Live blog: More civilians killed in Gaza as Israeli strike targets homes

Thursday, October 17, 2024

0530 GMT — Several civilians have been killed and others wounded early this morning after Israeli forces targeted a residential house in Gaza City, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The air strike, which occurred at dawn, struck the home of the Halou family on the Sinaa Street in the southwestern part of the city.

Medical sources have confirmed that five people were killed in the attack, with several others suffering injuries.

The wounded were transported to local hospitals, though the extent of their injuries remains unclear.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces bombed the house of the Saleh family near Abu Rashid pond in Jabalia camp, located in northern Gaza.

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0527 GMT — Hezbollah targets Israeli tanks in Lebanon

Hezbollah has said it targeted two Israeli tanks with rockets in Labbouneh Heights, southern Lebanon, causing troop casualties.

0314 GMT — Syria state media says Israeli air strike hits Latakia

Syrian state media has said an Israeli air strike hit the coastal city of Latakia, targeting a weapons depot according to a war monitor.

"Anti-aircraft defence intercepted hostile targets above Latakia," SANA said without mentioning casualties or damage.

The news agency reported "fires were triggered by the Israeli aggression" at the entrance to Latakia, a stronghold of Bashar al Assad regime.

0300 GMT — US launches series of air strikes targeting Houthis across Yemen

The US military has struck several Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen, top US officials said.

"This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Thursday.

"The employment of US Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrate US global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere." "US Central Command forces conducted multiple airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," a senior US defence official told ABC News.

2349 GMT — UN, US urge Israel to improve Gaza's 'intolerable' humanitarian situation

The top UN humanitarian official accused Israel of blocking the delivery of desperately needed aid to Gaza, and the US ambassador demanded that its government step up efforts to tackle the Palestinian territory's "intolerable and catastrophic humanitarian crisis."

Acting humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya and US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stepped up the pressure on Israel at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the escalating humanitarian emergency, especially in northern Gaza.

At the same time, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin urged his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to step up to improve the humanitarian situation in the blockaded enclave.

2340 GMT — Israel bombs Lebanon again, kills Nabatiyeh mayor Israel has carried out dozens of strikes in Lebanon, killing a city mayor, toppling buildings and causing widespread destruction in several southern areas.

The Israeli military said its warplanes struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said 16 people were killed and 52 wounded in strikes on two municipal buildings.

At least six people were killed in other strikes, according to officials and reports.

The Nabatiyeh mayor was among the dead, a local official told the AFP news agency, adding that the strikes "formed a kind of belt of fire".

2200 GMT — Russia calls Israeli strike of Gaza hospital 'terrifying'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted the "terrifying" results of an Israeli attack on the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in besieged Gaza.

Zakharova, responding to Anadolu agency's question at a news conference in Moscow, expressed shock for those who were at the scene.

"This is a terrifying shooting. They can provoke nothing but shock and, of course, sympathy. We wish a speedy recovery to all those injured, and express our deepest condolences to the relatives of the victims, not only in this particular situation, but also over the past year of absolute madness that Western American curators have brought to the already difficult life of the region," she said.

For our live updates from Wednesday, October 16, 2024, click here.