What's new

[VIDEOS] Hezbollah, resistance force from Lebanon: A decades-long conflict with Israel

Britain will keep Israeli sanctions under review, says foreign minister

Britain's foreign secretary David Lammy says he is "very worried" about inflamed tensions in the Middle East.

And, speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, added that the UK will keep possible new sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank under review.

Britain announced sanctions against Israeli settlers in February and May this year over what it said was extremist groups perpetrating settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Mr Lammy said further sanctions were possible in the future.

"We are very worried about escalatory behaviour, very worried about inflamed tensions," he said.

"I'm absolutely clear: if we have to act, we will act, and I'm in discussions with G7 partners particularly and European partners on that.

"I'm not announcing further sanctions today, but that is kept under close review, and as you would expect, I am deeply, deeply concerned."

Mr Lammy also reconfirmed the UK's call for a two-state solution in the Middle East, saying he "believes in the right of Israel to be safe and secure".

"I also believe in the justice of the Palestinian cause. It is only once Palestinians and Israelis have the same fundamental rights - sovereignty, security and dignity - in their own independent recognised states that we can achieve a just and lasting peace for all."

Sky News
 
EU is 'extremely concerned' about escalating Lebanon conflict

The European Union is "extremely concerned" by the escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah, and is calling for an "urgent" ceasefire, its foreign policy chief has said.

The last week has seen a dramatic increase in cross-border fighting, with Friday's Israeli airstrike in Beirut killing at least 45 people, according to Lebanese health officials.

Hezbollah has responded with strikes of its own on Israeli territory, with some rockets reaching deeper into Israel than any have since the Iran-backed group joined the conflict on 8 October.

A statement from the EU read: "The European Union is extremely concerned by the escalation in Lebanon, following Friday’s attacks in Beirut - where at least three children were also killed - and the increasing cross border violence between Israel and Hezbollah.

"Heavy attacks are reported also today, both in Israel and Lebanon. A ceasefire is urgent, across the Blue Line as in Gaza.

"Civilians on both sides are paying a high price. They will also be the ones suffering once again the most in a full-blown war that must be averted, including by renewed intense diplomatic mediation efforts."

It added peace efforts will be high on the EU's agenda at the UN General Assembly.

Sky News
 

Israeli army says striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon​


The Israeli military said it was conducting another round of extensive strikes against targets of Hezbollah movement in Lebanon on Monday, and suggested a ground incursion may be needed to secure its war goals.

The strikes constituted the most geographically widespread bombing that Israel has simultaneously carried out since its conflict with Hezbollah began nearly a year ago in parallel with the war on Gaza.

The attacks came amid some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire in nearly a year of conflict.

The military gave no further details of the strikes.

At least one person was killed and several others have been injured in the Israeli strikes, Al Arabiya sources reported.

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called on residents of south Lebanon to keep away from Hezbollah posts. He said Israel began striking Hezbollah posts in Lebanon after identifying an intention to fire on Israel.

Asked by reporters about a possible Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon, Hagari said "we will do whatever is needed" in order to return evacuated residents of northern Israel to their homes safely, a war priority for the Israeli government.

Israeli warplanes carried out an intense wave of air strikes on towns along Lebanon’s southern border and even further north on Monday morning, according to Reuters witnesses.

Reuters reporters in the southern port city of Tyre could hear warplanes flying low over southern Lebanon and hear a series of air strikes nearby.

Hezbollah's al-Manar television reported Israeli airstrikes targeting the outskirts of many towns and villages in the south and the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. Footage showed columns of smoke rising over the south.

In addition to striking the Bekaa Valley region of eastern Lebanon, warplanes also carried out airstrikes on the Hermel area in northern Lebanon, Hezbollah's al-Manar reported.

Hezbollah and Israel exchanged heavy fire into Sunday, as the Lebanese militant group sent rockets deep into northern Israeli territory after facing intense bombardment.

Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem told mourners at the funeral of one of the group's commanders killed last week in Beirut: "We have entered a new phase, the title of which is the open-ended battle of reckoning."

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said operations would continue until it was safe for evacuated people on his side of the border to return - also setting the stage for a long conflict as Iran-backed Hezbollah has vowed to fight on until a ceasefire in the parallel Gaza war.

The conflict - which has escalated sharply in the past week - has raged since Hezbollah opened a second front against Israel, saying it was acting in support of Palestinians facing an Israeli offensive further south in Gaza.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies that were allegedly used by Hezbollah members exploded. The attack – which killed 39 people in Lebanon and wounded nearly 3,000 – has been widely blamed on Israel, which has not confirmed or denied responsibility.

 

Israel bombs Lebanon : 274 killed, over 1,000 wounded in Israel attacks​


Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad says Israeli air attacks have killed at least 274 people, including 21 children, 39 women and two medics, while more than 1,000 others have been wounded.

The Israeli bombing has targeted medical centres, ambulances and cars of people trying to flee, the minister says.

All nurseries across Lebanon have been closed and schools will be shut for two days in areas hit by Israeli strikes, education authorities say.
The Israeli military says warning sirens have sounded in the northern part of the occupied West Bank as Hezbollah rocket fire extended further south from the border areas.

Hezbollah says it targeted Israeli bases in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on Lebanon’s south and east.

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani calls the Israeli strikes on Lebanon “insane” and warns of “the dangerous consequences” of Israel’s “new adventure”.

Source: Al Jazeera
 
Best of luck to the resistance in Lebanon.

Sadly the time has arrived for them as the Zionist terrorists are now about to launch a full war .
 
KingKhanWC said:
Your terrorist state sympathetic dreams are unlikely, the Jewish outpost has been trying for decades , it’s impossible now .
Click to expand...
Hezbollah once upon a time caught so many US spies in 2011, now they can’t even stop themselves by being blown up by pagers and walkie talkies..

US has avenged Hezbollah for 2011, now they are called a bunch of amateurs or volunteers far from being called the most smartest force of middle east in 2011.

War is never won on a single day, but US-Israel have clearly dismantled a very capable force, now they are just unorganised bunch of idiots.
 
I never supported Hezbollah and never will but there is no denying that for 30 years there were insanely capable and motivated and then they took CIA.
 
JaDed said:
Hezbollah once upon a time caught so many US spies in 2011, now they can’t even stop themselves by being blown up by pagers and walkie talkies..

US has avenged Hezbollah for 2011, now they are called a bunch of amateurs or volunteers far from being called the most smartest force of middle east in 2011.

War is never won on a single day, but US-Israel have clearly dismantled a very capable force, now they are just unorganised bunch of idiots.
Click to expand...
Israel has been hammered badly by Hezbollah in the North.

They acted decisively but ultimately it was just optics. Immense psychological damage but Hezbollah has rained missiles today again and more are evacuated from North Israel.

The only point you can say Hezbollah is dismantled is when Israelis are able to return the 60,000 people that have been evacuated from the North.
 
@HalBass9 Israel/Zionists are doing exactly what few pundits predicted, they first blew up stuff placing doubts on everyone and now they have attacked, yes Hezbollah is stupid for those meetings but they have been completely compromised.

And so many innocent Lebanese are passing away, I have no love Lebanese they hate Indians but children have nothing to do with this war.

Iran is the definitely second worst after Israel, they are randomly getting middle eastern countries overestimate their power.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Israel has been hammered badly by Hezbollah in the North.

They acted decisively but ultimately it was just optics. Immense psychological damage but Hezbollah has rained missiles today again and more are evacuated from North Israel.

The only point you can say Hezbollah is dismantled is when Israelis are able to return the 60,000 people that have been evacuated from the North.
Click to expand...

Israel bombs Lebanon live: 274 killed, over 1,000 wounded in Israel attacks​

The majority of the projectiles were either intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system or fell in open areas, it added.


The death toll in Israeli attacks across Lebanon today has risen to 356, the Health Ministry announced, adding that 24 children and 42 women were among the dead.

At least 1,246 people were wounded in the attacks.


www.aljazeera.com

At least 274, including 21 children, killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon

Israeli forces launch new deadly air attacks across eastern and southern Lebanon.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
JaDed said:

Israel bombs Lebanon live: 274 killed, over 1,000 wounded in Israel attacks​

The majority of the projectiles were either intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system or fell in open areas, it added.


The death toll in Israeli attacks across Lebanon today has risen to 356, the Health Ministry announced, adding that 24 children and 42 women were among the dead.

At least 1,246 people were wounded in the attacks.


www.aljazeera.com

At least 274, including 21 children, killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon

Israeli forces launch new deadly air attacks across eastern and southern Lebanon.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
Click to expand...
They are champions at killing civilians.

If that is your idea of winning a war then give Israel the gold medal and put them in record books.

But 60,000 of their civilians have had to flee.

Tens of thousands of people march in Tel Aviv begging Netanyahu to sign a deal.

Imagine the psychological impact of that too.
 
JaDed said:
@HalBass9 Israel/Zionists are doing exactly what few pundits predicted, they first blew up stuff placing doubts on everyone and now they have attacked, yes Hezbollah is stupid for those meetings but they have been completely compromised.

And so many innocent Lebanese are passing away, I have no love Lebanese they hate Indians but children have nothing to do with this war.

Iran is the definitely second worst after Israel, they are randomly getting middle eastern countries overestimate their power.
Click to expand...
This is the first time I’ve heard of Lebanese animosity towards Indians. I was under the impression that only in Canada, after Trudeau's election, did sentiments of discontent towards Indians begin to surface.

As for Israel, unless they deploy ground forces and successfully bring Israelis back to Northern Israel, the nation stands to gain little, aside from reinforcing its status as a pariah in the region.

Neither Hezbollah nor Lebanon has ever possessed the capability to effectively counter Israel's airstrikes.
 
Because of the American election, both the Iranians and Hezbollah have shied away from confrontation. Let's see what happens after the Nov election. But I won't hold my breath
 
Hezbollallah are really on the backfoot now

Looking like a paper tiger for all the propoganda that they would burn whole of israel in a war

There's been no response eventhough Netanyahu has declared war on hezbollah been getting smashed left right and centre and Israelis have infiltrated deeply into the group whole Intel on locations of commanders , the pager attack
 
This is all a propoganda where the zionests will have you believing Hamas and Hezbollah are the bogeyman.

Reality is, this is all pre planned by the zionest extremists as their goal for greater israel. Which will inevitably fail .
 
mazkhan said:
Hezbollallah are really on the backfoot now

Looking like a paper tiger for all the propoganda that they would burn whole of israel in a war

There's been no response eventhough Netanyahu has declared war on hezbollah been getting smashed left right and centre and Israelis have infiltrated deeply into the group whole Intel on locations of commanders , the pager attack
Click to expand...

I do not believe Hezbollah has F35 and I also believe that Israel might never send troops in Lebanon.

Nethanyahu needs to get settlers back in northern area to claim a victory.
 
Israel is bound to eventually fail miserably the way it's been going on with it's genocide, land theft and 75 years of oppression . It has lost major support and narrative, one year in a small area they couldn't defeat the resistance fighters, what makes you think they can take on Hezbullah? Hezbullah has been able to kick the settlers out of northern occupied Palestine. Israel will cause further civilian deaths as that's all it does but the long run looks quite bleak for them. Only US is the reason why they are able to do the vicious atrocities, but seeing how US is losing the global power hold, it is all bound to change
 
US sending more troops to Middle East, Netanyahu warns Lebanese as Israel-Hezbollah conflict heightens

The United States is sending more troops to the Middle East, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to the Lebanese people regarding the heightening conflict with Hezbollah.

"In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region. But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during an off-camera gaggle Monday.

The U.S. already has 40,000 troops in the region. The new deployments come after significant strikes by Israeli forces against targets inside Lebanon that have killed hundreds and as Israel is preparing to conduct further operations. Netanyahu released a video statement Monday addressed to "the people of Lebanon."

"Israel's war is not with you. It's with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garages," Netanyahu said. "Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out those weapons."


www.foxnews.com

US sending more troops to Middle East, Netanyahu warns Lebanese as Israel-Hezbollah conflict heightens

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns the Lebanese people of increased operations against Hezbollah, as U.S. sends more troops to Middle East.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
 
Israeli air strikes kill 492 people in Lebanon

At least 492 people have been killed in intense and wide-ranging Israeli air strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry says, in the deadliest day of conflict there in almost 20 years.

Thousands of families have also fled their homes as the Israeli military said it hit 1,600 Hezbollah targets in an operation to destroy infrastructure that the armed group had built up since the 2006 war.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, launched more than 200 rockets into northern Israel, according to the military. Paramedics said two people were injured by shrapnel.

World powers have been urging restraint as both sides appear to be spiralling closer towards all-out war.

Lebanon's health ministry said 35 children and 58 women were among the dead, while 1,645 others had been wounded.

It did not report how many of the casualties were civilians or combatants.

Health Minister Firass Abiad said thousands of families had also been displaced by the strikes.

UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed alarm at the escalating situation and said he did not want Lebanon to “become another Gaza”.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said the "escalation is extremely dangerous and worrying" ahead of a gathering of world leaders at the UN in New York, adding "we are almost in a full-fledged war".

President Joe Biden said the US was “working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely”, while the Pentagon announced it was sending “a small number” of additional troops to the Middle East "out of an abundance of caution".

Nearly a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah sparked by the war in Gaza has killed hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah fighters, and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the frontier.

Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of Hamas and will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Both groups are backed by Iran and proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.

The Pentagon said it was sending “a small number” of additional US troops to the Middle East amid the growing crisis.

"In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region," said Pentagon spokesman Maj Gen Pat Ryder in a briefing with reporters.

He would not answer any follow-up questions on the specifics.

Early on Tuesday, the IDF said it had detected 20 launches from Lebanon overnight "in the valleys area", adding some were intercepted by air defense fighters and others fell in open areas.

"Air Force aircraft attacked the sources of the fire," it added on X.

Lebanese media said the first wave of Israeli air strikes began at around 06:30 local time (03:30 GMT) on Monday.

“It was horrifying, the missiles flew over our heads. We woke up to the sound of bombings, we didn’t expect this,” one woman said.

Dozens of towns, villages and open areas were targeted throughout the day in the districts of Sidon, Marjayoun, Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, Tyre, Jezzine and Zahrani in southern Lebanon, as well as the Zahle, Baalbek and Hermel districts in the eastern Bekaa Valley, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

In the evening, it reported that a building in the Bir al-Abed area of the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut, was hit by several missiles.

Lebanese security sources said the strike targeted Hezbollah’s top commander in southern Lebanon, Ali Karaki, but that it was not clear whether he was killed. Hezbollah’s media office said Karaki was “fine” and had “moved to a safe place”.

From the south to Beirut, roads were congested as people desperately tried to leave amid the bombardment and after receiving audio and text messages from the Israeli military warning them to move away immediately from buildings where Hezbollah was storing weapons.

A family of four riding on a motorbike spoke to the BBC in Beirut during a brief stop on their way to the northern city of Tripoli. "What do you want us to say? We just had to flee," the father said anxiously.

Information Minister Ziad Makary said his ministry had received an Israeli phone call urging it to evacuate its building in Beirut. However, he insisted that it would not comply with what he called “a psychological war”.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati, meanwhile, told a cabinet meeting: “The continued Israeli aggression on Lebanon is a war of extermination in every sense of the word.”

“We are working as a government to stop this new Israeli war and to avoid descending into the unknown,” he added.

On Monday night Israel said it killed a "large number" of Hezbollah militants when it hit about 1,600 sites in southern and eastern Lebanon.

“Essentially, we are targeting combat infrastructure that Hezbollah has been building for the past 20 years. This is very significant,” the IDF’s Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, told commanders in Tel Aviv.

“Ultimately, everything is focused on creating the conditions to return the residents of the north to their homes.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said videos from southern Lebanon showed "significant secondary explosions caused by Hezbollah’s weapons that were being stored inside the buildings".

"It is likely that some of the casualties are from these secondary explosions," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the people of Lebanon to “get out of harm's way now”.

“For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage,” he said. “To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out these weapons.”

A senior Israeli military official insisted that the IDF was “currently focusing on Israel’s aerial campaign only” after being asked by reporters if a ground invasion of southern Lebanon was imminent to create a buffer zone.

The official said Israel had three aims - to degrade Hezbollah's ability to fire rockets and missiles over the Lebanon-Israel border, to push its fighters back from the frontier, and to destroy the infrastructure built by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force which could be used to attack Israeli communities.

Hezbollah did not comment on the Israeli claims that it had hidden weapons in houses, and its media office had announced the death of only one fighter by Monday evening.

But in a sign that it is unlikely to back down, it said it had responded to the “Israeli enemy’s attacks” by firing barrages of rockets at several Israeli military bases in northern Israel, as well as a weapons manufacturing facility in the coastal Zvulun area, north of the city of Haifa.

The IDF said 210 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon by the evening, and that an unspecified number had landed in the Lower Galilee and Upper Galilee regions, in Haifa and the nearby areas of Carmel, HaAmakim and Hamifratz areas, and in the occupied Golan Heights.

One house was badly damaged by a rocket in Givat Avni, in the Lower Galilee.

Resident David Yitzhak told the BBC that he, his wife and six-year-old daughter were unharmed because they had managed to get behind the solid door of the house's safe room seconds earlier, when a warning siren sounded.

“It’s a metre from life to death,” he said.

Israel’s ambulance service said it treated two people with shrapnel wounds in the Lower and Upper Galilee regions, and that another person was injured as they rushed to a shelter.

Early on Tuesday, the IDF said it had detected 20 launches from Lebanon overnight "in the valleys area", adding some were intercepted by air defense fighters and others fell in open areas.

"Air Force aircraft attacked the sources of the fire," it added on X.

On Sunday, Hezbollah launched more than 150 rockets and drones across the border, while Israeli jets struck hundreds of targets across southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah remains a powerful force, despite being weakened by what Israel’s defence minister described as “the most difficult week” for the group since its establishment.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, 39 people were killed and thousands were wounded after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded. And on Friday, Hezbollah said at least 16 members, including top commanders of its elite Radwan Force, were among 45 people killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Beirut.

Speaking at a funeral on Sunday, Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem said the group would not be deterred.

"We have entered a new phase,” he said, “the title of which is the open-ended battle of reckoning."

On the streets of Beirut, one young man told the BBC that he was "very scared of the war escalating" because it would “ cause a lot of disaster, it will stop students going to university".

But another man was defiant, saying: "We're not scared, we have to stand tall, we have to defend ourselves."

BBC
 
New Israeli strikes on Lebanon as death toll from Monday attacks surges to 558

Israel announced dozens of new air strikes on what it said were Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon on Tuesday, a day after 558 people, including 50 children, were killed in the deadliest bombardment since a devastating war in 2006.

Israel’s overnight strikes on southern Lebanon came after it said it had killed a “large number” of fighters when it hit about 1,600 suspected Hezbollah targets around the country.

Hezbollah said it had launched volleys of missiles at Israeli military bases, hours after 180 of its projectiles and an unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Israeli airspace, sending people in the city of Haifa running for shelter.

The Israeli military said more than 50 projectiles were fired into northern Israel in less than 10 minutes on Tuesday morning, most of which were intercepted.

In Lebanon, Monday’s raids killed 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and wounded 1,645, according to the health ministry, which said “thousands of families” had fled their homes.

People in Israel’s coastal city of Haifa were seen running for cover on Monday when air raid sirens sounded.

“Everyone is heading (to Lebanese capital Beirut) with their children and their belongings — it’s the first time we see such panic since 2006,” said Lebanese journalist Nazir Reda, who was driving to his hometown near the Israeli border to get his family away from the violence.

Longtime foes Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire for nearly a year, since October 7.

Hezbollah, which has been fighting Israel for decades, and other Iran-backed fighters in the region have been drawn into the violence.

Monday’s bombardment of Lebanon was by far the largest, not just in the past year, but since the Israel-Hezbollah war in the summer of 2006.

That war killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers, and devastated large swathes of Hezbollah’s strongholds.

Arab states strongly condemned Israel for the escalating hostilities with Hezbollah, which have intensified to levels unseen in nearly a year.

Explosions near the ancient city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon sent smoke billowing into the sky.

“We sleep and wake up to bombardment… that’s what our life has become,” said Wafaa Ismail, 60, a housewife from the southern village of Zawtar.

‘Operation Northern Arrows’
Israel has dubbed its large-scale raids on Hezbollah “Operation Northern Arrows” after announcing earlier this month it was shifting the focus of its firepower from Gaza to Lebanon.

World leaders have expressed alarm over the rapid escalation on the Lebanon front, with UN chief Antonio Guterres’s spokesman saying he was “gravely alarmed” and the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell warning “we are almost in a full-fledged war”.

France and Egypt called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene, while Iraq requested an urgent meeting of Arab states on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Pentagon said it was sending a small number of additional US military personnel to the Middle East after thousands were deployed earlier alongside warships, fighter jets and air defence systems.

Source: Dawn News
 
What a cowardly bunch these Lebanese and iranians are they are too scared to escalate because mighty usa will join in the war and launch to remove their rule whilst pushing hamas and gaza into the inferno.

My estimation for saddam and taliban have gone up

Once removed they fought a brave resistance and in Afghans case sent them packing.
 
Hezbollah has confirmed that its senior commander Ibrahim Qubaisi was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut.

He was a key target for Israel - according to the IDF, he was responsible for planning and executing numerous attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

SKY News
 
Bowen: Israel is gambling Hezbollah will crumple but it faces a well-armed, angry enemy

Israel’s leaders are jubilant about the progress of the offensive against Hezbollah that started with the detonation of weaponised pagers and radios and moved on to intense and deadly airstrikes.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant did not hold back his praise after Monday’s air strikes.

“Today was a masterpiece… This was the worst week Hezbollah has had since its establishment, and the results speak for themselves.”

Gallant said airstrikes destroyed thousands of rockets that could have killed Israeli citizens. In the process Lebanon says Israel killed more than 550 of its citizens, including 50 children. That is almost half Lebanon’s dead in a month of war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

Israel believes that a ferocious offensive will coerce Hezbollah into doing what it wants, inflicting so much pain that its leader Hassan Nasrallah and his allies and backers in Iran decide that the price of resistance is too high.

Israel’s politicians and generals need a victory. After almost a year of war Gaza has become a quagmire. Hamas fighters still emerge out of tunnels and ruins to kill and wound Israeli soldiers and are still holding Israeli hostages.

Hamas caught Israel by surprise last October. The Israelis did not see Hamas as a significant threat, with devastating consequences. Lebanon is different. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Mossad spy agency have been planning the next war against Hezbollah since the last war ended in a stalemate in 2006.

Israel’s leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, believes the current offensive is making big progress towards his declared objective of tipping the balance of power away from Hezbollah.

He wants to stop Hezbollah firing rockets over the border into Israel. At the same time, the Israeli military says the plan is to force Hezbollah back from the border and to destroy military facilities that threaten Israel.

Another Gaza?

The last week in Lebanon brings back echoes of the last year of war in Gaza. Israel issued warnings to civilians, as it did in Gaza, to move out of areas about to be attacked. It blames Hezbollah, as it blames Hamas, for using civilians as human shields.

Some critics as well as enemies of Israel said the warnings were too vague and did not give enough time for families to evacuate. The laws of war demand that civilians be protected, and forbid indiscriminate, disproportionate use of force.

Some of Hezbollah's attacks on Israel have hit civilian areas, breaking laws designed to protect civilians. They have also targeted the Israeli military. Israel and key Western allies, including the US and UK, classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

Israel insists it has a moral army that respects the rules. But much of the world has condemned its conduct in Gaza. The ignition of a wider border war will deepen the gap at the centre of a highly polarised argument.

Take the pager attack. Israel says it was aimed at Hezbollah operatives who had been issued with the pagers. But Israel could not know where they would be when the bombs inside the pagers were triggered, which was why civilians and children in homes, shops and other public places were wounded and killed. That, some leading lawyers say, proves that Israel was using deadly force without distinguishing between combatants and civilians; a violation of the rules of war.

The fight between Israel and Hezbollah started in the 1980s. But this border war began the day after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, when Hassan Nasrallah ordered his men to begin a limited, but almost daily barrage over the border to support Hamas. It tied up Israeli troops and forced around 60,000 people in border towns to leave their homes.

Shadows of invasions past

A few voices in the Israeli media have compared the impact of the air strikes on Hezbollah's capacity to wage war to Operation Focus, Israel’s surprise attack on Egypt in June 1967. It was a famous raid that destroyed the Egyptian air force when its aircraft were lined up on the ground. Over the next six days Israel defeated Egypt, Syria and Jordan. The victory created the shape of the current conflict as Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights.

It is not a good comparison. Lebanon, and war with Hezbollah, is different. Israel has inflicted heavy blows. But so far it has not stopped Hezbollah's capacity or will to fire into Israel.

Israel’s earlier wars with Hezbollah were grinding, attritional and never produced a decisive victory for either side. This one might go the same way, however satisfying the last week of offensive action has been for Israel, its intelligence services and its military.

Israel’s offensive rests on an assumption - a gamble - that a point will come when Hezbollah will crumple, retreat from the border and stop firing into Israel. Most observers of Hezbollah believe it will not stop. Fighting Israel is the main reason why Hezbollah exists.

That means Israel, just as reluctant to admit defeat, would have to escalate the war further. If Hezbollah continued to make northern Israel too dangerous for Israeli civilians to return home, Israel would have to decide whether to launch a ground offensive, probably to capture a strip of land to act as a buffer zone.

Israel has invaded Lebanon before. In 1982 its forces swept up to Beirut to try to stop Palestinian raids into Israel. They were forced into an ignominious retreat in the face of fury at home and abroad, after Israeli troops held the perimeter as their Lebanese Christian allies massacred Palestinian civilians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut.

By the 1990s Israel still occupied a broad band of Lebanese land along the border. Today’s Israeli generals were then young officers, who fought in endless skirmishes and firefights against Hezbollah, which was growing stronger as it fought to drive Israel out. Ehud Barak, then Israel’s prime minister and a former chief of staff of the IDF, withdrew from the so-called "security zone" in 2000. He decided that it did not make Israel any safer and was costing Israel the lives of too many soldiers.

In 2006 an ill-judged raid by Hezbollah across the tense and highly militarised border killed and captured Israeli soldiers. After the war ended Hassan Nasrallah said he would not have allowed the raid had he realised what Israel would do in return. Ehud Olmert, by then Israel’s prime minister, went to war.

At first Israel hoped air power would stop rocket attacks into Israel. When it did not, ground troops and tanks once again rolled back over the border. The war was a disaster for Lebanese civilians. But on the last day of the war, Hezbollah was still launching salvoes of rockets into Israel.

Wars present and yet to come

Israel’s commanders know that entering Lebanon under fire would be much more formidable military challenge than fighting Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah has also been making plans since the end of the 2006 war, and would be fighting on home ground, in south Lebanon which has plenty of rugged, hilly terrain that suits guerrilla tactics.

Israel has not been able to destroy all the tunnels Hamas dug through sand in Gaza. In the borderlands of south Lebanon, Hezbollah has spent the last 18 years preparing tunnels and positions in solid rock. It has a formidable arsenal, supplied by Iran. Unlike Hamas in Gaza, it can be resupplied by land through Syria.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington DC, estimates that Hezbollah has around 30,000 active fighters and up to 20,000 reserves, mostly trained as mobile small units of light infantry. Many of its men have combat experience fighting in support of the Assad regime in Syria.

Most estimates say that Hezbollah has something between 120,000 and 200,000 missiles and rockets, ranging from unguided weapons to longer-range weapons that could hit Israel’s cities.

Israel may be gambling that Hezbollah will not use all of them, fearful that the Israeli air force will do to Lebanon what it did to Gaza, turning entire towns to rubble and killing thousands of civilians. Iran might not want Hezbollah to use weapons it would like to reserve as insurance against an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. That’s another gamble. Hezbollah might decide to use more of its arsenal before Israel destroys it.

With the war continuing in Gaza, and rising levels of violence on the occupied West Bank, Israel would also have to contemplate a third front if it invaded Lebanon. Its soldiers are motivated, well trained and equipped, but the reserve units that provide much of Israel’s fighting power are already feeling the strain after a year of war.

A diplomatic dead end

Israel’s allies, led by the United States, did not want Israel to escalate the war with Hezbollah and do not want it to invade Lebanon. They insist that only diplomacy can make the border safe enough for civilians to return to their homes on either side of it. An American envoy has worked out an agreement, partly based on UN Security resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war.

But diplomats have their hands tied without a ceasefire in Gaza. Hasan Nasrallah has said Hezbollah will only stop attacking Israel when the Gaza war stops. At the moment neither Hamas nor the Israelis are prepared to make the necessary concessions that would produce a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and a swap of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

As Israeli air strikes continue to pound Lebanon, civilians who were already struggling to provide for their families in a broken economy face terrible pain and uncertainty. Fear crosses front lines. Israelis know that Hezbollah could do them much worse damage than they have in the last year.

Israel believes the time has come to be aggressive and audacious, to blast Hezbollah away from its borders. But it faces an obdurate, well-armed and angry enemy. This is the most dangerous crisis in the long year of war since Hamas attacked Israel and at the moment nothing is stopping it spiralling towards something much worse.

BBC
 
Leave Lebanon now, Starmer tells Britons

The prime minister has told British nationals in Lebanon to "leave immediately" after fighting intensified between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group which dominates the country.

Sir Keir Starmer said "we are ramping up the contingency plans, I think you'd expect that in light of the escalation” and warned that "we are potentially at a brink" of all-out war.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is sending 700 troops to nearby Cyprus to prepare for the possible evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon and the government "continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon".

The situation in the country, where Israeli strikes reportedly killed more than 560 people this week, is described as deteriorating "rapidly, with devastating consequences".

Lebanon’s health minister has told the BBC what is happening in his country is “carnage”, as hospitals struggle to cope with the number of casualties from two days of widespread Israeli air strikes targeting Hezbollah.

Asked by reporters how the British prime minister would ensure the situation wasn’t a repeat of the chaos in the Afghan capital Kabul when the Taliban seized control in August 2021, Sir Keir said: "The most important message from me to British nationals in Lebanon is to leave immediately.

"It is important that we’ve been really, really clear: now is the time to leave.”

The handling of the Afghan evacuation, where 15,000 people were airlifted out of the country, was widely criticised as mismanaged and chaotic.

An estimated 10,000 UK citizens are currently in Lebanon. A senior government source said that the difference, for now at least, was that there were still commercial flights leaving Lebanon and British nationals should book a seat.

US citizens have also been told to leave the country. The US Embassy in Lebanon said that most airlines had suspended or cancelled flights with many flights sold out, and urged people to book any ticket available.

The 700 British troops deployed to Cyprus will join 500 military personnel who were sent there over the summer as part of the MoD's contingency plans for an evacuation operation.

Two British warships are already in the region and Royal Air Force planes and helicopters on standby.

Asked by BBC Radio 4's Today programme if he sensed the world was on the brink of all-out war in the Middle East, Sir Keir said he was “deeply concerned”.

He said he “put it in those terms, that we are potentially at a brink point, and we have to come back from the brink”.

He repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation, along with other ministers.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life.

"Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British nationals should the situation deteriorate.

"I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism.”

Healey held a meeting with fellow ministers, intelligence chiefs and diplomats on Tuesday afternoon to work through the government’s plans.

Officials say the UK already has a significant diplomatic and military presence close to Lebanon, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and two Royal Navy ships - RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan - which have been in the eastern Mediterranean over the summer.

The Royal Air Force also has planes and helicopters on standby.

The escalating conflict in the Middle East is likely to be a significant topic of discussion for the prime minister and other world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Sir Keir arrived in the city on Tuesday evening local time.

Tensions have been growing across the Middle East since Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October last year, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others as hostages.

The Israel military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack has killed more than 41,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Previously sporadic fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on 8 October - the day after Hamas's unprecedented attack. Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions, in solidarity with Hamas.

Hezbollah has launched more than 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It has also fired anti-tank missiles at armoured vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones.

Last week Hezbollah’s communication devices started exploding all across Lebanon.

Israel then launched a massive series of air strikes on Monday that have so far killed 560 people according to the Lebanese government.

Last year, the British government helped co-ordinate the evacuation of British nationals from Gaza, with some 200 UK citizens thought to be living in the territory before the war broke out.

BBC
 

Israel military must be prepared for ‘maneuvering, action’ against Hezbollah: General​


The Israeli military’s head of the northern command said Israel had entered a new phase of its campaign and must be prepared for “maneuvering and action,” the military said in a statement on Wednesday.

It did not specify whether the remarks were a reference to a possible ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

“We have entered a new phase of the campaign,” said Major General Ori Gordin during a visit on Tuesday to a brigade exercise on Israel’s northern border, according to the military statement.

“The operation began with a significant blow to Hezbollah’s capabilities, focusing on their firepower capabilities, and a very significant hit on the organization’s commanders and operatives. Facing this, we need to change the security situation, and we must be fully prepared for maneuvers and action,” Gordin said.

 
Israeli strikes 'in preparation for possible entry' into Lebanon - army chief

Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon are in preparation for the possible entry of troops, an army chief says.

"You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day. This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah," Herzi Halevi told troops.

"Today, Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves.

"Today, we will continue, we are not stopping; we keep striking and hitting them everywhere. The goal is very clear—to safely return the residents of the north."

He adds that to "achieve that", the military is "preparing the process of a maneuver, which means your military boots, your maneuvering boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts".

BBC
 
US and France working on ceasefire plan - report

The US and France are working on ceasefire proposals to resolve the escalating fighting in Lebanon, Israeli sources are quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

The proposal includes a truce in the north to allow for a diplomatic solution, one of the officials says.

However, no significant progress has been made so far, the officials add.

BBC
 

Mapping 10,000 cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon​


In the latest escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, more than 569 people, including 50 children and 94 women, have been killed in Israeli air strikes across Lebanon since September 23.

In retaliation, Hezbollah launched rocket attacks into Israel, with some projectiles directed at Israeli airbases.

The exchange of attacks between Israel and Hezbollah has been going on for almost a year since October 8, when Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people trapped in the Gaza Strip as Israel waged war on the enclave.

Israel has attacked Hezbollah nearly four times that of the Lebanese group, tallying more than 8,300 attacks along the 120km (75-mile) border.

Hezbollah, which was formed in 1982 to fight Israel’s invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon, says it will stop attacking Israel if its assault on Gaza stops. Its leader Hassan Nasrallah says the group does not seek an expanded war but is prepared to match Israel’s aggression.

Source: Al Jazeera
 
Lebanon’s Hezbollah fires missile at Mossad HQ near Israel’s Tel Aviv

Hezbollah has fired a ballistic missile targeting Mossad’s headquarters near Tel Aviv, the Lebanon-based group said.

Warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on Wednesday as a surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by Israeli air defence systems after it was detected crossing from Lebanon, the Israeli military said.

Hezbollah said that the building targeted was where the Israeli intelligence agency planned the recent attacks using pagers and other wireless devices. The launch came amid Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon, which has killed at least 500 people and forced tens of thousands to flee.

It is the first time that the Iran-backed armed group has claimed a ballistic missile strike since October when hostilities with Israel were triggered by the war on Gaza.

“The Islamic Resistance launched a ‘Qader 1’ ballistic missile at 6:30am (03:30 GMT) on Wednesday, 25-9-2024, targeting the Mossad headquarters in the outskirts of Tel Aviv,” Hezbollah said in a statement. “This headquarters is responsible for the assassination of leaders and the explosion of pagers and wireless devices.”

The group added that the strike was carried out in support of the people of Gaza and “in defence of Lebanon and its people”.

The Israeli military said it was the first time a projectile fired from Lebanon had reached central Israel.

Hezbollah claimed to have targeted an intelligence base near Tel Aviv last month in an aerial attack, but there was no confirmation from the Israeli side.

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

The Israeli Air Force said in a post on X that its planes had struck the launcher from which the missile was fired in the area of Nafakhiyeh in Lebanon.



www.aljazeera.com

Hezbollah fires missile at Mossad HQ near Tel Aviv

Israel’s army says projectile it brought down was first fired from Lebanon to reach central Israel.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
'We're already at war', Lebanese minister says - as he warns of 'catastrophic' number of casualties from Israeli airstrikes

Lebanon "is already at war", its health minister has said, as he revealed nearly half a million people have been displaced due to Israel's airstrikes.

In an interview with Sky News' lead world news presenter Yalda Hakim, Dr Firass Abiad said Israel was aiming to create a "state of panic and terror" among Lebanese civilians and to "provoke a mass exodus".

He said more than 700 people have been killed by the recent Israeli attacks and the number of displaced residents is estimated to be approaching 500,000.

"The estimate is that we will reach easily that number," he said.

"In the shelters now, it's been reported that we have almost 50,000, and we know that people in shelters probably are only a very small portion because most of the people who have fled go to homes."

Dr Abiad added: "We're already at war - this is not just an escalation, we are already at war.

"If Israel uses these very big and strong bombs to target civilian areas, as they have been doing, then yes, the numbers could reach catastrophic - even more catastrophic - than what we see now."


news.sky.com

'We're already at war', Lebanese minister says - as he warns of 'catastrophic' number of casualties from Israeli airstrikes

In an interview with Sky News, Lebanon's health minister Dr Firass Abiad says Israel is trying to create a "state of panic and terror" and to provoke a "mass exodus".
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
US and allies call for 21-day ceasefire across Lebanon-Israel border

Allies including the US, UK and EU have called for a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, following an escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The 12-strong bloc proposed an immediate 21-day pause in fighting "to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement" and a ceasefire in Gaza.

In a joint statement, they said the hostilities were "intolerable" and presented an "unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation" that was neither in the interest of the people of Israel or Lebanon.

It comes after Israel’s military chief told troops on Wednesday that extensive air strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah could pave the way for them to “enter enemy territory”.

The remarks by Lt Gen Halevi are the plainest indication yet from a senior figure that a ground invasion into Lebanon may be imminent.

The joint statement was signed by the US, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Qatar.

It followed a meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York.

A separate joint statement by US President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron said it was time for a settlement "that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes".

The current hostilities threaten "a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians", they said.

"We therefore have worked together in recent days on a joint call for a temporary ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border."

President Biden briefly spoke to reporters at the White House on Wednesday evening, saying there is "significant support from Europe as well as the Arab nations … it’s important the war does not widen".

A senior administration official told the BBC neither Israel nor Lebanon has accepted the proposal - although the US is in touch with both governments. Official responses are expected within hours.

The official said a 21-day pause in fighting would be a “sustained phase” that would allow for further negotiations to take place to reach a “complicated agreement”.

They added that the US is negotiating with Lebanon’s government - rather than Hezbollah. It would then be the responsibility of the Lebanese government to engage with “non-state actors”.

Earlier in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an immediate ceasefire, and said "hell is breaking loose".

Lebanese PM Najib Mikati said his country is "facing a blatant violation of our sovereignty and human rights through the brutal practices of the Israeli enemy".

He added he hoped he could leave the UN session with a "serious solution" to "put pressure on Israel to achieve an immediate ceasefire on all fronts". Asked by Reuters if a ceasefire can be reached soon, he responded: "Hopefully, yes."

Also speaking earlier, Israel's envoy to the UN, Danny Danon, said it was grateful for diplomatic efforts to avoid escalation but would "use all means at our disposal, in accordance with international law, to achieve our aims".

He said Israel "does not seek a full-scale war", and has made its desire for peace "clear".

Mr Danon added that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in New York on Thursday, have bilateral meetings later that day and speak at the General Assembly the following morning.

More than 600 people have been reported killed across Lebanon since Monday, when Israel began an intense air campaign to destroy what it said was infrastructure built up by Hezbollah since they last fought a war in 2006.

Another 90,000 people in Lebanon have been newly displaced, adding to the 110,000 who had fled their homes before the escalation, according to the UN. Almost 40,000 are living in shelters across the country.

Nearly a year of deadly cross-border fighting sparked by the war in Gaza has also displaced around 70,000 people in northern Israel, whose safe return the Israeli government and military say they want to ensure.

Hezbollah says it is attacking Israel in support of its Palestinian ally, Hamas, and will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Both groups are backed by Iran and proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.

Cross-border fighting continued on Wednesday, with Hezbollah saying it had targeted the headquarters of Israel's Mossad spy agency with a missile fired towards Tel Aviv - the first time Hezbollah has targeted the heavily populated area.

It was intercepted by air defences and there were no reports of damage or casualties.

Hezbollah also fired dozens more rockets into northern Israel, injuring two.

Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad told reporters that the strikes had killed at least 51 people and injured 223, without saying how many were civilians or combatants.

It comes after an unprecedented wave of attacks on Hezbollah.

Last week, 39 people were killed and thousands were wounded when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members to communicate exploded in two waves across Lebanon. Israel is widely believed to be responsible for the attacks.

Then, an Israeli air strike on Friday on the group’s stronghold of Dahieh, in southern Beirut, essentially wiped out the chain of command of its main fighting unit, the Radwan Force. The group confirmed that one of its top military leaders, Ibrahim Aqil, was among 55 people killed.

BBC
 

No plans to remove Irish peacekeepers from Lebanon​


There are no plans to remove Irish peacekeepers from Lebanon despite a warning for Irish citizens to evacuate.

The Irish Defence Forces have 382 personnel serving between the United Nations missions in the region.

Irish troops have been serving in the region since 1978.

More than 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Monday, according to the UN.

Israel's military is carrying out a new wave of "extensive" strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa area.

Fifty-one people were killed in Israeli air strikes on Wednesday, Lebanon's health ministry has said.

Meanwhile, the Irish government has urged all remaining Irish civilians in Lebanon to leave immediately.

"Those not in a position to do so should ensure that they are registered with the Irish Embassy in Cairo," according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Taoiseach (Irish PM) Simon Harris, who met the leader of Palestine on Wednesday in New York, condemned the strikes on Lebanon.

“We continue to see a dangerous escalation and loss of life in the Middle East," Mr Harris said.

“I utterly condemn the bombing of civilian areas in southern Lebanon by Israel and the firing of rockets towards civilian areas in Israel by Hezbollah.

“There has been a shocking loss of life this week, but even at this stage it is not too late for all sides to step back from the brink.

“Gaza is in ruins and in desperate need of the world’s help."

Mr Harris added that opening a second front in Lebanon would be a "disaster" risking an all-out war with profound consequences for the region and the world.

“I have met the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, and received a briefing and situational report on the peacekeeping missing in Southern Lebanon," he said.

“Irish troops serving in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) are well trained and following all protocols.''

''Their safety is paramount, and the Secretary-General assured me that conditions are under constant review and that UNIFIL is prepared for all eventualities. We agreed to stay in close touch as the situation evolves."

The Tánaiste, (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin, who is also Minister of Defence, remains in regular contact with the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces with regard to the ongoing situation.

A spokesperson for the Department of Defence told the BBC: "The safety and security of personnel stationed in the region remains of paramount concern to the Tánaiste and to the Government. Defence Forces HQ remains in contact with Irish personnel in the three UN missions in the region; all Irish personnel are accounted for and are safe and well.

All Defence Forces’ personnel continue to maintain a high level of vigilance and continue to monitor the developing situation in their respective mission areas. They are complying with UN security precautions, including taking shelter in protected positions as and when appropriate."

www.bbc.com

Lebanon: No plans to remove Irish peacekeepers despite warnings

The Irish Defence Forces have 382 personnel serving between the United Nations missions in the region.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 

Middle East: Netanyahu dismisses Lebanon cease-fire reports​


Israeli foreign minister rejects cease-fire 'until total victory'

Reports on a potential cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah have triggered a wave of reactions from right-wing Israeli ministers, who rejected the possibility of stopping the attacks in Lebanon's south.

Israel Katz, Israel's foreign minister, posted on social media that a truce was not going to happen until the country reached its "total victory," a term often used by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to argue against the possibility of stopping the war without reaching the goal of dismantling Hamas in Gaza.

"There will be no cease-fire in the north," Katz said in an apparent reference to the Lebanese border.

"We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until total victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes."

Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group that is backed by Iran, is considered a terrorist organization by several other states. The EU has designated only its armed wing as a terrorist organization.

Katz is currently acting Israeli prime minister due to Netanyahu's trip to New York.

www.dw.com

Middle East: Netanyahu dismisses Lebanon cease-fire reports – DW – 09/26/2024

The Israeli prime minister's office denied media reports of a cease-fire with Hezbollah. It comes as the US, EU and Arab states called for a "temporary" truce in Lebanon. DW has the latest.
www.dw.com www.dw.com
 

Forty projectiles fired from Lebanon into Israel - IDF​


About 40 projectiles have been fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The projectiles were fired across the border around16:08 local time (14:06 BST) in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, the IDF says.

Several projectiles were intercepted while others hit the region, the IDF says. No casualties have been reported.

Source: BBC
 

Israel minister threatens to resign if Lebanon ceasefire agreed​


Israel’s far-right national security minister threatened Thursday to boycott cabinet activities if the government agrees to a temporary ceasefire with Hezbollah being pushed by the United States and its allies.

“If a temporary ceasefire with Hezbollah is signed, the (Jewish Power) faction will not fulfil all coalition obligations - this includes voting, attending government and cabinet meetings, and any coalition activities,” Itamar Ben Gvir said in a party statement, while vowing to resign altogether if a ceasefire became permanent.

 

Lebanon 'overwhelmed' as 250,000 displaced in three days, minister tells Sky News​

Lebanon is "definitely overwhelmed" by the "massive displacement" of people in the country, its environment minister has said, adding Israel must "get back to a sense".

"We see tens of thousands of people being displaced as we speak," he said.

"Around 73,000 have moved to collective shelter. I think the number might be higher because we're still counting.
"So this means around 250,000 people were displaced in the last 72 hours.

"This is immense for any country, for a small country in Lebanon, this is a significant proportion of the people of Lebanon for a country going through multiple crises, even more straining all the facets of the response we are working on."

His country is not seeking war with Israel, he said, accusing Israel of "continuously violating the sovereignty of Lebanon... even after 2006", when the last war with Israel ended.

"I think when Israel gets back to a sense and they really move from the current mindset, which is in a killing spree around them, I think we might get some kind of resolution," he said.

Source: Sky News

https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha...placed in three days, minister tells Sky News
 
Israel rejects US-backed Lebanon ceasefire plan, hits Beirut again

Israel rejected global calls on Thursday for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally the U.S. and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.

An Israeli warplane struck the edges of the capital Beirut, killing two people and wounding 15, including a woman in critical condition, Lebanon's health ministry said. That took deaths from hits overnight and during Thursday to 28.

The strike killed the head of one of Hezbollah's air force units, Mohammad Surur, two security sources said, the latest senior Hezbollah commander to be targeted in days of assassinations hitting the group's top ranks.

Smoke was seen rising after the hit near an area where several Hezbollah facilities are located and many civilians also live and work. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV broadcast images of a damaged upper floor of a building.

On the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, the army staged an exercise simulating a ground invasion - a potential next stage after relentless airstrikes and explosions of communications devices.

Israel's air force is planning to assist troops in the event of a ground operation and will stop any arms transfers from Iran, Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar said late on Thursday.

"We are preparing shoulder to shoulder with Northern Command for a ground maneuver. Prepared, if activated. This is a decision to be made above us," he told soldiers, in a video distributed by the Israeli military.


Reuters
 

Israel official says any Lebanon ground operation to be ‘as short’ as possible​


An Israeli security official said on Friday that any ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon would be carried out as swiftly as possible.

“We will try to do it as short as we can,” the official told journalists, speaking anonymously in line with security rules. “I think that we are preparing that every day, and for sure that is inside our toolbox.”

The comments came as Israel and Hezbollah traded fire after the United States and its allies failed to secure a halt in clashes that have killed more than 700 people in Lebanon this week.

The Israeli security official said the Israeli strikes had killed many Hezbollah militants and significantly curtailed the Iran-backed group’s military capabilities.

“I think that they lost many capabilities,” the official said.

Beyond degrading Hezbollah’s capacity to fire on Israel, the goal of Israeli military operations in Lebanon are to kill its military leadership and “clean” border areas so displaced Israelis can return to their homes in the north.

Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, raised the possibility of a ground operation against Hezbollah this week, and the security official said on Friday that “all options are on the table.”

Hezbollah began firing on Israel on October 8 last year, a day after Hamas’s brutal attack on southern Israel triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

Since Monday, Israeli warplanes have bombarded Hezbollah strongholds around the country, sparking an exodus of about 118,000 people, the UN says.

During that time more than 700 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the health ministry.

The security official pushed back on accusations that the Israeli strikes were killing civilians in large numbers, calling the campaign “very precise, very accurate.”

“It’s not like they publish the names of the dead. Many of them were Hezbollah,” he said, though he also accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields.

“This phenomenon of putting ballistic missiles inside an apartment, it’s crazy. Cruise missiles in the living room. Every morning you say hello to your wife, hello to the cruise missile.”

 
Cricket Warrior said:
Israel rejects US-backed Lebanon ceasefire plan, hits Beirut again

Israel rejected global calls on Thursday for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally the U.S. and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.

An Israeli warplane struck the edges of the capital Beirut, killing two people and wounding 15, including a woman in critical condition, Lebanon's health ministry said. That took deaths from hits overnight and during Thursday to 28.

The strike killed the head of one of Hezbollah's air force units, Mohammad Surur, two security sources said, the latest senior Hezbollah commander to be targeted in days of assassinations hitting the group's top ranks.

Smoke was seen rising after the hit near an area where several Hezbollah facilities are located and many civilians also live and work. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV broadcast images of a damaged upper floor of a building.

On the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, the army staged an exercise simulating a ground invasion - a potential next stage after relentless airstrikes and explosions of communications devices.

Israel's air force is planning to assist troops in the event of a ground operation and will stop any arms transfers from Iran, Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar said late on Thursday.

"We are preparing shoulder to shoulder with Northern Command for a ground maneuver. Prepared, if activated. This is a decision to be made above us," he told soldiers, in a video distributed by the Israeli military.


Reuters
Click to expand...
Jon Stewart rightly called out US on how they first sent missiles and then they are like stop the escalation and that they had no idea.

So glad he is back on the show , no one shows the mirror to US like Jon Stewart.
 

'Big bombardment' as strikes reported across multiple areas of Beirut​

The strike appears to be in the direction of Dahieh, a Hezbollah-controlled area of southern Beirut.

Speaking from the Lebanese capital, he says there have been reports of strikes in other parts of the city.

"This is a big bombardment, we're not talking about a barrage in southern Lebanon," he added.

"It's a bombardment here in Beirut that's only going to unnerve people here even more."

Source: Sky News
 

Israel conducts massive strike in Beirut targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah​


Israel conducted an airstrike on Friday targeting Hezbollah's central headquarters in Beirut in an apparent attempt to kill the group's leadership.

Why it matters: This was the largest Israeli strike in Beirut since the 2006 war in Lebanon, and an Israeli source said the primary target was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The strike also hit residential buildings.

At least two people were killed and 76 wounded by the Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon's health ministry said on Friday, adding it is a preliminary assessment of the casualties.

More than 700 people have been killed in Lebanon over the past 11 days of intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Driving the news: Israeli officials say senior Hezbollah officials were at the headquarters at the time of the attack. There has been no official response so far from Hezbollah on the attack or on Nasrallah's status. The Israeli source said the Israel Defense Forces did not yet have confirmation of whether he was hit.

Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar Television reported that four buildings in southern Beirut were struck.

IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari described the attack as a "precise strike on the central HQ of Hezbollah, which was intentionally built under residential buildings in Beirut in order to use them as human shields."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly left a press briefing at the UN after receiving an update from his military adviser.
Friction point: An Israeli official said Israel notified the U.S. minutes before the strike in Beirut, but two senior U.S. officials denied that, telling Axios they had no prior warning.

"We had no knowledge of it or involvement in it," a senior U.S. official said.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the U.S. did not have advanced warning of the Israeli strike in Beirut, adding that Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant spoke on the phone with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as the strike was happening.

The latest: The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu will cut his trip to New York short and travel back to Israel on Friday, taking the unusual step of traveling on Shabbat.

Between the lines: The strike comes two days after the U.S. and France announced an initiative for an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, and after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other U.S. officials called on Israel to avoid any further escalation that could spark all-out war.

The White House was furious when Netanyahu denied any role in the ceasefire plan, despite having been involved in the talks leading up to the announcement. On Thursday, Netanyahu backtracked and said "Israel shares the aims" of the U.S.-backed proposal.

But Friday's attack is another clear escalation from Israel and suggests Netanyahu's government has little interest in a ceasefire.

Source: Axios News
 
This is a fundamental principle.

As long as the occupation exists, the struggle for the people will continue, just as it has in the past. The fight against apartheid did not conclude until apartheid itself was abolished. Similarly, the struggle to end slavery in the United States persisted until slavery was eradicated. The quest for independence in India continued until the British departed.
 
Israel and Netanyahu are totally unhinged and out of control. They are committing war crime after war crimes and if they think this will make them safer and more accepted in the ME then they are off their rocker

The resistance won't stop till the occupation ends
 
The IDF says it has targeted Hezbollah's command centre in a series of huge airstrikes in Beirut. Hours earlier, Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting the militant group in a UN speech - and also warned Iran: "We can strike anywhere."

SKY News
 

Israeli airstrikes rock Beirut, Hezbollah command centre hit​


BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Sept 28 (Reuters) - A wave of air raids hit Beirut's southern suburbs early on Saturday as Israel stepped up attacks on Hezbollah, after a massive strike on the Iran-backed movement's command centre that apparently targeted leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Reuters witnesses heard more than 20 airstrikes before dawn on Saturday. Abandoning their homes in the southern suburbs, thousands of Lebanese congregated in squares, parks and sidewalks in downtown Beirut and seaside areas.

"They want to destroy Dahiye, they want to destroy all of us," said Sari, a man in his 30s who gave only his first name, referring to the suburb he had fled after an Israeli evacuation order. Nearby, the newly displaced in Beirut's Martyrs Square rolled mats onto the ground to tried to sleep.

An unprecedented five hours of continuous strikes early on Saturday followed Friday's attack, by far the most powerful by Israel on Beirut during nearly a year of war with Hezbollah. It marked a sharp escalation of a conflict that has involved daily missile and rocket fire between the two sides.

The latest escalation has sharply increased fears the conflict could spiral out of control, potentially drawing in Iran, Hezbollah's principal backer, as well as the United States.

There was no immediate confirmation of Nasrallah's fate after Friday's heavy strikes, but a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters he was not reachable. The Lebanese armed group has not made a statement.

Israel has not said whether it tried to hit Nasrallah, but a senior Israeli official said top Hezbollah commanders were targeted.

"I think it's too early to say... Sometimes they hide the fact when we succeed," the Israeli official told reporters when asked if the strike on Friday had killed Nasrallah.

Earlier, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was alive. Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported he was safe. A senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was checking his status.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had killed the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit, Muhammad Ali Ismail, and his deputy Hossein Ahmed Ismail.

 
This is a country and leader that are on a path to self destruction. They have lost the plot and gone completely out of control.

If it was any other “non western” country in the world brazenly doing this to its neighbours, there would be broad calls and a fair amount of public support for the likes of US, UK, France etc to intervene, invade, and depose the mad dictator by military force.

The last nation to pursue such an aggressive foreign policy agenda was located in 1930s Europe.
 

Israeli military says it has killed Hezbollah chief Nasrallah​


JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group's central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut a day earlier.

Reuters could not immediately reach Hezbollah officials for comment on the Israeli army statement. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the group for 32 years.

During Nasrallah's decades in charge, Hezbollah has grown into a regional force that has projected Tehran's influence across the Middle East.

His death would not only mark an enormous blow to Hezbollah, but also to Iran, whose Revolutionary Guards founded the group in 1982. The Israeli military "eliminated ... Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization," Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a statement on X.

Another top Hezbollah leader - Ali Karaki - was also killed, he added.

"Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," the Israeli military said in a separate post.

Friday's attack on Hezbollah's command centre, followed by further airstrikes on Saturday, have escalated the conflict between Israel and the heavily armed group, adding to concerns the region could be sucked into a broader war.

Adraee's statement, posted in Arabic, said Israel had struck Hezbollah's underground headquarters while its leadership were "coordinating terrorist activities against the citizens of Israel".

Late on Friday, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was not reachable.

In the first hours after Friday's strike, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was alive. Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported he was safe. A senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was checking his status.

Israel followed up on Friday's attack with a new wave of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon on Saturday.

Source: Reuters
 
Ambiguous statement from the Israelis.

It does appear that they have killed him but no longer able to terrorise could also be interpreted as reduced Hezbollahs capability.
 
James said:
If it was any other “non western” country in the world brazenly doing this to its neighbours, there would be broad calls and a fair amount of public support for the likes of US, UK, France etc to intervene, invade, and depose the mad dictator by military force.

The last nation to pursue such an aggressive foreign policy agenda was located in 1930s Europe.
Click to expand...

NO, There have been numerous mass killings and genocides globally, perpetrated by both Western and non-Western nations alike, often overlooked because we prioritize events based on our beliefs and affiliations.

Take, for instance, the nearly decade long Saudi-led bombings and blockade of Yemen, which has restricted vital imports and resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe—UN estimates indicate that by the end of 2021, this campaign had claimed at least 377,000 lives and driven over 16 million people toward famine, yet it has received minimal international condemnation or public protest, even on this forum. In contrast, the recent violence in Gaza, with significant loss of life, sparks widespread outrage and rightfully so, but why the double standards? Over 60% of the deaths in Yemen were due to disruptions in access to food, water, and medicine due to Saudi Arabia’s restrictions on the entry of humanitarian goods. THIS WAS THE BIGGEST FAMINE IN MODERN HISTORY! So in reply, Israelis aren't the only ones to commit atrocities.

In reality no one cared while Saudis continuously did this for years, the Israeli atrocities is just into its first year. Somehow Muslims killing Muslims is kosher (pun intended)!

Similarly, ongoing ethnic conflicts in Africa, marked by violence from various jihadist groups who're looting, killing, raping.... receive little attention or calls for intervention. This discrepancy suggests that our responses to human suffering are often filtered through personal biases rather than a genuine concern for humanity as a whole, revealing a troubling inconsistency in how we engage with global atrocities.
 
Iranians are on their own

The only force I rate amongst this shia bloc are the houthi Yemenis and the shia groups in pakistan like the turi tribe in kurram.

The rest are all done for in particular these persians only a matter of time they get folded over
 
The EU foreign affairs chief says no power, including the US, can "stop" Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Josep Borrell told reporters in New York that "what we do is to put all diplomatic pressure to a ceasefire, but nobody seems to be able to stop Netanyahu, neither in Gaza nor in the West Bank".

Borrell said Netanyahu had made clear that the Israelis "don't stop until Hezbollah is destroyed".

"If the interpretation of being destroyed is the same as with Hamas, then we are going to go for a long war," he said, quoted by AFP news agency. He backed a US-French call for a 21-day ceasefire.

BBC
 
hassan918 said:

Israeli military says it has killed Hezbollah chief Nasrallah​


JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the group's central headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut a day earlier.

Reuters could not immediately reach Hezbollah officials for comment on the Israeli army statement. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, who has led the group for 32 years.

During Nasrallah's decades in charge, Hezbollah has grown into a regional force that has projected Tehran's influence across the Middle East.

His death would not only mark an enormous blow to Hezbollah, but also to Iran, whose Revolutionary Guards founded the group in 1982. The Israeli military "eliminated ... Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization," Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a statement on X.

Another top Hezbollah leader - Ali Karaki - was also killed, he added.

"Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world," the Israeli military said in a separate post.

Friday's attack on Hezbollah's command centre, followed by further airstrikes on Saturday, have escalated the conflict between Israel and the heavily armed group, adding to concerns the region could be sucked into a broader war.

Adraee's statement, posted in Arabic, said Israel had struck Hezbollah's underground headquarters while its leadership were "coordinating terrorist activities against the citizens of Israel".

Late on Friday, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was not reachable.

In the first hours after Friday's strike, a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah was alive. Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported he was safe. A senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran was checking his status.

Israel followed up on Friday's attack with a new wave of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon on Saturday.

Source: Reuters
Click to expand...
The US has "no indication" of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's status after he was reportedly targeted in Israeli strikes on Beirut, an official has told the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

The official also could not confirm Lebanese media reports claiming other senior Hezbollah leaders were killed.

The US was concerned about the possibility of either side escalating the conflict further, the official said, adding that Washington had no advanced notice of the strike.

BBC
 
Salute to Israel.

The way they have butchered these Islamist terrorists and exposed the fake woke lobby, will be remembered for ages.

Israel has basically given the blueprint to nations like Bharat on how to deal with Islamists.
 
IDF chief: Targeting Nasrallah was done at 'the right time'

A little more now from that clip the IDF's Chief of Staff just shared - an edited 52-second video of what appears to be a briefing alongside other army officials.

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says that "in the end, after a lot of preparation", the Israeli military "activated" their plan in Lebanon to target Nasrallah and Hezbollah's headquarters in a strike.

"It was the right time, [we] did it in a very precise way."

"This is not the end of our toolbox, we have to be very clear. We have more capacity going forward," Halevi says.

BBC
 
Khamenei: Forces in the region support and stand alongside Hezbollah

We've just had the first remarks from Iran's Supreme Leader since Israel said it had killed Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

As a reminder, the Lebanon-based group has received strong backing from Iran, both financially and militarily, for many years.

Published on the official website, Ayatollah Khamenei did not mention Nasrallah at all in his statement.

He began by first condemning the killing of "the defenceless people of Lebanon", saying that "it proved the short-sightedness and foolish policies of the leaders" of Israel.

Israeli “criminals must know that they are far too small to cause any significant damage on the strongholds of Hezbollah in Lebanon," Khamenei said adding: "All the Resistance forces in the region support and stand alongside Hezbollah."

He also urged all Muslims to stand alongside the people of Lebanon and Hezbollah and support them in "confronting the usurping and oppressive regime".

BBC
 
Iranian aircraft told not to enter Lebanese airspace - reports

Lebanon's transport ministry has told an Iranian aircraft not to enter its airspace after Israel warned air traffic control in Beirut that it would use "force" if the plane landed, according to Reuters news agency.

The ministry source said it was not clear what was on the plane.

"The priority is people's lives," the source added.

BBC
 
Hezbollah won't be destroyed without years of boots on the ground. They are imbeded in Lebanese society and are an ideological political resistant group.

By killing carrying out these murders you will only create a new generation that will want revenge and will step in. In a vacuum a new militia will be born.

Israel will never find peace or security until it stops the occupation and gives palestine its own state.
 
Bhaijaan said:
Salute to Israel.

The way they have butchered these Islamist terrorists and exposed the fake woke lobby, will be remembered for ages.

Israel has basically given the blueprint to nations like Bharat on how to deal with Islamists.
Click to expand...
I guess there's nothing wrong with dreaming.
 
Zaz said:
Israel will never find peace or security until it stops the occupation and gives palestine its own state.
Click to expand...

Palestine had numerous chances to establish a proper nation state but it arrogantly refused to compromise.
 
RexRex said:
Palestine had numerous chances to establish a proper nation state but it arrogantly refused to compromise.
Click to expand...

There's never been a acceptable deal on the table which would allow the Palestinians to be fully self governing.

On the contrary its the Israelis who rather than giving the land are more interested in territorial expansion
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Confirmed by Hezbollah
Click to expand...
This should suffice to secure victory and bring an end to the genocide, unless the true aim is territorial expansion.

It almost feels as though someone is relinquishing top leadership just to allow aggressor to claim victory.
 
Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah killed

In a statement released just moments ago, Hezbollah says its leader Hassan Nasrallah is dead.

Earlier, the Israeli military said it had killed the Iran-backed group's leader in Friday's strike on Beirut.

BBC
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Madplayer
Israel’s fingerprints are all over India’s escalating conflict with Pakistan
2
Replies
118
Views
5K
Romali_rotti
Romali_rotti
W
The Ummah at war with itself
Replies
29
Views
2K
Pakistanian
Pakistanian
A
Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's former leader, killed - reports
Replies
5
Views
526
mazkhan
M
S
Bernie Sanders to Democrats : This Is What A Radical Foreign Policy Looks Like
Replies
0
Views
758
s28
S
desi_launda
Iran recruits Pakistani Shias for combat in Syria
Replies
10
Views
1K
WebGuru
WebGuru
Back
Top