Two men charged in Banksy artwork theft from London gallery, police say

(LONDON) — The Israel Defense Forces continued its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza — particularly in the north of the strip — and in Lebanon, with Israeli attacks on targets nationwide including in the capital Beirut. The strikes form the backdrop for a fresh diplomatic push by the White House ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January.

Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after the former launched what it called “precise strikes on military targets” in several locations in Iran following Tehran’s Oct. 1 missile barrage.

Hamas denies that leaders relocated from Qatar to Turkey

Hamas denied reports in Israeli media that its leadership has relocated from Qatar to Turkey amid a breakdown in Doha-supported cease-fire talks earlier this month.

Hamas dismissed the news reports as “rumors” spread by Israeli authorities in a statement posted to its official website.

Qatar told Israel and Hamas earlier this month it could not continue to mediate cease-fire and hostage release talks “as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith.”

Doha is under U.S. pressure to expel Hamas leaders. A senior administration official told ABC News earlier this month that the group’s “continued presence in Doha is no longer viable or acceptable.”

-ABC News’ Diaa Ostaz, Shannon K. Kingston and Somayeh Malekian

Gaza death toll nears 44,000, health officials say

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Monday that 43,922 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023, with nearly 104,000 more injured.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 96 people and wounded at least 60 in Gaza through the weekend, officials said. The dead included 72 people in north Gaza and more than 20 from other areas of the strip.

Most of those killed were displaced women and children sheltering in residential buildings in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, officials said.

Beit Lahiya is at the heart of the Israel Defense Forces’ recent northern offensive, which has been accompanied with sweeping evacuation orders and spiking civilian casualties.

-ABC News’ Samy Zyara and Joe Simonetti

Hezbollah positive on US cease-fire proposal, reports say

Hezbollah responded positively to the U.S.-proposed cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli and Lebanese media reported Monday.

U.S. special envoy for Lebanon Amos Hochstein is expected to arrive in Beirut on Tuesday to discuss the proposal before heading to Israel to speak with leaders there.

The proposal is reportedly based on the United Nations Security Council’s resolution 1701 that sought to end the last major cross-border conflict in 2006.

That deal ordered Hezbollah to withdraw all military units and weapons north of the Litani River, which is around 18 miles north of the Israeli border. The resolution also prohibited Israeli ground and air forces from crossing into Lebanese territory.

Israeli leaders have demanded open-ended freedom to act against threats in Lebanon, a stipulation reportedly opposed by Hezbollah and Lebanese leaders.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti

Khamenei meets with ambassador injured in pager attacks

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with the country’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, as the latter continues his recovery from injuries sustained during Israel’s detonation of Hezbollah communication devices in September.

Khamenei’s official X account posted a short video of their interaction on Monday, in which Amani told the Iranian leader he lost around half of the vision in his right eye in the attack.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Hezbollah media relations chief killed in Israeli strike

Mohammed Afif, Hezbollah’s media relations chief, was killed in an Israeli strike Sunday, Hezbollah confirmed.

The strike on central Beirut partially collapsed a building and injured three others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

The Israel Defense Forces also confirmed Afif’s death. In a statement, the IDF said he joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and went on to become a “central and veteran figure in the organization who greatly influenced Hezbollah’s military activity.”

Citing one particular incident, the statement claimed that he had played a key role in the drone attack on Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea in October.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Pope calls for investigation to determine whether Israeli attacks on Gaza are ‘genocide’

Pope Francis, in an upcoming book to be released ahead of his 2025 jubilee, called for an investigation to determine whether Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide, according to the Vatican.

“In the Middle East, where the open doors of nations like Jordan or Lebanon continue to be a salvation for millions of people fleeing conflicts in the region: I am thinking above all of those who leave Gaza in the midst of the famine that has struck their Palestinian brothers and sisters given the difficulty of getting food and aid into their territory,” he wrote in a passage released by the Vatican.

“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the pope wrote. “It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaulé

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Iran launched the largest missile attack on Israel to date on Tuesday, with hundreds of missiles fired into the country, according to Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Iran said the unprecedented attack was retaliation for a wave of assassinations carried out by Israel over the last several weeks targeting Hezbollah, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Sirens sounded across Israel and some citizens were urged to seek shelter in protected areas. Most of the missiles were intercepted, but “several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed,” an Israeli security official said.

The U.S. fired missiles to help Israel defend itself against the missile attack, according to the Pentagon’s Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Israel response to Iran missile attack will ‘come fast,’ official says

An Israeli official told ABC News on Wednesday that “Israel’s response to Iran’s attack will be significant and come fast.”

Iran launched a large barrage of cruise missiles — either 220, according to a U.S. official, or 180, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — on Tuesday evening.

“This evening, Iran made a big mistake — and it will pay for it,” Netanyahu said shortly after the attack.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

IDF confirms 7 soldiers killed in south Lebanon

Seven Israeli troops were killed during fighting in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement posted to social media.

The IDF did not say how the troops died. Another seven soldiers were injured, the force added.

“All of the fighters went to the hospitals for medical treatment, their families were informed,” the IDF wrote.

Iranian leader blames US, Europe for Middle East turmoil

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday morning that “the basis of the region’s problems is the presence of the United States and some European countries who falsely claim peace and tranquility.”

Iran launched 220 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night, according to a U.S. official. The attack was in protest of Israel’s recent operations against the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, including the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran fired 180 missiles in its second direct attack on Israel since Oct. 7. 

“This evening, Iran made a big mistake — and it will pay for it,” Netanyahu said Tuesday.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that 90% of the missiles launched hit their targets.

Israel deploys more troops into Lebanon with air, artillery support

The Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday that more troops “are joining the limited, localized, targeted raids on Hezbollah terror targets and terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon that began on Monday.”

The IDF said its 36th Division — including soldiers of the Golani Brigade, 188th Armored Brigade, 6th Infantry Brigade and additional forces — would join the ground incursion.

The units will be accompanied by air and artillery units, the IDF added.

IDF says it hit ‘munitions production sites’ in Beirut

Recent airstrikes in southern Beirut targeted “munitions production sites and other terrorist infrastructures,” according to an Israel Defense Forces statement published on Wednesday morning.

“Fighter jets of the air force, under the precise intelligence guidance of the intelligence division, carried out a series of targeted attacks in recent days throughout Beirut,” the IDF wrote.

Beirut — and particularly its southern suburb of Dahiya — has faced intense airstrikes in recent days as Israeli warplanes target what the IDF says are a variety of Hezbollah-associated targets.

The southern suburbs were also the site of the airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27.

‘Israel is coming,’ opposition leader says after Iran attacks

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Iran will “pay a significant and heavy price” for Tuesday’s ballistic missile attack.

“With our military capabilities, our defense industries, the support of our allies and in particular the strength of our incredible people — we know that even when the cost is high, we will win,” Lapid wrote on X.

“Tehran knows that Israel is coming,” he added. “The response needs to be tough and it should send an unequivocal message to the terror axis in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Gaza and in Iran itself.”

“Alongside that response, we need to develop a coherent regional strategy which translates military successes into a strategic victory, into change in the region. And we must not forget, not even for a moment, the urgent need to bring our hostages home,” he said.

Defense Sec. Austin says Iran should ‘halt any further attacks’

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has called on Iran to “halt any further attacks” following its missile strike on Israel.

“U.S. forces in the Middle East intercepted multiple missiles launched by Iran toward Israel, as we fulfilled our commitment to partner with Israel in its defense. We condemn this outrageous act of aggression by Iran, and we call on Iran to halt any further attacks, including from its proxy terrorist groups,” Austin said in his statement. “We will never hesitate to protect our forces and interests in the Middle East, and to support the defense of Israel and our partners in the region.”

Austin said he is “deeply proud” of the U.S. troops involved in helping save lives by intercepting missiles launched at Israel.

“Our forces remain postured to protect U.S. troops and partners in the Middle East, and the Department maintains significant capability to defend our people, provide further support for Israel’s self-defense, and deter further escalation,” Austin added. “I will continue to monitor the situation closely and to consult with our allies and partners.”

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

IDF issues more evacuation orders south of Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces just issued more evacuation orders for communities south of Beirut early Wednesday local time.

The orders come after the IDF said it was conducting strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut.

Israel striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut: IDF

The Israel Defense Forces said it is currently striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut.

The update comes about an hour after the IDF issued an evacuation order for parts of southern Beirut suburbs.

Iran’s missile attack largest ever on Israel, Israeli official says

The Iranian barrage marked the largest missile attack ever on Israel, according to Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

“Tonight, Iran carried out the largest and most violent missile attack against the State of Israel to date,” Danon said in a statement through his spokesperson earlier Tuesday. “We are ready and prepared defensively and offensively.”

Iran fired 220 total missiles over two waves in 30 minutes, according to a U.S. official.

US Embassy in Jerusalem lifts shelter-in-place order

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has lifted a shelter-in-place order for U.S. government employees and their family members, stating in an updated security alert, “The threat of missile barrages has diminished.”

Previous travel restrictions to areas outside the greater Tel Aviv region, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva remain in place until further notice, it said.

2 US Navy destroyers fired missile interceptors: Pentagon

Two U.S. Navy destroyers fired “approximately a dozen” missile interceptors at the incoming ballistic missile barrage aimed at Israel, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing earlier Tuesday.

Ryder said the two destroyers that launched missile interceptors were the USS Bulkeley and USS Cole.

A Navy official told ABC News they believe the two destroyers shot down multiple Iranian missiles.

No U.S. personnel were injured during the Iranian missile attack, Ryder said.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Iran fired 220 missiles in 2 waves: US official

Iran fired 220 missiles in two waves over 30 minutes, with a brief pause between the waves, according to a U.S. official.

Some of the missiles did impact Israel, but not in major areas, the official said. There was no direct impact near Tel Aviv, although some shrapnel fell in the area, the official said.

Many missiles were intercepted over Jordan, the official said.

Among the casualties from the attack, a Palestinian was killed in Jericho, and there are reports of a Bedouin killed in the Negev, according to the official.

-ABC News’ Martha Raddatz

IDF issues evacuation warning for southern Beirut suburbs

The Israel Defense Forces have issued an evacuation warning for residents in southern Lebanon.

The “urgent warning” was issued to residents of southern Beirut suburbs Tuesday night local time.

A similar warning was also sent on Monday.

Netanyahu: ‘Iran made a big mistake’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s attack “failed” while vowing to respond.

“Iran made a big mistake tonight — and it will pay for it,” he said in a statement. “The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.”

“We will stand by the rule we established: Whoever attacks us — we will attack him,” he added.

Biden: ‘Make no mistake, the US is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel’

In his first on-camera remarks since Iran’s missile attack, President Joe Biden reiterated the United States’ full support of Israel.

“Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” he said.

He said that at his direction, the U.S. military “actively supported the defense of Israel” and while they are still assessing the impact, the attack “appears to have been defeated and ineffective.”

Biden said there was “intensive planning” between the U.S. and Israel to “anticipate and defend against the brazen attack we expected.”

Asked how he would like Israel to respond, Biden said it was an “active discussion.”

“We’re gonna get all the data straight,” he said. “We’ve been in constant contact with the Israeli government and our counterparts, and that remains to be seen.”

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Discussions with Israel on response ongoing: State Department

Talks between the United States and Israel on what a response to Iran’s attack should look like are “already underway,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Tuesday.

Those conversations were happening across the State Department, the White House and the Pentagon, he said.

Miller declined to say whether Israel had presented possible targets to the U.S. or if Iran’s nuclear facilities might be a legitimate target.

“This is not to say that I’m ruling anything out and that I’m ruling anything in,” he said.

On whether Iran’s attack on Israel was over, Miller repeated the U.S. assessment that the current wave has ended, but that he could not definitively say whether there would be additional waves.

“Certainly, it would be incredibly reckless and would continue to be escalatory for Iran to launch further attacks on Israel and we’ll be monitoring in the hours ahead,” he said.

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston and Emily Chang

2 US Navy destroyers fired missile interceptors: Pentagon

Two U.S. Navy destroyers fired “approximately a dozen” missile interceptors at the incoming ballistic missile barrage aimed at Israel, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing.

Ryder said the two destroyers that launched missile interceptors were the USS Bulkeley and USS Cole.

He didn’t confirm whether they hit their targets, saying the assessment is ongoing.

No U.S. personnel were injured during the Iranian missile attack, Ryder said.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Iran ‘stands firmly against any threat’: President Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that the attack on Israel was “based on legitimate rights and with the aim of peace and security for Iran and the region.”

Pezeshkian also addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly in his post: “Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat.”

“This is only a tiny part of our power. Do not step into a conflict with Iran,” Pezeshkian added.

-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian

Israel appears to have ‘defeated’ Iran’s attack: US

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel appears to have “effectively defeated” Iran’s attack.

“A few hours ago, Iran — for the second time in the space of five months — launched a direct attack on Israel, including some 200 ballistic missiles. This is totally unacceptable and the entire world should condemn it,” he said during a previously scheduled meeting with India’s external affairs minister.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan also told reporters during a White House briefing that Iran’s attack “appears to have been defeated and ineffective” based on the United States’ early assessment.

Sullivan said the U.S. military worked closely with the IDF to defend Israel and was proud to do so, including in shooting down incoming missiles from U.S. naval destroyers positioned in the area, and that President Joe Biden will be involved in constant conversations with the Israelis about what should come next. He declined to provide any details about what level of response Biden will encourage.

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston and Cheyenne Haslett

Iran says it targeted 3 military bases around Tel Aviv

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted three Israeli military bases around Tel Aviv in its attack on Israel.

The Iranian Mission to the United Nations told ABC News that “no notice was given to the U.S. prior” to the attack, though a “serious warning was issued afterward.”

-ABC News’ Hami Hamedi

IDF says 180 missiles fired from Iran

The Israel Defense Forces said it identified approximately 180 missiles fired toward Israel from Iran.

The Iranian missile attack began at 7:31 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the IDF said.

Most of the missiles were intercepted, but “several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed,” an Israeli security official said.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir

UN Security Council expected to convene Wednesday

The United Nations Security Council is expected to convene on Wednesday to discuss Iran’s attack on Israel, according to Israel’s ambassador to the U.N.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin

DHS warns of potential cyberattack threat against US following killing of Nasrallah

The Iranian regime is unlikely to take direct military action against the U.S. homeland following Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, though his death could prompt Iran or its proxies to take alternative actions like cyberattacks, according to a new Department of Homeland Security alert.

Nasrallah’s death is also unlikely to galvanize people within the U.S to take action, though the “expansion of the regional conflict and potential for increased circulation of graphic images highlighting civilian deaths could contribute to [extremist] radicalization to violence,” according to the Sept. 30 document obtained by ABC News and distributed to law enforcement agencies around the country.

“We also assess that it is unlikely that Iran or its proxies will target the homeland during any potential physical response to the airstrike,” the alert stated. “We are concerned that the incident may prompt Iranian government or other malicious cyber actors supportive of Tehran’s interests to conduct cyber attacks against poorly secured US critical infrastructure entities, among other targets.”

-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin

Israel will have a ‘significant response,’ Israeli official says

Israel will have a “significant response” to Iran’s attack, an Israeli official told ABC News.

“What Iran has suffered so far is only a promo,” the official said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

No additional threats from Iran at this time, no casualties reported: IDF

The Israeli military does not see any additional threats at this time from Iran, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.

Hagari said they have carried out a “large number of interceptions.” There were a “few hits” in the south and officials are assessing the damage, though there are no reported casualties, he added.

“We are on high alert both defensively and offensively,” he said. “We will defend the citizens of the State of Israel. This attack will have consequences.”

US says it has intercepted Iranian missiles

The U.S. has intercepted some of the Iranian missiles launched against Israel, but how many is unclear, an official told ABC News.

“In accordance with our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, U.S. forces in the region are currently defending against Iranian-launched missiles targeting Israel,” the official said. “Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region.”

-ABC News’ Matthew Seyler

Biden says US prepared to help Israel defend against Iranian attack

President Joe Biden said Tuesday the U.S. is prepared to help Israel defend against the Iranian missile attack.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are monitoring the Iranian attack from the White House Situation Room and receiving regular updates from their national security team. Biden directed the U.S. military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles.

Before the attack began, he posted on X that he and Vice President Kamala Harris had convened their national security team.

He said as well that the U.S. was ready to protect American personnel in the region.

Read more on the response from the Biden administration.

Lindsey Graham calls Iran’s missile attack ‘breaking point’

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel, calling it a “breaking point” on Tuesday and urging President Joe Biden’s administration to respond.

“This missile attack against Israel should be the breaking point and I would urge the Biden Administration to coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran’s ability to refine oil,” Graham said in a statement.

Graham called for oil refineries to be “hit and hit hard” and said his prayers are “with the people of Israel.”

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

Iran confirms responsibility, says launches retaliation for assassinations

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said moments ago the missile attack was a retaliation for different assassinations carried out by Israel, Mehr News Agency reported.

The IRGC said the operation will continue if Israel does not stop, Mehr News Agency reported.

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, a key ally of Iran, was killed in a strike in Beirut last week, while a top member of the IRGC was also killed.

IDF warns some citizens to enter ‘protected space’

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari issued remarks Tuesday evening, announcing that missiles had been launched from Iran toward Israel.

He said messages have been sent to cellphones, warning Israeli citizens in certain areas to enter “protected space” and to seek shelter if they hear sirens.

Hagari added that if citizens hear explosions, they may be the result of interceptions or impacts.

“We are strong and can handle this event as well,” Hagari said. “The IDF is doing and will continue to do everything necessary to protect the civilians of Israel. The IDF is fully prepared for both defense and offense at peak readiness.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Flights diverting near Iran

Several flights near Iran are diverting ahead of expected missile launches at targets in Israel.

Several Lufthansa flights and one Swiss Air flight were diverted back to Frankfurt, Germany, and Turkey as they approached Iranian air space.

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

IDF says missiles launched from Iran toward Israel

Israel said missiles have been launched from Iran toward Israel.

Sirens are sounding across the country.

Israel expecting 240-250 missiles from Iran: Sources

Iran is expected to launch 240 to 250 missiles in two waves at four targets in Israel, including Mossad headquarters and three air bases, according to an Israeli source and a senior U.S. administration official.

Israel is not expected to launch a preemptive strike, according to the U.S. administration official. It should take the missiles less than 15 minutes to reach targets once launched.

The U.S. and Israel have all defenses activated, and Israel will “absolutely “ retaliate after it happens,” the official said.

The total number of ballistic missiles is about double the number launched by Iran in April — 99% of which were intercepted.

-ABC News’ Martha Raddatz

Israeli forces issue warning for residents to stay near shelter in greater Tel Aviv

The Israel Defense Forces issued a warning for residents of the “Dan area,” referring to the greater Tel Aviv area, to stay “near a shelter until further notice.”

Sirens sounded in central Israel, the IDF said in a second statement, after issuing the warning to stay in shelters. The sirens sounding in central Israel were due to launches from Lebanon, the IDF told ABC News.

“From this moment, Israelis living in central Israel are advised to stay by their safe rooms. Enter them during sirens and stay there until further notice,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in Hebrew.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir, Anna Burd and Jordana Miller

US Embassy in Jerusalem issues ‘shelter in place’ order

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a statement directing all government employees and their family members “to shelter in place until further notice,” following reports of an imminent Iranian missile attack on Israel.

The embassy noted the “continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire and unmanned aircraft system,” which it said “often take place without warning.”

“The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events,” it added.

Netanyahu warns Israelis of ‘testing days ahead’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged unity among Israelis in a video statement published Tuesday, as Israel Defense Forces operations in Lebanon expanded and amid fears of an imminent Iranian missile attack.

“We are in the midst of a campaign against Iran’s ‘Axis of Evil,'” the prime minister said. “These are days of great achievements and great challenges.”

The “great achievements,” Netanyahu said, included the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut airstrike last week, plus the defeat of an alleged Hezbollah plan to launch an infiltration attack into northern Israel.

The country still faces “big challenges,” he continued.

“What I ask of you is two things: One — to strictly obey the directives of the front-line command, it saves lives. And second — to stand together. We will stand firm together in the testing days ahead.”

“Together we will stand, together we will fight and together we will win.”

–ABC News Joe Simonetti and Jordana Miller

Iran to launch ballistic missiles at Israel ‘imminently,’ US official says

A senior White House official told ABC News on Tuesday that the U.S. “has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.”

“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” the official added.

“A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” the official said.

Israeli special ops teams active in Lebanon for almost a year, IDF says

Israel special operations teams have been operating in southern Lebanon since November, an Israeli security source said Tuesday, conducting around 70 missions in groups of 20 to 40 operators.

The troops spent around 200 nights inside Lebanon, making it the most intense series of special operations missions in Israel’s history, the official said.

The units operated between 1 and 2 miles inside Lebanese territory, the official said, blowing up and dismantling hundreds of Hezbollah facilities including tunnels.

Some tunnels doubled as weapons caches and others stretched to the Israeli border. Officials said on Tuesday they believed Hezbollah was planning an imminent “Oct.7-style invasion” of northern Israel.

The security source claimed that Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force was at times as little as six hours from launching such an attack. ABC News was not immediately able to independently verify the official’s claims.

The Israeli special operations units operating in southern Lebanon encountered almost no resistance, the official said, and did not suffer any casualties.

Though some 2,000 Radwan troops are believed to be present within 3 miles of Israel’s border — and between 6,000 and 8,000 in southern Lebanon in total — they have not been fighting.

“During these operations, the troops also collected valuable intelligence and methodically dismantled the weapons and compounds, including underground infrastructure and advanced weaponry of Iranian origin,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

“Some of the weapons were recovered and taken by the soldiers back into Israeli territory.”

Airstrike hits southern Beirut suburb

The southern Beirut suburb of Dahiya was hit by a fresh airstrike early on Tuesday, as Israeli warplanes continued to bomb targets across Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah members and resources.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Tuesday that the previous 24 hours saw at least 95 people killed and 172 wounded by Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut.

Hezbollah disputes Israel’s incursion claims

Israeli claims that its soldiers began ground operations inside southern Lebanon “are false,” Hezbollah said in a Tuesday statement.

“No direct ground clashes have yet taken place between the resistance fighters and the occupation forces,” the group said, referring to Israeli troops.

“The resistance fighters are ready for a direct confrontation with the enemy forces that dare or attempt to enter Lebanese territory and inflict the greatest losses on them,” the group added.

Beirut not a target of Israeli ground incursion, official says

The Israel Defense Forces’ operation in southern Lebanon is occurring “right by the border” with no intention of pushing towards the capital Beirut, an Israeli security official said during a Tuesday briefing.

The IDF has three goals, the official said.

The first is to remove the threat of cross-border fire at Israeli citizens, they said. The second is to target senior militant leaders planning such attacks, the official added.

The third goal is to create a situation in which tens of thousands of displaced Israelis can return to their homes in the north of the country.

“We’re talking about limited, localized, targeted rates based on precise intelligence in areas near the border,” the official said when asked about the scope of the operation.

Beirut, they added, is not on the table, though airstrikes are expected to continue across the country and in the capital.

“We’re talking about Hezbollah embedding itself in the Lebanese villages, right by the border,” they said.

“We’re operating at the moment according to the mission we received from the political echelon. We’re acting in a limited area that is focusing on the villages right by the border,” they explained.

IDF claims Hezbollah was planning ‘invasion’ of Israel

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israeli troops were engaged in “limited and targeted raids” in southern Lebanon as of Tuesday morning, alleging that Hezbollah was planning “an Oct. 7-style invasion” into Israeli homes.

“Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases,” ​​Hagari said. “Hezbollah planned to invade Israel, attack Israeli communities and massacre innocent men, women and children.”

“I want to make it clear: our war is with Hezbollah, not with the people of Lebanon,” Hagari continued. “We do not want to harm Lebanese civilians, and we’re taking measures to prevent that.”

More than 700 people were killed by an intensified Israeli airstrike campaign across Lebanon last week. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 95 people killed and 172 people by strikes on Monday. Israeli bombing continued overnight into Tuesday morning, including in the capital Beirut.

UK charters flight for citizens in Lebanon, urges Britons to ‘leave now’

The British government announced Monday that it chartered a commercial flight out of Lebanon for citizens wishing to leave the country.

British nationals, their spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 are eligible, a Foreign Office press release said. “Vulnerable” citizens will be prioritized, it added.

The flight is scheduled to depart Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the situation in the country “is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly.”

“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority,” he added.

“That’s why the U.K. government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed,” he said.

IDF reports ‘heavy fighting’ in Lebanon border areas

Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee — the Israel Defense Forces’ spokesperson for Arab media — warned residents of southern Lebanon on Tuesday morning that “heavy fighting” is now underway in the region.

“Hezbollah elements,” he said, are “using the civilian environment and the population as human shields to launch attacks.”

Adraee told residents not to move vehicles from the north to the south of the Litani River, which is around 18 miles north of the Israeli border. Israel previously demanded that all Hezbollah forces withdraw north of the waterway in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution that sought to end the 2006 border war.

“This warning is in effect until further notice,” Adraee said.

The IDF said Monday that its ground offensive into Lebanon was underway, following a week of punishing airstrikes and targeted killings across the country.

The IDF described the operations as “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

A senior U.S. official told ABC News that the incursion is expected to be significant but not “major.” Lebanese leaders, meanwhile, are calling for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of the 2006 U.N. resolution that would see Hezbollah forces leave southern Lebanon.

10 projectiles fired back at Israel from Lebanon amid ground incursion: IDF

After Israeli forces began the ground incursion into southern Lebanon, at least 10 projectiles crossed over into northern Israel, according to the IDF.

“Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Meron in northern Israel, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon,” the IDF said in a statement Monday.

“Some of the projectiles were intercepted and a number of projectiles fell in open areas,” the IDF said.

IDF begins ground incursion into Lebanon

Israeli forces have begun a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for the IDF said in a statement.

The IDF described the operations as “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

“The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes,” the statement said.

95 killed, 172 injured in Lebanon from attacks Monday

The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli attacks rose to 95 on Monday with 172 people injured, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said in a post on X.

Ground operations in Lebanon will be significant but not ‘major’: US official

The Israel Defense Forces’ ground movement into Lebanon will be significant but not “major,” a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

The operations will be limited to small unit commando teams, the official said, adding that the teams will have air power backup against Hezbollah fighters.

IDF issues ‘urgent warning’ to residents of southern suburbs of Beirut

The Israeli Defense Forces issued an “urgent warning” Monday to residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In a post on X, the IDF urged people in three neighborhoods — Lilac, Haret Hreik and Burj Al-Barajneh — to evacuate.

“You are located near interests and facilities belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah, and therefore the IDF will act against them forcefully,” the IDF wrote. “For your safety and the safety of your family, you must evacuate the buildings immediately, starting at a distance of no less than 500 meters.”

UNRWA chief denies knowing suspended staffer was Hamas leader in Lebanon

On Monday, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini denied having being aware that staffer Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin had been the head of Hamas’ Lebanon branch.

Abu el-Amin and his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for Hamas said Monday.

In his press briefing in Geneva on Monday, Lazzarini said Abu el-Amin had been suspended from his UNRWA position in March after allegations arose that he was involved in Hamas.

-ABC News’ William Gretsky

5 killed, 57 injured in Israeli air strikes on Yemen: Houthi spokesperson

Five people were killed and 57 were injured after Sunday’s Israeli air strikes in Al-Hodeidah, Yemen, the Houthi spokesperson said in a statement Monday.

“This crime will be responded to with escalating military operations against the criminal enemy during the coming period,” the Houthi spokesperson added in his statement.

-ABC News’ Ahmed Baider

12 killed, 20 wounded in Lebanon from attacks Monday

Twelve people have been killed and at least 20 were injured in attacks in Lebanon on Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.

The number of casualties from strikes in Lebanon on Sunday rose to 118 killed and 376 injured, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Hezbollah and Israel continued to trade attacks on Monday.

Hezbollah issued 10 statements taking responsibility for various attacks on Monday.

The Israeli Defense Forces said they destroyed a “surface-to-air missile launcher storage facility approximately 1.5 kilometers” from Beirut’s international airport in a release Monday.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Jordana Miller

Israeli forces conducting ‘training’ near northern border, IDF says

Israeli forces have been “conducting training near the northern border,” the IDF said in a release Monday.

“As part of increasing readiness for combat, IDF soldiers from the 188th Brigade have been conducting training near the northern border and at the command’s headquarters,” the IDF said in the release.

Sinwar goes radio silent in Gaza cease-fire negotiations

Senior Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the key architects of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, has gone radio silent, according to an official familiar with negotiations to reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal.

Sinwar’s absence has created another hurdle for U.S. officials who are still trying to complete an overdue “final” proposal for a deal.

It has also sparked speculation that Sinwar is dead, but the official said there is no indication that’s the case.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller spoke about Hamas’ role in delaying a cease-fire proposal during a briefing Monday, but did not weigh in on Sinwar’s status specifically.

“When it comes to Sinwar, I don’t have any update on his condition at all, one way or the other,” he said, before asserting that Hamas has been unwilling to “engage at all” with Egyptian or Qatari mediators “over the past several weeks.”

“So the reason you have not seen us put forward this proposal is we can’t get a clear answer from Hamas of what they’re willing to entertain and what they’re not willing to entertain,” he said. “We’re going to continue to try to work it.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Kingston

More officials say invasion possibly imminent, US fighter jets heading to region for air defense

Israel’s limited ground incursion into Lebanon could be imminent, two more U.S. officials have told ABC News.

One of the officials said Israel notified the U.S. of its intentions.

Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh would not confirm as much when repeatedly asked Monday, but did give new details on the additional forces being sent to the region to potentially defend Israel and its own forces.

“These augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F 22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel,” Singh said.

The fighter aircraft are to be used for air defense, such as intercepting missiles if needed, according to Singh. There are “an additional few thousand” troops in the region as part of the augmented force, according to Singh.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Matt Seyler

Israel imminently planning limited ground operation in Lebanon: Senior US official

The U.S. expects Israel to imminently begin a limited ground operation into Lebanon that would be targeted, in order to clear out Hezbollah infrastructure near Israeli border communities and then pull their forces back, according to a senior U.S. official.

This could start “immediately,” according to the senior official.

-ABC News’ Selina Wang

Biden tells Israel to stop when asked about possible Lebanon invasion

Speaking to reporters Monday at the White House, President Joe Biden addressed Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon and reports that they are preparing for a limited ground operation.

The comment, which followed Biden’s remarks on Hurricane Helene, came after a reporter asked if he was aware of and “comfortable” with the possibility of Israel invading Lebanon.

“I’m more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now,” Biden replied.

Middle East ‘safer’ without ‘brutal’ Nasrallah, Blinken says

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was “a brutal terrorist, whose many victims included Americans, Israelis, civilians in Lebanon, civilians in Syria and many others as well.”

During a ministerial meeting on defeating ISIS in Washington, D.C., Blinken said Hezbollah under Nasrallah’s leadership “terrorized people across the region and prevented Lebanon from fully moving forward as a country.”

“Lebanon, the region, the world, are safer without him,” Blinken added.

Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut on Friday, marking the most significant blow yet to Hezbollah over almost a year of cross-border conflict with Israel.

Israeli airstrikes are continuing across Lebanon and in the capital. A U.S. official told ABC News on Sunday that small-scale cross-border Israeli ground operations may have already begun, as a prelude to a wider offensive into southern Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah targets.

Blinken said the U.S. and its partners would continue to work toward a diplomatic solution “that provides real security to Israel, to Lebanon, and allows citizens on both sides of the border to return to their homes.”

“Diplomacy remains the best and only path to achieving greater stability in the Middle East,” he said. “The United States remains committed to urgently driving these efforts forward.”

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston

‘Nowhere’ Israel cannot reach, Netanyahu warns Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to anti-government sentiment in Iran on Monday, telling the Iranian people: “With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you — the noble Persian people — closer to the abyss.”

“Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you make fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza,” the prime minister said in a video statement posted to social media.

“Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war. Every day, their puppets are eliminated.”

“Ask Mohammed Deif. Ask [Hassan] Nasrallah,” Netanyahu said, referring to the Hamas military commander — whose death the group has not confirmed — and the former Hezbollah leader. Israel claims Deif was killed in Gaza in July, while Nasrallah was killed in Beirut on Friday.

“There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach,” Netanyahu said.

“Iran’s tyrants don’t care about your future,” Netanyahu continued. “When Iran is finally free — and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think — everything will be different.”

“Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace,” Netanyahu said. “The people of Iran should know — Israel stands with you.”

Tehran has not yet responded to Netanyahu’s statement. But on Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said his country would not deploy volunteer troops to Lebanon in response to Israel’s expanding campaign there against Hezbollah.

“We believe that the governments and nations of the region have the necessary ability and authority to defend themselves,” he said. “We have not had any request from anyone, and we know that they do not need deployment of human forces from our side.”

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Somayeh Malekian

Hamas leader in Lebanon killed in airstrike, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it killed Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine, the head of Hamas’ Lebanon branch, in an overnight airstrike.

“Sharif was responsible for coordinating Hamas’ terror activities in Lebanon with Hezbollah operatives,” the IDF said in a statement.

“He was also responsible for Hamas’ efforts in Lebanon to recruit operatives and acquire weapons.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti

Deadly strike hits central Beirut for first time in 18 years

An overnight precision strike on an apartment building in the Cola neighborhood was the first such strike in central Beirut for 18 years.

Four people were killed, including three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine militant group.

Israel did not immediately claim the strike but is widely assumed to have carried it out.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Hezbollah deputy gives first statement since Nasrallah assassination

Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, addressed followers Monday in the first leadership statement since Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

“The mujahadeen will continue,” Qassem said of the militant group’s fighters, their work informed by “what [Nasrallah] designed.”

Qassem did not announce a replacement for Nasrallah, but said Hezbollah’s next leader will be chosen “sooner rather than later.”

Details of Nasrallah’s funeral are still unconfirmed. A three-day mourning period in Lebanon began on Monday.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Joe Simonetti

IDF confirms new attacks on Hezbollah targets

The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out an operation against more Hezbollah targets early Monday morning local time.

The Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the Bekaa region of Lebanon, the IDF said in a statement.

Targets included launchers and buildings where the IDF said weapons were held.

The Israeli Air Force also attacked what it said were military buildings in southern Lebanon.

-ABC News Will Gretsky

At least 105 people killed Sunday in Lebanon: Ministry of Health

The death toll in Lebanon as a result of Israeli airstrikes Sunday rose to 105, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Nearly 360 individuals were wounded in the strikes, the ministry reported.

The strikes occurred in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel and the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahieh), according to the ministry.

Netanyahu announces former rival Gideon Sa’ar joined Israeli cabinet

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed opposition lawmaker Gideon Sa’ar to rejoin his cabinet, the politicians announced in a joint statement Sunday.

Sa’ar will serve in the Security Cabinet, according to Netanyahu.

“I appreciate the fact that Gideon Sa’ar responded to my request and agreed today to return to the government,” Netanyahu said, noting how the leaders have put aside their disagreements.

“We will work together, and I intend to use him in the forums that influence the conduct of the war,” Netanyahu added.

Sa’ar was once a member of Netanyahu’s Likud Party but defected after an unsuccessful bid for party leadership. He formed his own party in 2020 called New Hope.

“I am joining the government at this stage without a coalition agreement – but with an orderly worldview and with a strong patriotic attitude for our people,” Sa’ar said in the joint statement.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the latest round of cease-fire discussions appears to have reached an impasse.

Meanwhile, after six hostages were found dead in Gaza, protests erupted in Israel. Protesters have lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded the government bring the hostages home.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Israel’s Gaza school strikes ‘totally unacceptable’: UN chief

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres accused Israel of “dramatic violations of international humanitarian law” over its continued airstrikes on schools-turned-shelters in the Gaza Strip.

Six United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) were among at least 17 people killed in a Wednesday strike on the Al-Jaouni School in Nuseirat in central Gaza, the agency confirmed. It is the fifth time that the school has been targeted since Oct. 7.

Guterres wrote on X: “What’s happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable. A school turned shelter for around 12,000 people was hit by Israeli airstrikes again today.” 

The attacks “need to stop now,” he added.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X: “Endless & senseless killing, day after day.”

“Humanitarian staff, premises & operations have been blatantly & unabatedly disregarded since the beginning of the war,” he added, noting that at least 220 UNRWA staff have been killed in Gaza.

“The longer impunity prevails, the more international humanitarian law & the Geneva conventions will become irrelevant,” he wrote, adding it was time for both a cease-fire and “accountability.”

The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that the strike targeted “a Hamas command and control center in the area.”

Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories body hit back at Lazzarini’s social media complaint, alleging in its own post that Gaza schools “have been Hamas weapons storage facilities, tunnel access points, and bases of operation for over a decade.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t turned a blind eye to Hamas’s use of UNRWA schools, the current situation would be entirely different,” the organization wrote.

Slain American-Turkish activist’s family responds to Biden

Aysenur Eygi’s family responded to President Joe Biden’s statement released earlier Wednesday where he called her death “totally unacceptable.”

The family said that Biden has not called them.

“Let us be clear, an American citizen was killed by a foreign military in a targeted attack. The appropriate action is for President Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris to speak with the family directly, and order an independent, transparent investigation into the killing of Ayşenur, a volunteer for peace,” the family said in a statement.

17 dead in IDF strike on school in Gaza

Search and rescue operations are ongoing after an Israel Defense Forces strike on a school in Gaza killed at least 17 people and wounded over 18 others, according to Gaza Civil Defense.

This is the fifth time the IDF has bombed this school. It was previously struck by the IDF on July 6.

Six of the people killed in the strike worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, according to the agency. Among those killed was the manager of the UNRWA shelter and other team members providing assistance to displaced people.

About 12,000 displaced people live in the school, mainly women an children, according to the UNRWA.

The IDF, confirming the strike, claimed that the school had been used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute attacks against Israel.

Israeli helicopter crashes in Gaza killing 2

An Israeli air force helicopter crashed in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip, killing two soldiers overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The helicopter was “on a mission to evacuate an injured solider to a hospital for medical treatment,” the IDF said. An initial inquiry “indicates the crash was not caused by enemy fire,” but the cause of the crash is still “under investigation,” the IDF said.

Seven additional soldiers were injured “to varying degrees” and were evacuated to a hospital for treatment, the IDF said.

The families of the killed and injured soldiers have been notified, the IDF said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Egyptian, Qatari officials meet with top Hamas official in Doha

Egyptian and Qatari officials met with a top Hamas official in Doha on Wednesday, hoping to potentially restart cease-fire negotiations after they fell apart again.

Hamas is repeating its demand that the deal proposed in early July be put back on the table, according to a statement confirming the meeting. Hamas also reiterated its demand for a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

17 dead in IDF strike on school in Gaza

Search and rescue operations are ongoing after an Israel Defense Forces strike on a school in Gaza killed at least 17 people and wounded over 18 others, according to Gaza Civil Defense.

This is the fifth time the IDF has bombed this school. It was previously struck by the IDF on July 6.

The IDF, confirming the strike, claimed that the school had been used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute attacks against Israel.

Over 80% of targeted Gazan children receive polio vaccines

As of Tuesday evening, 82.5% of children in the Gaza Strip under the age of 10 have received their first dose of the polio vaccine as part of the ongoing emergency polio vaccination campaign.

The third round of vaccinations continues “despite the ongoing occupation aggression on the Strip, despite the great danger to their movement and travel between vaccination centers, and this is the case of our people in the Strip who are keen to vaccinate children against the disease,” the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement Wednesday.

13 dead in IDF strike on school in Gaza

Search and rescue operations are ongoing after an Israel Defense Forces strike on a school in Gaza killed at least 13 people and wounded over 18 others, according to Gaza Civil Defense.

This is the fifth time the IDF has bombed this school. It was previously struck by the IDF on July 6.

The IDF, confirming the strike, claimed that the school had been used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute attacks against Israel.

Biden ‘outraged’ by Israel’s killing of American activist

President Joe Biden said he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the killing of American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank by Israeli forces.

“The shooting that led to her death is totally unacceptable,” the president said in a statement published Wednesday morning.

The Israel Defense Forces published its initial report into the killing on Tuesday, finding it “highly likely” that the dual American-Turkish activist “was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her.”

Biden said the U.S. government has “full access” to the preliminary investigation “and expects continued access as the investigation continues, so that we can have confidence in the result.”

“There must be full accountability,” the president said. “And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.”

Eygi, 26, was with the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank, working to protect local Palestinian farmers from attacks by Israeli settlers.

Biden said Wednesday that the violence in the West Bank “has been going on for too long.”

“Violent extremist Israeli settlers are uprooting Palestinians from their homes,” he continued. “Palestinian terrorists are sending car bombs to kill civilians.”

“I will continue to support policies that hold all extremists — Israelis and Palestinians alike — accountable for stoking violence and serving as obstacles to peace,” he said.

Two Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza helicopter crash

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven injured were injured in a helicopter crash in southern Gaza on Tuesday night, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The helicopter “was on a mission to evacuate an injured soldier to a hospital for medical treatment,” but “crashed while landing in the Rafah area” in the south of the territory, the IDF wrote on X.

“An initial inquiry conducted indicates that the crash was not caused by enemy fire,” the force said. “The cause of the crash is still under investigation.”

Seven other troops were “injured to varying degrees, the IDF said. They have been hospitalized for treatment.

Israeli Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, appointed an investigative committee to probe the incident, the IDF added.

Israel hits dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

Israeli warplanes “struck approximately 30 Hezbollah launchers and terror infrastructure sites which posed a threat to Israeli civilians” in southern Lebanon overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday.

The strikes occurred in the areas of Jibbain, Naqoura, Deir Seryan and Zibqin, the IDF said. Israeli artillery also hit the area of Al-Dahira.

Suspect killed after West Bank ‘ramming attack,’ IDF says

One person was critically injured in an alleged ramming attack near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on Wednesday.

The Israel Defense Forces said that the “terrorist” attacker “was neutralized at the scene.” The incident occurred at the Givat Asaf junction, close to the Israeli settlement of Beit El.

Magen David Adom — Israel’s emergency service — said its responders were “treating a male about 20 years old in critical condition.”

The MDA said on social media that the victim was hit by a “fuel tanker.”

Death toll in Gaza surpasses 41,000: Gaza Ministry of Health

The death toll in Gaza has passed 41,000 as of Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

The ministry reported that 41,020 people have died and 94,925 have been injured since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

That figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

IDF releases video of tunnel where 6 hostages were held

The Israel Defense Forces has released footage of the blood-stained tunnel where six hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were held captive and murdered last month.

The “passageway” tunnel spanned 120 meters and was 20 meters deep, the IDF said.

The IDF estimates the hostages were in the tunnel for “weeks.”

The Israeli military believes the six hostages were shot and killed on Aug. 29. The IDF said its soldiers found one of the tunnel’s shafts on Aug. 30, and the hostages’ bodies were discovered on Aug. 31.

The IDF said the hostages were killed with bullets from two guns.

The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement that the “shocking” video “proves the unimaginable, inhuman conditions in which the 6 hostages Alex, Hersh, Eden, Ori, Carmel and Almog were held for months.”

“Carmel, Hersh, Alex, Almog, Ori, and Eden suffered until their last breath. They begged to be released, pleaded for their lives,” the group said. “Time is running out! That light, that hope, cannot die. A deal must be signed NOW!”

Blinken condemns ‘unprovoked’ Israeli killing of American activist

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the IDF’s initial report into the killing of U.S. citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi suggests “her killing was both unprovoked and unjustified.”

“No one should be shot and killed for attending a protest. No one should have to put their life at risk just for freely expressing their views,” Blinken said, using some of the strongest terms to condemn the killing by any American official yet.

“In our judgment, Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement,” Blinken continued, adding that the U.S. was well aware of longstanding allegations concerning Israeli authorities’ use of excessive force against Palestinians in the West Bank.

“Now we have the second American citizen killed at the hands of Israeli security forces. It’s not acceptable. It has to change, and we’ll be making that clear to the senior-most members of the Israeli government,” Blinken said.

“Now we’re looking carefully at the results of this investigation, but even on an initial read and even accepting it at face value, it’s clear that there are serious issues that need to be dealt with, and we will insist that they be dealt with,” he added.

‘Highly likely’ Israeli troops killed American activist: IDF

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published the results of its initial inquiry into last week’s killing of American Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank.

“The inquiry found that it is highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot,” the IDF press release stated, referring to a period of reported unrest at the Beita Junction.

“Israel has sent a request to carry out an autopsy,” it added. “The IDF expresses its deepest regret over the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.”

Eygi, 26, was a dual Turkish-American citizen and activist working for the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank, working to protect local Palestinian farmers from attacks by Israeli settlers.

South Gaza polio vaccine drive reaches 446,000 children: WHO

The polio vaccination campaign in southern Gaza concluded on Monday with more than 446,000 children vaccinated since the drive began on Sept. 1, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

“Five health facilities will continue offering polio vaccination to make sure no child is missed,” Ghebreyesus wrote on X. “We are grateful to the families for their cooperation, and to all vaccinators and health workers for their dedication.”

The polio vaccination campaign is continuing elsewhere in Gaza, and Ghebreyesus said continued humanitarian pauses are “key” in facilitating the program. Preparations to expand the drive into the north of the devastated territory “are ongoing,” he added.

“The children in Gaza deserve lasting peace, not just polio vaccines,” Ghebreyesus said.

US expects ‘transparent’ probe into killing of American in West Bank

The State Department is “urgently working to get more information” on the killing of American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank last week, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told journalists at a Monday briefing.

Eygi, 26, was an activist working for the International Solidarity Movement and was shot dead in the West Bank village of Beita on Friday. The dual American-Turkish citizen was allegedly killed by Israeli troops.

Patel told reporters that “our partners in Israel are looking into the circumstances of what happened, and we expect them to make their findings public, and expect that whatever those findings are, expect them to be thorough and transparent.”

IDF defends strike on Gaza’s Khan Younis humanitarian area

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a Monday night strike on tents in a designated humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip targeted Hamas figures “directly involved” in the Oct. 7 attack.

The Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense reported at least 40 people killed and at least 60 injured in the bombing. Search and recovery efforts were underway at the scene on Tuesday.

The IDF said Tuesday that its strike targeted “senior Hamas terrorists” in a “command and control center embedded inside the humanitarian area in Khan Younis.”

Among those killed were Samer Ismail Khadr Abu Daqqa, the head of Hamas’ aerial unit in Gaza, the IDF said.

Osama Tabesh, the head of the observation and targets department in Hamas’ military intelligence headquarters, and Ayman Mabhouh, another “senior Hamas terrorist” were also hit, the force said.

“According to an initial review, the numbers published by the Hamas-run Government Information Office in Gaza, which has consistently broadcast lies and false information throughout the war, do not align with the information held by the IDF, the precise munitions used, and the accuracy of the strike,” the IDF statement added.

At least 40 killed in strike on humanitarian area: Gaza Civil Defense

At least 40 people were killed and at least 60 people have been wounded after an Israeli strike in a designated humanitarian area of Khan Yunis, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense.

The strike hit “a gathering of displaced persons’ tents consisting of at least 20 inhabited tents,” a Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson said early Tuesday morning local time.

The Israeli Air Force “struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating with a command and control center embedded inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Hamas changed ‘some of the terms’ of the hostage exchange: White House

The White House is remaining hopeful that talks for a cease-fire in Gaza and release of the remaining hostages can be salvaged after Hamas proposed new amendments to the deal following the killing of six hostages.

“Hamas did change some of the terms of the exchange. And that has made it more difficult for us to get there,” National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said at Monday’s press briefing.

“We still believe that, even for the new amendments that Hamas has made, that it’s still worth an effort to try to see if we can’t get back into a cease-fire negotiation,” he added. “But we’re not there right now.”

Kirby would not say if President Joe Biden will be increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a deal and potentially hold the transfer of weapons to Israel in order to secure a deal, similar to the recent decision by the United Kingdom.

“I can’t think of anything we haven’t put more pressure on ourselves than to try to get this deal,” Kirby said. “We know how urgent this is. And we’re working night and day to try to see if we can get a deal in place. Hamas is the main obstacle to this right now.”

-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez

Aerial attack targets northern Israel, officials say

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported “a hostile aircraft infiltration” in the north of the country on Monday morning.

“Two suspicious aerial targets were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” The IDF said in a statement. “An aerial target fell in the area of Nahariya. No injuries were reported.”

The Magen David Adom (MDA) — Israel’s emergency services — said in a social media post that its personnel “located the site of the impact, as of now no casualties have been found.”

Israeli media reported that a drone detonated after crashing into an apartment block.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir and David Brennan

Hundreds gather in Central Park for hostage vigil

The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters organized twin protests in Tel Aviv and New York on Sunday, as pro-cease-fire activists look to build pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and American politicians.

Hundreds of people rallied in Central Park “to mourn six Israeli and American hostages murdered after 11 months in captivity,” the Forum said in a press release.

Among the speakers were Gilad and Nitza Korngold — the parents of hostage Tal Shoham who was abducted into Gaza on Oct. 7.

“The Red Cross has refused to help our loved ones while shamelessly requesting better conditions for the terrorists in Israel’s imprisonment,” they said, per the Forum’s press release. “We ask everyone here to call your representatives and demand the release of our loved ones from captivity.”

Moran Stela Yanai — released in November 2023 after 54 days as a hostage in Gaza — also spoke, telling attendees: “My brothers and sisters in captivity are hungry and in pain and in constant danger.”

“We must find the strength to keep fighting for them and bring them home,” she added, as quoted in the Forum’s press release.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and David Brennan

Jordanian border crossings partly reopened after shooting

Israeli and Jordanian authorities confirmed the partial reopening of border crossings on Monday following their closure due to the killing of three police officers at the Allenby Bridge.

An Israel Airport Authority spokesperson said the crossings at Yitzhak Rabin near Eilat, at the Jordan River near Beit Shean and at the Allenby Bridge would open for passenger traffic.

The media spokesman for the Jordanian Public Security Directorate said that King Hussein Bridge leading to the Allenby entry point would remain closed to freight traffic.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s Interior Ministry said that its preliminary investigations into Sunday’s shooting at the Allenby Bridge crossing confirmed that the alleged gunman was a Jordanian citizen named Maher Dhiyab Hussein Al-Jazi.

The alleged shooter — whom Israeli security forces said they shot and killed — was a resident of the Al-Husseiniyah area in Ma’an Governorate, and was crossing the bridge as a driver of a freight vehicle carrying commercial goods.

Al-Jazi acted alone, the ministry said, noting its investigation is ongoing. Authorities are attempting to organize the return of his body so he can be buried in Jordan.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Ghazi Balkiz and David Brennan

Airstrikes hit Syrian scientific research center, state media says

Strikes targeted a Syrian scientific research area in the city of Masyaf in the Hama countryside on Sunday night, Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

“Ambulance vehicles rushed towards the center of the area” amid reports of casualties, the SOHR — a U.K.-based war monitor — said on its website.

Both Syrian state media and the SOHR attributed the strikes to Israel. The SOHR said Syrian anti-aircraft weapons intercepted some Israeli missiles.

There was no immediate confirmation on the number of casualties. At least 14 people were killed and 43 others were wounded, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. ABC News was not able to immediately confirm the reported casualties or whether they were military personnel.

ABC News asked the Israel Defense Forces for comment. Israel typically does not confirm or deny responsibility for strikes in Syria, where it has been engaged in a “shadow war” with Iran and its allies — including the Lebanese Hezbollah militia — for several years.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and David Brennan

Nearly 70% of children in Gaza vaccinated against polio, health ministry reports

The polio vaccination campaign continued today in south Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah, after early issues in the region when vaccines could not be properly distributed to the eastern side of Gaza.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced Sunday that 441,647 children in Gaza have received the first dose of the polio vaccine, so far.

This accounts for about 69% of the targeted population, according to the ministry.

According to the World Health Organization, 95% of children need to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the disease effectively.

On Monday, vaccinations will be offered in northern Gaza where daily, eight-hour pauses in fighting and airstrikes will be instituted so children can be taken to one of the roughly 33 locations across Gaza City and north Gaza where the vaccine will be administered, according to the ministry.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaulé

Israel closes Jordan border crossings after deadly shooting

Israel closed on Sunday the two land crossings between Jordan and Israel, as well as the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, the Israel Airports Authority — which oversees the crossings — told ABC News.

The closures followed a shooting on Sunday morning at Allenby that killed three police officers.

The gunman — who was shot dead by security forces — came from the Jordanian side, but it was not immediately clear if he was affiliated with any militant group. Both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad issued congratulatory statements about the shooting.

Netanyahu condemned the attack, saying it was attributable to the “murderous ideology led by Iran’s ‘Axis of Evil’.”

Israel did not say how long the closures would last. The Allenby crossing is one of the key entries through which goods destined for Gaza pass.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Nasser Atta, Victoria Beaule and David Brennan

Hamas rocket commander ‘eliminated’ in Gaza: IDF

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported the killing of a Hamas rocket commander in an airstrike last week.

The IDF wrote on social media on Sunday that its Southern Command “eliminated” Raef Omar Salman Abu Shab — the commander of the rocket unit of the eastern Khan Younis Brigade — in an airstrike on Tuesday

The commander was “responsible for launching rocket barrages from the area of Khan Younis toward southern and central Israel since the start of the war,” the IDF said.

-ABC News’ David Brennan

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.