Live blog: Latest Israeli strikes kill at least seven in Lebanon's Baalbek

Thursday, October 31, 2024

1840 GMT — Israeli warplanes killed at least seven people and wounded 14 in towns in the Baalbek district, located in the Baalbek-Hermel province in northeastern Lebanon.

The death toll reached six from Israeli air strike on the town of Makneh, with six injured, one of whom is in critical condition, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

Another air strike destroyed a house in the town of Kayyal near Baalbek city, killing a woman and injuring five others, the agency added.

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1840 GMT — Iran preparing strike on Israel from Iraqi territory within days: Axios

Israeli intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the US presidential election on November 5, Axios reported, citing two unidentified Israeli sources.

The attack is expected to be carried out from Iraq using a large number of drones and ballistic missiles, the Axios report added.

The report said that carrying out the attack through pro-Iran militias in Iraq could be an attempt by Tehran to avoid another Israeli attack against strategic targets in Iran.

1829 GMT — 'Good progress' made toward Lebanon ceasefire deal: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that negotiators have made "good progress" toward a deal that would bring a ceasefire in Israel's offensive in Lebanon.

"Based on my recent trip to the region, and the work that's ongoing right now, we have made good progress on those understandings," Blinken told reporters.

1813 GMT — At least 39 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, hospital hit: ministry

At least 39 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military strikes across Gaza, mostly in the north where one attack hit a hospital, torching medical supplies and disrupting operations, health officials in the enclave said.

The Health Ministry in Gaza called for all international bodies "to protect hospitals and medical staff from the brutality of the (Israeli) occupation".

1807 GMT — Strikes near south, east Lebanon cities after Israel evacuation calls

Strikes hit near east Lebanon's main city of Baalbek and close to the southern city of Tyre, state media said, after Israel issued evacuation calls for both areas.

The air strikes came as Lebanon's prime minister condemned Israel for issuing evacuation warnings for entire areas and called for diplomatic pressure for a halt to its strikes more than a month into the war.

The strikes on Al Hawsh near Tyre destroyed six buildings, civil defence said, and coincided with an exodus of civilians from the Rashidieh camp for Palestinian refugees near Tyre, also covered by the evacuation warning, the official National News Agency said.

"Enemy warplanes" also hit rescuers in Tyre, the NNA said, adding that "the ambulance team that tried to rescue" the crew had been targeted twice.

1805 GMT — Hezbollah hits Israeli tank, military vehicle with missiles

Hezbollah announced that it had targeted an Israeli tank and a military vehicle in southern Lebanon, inflicting casualties on those inside.

In a statement, the Lebanon-based group said its militants "targeted a Merkava tank and an Israeli military vehicle in Wata el Khiyam area (southern Lebanon) with two guided missiles, which led to both vehicles catching fire and causing casualties among their crews".

The statement added that this action comes "in support of the resilient Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in solidarity with their courageous and honourable resistance, and defence of Lebanon and its people".

1800 GMT — War in Lebanon devastating children's physical, emotional well-being: UNICEF

The head of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, warned about the "severe physical wounds and deep emotional scars" the war in Lebanon is having on children.

Russell highlighted in a statement that "166 children have been killed since October 2023, while at least 1,168 have been injured".

She emphasised the urgent need for peace, warning that "the true healing can only begin when the violence ends".

1738 GMT — UNICEF warns of 'deadly' effect on Palestinian children after Israeli ban on UNRWA

UNICEF denounced a decision by Israel to ban activities of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territories and warned about its "deadly" effect on Palestinian children.

"With the children of Gaza already facing one of the gravest humanitarian crises in recent history, if fully implemented, this decision will be deadly," according to a statement by the UN Children's Fund.

"UNRWA is the main UN agency providing essential services and protection to Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza," it said.

1718 GMT — EU Council chief warns of 'consequences' of Israel's UNRWA ban

The European Council President warned that Israel's decision to ban the key UN aid agency for Gaza could result in the annulment of a deal establishing Israeli trade relations with Brussels.

"The decision made by parliament in Israel, if implemented, to ban UNRWA in Israel is absolutely not acceptable and I cannot imagine that there would be no consequences on the EU side," Charles Michel told reporters in Geneva.

"I can observe that more and more voices, including at the political level, the highest political level of the EU, are considering that the time will come to put on the table the Association Agreement between Israel and the EU," he said.

1705 GMT — Israeli strikes kill at least 45 in Lebanon in last 24 hours

Israeli attacks have killed at least 45 people in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, the Lebanese health ministry said, bringing the total death toll to 2,865 since October 2023.

1647 GMT — Israeli army kills four Palestinians in Nur Shams refugee camp

Four Palestinians, including a child, were killed at dawn in an Israeli drone strike in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem city, the northern occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that there were "two martyrs in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem as a result of an (Israeli) occupation air strike".

Another Palestinian was killed hours earlier in a shooting incident at the Tulkarem camp, the ministry added.

1446 GMT — Türkiye hails African countries' steadfast stance on Palestinian issue: Erdogan

Senegal's stance on the Palestinian issue, which is based on the two-state solution, is "extremely valuable", said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We are following the steadfast stance of our African brothers, who understand what oppression, war and massacre mean, against Israel's genocidal policies," Erdogan said in a joint press conference with his Senegalese counterpart Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

Senegal's stance on the Palestine issue based on a two-state solution is extremely valuable, Erdogan added.

"Imperialists have learned in Africa that a peaceful future cannot be built on blood and massacre," Erdogan said, adding: "The same truth will also be evident in Gaza and Lebanon."

1440 GMT — Israeli death toll reaches seven in Hezbollah rocket fires

Israeli emergency services said a rocket launched from Lebanon killed two people in an olive grove in northern Israel, bringing the day's toll to seven dead.

Medics "treated and attempted resuscitation on a 30-year-old male and a 60-year-old female, who were then pronounced dead. A 71-year-old male with mild shrapnel injuries to his limbs was evacuated," the Magen David Adom first responders said in a statement.

Earlier, Lebanon's Hezbollah group said it attacked the area of Krayot, north of the Israeli city of Haifa with a large missile salvo.

1414 GMT — Israel strikes near Baalbek after evacuation warnings: Lebanon state media

Lebanese official media reported Israeli strikes near Baalbek, after Israel issued evacuation warnings for the main eastern city for the second day in a row.

"Enemy aircraft launched four strikes on the village of Douris and the surroundings of the city of Baalbek," the National News Agency said.

1405 GMT — Netanyahu to US envoys: any Hezbollah ceasefire must guarantee Israel security

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told visiting US envoy Amos Hochstein and US Middle East adviser Brett McGurk that any ceasefire deal with Lebanon's Hezbollah would have to guarantee Israeli security.

"The prime minister specified that the main issue is not paperwork for this or that deal, but Israel's determination and capacity to ensure the deal's application and to prevent any threat to its security from Lebanon," Netanyahu's office said after the meeting.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also took part in the discussion which he said in a statement focused on "security arrangements as these relate to the northern arena and Lebanon, and efforts to ensure the return of 101 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza".

1222 GMT — US envoys in Israel to seek Lebanon truce plan

Senior US officials were to meet their Israeli counterparts to discuss a possible deal to end Tel Aviv's war in Lebanon.

Less than a week before the US presidential election, Washington's envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk were expected in Israel and Israeli forces continued their fierce ground and air assault across Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed optimism about a ceasefire in "the coming hours or days" and Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem said the group would accept a truce under certain conditions.

1220 GMT — Rocket fire from Lebanon kills five in northern Israel

Rocket fire from Lebanon killed five people in northern Israel, including four foreign workers, in the deadliest such attack since Israel's invasion earlier this month.

The attack came as senior US diplomats were in the region to push for ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, hoping to wind down the Israeli wars in the Middle East in the Biden administration's final months.

1215 GMT — Lebanon PM calls Israel evacuation warnings a 'war crime'

Lebanon's prime minister condemned Israel for issuing evacuation warnings for entire areas and called for diplomatic pressure for a halt to its strikes more than a month into the war.

"The threats issued by the Israeli enemy against Lebanese civilians to evacuate entire cities and leave their areas and homes are an additional war crime added to the series of crimes committed by the enemy," Najib Mikati said in a statement.

Mikati added that he was "requesting intensified pressure on Israel to stop its aggression".

1201 GMT — Israeli strikes across south Lebanon kill six health workers

Six Lebanese health workers have been killed and four wounded in Israeli strikes across south Lebanon, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The total number of health workers killed by Israel since October 2023 rose to 178 and 279 wounded, the ministry added.

1136 GMT — Israeli war has killed one child a day in Lebanon in past month: UN

The United Nations children's agency said Israel's war in Lebanon has killed at least one child a day in the country over the past month.

"Since October 4th of this year, at least one child has been killed and 10 injured daily," UNICEF said.

It added that "the ongoing war in Lebanon is upending children's lives".

1110 GMT — Mideast conflicts to leave 'lasting scars': IMF

Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan will take decades to recover from the conflicts raging on their soil, the International Monetary Fund said after downgrading the region's growth forecast.

Israel's military aggression in Gaza and Lebanon, and Sudan's civil war would have enduring impacts, the IMF said, adding: "The damage caused by these conflicts will leave lasting scars at their epicentres for decades."

The IMF has lowered its predicted growth for the Middle East and Central Asia to 2.1 percent for 2024, a drop of 0.6 percent due to the wars and lower oil production.

0957 GMT — Egypt’s president discusses Gaza ceasefire efforts with CIA director

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi met in Cairo with CIA Director William Burns to discuss mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

Talks between the two sides dwelt on ways to advance the negotiations to reach a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel, the presidency said in a statement.

They also highlighted the need for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into besieged Gaza amid deteriorating conditions in the enclave, it added.

0946 GMT — Lebanon source says one dead in Israeli strike on car near Beirut

A Lebanese security source has said one person was killed by an Israeli strike on a road where a Hezbollah van carrying munitions was hit the previous day.

The drone strike hit the Araya-Kahhale road which links the capital Beirut to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

It targeted a vehicle, killing the driver, the source said, without identifying the victim.

0933 GMT — Israel destroys UNRWA building in Tulkarem days after ban

The Israeli army has destroyed a UNRWA building in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem, occupied northern West Bank, two days after the decision to ban the agency's work, eyewitnesses have said.

0858 GMT — Germany, France, UK call for urgent renewal of Israeli-Palestinian banking services

Germany, France and Britain call for the urgent renewal of correspondent banking services between Israel and Palestine for at least one year, the German foreign office has said.

"Failure to renew would suspend cross-border trade and be catastrophic for the Palestinian economy," the ministry said in a post on social media platform X.

0850 GMT — Israel army issues evacuation call for south Lebanon including refugee camp

The Israeli army has issued an evacuation call for several areas of south Lebanon, including a Palestinian refugee camp.

"Hezbollah's terrorist activities force the IDF (Israeli army) to act forcefully against it in these areas, and we do not intend to harm you," the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.

Among the areas listed was Rashidieh camp, which houses thousands of Palestinian refugees.

0823 GMT — Israeli drone kills two Palestinians in Nur Shams refugee camp in northern occupied West Bank

Two Palestinians, including a child, were killed in an Israeli drone strike in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem city, the northern occupied West Bank.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that there were "two martyrs in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem as a result of an (Israeli) occupation airstrike."

Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said the Israeli army, escorted by bulldozers, raided Tulkarem and its Nur Shams refugee camp at an early hour.

The Israeli bulldozers started to destroy the infrastructure and people's properties in the camp, it added.

0818 GMT — Israeli army aggression advance near hospital, schools in northern Gaza

Israeli army forces have advanced near the Indonesian Hospital and two shelters for displaced civilians in Jabalia in northern Gaza amid a major offensive in the area, according to witnesses.

The Israeli army ordered displaced civilians in Tal al Zaatar and Tal al Rabi schools in the al Fakhour neighbourhood to leave amid a mass exodus in the area, witnesses said.

Israeli artillery also shelled several areas in northern Gaza, including Sheikh Zayed Roundabout, Beit Lahia Project, and the Jabalia refugee camp.

0757 GMT — Yemen’s Houthis report one more US-UK air strike on Hudaida

US-British warplanes have launched a new air strike in Hudaida in western Yemen, the Houthi group has said.

The air strike targeted al Hawak district in the province, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah television said.

No details were provided about casualties or damage.

0753 GMT — Islamic Resistance in Iraq group targets Israeli sites with combat drones

An Iraqi group backed by Iran has claimed five attacks against Israeli targets in support of the Palestinians and Lebanon.

According to separate statements, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq group said it attacked two vital targets in the occupied Golan Heights with combat drones.

The group also said it struck other vital targets, including military ones, in northern and southern Israel.

0627 GMT — Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli strikes on the occupied West Bank's Nur Shams refugee camp killed two Palestinians including a child, the Palestinian health ministry reported.

One Palestinian was shot and killed by the Israeli army overnight in the West Bank's refugee camp of Tulkarem, the health ministry added.

Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said a large number of Israeli vehicles and heavy bulldozers stormed the city and headed towards the Nur Shams refugee camp.

2059 GMT — Arab League to hold emergency meeting on Israeli ban on UNRWA

The Arab League has announced holding an emergency session to address Israel's decision to block the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating in occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, the league said the session, led by Yemen and requested by Jordan, will bring together the League's permanent representatives at its Cairo headquarters to form a united response to the ban.

2043 GMT — Rapporteur urges Israel's UN membership suspension

A UN rapporteur urged the suspension of Israel's UN membership, citing repeated violations of international law and the occupation of Palestinian territories.

"I do believe that the impunity that has been granted to Israel has allowed it to become a serial violator of international law," Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, said at a news conference.

Albanese said she recommends that the General Assembly consider the suspension of Israel's credential as a member of the UN until it ends violating international laws and withdraws the occupation, which she said is "clearly unlawful."

2022 GMT — Israel threatens new Hezbollah leader with fate of predecessor

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz issued a threat to Hezbollah's new chief, Naim Qassem, that he would meet the same fate as his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah.

Katz responded to Qassem's first official speech, where the Hezbollah leader pledged to continue Nasrallah's path of resistance. Katz vowed on X that Israel "will make sure" of Qassem’s demise "soon."

For our live updates from Wednesday, October 30, 2024, click here.