJ (International Court of Justice), the ICC (International Criminal Court), on this committee. On every single country that dares to speak out, on the entire UN system and the international community," said deputy Palestine envoy to the UN Feda Abdelhady.

Underscoring the urgency of a global response, Abdelhady said: "We believe we are at a turning point. Although the days have never been darker, the prospects for justice and accountability have never been greater."

For our live updates from Thursday, October 31, 2024, click here.