Unidentified drones seen over 3 British air bases used by US forces

(NEW YORK) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt on Wednesday for fresh talks on an Israel-Hamas cease-fire, and as tension with Hezbollah persists at the Israel-Lebanon border.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Israel ‘can’t accept’ Hezbollah attacks, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released two statements Sunday — one in Hebrew and one in English — addressing the ongoing escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.

In both statements, the prime minister said Israel is committed to returning tens of thousands of evacuated citizens to the north of the country.

“We will take whatever action is necessary to restore security and to bring our people safe back to their homes,” he said.

In the statement in Hebrew, the prime minister said Israel dealt a heavy blow to Hezbollah this week, adding: “If Hezbollah did not understand the message, I promise you — it will understand the message.”

In the English statement, Netanyahu compared Hamas and Hezbollah, noting the latter’s daily tempo of attacks since Oct. 8. “No country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities,” he said. “We can’t accept it either.”

Foreign Minister Israel Katz also released a statement addressed to other foreign ministers, saying the world must force Hezbollah to comply with a 2006 United Nations resolution that required the militant group to stay north of the Litani River in Lebanon; around 18 miles north of the Israeli border.

“We will do everything necessary to protect our citizens. If the world does not withdraw Hezbollah north of Litani in accordance with Resolution 1701 — Israel will do so,” Katz said.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule

Israel strikes Lebanon after 115 Hezbollah launches, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces is again striking “Hezbollah terrorist targets” in Lebanon as of Sunday morning amid renewed cross-border fire, the IDF said in a statement.

“Over the past few hours, Hezbollah launched approximately 115 aerial threats toward civilian areas in northern Israel,” the IDF said.

“The IDF defensive arrays are deployed in the area” and are “on high preparedness to thwart threats,” it added.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir

4 injured by shrapnel in northern Israel, emergency service says

Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said its responders treated four people who sustained shrapnel injuries in the north of the country on Sunday morning, as Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces continued intense cross-border strikes.

Among those reported injured were a 76-year-old male “in moderate condition from a shrapnel wound to the upper body,” as well as a 16-year-old female “in mild condition,” the MDA said in a post to X.

Both were injured in the Krayot region near the northern city of Haifa, less than 20 miles from the border with Lebanon.

Several other people were “mildly injured” or “suffering from anxiety” while heading to safe areas and shelters in northern Israel, the MDA said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Israel closes schools, beaches in north amid attacks

The Israel Defense Forces has issued new defensive guidelines for the north of the country amid intensifying cross-border fire by the Hezbollah militant group and a ramped up IDF strike campaign in southern Lebanon and Beirut.

Outdoor gatherings must now be limited to 10 people and indoor gatherings at 100 people, the IDF said in its new guidance.

Beaches will be closed and all educational activities “prohibited,” the force said. Work activities can continue if workers are within reach of a protected space.

-ABC News’ Anna Burd

State Dept. updates level 4 travel advisory for Lebanon

The U.S. State Department reissued its level 4 “do not travel” warning for Lebanon Saturday to include threats posed by “recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut.”

The Department’s prevailing guidance for American citizens in the country—which is to “depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available”—is unchanged from its last advisory issued in July.

“At this time, commercial flights are available, but at reduced capacity. If the security situation worsens, commercial options to depart may become unavailable,” the advisory said.

-ABC News’ Shannon Kingston

Israel striking Lebanon, upping defense readiness in north: Israeli official

Israel’s chief military spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari addressed the ongoing escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, saying in a statement Israel is currently conducting more strikes in Lebanon and has struck 400 “targets” on Saturday alone.

He also announced a change to defensive readiness for Israelis in Haifa and north of Haifa. They must now always be able to reach a shelter quickly and gatherings are limited to 300 people indoors and 30 people outdoors.

Asked about a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, he would only say, “Our mission is to return the residents of the north safely to their homes and for that we will do whatever it takes.”

Hagari also addressed Gaza and said Israeli forces killed militants they believe were holding Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other hostages who were found dead last month.

-ABC News’ Anna Burd

IDF says it struck 180 targets in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck 180 targets in Lebanon on Saturday, targeting “launcher barrels” that were ready for launching weapons toward Israel.

Four people have been injured in the Israeli strikes Saturday, one critically, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.

The IDF said 90 launches were identified coming from Lebanon today but no casualties or damage were reported.

Hezbollah said they have launched nine aerial attacks toward Israel on Saturday.

The IDF said it “will continue operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities and terror infrastructure.”

– ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Anna Burd.

37 dead in Israel’s Beirut strike, Lebanon ministry says

The Lebanese health ministry issued another update Saturday, bringing the total number of dead in Friday’s Beirut strike to 37. It says first responders are continuing to search the rubble.

The dead include at least three children – ages 4, 6 and 10 – and seven women, the ministry said during a press conference earlier. Dozens more people have been wounded.

The Israel Defense Forces described the strike on Friday as a “targeted” assault.

22 dead in Israeli strike on Gaza school, Gaza Health Ministry says

Twenty-two people were killed and 30 more were injured in an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.

Civil Defense, the local first responders, said they recovered the bodies of 13 children.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement a military strike targeted terrorists who were operational in a “Hamas command and control center.”

Video shows rubble strewn in hallways and classrooms turned shelters. A witness told Reuters that women and children were gathered in the yard when two missiles hit the school.

Additional verified video shows first responders gathering body parts from under rubble, along with toddlers with severed limbs being tended to.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule

Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, IDF says

The Israeli military on Saturday began strikes within Lebanon that were aimed at targets belonging to the Hezbollah militant group, the Israel Defense Forces said.

31 dead in Beirut strike, Lebanon ministry says

Thirty-one people were killed and 68 were injured in Israel’s strike on Friday in Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Saturday.

Among the dead are three children — ages 4, 6 and 10 — and seven women, the ministry said during a press conference. Three Syrian nationals were also killed, it said.

Among the wounded, 53 have been discharged from hospital. Two remain in critical condition, the ministry said.

Rescue teams were on Saturday morning still searching the rubble searching for additional bodies. The health multiple buildings and cars were damaged and destroyed in the strike.

The Israel Defense Force described the strike on Friday as a “targeted” assault, saying it killed a key Hezbollah commander, Ibrahim Aqil, along with his chain of command.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz, Nasser Atta, Emma Ogao and Victoria Beaule

Israeli device attacks emphasize depth of security breach: Sources

The Israeli strike on Beirut on the heels of pager and walkie-talkie explosions this week are designed to emphasize to Hezbollah and Iran the depth of the security breach Israel has achieved, two intelligence sources told ABC News.

The sentiment is if the Israelis can plant exploding pagers and radios, they could have already placed sources and devices that reveal key info and personnel in places thought to be protected, sources said.

The Israelis could well be trying to soften the ground for an assault, but the sources believe the consequence of this week’s events could actually be a realization by Iran and Hezbollah that a return to the uneasy status quo on the northern border might be the right move right now.

Prior to the pager explosions, Israeli intelligence had been running out of actionable information about locations and patterns of life among top Hezbollah officials. Learning where the pagers and radios were and who had them created an invaluable trove of intel.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin

Key Hezbollah leader, commanders killed in strike in Beirut, Israel says

A key Hezbollah commander and members of his chain of command were killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut on Friday, according to the Israel Defense Forces, as tensions continue to rise along the Israel-Lebanon border.

At least nine people, including a key Hezbollah member, were killed in an Israeli strike on southern Beirut Friday.

Ibrahim Aqil, a senior member of Hezbollah and the target of the strike in southern Beirut, was killed, according to the Israeli army. Top operatives and the chain of command of the Raduan unit were also killed in the strike, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Aqil and the commanders who were killed were allegedly planning to occupy Galilee, in what Israel claimed would have been similar to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

Delta pauses flights between New York and Tel Aviv through December

Delta Air Lines has paused all flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Tel Aviv, Israel, through Dec. 31 due to the “ongoing conflict in the region,” the airline said in a release Thursday.

“Customers impacted by the schedule change will receive notifications via the Fly Delta app and contact information listed in their reservation as these cancellations are processed in Delta’s system,” Delta said in a statement.

Travelers can still book seats on Delta partner airlines Air France and EL AL Israel Airlines through Delta’s website.

Germany being selective with arms shipments to Israel

Germany is being selective with what arms it is sending to Israel in light of rising tensions with Hezbollah and Hamas.

“There is no ban on licenses for arms exports to Israel and there will be no ban. The Federal Government decides on the granting of licenses for arms exports on a case-by-case basis and in the light of the respective situation after careful examination, taking into account foreign and security policy considerations in accordance with legal and political requirements,” the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection said in a statement.

“In doing so, the Federal Government takes into account compliance with international humanitarian law. In this case-by-case assessment, the current situation is always taken into account, including the attacks on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah as well as the course of the operation in Gaza,” the ministry said.

Lebanon death toll rises after device explosions

At least 37 people — including two children — were killed across the country by exploding communication devices on Tuesday and Wednesday, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Al-Abyad said in a press conference Thursday. About 3,000 people were injured, he said.

“It is certain that what happened in terms of aggression is considered a war crime, as the majority of the injuries were recorded in civilian areas and not in the battlefield, and the government is doing its duty and has called for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, and human rights organizations are doing their duty on this issue,” Al-Abyad said.

Hezbollah said 20 of its members were killed in Wednesday’s walkie-talkie explosions. Another 11 were killed in Tuesday’s pager explosions in Lebanon and Syria, bringing the overall death toll for the group to 31.

Israel was responsible for Tuesday’s explosions, a source confirmed to ABC News, in which pagers detonated across Beirut and southern Lebanon. Walkie-talkies exploded on Wednesday.

-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor, Nasser Atta and Ghazi Balkiz

IDF carrying out strikes in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said it is carrying out strikes in Lebanon to “degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure,” according to a statement.

“The Hezbollah terrorist organization has turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone. For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields. The IDF is operating to bring security to northern Israel in order to enable the return of residents to their homes, as well as to achieve of all of the war goals,” the IDF said in a statement.

The strikes come after two consecutive days of explosions of pagers and walkie-talkie devices in Lebanon, which left at least 37 people dead.

Israeli arrested over Iran-directed plot to kill Netanyahu, police say

Israeli police and the Shin Bet intelligence service foiled an alleged plot to kill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu and other prominent individuals, according to details of an indictment released on Thursday.

Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Israeli businessman from the city of Ashkelon, is accused of twice smuggling himself into Iran via Turkey to meet with intelligence officials directing would-be plots from Tehran.

The discussions allegedly included potential plans to attack Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, among others.

Police and Shin Bet said the alleged plots were intended as retaliation for the killing of Ismail Hanieyh in Tehran in July, which Iran blamed on Israel.

A joint police and Shin Bet statement also accused Maman of discussing the possibility of acting as a money courier for others in Israel, locating Russian and American elements for the elimination of Tehran’s opponents in Europe and the U.S. and recruiting Mossad personnel as double agents.

“The Israeli citizen demanded an advance payment of $1 million dollars before performing any action,” police and Shin Bet said. “Iranian agents refused his request and informed him they would contact him in the future.”

Maman allegedly received around $558,000 — paid in euros — for attending the meetings with Iranian intelligence personnel.

Lebanon toll rises after device explosions

The Lebanese Health Ministry said that at least 32 people — including two children — were killed across the country by exploding communication devices on Tuesday and Wednesday. More than 3,250 people were injured, it said.

Hezbollah said 20 of its members were killed in Wednesday’s walkie-talkie explosions. Another 11 were killed in Tuesday’s pager explosions in Lebanon and Syria, bringing the overall death toll for the group to 31.

A source confirmed to ABC News that Israel was responsible for Tuesday’s explosions, in which pagers detonated across Beirut and southern Lebanon. Walkie-talkies exploded on Wednesday.

Israeli forces conduct airstrike on school in Gaza City

Israeli forces conducted an airstrike on what they claim were Hamas terrorists operating within a command and control center embedded inside a school in Gaza City, Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement Wednesday.

Ten people were killed from the strike, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.

“A short while ago, with the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists operating within a command and control center embedded inside a compound that previously served as the ‘Ibn Al-Haytam’ School in the area of Gaza City,” the IDF said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia will not recognize Israel without Palestinian state: Crown Prince

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom would not recognize Israel as a state without a Palestinian state.

“The Palestinian cause is at the forefront of your country’s affairs. We renew the kingdom’s rejection and strong condemnation of the crimes of the Israeli occupation authority against the Palestinian people, ignoring international and humanitarian law in a new and bitter chapter of suffering,” Prince Mohammed said.

“The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that. We extend our thanks to the countries that have recognized the Palestinian state, in accordance with international legitimacy, and we urge the rest of the countries to take similar steps,” Prince Mohammed said.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia had previously paved the way for normalizing relations with Israel before the eruption of the war in the Gaza Strip last October put those plans on hold.

Fighting in the north moves into ‘new phase,’ Gallant says

Israel has begun a “new phase in the war,” with Israel diverting forces and resources toward northern Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at the air force’s Ramat David base on Wednesday.

“The center of gravity is moving north, the meaning is that we are diverting forces, resources, energy towards the north. We have not forgotten the abductees and we have not forgotten our tasks in the south, this is our duty and we are carrying it out at the same time,” Gallant said.

“It is very important to do things at this stage in close cooperation — between all organizations, at all levels,” Gallant said.

US ‘did not know’ about Israel’s pager operation: Blinken

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference in Egypt on Wednesday that the U.S. “did not know about and was not involved” in Israel’s pager attacks in Lebanon and Syria — but said that officials were still gathering information and did not directly blame Israel.

“Broadly speaking, we’ve been very clear, and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we’re trying to resolve in Gaza,” Blinken said. 

Its spread to other fronts, he added, is “clearly not in the interest of anyone involved.”

Blinken also reaffirmed the Biden administration’s commitment to reaching a cease-fire, which he said would “materially improve the prospects of defusing the situation” on the Israeli-Lebanese border and allow thousands of people living near the area on both sides of the divide to return home.

“That’s clearly the best path forward for everyone involved. So again, it’s imperative that everyone avoid taking steps that could further escalate or spread the conflict,” he said.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty was also asked about the matter, and had much more to say. He declared, via a translator, that Egypt was “against any unilateral action that attacks the sovereignty of Lebanon.”

“We have condemned and we will condemn any targeting of the Lebanese sovereignty,” he said. “It does not encourage any civility.”

He continued: “Such dangerous escalation can lead to what we have warned of before, which is leading to the edge of a regional war which can kill everyone.”

The foreign minister also asserted that the “heart of the crisis” facing the Middle East was “Israeli aggression in Gaza.”

Israel moves troops toward Lebanon border

The Israel Defense Forces’ 98th Division will be deployed to the northern part of the country close to the border with Lebanon, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.

The division was previously active in the Gaza Strip and is being deployed to the north amid rising tensions and ongoing skirmishes between the IDF and the Hezbollah militant group operating from southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has vowed retaliation for Israel’s exploding pager attack that killed at least 12 people and injured at least 2,800 in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday.

Israel behind Lebanon pagers attack, sources confirm

Sources confirmed to ABC News that Israel was responsible for the explosion of pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday.

The pagers began exploding around 3:30 p.m. local time, according to Hezbollah officials. An intelligence source familiar with the situation told ABC News that Israel has long been working to perfect this type of “supply chain interdiction attack.”

At least nine civilians were killed and more than 2,750 injured by the explosions, Lebanese health authorities said.

Hezbollah said 11 of its members were killed on Tuesday, though did not disclose the circumstances of their deaths. The militant group vowed retaliation against Israel.

Four Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces said four of its soldiers were killed fighting in southern Gaza on Tuesday.

Capt. Daniel Mimon Toaff, Staff Sgt. Agam Naim, Staff Sgt. Amit Bakri and Staff Sgt. Dotan Shimon were killed in combat, the IDF said in a statement.

One officer and two soldiers from the Shaked Battalion, Givati Brigade, were “severely injured” during the same incident, the statement said. Another two soldiers were “moderately injured.”

An officer from the Givati Reconnaissance Unit was also “severely injured” in southern Gaza, the IDF said.

Hezbollah vows ‘reckoning’ for pager explosions

In a Wednesday morning statement, the Hezbollah militant group said it would continue operations to “support Gaza” and vowed a “reckoning” for Israel after Tuesday’s “massacre” when more than 2,750 people were injured by exploding pagers in Lebanon.

Hezbollah blamed Israel for the operation, which killed at least nine civilians. Eleven Hezbollah members died on Tuesday, the group said, though — as is typical in its statements — did not specify how they died.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to speak on Thursday afternoon to address the situation.

Israel has not commented on its alleged involvement in Tuesday’s explosions in Lebanon.

IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said warplanes hit Hezbollah targets in six locations in southern Lebanon into Wednesday. Artillery strikes were also conducted, it added.

Israeli aircraft bombed “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure” in the areas of Majdal Selm, Odaisseh, Markaba, Blida, Maroun El Ras and Chihine in southern Lebanon, the IDF said in a statement.

Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways cancel all flights to Israel

Three major European airlines have canceled all flights to Israel hours after a deadly attack on Hezbollah left at least nine people dead and over 2,700 people injured.

Air France has canceled flights to Tel Aviv for Sept. 18 and 19, according to the flight status board on their website. Lufthansa has canceled flights to Israel through Sept. 19 and British Airways has canceled flights to Israel through Sept. 27.

Netanyahu undermining security with ‘petty politics,’ political rival alleges

Benny Gantz — the leader of the centrist National Unity coalition — on Tuesday accused rival Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of endangering Israeli security “in the most tangible way that I can remember being done by a prime minister during a war, and in general.”

In a public statement — later also published on his X page — Gantz accused the prime minister of “security recklessness” over reports that Netanyahu is preparing to replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is a major critic of the prime minister’s approach to cease-fire negotiations in Gaza.

Gantz said the alleged political maneuvering is particularly dangerous ahead of a potential expansion of the conflict in the north of the country, where the Israel Defense Forces has been engaged in cross-border fighting with the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia since Oct. 8.

“Human lives and the future of the nation are at stake,” Gantz said, describing the situation as the “dictionary definition of petty politics, at the expense of national security.”

11,000 students killed in Gaza, education ministry says

The Palestinian Ministry of Education said Tuesday that some 11,000 students have been killed and more than 17,000 others have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Israel’s campaign there started on Oct. 7.

The ministry also said 500 schools and universities have been bombed across the territory in almost one year of war.

Islamic Jihad rocket commander ‘eliminated’ in Gaza, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces said it “eliminated” the head of the Islamic Jihad militia group’s southern rocket and missile unit in a Monday airstrike on a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.

Ahmed Aish Salame al-Hashash was the commander of the Islamic Jihad’s rocket forces in the southern Rafah area, the IDF said in a statement. He was “an important source of knowledge of rocket fire within the Islamic Jihad terror organization in Gaza,” the IDF added.

Al-Hashash was killed while “operating inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Younis,” the IDF said, referring to one of the areas designated by the Israeli military as safer locations for civilians amid the devastating campaign in Gaza.

“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,” the IDF said.

The IDF often launches strikes inside Gaza humanitarian zones in pursuit of militant leaders.

Gaza Health Ministry identifies more than 34,300 people killed

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry published a 649-page document identifying 34,344 people killed in the strip between Oct.7, 2023 and Aug. 31, 2024.

The document includes the name, age, gender and identification number of each person killed.

The first 13 pages of the document include names of people all under 1 year old.

The document only includes the names of those the Health Ministry said it has been able to identify. Thousands more who are a part of the overall death toll are considered missing, the ministry said.

The current death toll in Gaza is 41,226 as of Sept. 16, according to the Hamas-run ministry.

Blinken to travel to Egypt

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt this week to discuss efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, the State Department said.

Blinken will travel to Egypt Wednesday through Friday to co-chair the opening of the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the department said.

He will also meet with Egyptian officials “to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and helps establish broader regional security,” the State Department said in a statement.

State Department doesn’t have timeline on new cease-fire proposal

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller declined to predict when a new Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal proposal might be ready.

“We continue to engage with our partners in the region, most specifically with Egypt and Qatar, about what that proposal will contain, and making sure — or trying to see that it’s a proposal that can get the parties to an ultimate agreement,” Miller told reporters Monday.

“I don’t have a timetable for you other than to say that we are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal, try to find something that would bring both the parties to say yes and to formally submit it,” Miller added.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously said more than a week ago that a proposal would be presented to both Israel and Hamas “in the coming days.”

Miller said Monday that — just like in the negotiations overall — the main hurdles for creating the new proposal were the security situation in the Philadelphi corridor and the number of hostages and Palestinian prisoners that would be released.

‘Trajectory is clear’ at Israel-Lebanon border: Gallant

Time is running out for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict at the Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in an overnight phone call.

“Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas — the trajectory is clear,” Gallant told Austin per a readout from the Israeli Defense Ministry.

Gallant “reiterated Israel’s commitment to the removal of Hezbollah presence in southern Lebanon, and to enabling the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes,” the defense ministry said.

Cross-border fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah — which is aligned with Iran and Hamas through the so-called “Axis of Resistance” — has been near-constant since Oct. 8.

Tens of thousands of Israelis have left their homes in the north of the country amid the fighting, with Israeli leaders repeatedly threatening a significant military operation to pacify Hezbollah forces operating in southern Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Sunday statement that the “current situation will not continue. This requires a change in the balance of forces on our northern border. We will do whatever is necessary to return our residents securely to their homes.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Israel now says Houthi missile was hit by interceptor

A missile described by the Houthis as a “new hypersonic ballistic missile” was hit by an Israeli interceptor, Israeli military officials said Sunday, after initially saying it got through its defenses and fell in an open area.

An Israeli interceptor hit the missile fired into central Israel from Yemen, causing it to fragment, according to Israeli officials. The missile was not destroyed, but caused no damage, the Israeli officials said.

“The conclusion into the review of the surface-to-surface missile that was fired this morning is that there was a hit on the target from an interceptor, as a result of which the target fragmented but was not destroyed,” an Israeli military official said in a statement.

The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the missile attack, claiming in a statement that it was aimed at an “important military target” in the Tel Aviv region. The Houthis claimed the missile flew some 1,267 miles in less than 12 minutes and that Israeli anti-missile defenses “failed to intercept” the weapon.

The Israel Defense Forces initially confirmed to ABC News that its defenses failed to intercept the missile but changed its conclusions upon further investigation.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule

IDF: ‘High probability’ 3 hostages were killed by Israeli airstrike in November

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces released the results of its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three hostages, whose bodies were recovered from Gaza by IDF forces in December.

The three hostages — two soldiers, Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, and civilian Elia Toledano — were killed “as a byproduct” of an Israeli airstrike on the compound where they were being held, according to the investigation. The IDF said the strike was targeting a Hamas commander, and that they believed the hostages were being held elsewhere.

“The findings of the investigation suggest a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10th, 2023,” the IDF said Sunday in a statement.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Netanyahu vows to inflict ‘high price’ for Houthi missile attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against the Houthi movement after a missile fired from Yemen fell in central Israel on Sunday morning.

“This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen at our territory,” Netanyahu said before a cabinet meeting. “They should know that we exact a high price for any attempt to attack us.”

“Whoever needs a reminder of this, is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah,” the prime minister added, referring to Israel’s bombing of the strategic Yemeni port in July after a Houthi drone strike killed one person in Tel Aviv.

“Whoever attacks us will not evade our strike,” Netanyahu said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

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(LONDON) — North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui left Pyongyang on Monday night for an official visit to Russia, North Korean state-controlled media reported, as the U.S. and NATO again denounced growing military cooperation between the two neighbors.

The Korean Central News Agency said Choe and her entourage departed Pyongyang International Airport on Monday, with Moscow’s ambassador to the country Alexander Matsegora among those who saw the delegation off.

The visit “is taking place within the framework of a strategic dialogue — following an agreement to enhance ties reached by the leaders of our countries during the June 2024 summit,” a foreign ministry statement said.

Russia’s state-run Tass news agency said Choe arrived in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Tuesday and would head to Moscow on Wednesday, citing a diplomatic source.

The visit comes as Western concerns grow about the presence of North Korea troops in Russia ahead of their expected deployment to reinforce Moscow’s troops fighting Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine and western Russia.

President Joe Biden on Monday commented on the situation after casting his vote for next week’s elections in Delaware.

“It’s very dangerous, very dangerous,” Biden told reporters.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters at a Monday briefing that the U.S. believes there are now 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia, up from the American estimate of 3,000 given by National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby last week.

The troops have been sent “to train in eastern Russia” and “will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks,” she said.

Singh said some of Pyongyang’s troops are moving towards Russia’s western Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces established a foothold in August.

“A portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, and we are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, near the border with Ukraine,” she said.

Singh — like Kirby and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week — framed the deployment as a sign of Moscow’s weakness.

“This would mark a further escalation and highlights President [Vladimir] Putin’s increasing desperation, as Russia has suffered extraordinary casualties on the battlefield, and an indication that Putin may be in more trouble than people realize,” she said.

“He’s tin-cupping to the DPRK, Iran, because he has failed to meet those battlefield objectives,” Singh added, using the acronym of the country’s official name — the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, meanwhile, said the U.S. has raised the issue with long-time North Korea backer China, to “make clear that we are concerned about it, and that they ought to be concerned about this destabilizing action by two of its neighbors, Russia and North Korea.”

“I’ll let them speak for themselves, but we have been making clear to China for some time that they have an influential voice in the region,” Miller added. “And they should be concerned about steps that Russia has taken to undermine stability. They should be concerned about steps that North Korea has taken to undermine stability and security.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday morning he had spoken with South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol to discuss the involvement of North Korean troops in the war.

“There is only one conclusion — this war is internationalized and goes beyond the borders of two states,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. The president said he provided Yoon with “fresh data” on the deployment of 3,000 North Korean soldiers to Russian training grounds close to the front.

Zelenskyy said the North Korean force will eventually grow to 12,000 troops — the highest estimate so far given by Ukraine, the U.S. or South Korea.

The two presidents “agreed to strengthen the exchange of intelligence and expertise” and to “develop an action strategy and a list of countermeasures in response to escalation” in collaboration with “mutual partners.”

Yoon said on Monday that a South Korean delegation will visit Ukraine this week to share information about the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and discuss further cooperation with Kyiv.

The South Korean Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday that the country’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that some of the North Korean generals and troops sent to Russia may have already moved to the front lines.

Yonhap said Seoul expects 10,900 North Korean troops to be sent to Russia by December.

ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, Matthew Seyler, Justin Gomez and Max Uzol contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) — The Israel Defense Forces continued intense air and ground campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon and against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The uptick in offensive operations came after Israel marked the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, and as Israeli leaders planned their response to Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.

German warship downs drone off Lebanon

The German Ludwigshafen am Rhein corvette — which is operating as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon — downed an unidentified drone off the Lebanese coast on Thursday, a spokesperson at the German Ministry of Defense told ABC News.

The spokesperson did not describe how the aircraft was shot down, but said the ship acted in self defense.

There are approximately 60 crew members on board the vessel.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said that “electronic countermeasures were used and the UAV fell and exploded on its own.”

-ABC News’ Dragana Jovanovic and Guy Davies

Hezbollah fires projectiles towards Israel

Hezbollah said it launched a missile salvo towards Israel on Thursday morning.

The Israel Defense Forces said sirens sounded in northern Israel and “two projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory.” One was intercepted and the other fell in an open area, the IDF said.

Fighting continues in southern Lebanon. There, Hezbollah claimed to have attacked two Israeli tanks near the border village of Labbouneh.

The IDF, meanwhile, said it killed a commander of Hezbollah’s Kana sector.

-ABC News’ Guy Davies

WHO warns of cholera risk in Lebanon

The World Health Organization has warned of a “very high” risk of cholera in Lebanon following the wave of mass displacement caused by Israel’s nationwide airstrike campaign and southern ground offensive.

The WHO warning came after Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed the first cholera case in the north of the country on Wednesday.

WHO “has activated a preparedness and response plan to strengthen surveillance and contact tracing,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

–ABC News’ Dragana Jovanovic and Guy Davies

IDF claims destruction of 150 Hezbollah targets in 24 hours

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that its troops and warplanes “eliminated more than 45 terrorists and destroyed more than 150 targets” in Lebanon in the previous 24 hours

Among the Hezbollah targets were “weapons warehouses, launchers and military buildings of the organization,” the IDF said in a post on X.

US bombs Houthi weapons storage sites

U.S. Central Command said it conducted “precision airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons storage facilities” on Wednesday.

The sites “contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

CENTCOM said the strike was intended to degrade the Houthis’ ability to launch “reckless and unlawful attacks on international commercial shipping and on U.S., coalition, and merchant personnel and vessels” in the region.

B-2 stealth bomber aircraft were among the assets involved in the mission, CENTCOM said. “The employment of the B-2 bomber demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to reach these targets, when necessary, anytime, anywhere,” it added.

CENTCOM said its analyses of the strikes “are underway and do not indicate civilian casualties.”

-ABC News’ Matthew Seyler

Defense Secretary Austin speaks with Israeli counterpart about Lebanon
The Pentagon released a readout Wednesday evening following a phone call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

The two discussed “Israel’s operations in Lebanon and broader regional security matters,” according to the readout.

“Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant discussed the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as an operational example of the United States’ ironclad support to the defense of Israel. The Secretary encouraged the Government of Israel to continue taking steps to address the dire humanitarian situation, noting the recent action by Israel to increase the amount of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Austin also “raised the need to pursue a diplomatic pathway to provide security for civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border as soon as feasible,” the Pentagon said.

-ABC News’ Matt Seyler

Israeli forces targeting UNIFIL position ‘under examination,’ IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said an incident of an Israeli tank firing at a UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon is “under examination” when asked by ABC News.

“The Hezbollah terrorist organization has been devising and taking forward attacks against the State of Israel and IDF soldiers from terror infrastructure sites that have been built within and adjacent to UNIFIL posts for many years,” the IDF said in a statement when asked about the incident.

This is the first time the IDF has said Hezbollah infrastructure has been built “within and adjacent” to UNIFIL posts. In the same statement, the IDF said UNIFIL “infrastructure sites and forces are not a target.”

Israel’s attacks on UNIFIL sites in southern Lebanon have been widely condemned by the international community.

-ABC News’ Dorit Long

Netanyahu approves set of targets for Israel’s reprisal strike on Iran, Israeli source says

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved a set of targets for the planned Israeli reprisal strike on Iran, an Israeli source told ABC News.

Israel is planning to respond after Iran attacked Israel with more than 200 missiles on Oct. 1.

The source would not give more details on specific targets and would not comment on whether they are strictly Iranian military targets.

No timeline has been given for the strikes to be carried out.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Risk of cholera outbreak ‘very high’ in Lebanon after confirmed case: WHO

The risk of spread of cholera in Lebanon is “very high” after a case of the acute and potentially deadly diarrheal infection was detected in the country, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

“If the cholera outbreak … spreads to the new displaced people, it might spread very fast,” Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO representative in Lebanon, said in a press conference.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Netanyahu says Israel won’t accept ‘unilateral cease-fire’ in Lebanon

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is opposed to a “unilateral cease-fire” in Lebanon during a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

“The Prime Minister said in the conversation that he is opposed to a unilateral cease-fire, which does not change the security situation in Lebanon, and which will only return it to the way it was,” the statement said.

Netanyahu “made it clear” that Israel won’t accept a cease-fire deal in Lebanon “that would not prevent Hezbollah from reorganizing and rearming,” the statement said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Israel says it killed Hezbollah commander in strike on southern Lebanon

Israel said it killed Hezbollah commander Jalal Mustafa Hariri in a strike on southern Lebanon Wednesday. Hezbollah has not confirmed the death of the commander.

Three people were killed and 54 others were injured in a strike in the Qana and Nabatieh areas, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

-ABC News’ Dorit Long and Josiane Hajj Moussa

US announces more sanctions against Hezbollah, Syrian regime

The U.S. has announced another round of sanctions targeting several individuals and companies it accuses of generating funds for Hezbollah’s operations by helping the terror group evade existing financial restrictions.

The Biden administration also announced sanctions against three individuals allegedly involved in the production and trafficking of captagon, a synthetic amphetamine-type stimulant that it says “harms communities and countries across the region and beyond and is a source of funding for the Syrian regime and its backers,” which include Hezbollah.

“The United States is steadfast in our commitment to disrupt Hizballah’s access to the international financial system and its various methods of generating revenue, which the Iran-backed group uses to fund its violence. We will also continue to target the illicit captagon trade in the region, which has become an illicit billion-dollar enterprise operated in part by senior members of the Syrian regime,” the administration said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston

At least 6 killed in strike on Lebanese town headquarters

At least six people were killed and 43 injured in an Israeli strike on Nabatieh, Lebanon, which hit the town’s municipal headquarters during a meeting, according to Lebanese Minister of the Interior Bassam Mawlawi. The city’s mayor was among those killed.

“⁠The targeting of the municipality building in Nabatieh occurred during the coordination of relief work and the preparation of aid for distribution to the residents in the cities and villages of the region who are steadfast in the face of the war they are being subjected to and against Lebanon,” Mawlawi said in a statement.

Local mayor killed in Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon

At least six people were killed and 43 injured in an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on Wednesday — including the city’s mayor — according to Lebanese health officials.

The strike hit the town’s municipal headquarters and came as officials met to coordinate relief efforts, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said.

“⁠The targeting of the municipality building in Nabatieh occurred during the coordination of relief work and the preparation of aid for distribution to the residents in the cities and villages of the region who are steadfast in the face of the war they are being subjected to and against Lebanon,” Mawlawi said in a statement.

Search and rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors under the rubble of the two buildings targeted in the strike.

-ABC News’ Nasser Atta and Guy Davies

Aid trucks enter Gaza, Israeli authorities say

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories organization said more than 145 aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday and 50 on Wednesday, amid allegations that Israel has failed to facilitate humanitarian relief in the northern part of the strip.

COGAT said that four bakeries are operational in northern Gaza, though it is unclear whether humanitarian organizations have been able to distribute any aid into the north.

Dozens of aid organizations published a joint statement Wednesday saying no aid has been allowed into northern Gaza since Oct. 1.

-ABC News’ Nasser Atta, Diaa Ostaz, Jordana Miller and Guy Davies

Aid organizations condemn ‘horrifying level of atrocity’ in Gaza

Thirty-eight NGOs signed a new appeal to the international community to stop Israel’s latest military operation in northern Gaza, which they said has “escalated to a horrifying level of atrocity.”

“Northern Gaza is being wiped off the map,” the organizations said, describing the Israel Defense Forces’ order for civilians to leave the northern part of the territory as “forced displacement under gunfire.”

Around 400,000 people are estimated to be subject to the north Gaza evacuation order. Hospitals — already “overwhelmed” according to the NGOs — and their staff are also being ordered to evacuate, with the IDF declaring the area a dangerous combat zone.

Israeli officials have denied they are implementing the so-called “Generals’ Plan,” a proposal by retired Israeli military leaders to put north Gaza under siege and declare anyone who does not evacuate to be a valid military target.

“The world cannot continue to stand by as the Israeli government commits these atrocities,” the NGOs wrote. “We demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to Israel’s illegal occupation.”

-ABC News’ Guy Davies

IDF claims killing of Hamas drone commander in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday it killed a Hamas drone commander in an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip.

The IDF said Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was Hamas’ UAV commander in the northern part of the territory.

The IDF said on social media that Mabhouh was responsible for launching unmanned aircraft towards Israel and against Israeli forces.

Israel resumes Beirut airstrikes

Israel launched its first airstrike on Beirut in nearly a week early on Wednesday.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed a strike “on strategic weapons belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization” in the capital’s southern Dahiya suburb. It was the first such attack in the capital since a strike killed 22 people on Oct. 10.

“These weapons were stockpiled by Hezbollah in an underground storage facility in the area of Dahiya, a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold in Beirut,” the IDF wrote on X.

The strike came shortly after a new evacuation order issued online by IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee for residents of the Haret Hreik area of southern Beirut.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Hezbollah has the right to ‘target any point’ within Israel, acting leader says

Hezbollah’s acting leader Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Hezbollah has the “right to target any point within the enemy’s entity” in a prerecorded video address released Tuesday.

“The occupation seeks to destroy and eliminate everything that stands in its way, but the resistance is prepared to confront it and establish a new equation based on inflicting pain on the enemy,” Qassem said. “We have the right to target any point within the enemy’s entity, and we will choose the appropriate time and place to do so.”

Delta pauses JFK-Tel Aviv flights through March 31

Delta will pause flights between New York’s JFK International Airport and Tel Aviv through March 31 due to “ongoing conflict in the region,” the airline said Tuesday.

Travel waivers will be issued to customers impacted by the change, the airline said.

“As always, the safety of customers and crew remains paramount,” Delta said. “Customers should be prepared for possible adjustments to Delta’s TLV flight schedule, including additional cancellations on a rolling basis.”

UK issues sanctions in response to continued violence in the West Bank

The United Kingdom announced sanctions against Israeli settler outposts and four organizations in response to “continued violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank,” Tuesday, according to a release from the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The sanctions target outposts and organizations “that have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank,” the U.K. said in a statement.

“When I went to the West Bank earlier this year, on one of my first trips as Foreign Secretary, I met with Palestinians whose communities have suffered horrific violence at the hands of Israeli settlers. The inaction of the Israeli government has allowed an environment of impunity to flourish where settler violence has been allowed to increase unchecked. Settlers have shockingly even targeted schools and families with young children,” U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.

“Today’s measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights. The Israeli government must crack down on settler violence and stop settler expansion on Palestinian land. As long as violent extremists remain unaccountable, the UK and the international community will continue to act,” Lammy said.

Gazan soccer player killed alongside 9 family members

Emad Abu Tai’ma, a 20-year-old Gazan soccer player, was killed alongside nine members of his family, after a strike hit a house in Bani Sahalia where the family was sheltering early Tuesday morning, according to local health officials.

It took rescuers over two hours to free Abu Tai’ma’s body from the rubble, a Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson told ABC News.

Abu Tai’ma was a soccer player for the Khan Yunis-Tokyo Union for about a year before he was killed, his friend, 19-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Muzain, told ABC News.

“We studied together in one of the Bani Suhaila schools east of Khan Younis. Imad was a smart student, and he was a famous player even in school. I have not seen him for eight months due to the repeated and continuous displacement. I feel very sad for his loss. He was displaced in a house belonging to the Baraka family, and he is a civilian,” Al-Muzain said.

The Palestinian Football Association confirmed Emad’s death and reflected on his soccer career playing for Ittihad Khan Yunis Club and the Palestinian national soccer team.

“With the passing of Abu Taima, the number of martyrs of the Palestinian sports and scouting movement, as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression since October 7, has risen to 455 martyrs, including 314 in football (87 children, 227 young men), in addition to 90 martyrs from the Olympic sports federations, and 50 martyrs from the scouting movement. The occupation forces also destroyed 57 sports facilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” the association said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Dia Ostaaz

At least 29 killed in northern Israel amid fighting with Hezbollah

At least 29 civilians were killed in northern Israel amid fighting with Hezbollah, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office.

Twenty-nine Israeli soldiers were also killed in the north, according to the prime minister’s office.

Attacks on hospitals, health workers jeopardize health care in Lebanon, WHO warns

Nearly half of the health care centers and dispensaries in conflict-affected areas in Lebanon are now closed, jeopardizing access to health care, according to the World Health Organization

“Increasing conflict, intense bombardment and insecurity are forcing a growing number of health facilities to shut down, particularly in the south,” the WHO said in a statement Tuesday. “Hospitals have had to close or evacuate due to structural damage or their proximity to areas of intense bombardment.”

The World Health Organization said it has verified 23 attacks on health care in Lebanon, killing 72 and injuring 43 health workers and patients since the escalation of hostilities on Sept. 17.

Fifteen incidents impacted health facilities and 14 impacted health transport, according to WHO.

Northern Gaza cut off from food aid, health systems have ‘all but collapsed,’ aid groups warn

Escalating violence in northern Gaza is having “a disastrous impact on food security for thousands of Palestinian families,” the United Nations World Food Programme warned on Tuesday as aid groups issue sharp warnings.

“The north is basically cut off and we’re not able to operate there,” Antoine Renard, WFP country director for Palestine, said in the release. “WFP has been on the ground since the onset of the crisis. We are committed to delivering life-saving food every day despite the mounting challenges, but without safe and sustained access, it is virtually impossible to reach the people in need.”

Over 90,000 children in Gaza vaccinated in second round of polio vaccine campaign

Over 92,800 children in Gaza were vaccinated on Monday, the first day of the second phase of the polio vaccine campaign, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Tuesday.

“Despite the incredibly complex situation in Gaza, the second phase of Gaza’s polio vaccination campaign began smoothly yesterday, reaching over 92,800 children with polio vaccines and administering Vitamin A to more than 76,000 children between the ages of 2 and 10,” UNICEF said in a statement Tuesday.

“This campaign is crucial not only for preventing the resurgence of polio but also for safeguarding the long-term health of Gaza’s children, who are already facing huge vulnerability due to ongoing conflict, restricted access to healthcare, and malnutrition. Each dose of the vaccine is a lifeline, in an environment where every safeguard counts,” UNICEF said.

The health systems in northern Gaza have “all but collapsed,” United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said.

Lazzarini said they are “unable to reach” UNRWA teams in northern Gaza “due to telecommunications cuts.”

The Israel Defense Forces said they are assisting patients, personnel and hospital staff from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza “to other functioning hospitals in Gaza,” in a statement Tuesday. An Israeli agency that manages logistics inside of Gaza, including the flow of aid into Gaza, is leading the transfer of patients and staff, the IDF said.

Three hospitals in northern Gaza are inside of the zone where Israeli forces have asked people to evacuate.

The IDF also acknowledged they have been operating “in the Jabalia area” in northern Gaza for “over a week,” in a statement Tuesday. The IDF claims they conducted “targeted raids on dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites in the area, eliminated dozens of terrorists, and confiscated numerous weapons,” in the Jabaliya area during operations there, the statement said.

-ABC News’ Sami Zyara, Diaa Ostaz and Jordana Miller

 

US sends letter to Israel demanding it improve humanitarian situation in Gaza

U.S. officials sent a letter to Israeli officials demanding that Israel take steps within 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, or Israel will face consequences with a potential change in U.S. policy, two Israeli sources confirmed to ABC News.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin sent a letter to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant Monday focusing on increasing the supply of humanitarian aid into Gaza by the beginning of winter, facilitating the aid delivery route through Jordan and ending the “isolation” of northern Gaza.

“Failure to demonstrate a sustained commitment to implementing and maintaining these measures may have implications for US policy under NSM-20 and relevant US law,” the letter stated.

The National Security Memorandum, or NSM-20, states the secretaries of State and Defense are “responsible for ensuring that all transfers of defense articles and defense services” by the departments under “any security cooperation or security assistance authorities are conducted in a manner consistent with all applicable international and domestic law and policy, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” according to the law.

Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed Austin and Blinken sent a letter to their Israeli counterparts over humanitarian conditions in Gaza, but refused to give additional details.

“I can confirm that Secretary Austin with Secretary Blinken, they co-signed a letter that went to their Israeli counterparts. This was personal, private correspondence, so I’m not going to get into more specifics of it, other than it was expressing concern about the humanitarian conditions in Gaza,” Singh said on Tuesday.

The letter was first reported by Israeli media and Axios reporter Barak Ravid.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Dorit Long and Matt Seyler

25% of Lebanon under Israeli evacuation orders, UN says

Over 25% of Lebanon is now under Israeli evacuation orders as Israeli airstrikes continue to increase the number of areas impacted, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

“We have over 25% of the country under a direct Israeli military evacuation order. Just yesterday, we had another 20 villages issued with an evacuation order in the south of the country,” Rema Imseis, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees director for the Middle East, said Tuesday.

“In a country of that size, which is relatively small, and a population that’s estimated around 5 million people, you can imagine how dramatic it is that over 1 million people are now without shelter and on the move … being forced to flee their homes in search of safety,” Imseis said.

-ABC News’ Guy Davies

‘Impossible’ to separate conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza, Hezbollah leader says

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said it is “impossible to separate Lebanon’s front from Palestine,” in a recorded video address released on Tuesday.

There had been speculation over whether Hezbollah would be open to a cease-fire agreement that didn’t include Gaza.

Israeli officials have asserted that the aim in Lebanon is to return Israelis home to the north and separate the war in the north from the war in Gaza.

-ABC News’ Guy Davies

US troops arrive in Israel to support THAAD deployment

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Tuesday that American troops are already in Israel to support the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to the country.

“An advance team of U.S. military personnel and initial components” required to operate the system arrived in Israel on Monday, Ryder said.

“Over the coming days, additional U.S. military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive in Israel,” he added.

“The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines,” Ryder said.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

10 members of 1 family killed in Khan Younis strike

Ten members of the same family were killed in an airstrike in southern Gaza early on Tuesday, a health ministry official told ABC News.

The strike hit a house in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, at 12:30 a.m. local time Tuesday morning, local health officials said.

Ten members of the Abu Tai’ma family were killed, including three children aged 7, 8 and 11, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry told ABC News.

The Israel Defense Forces is yet to comment on the strike.

-ABC News’ Dia Ostaaz and Guy Davies

Israeli police officer killed in shooting attack

The Israel Police said in a statement Tuesday that an officer was killed in a shooting attack near the southern city of Ashdod.

The attacker shot the officer and then “continued on a shooting spree and wounded four more civilians,” police said. The attacker was then “neutralized by a civilian,” police said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Netanyahu listening to US ‘opinions’ in Iran attack planning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday “our national interests” will be the prime consideration in Israel’s response to Iran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack.

Netanyahu was responding to a Washington Post report suggesting he had assured the U.S. that Israel would target Iranian military — and not nuclear or oil infrastructure — targets in its planned retaliation for Tehran’s recent missile barrage.

“We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interests,” the prime minister’s office said in a post on X.

Iran accuses Israel, US of ‘psychological operation’

Iran’s mission to the United Nations has denied “any role in the planning, decision-making, or execution” of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel, as Tehran braces for an expected Israeli response to its Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack.

In a statement posted to social media, the mission said Iran’s assistance to the “Resistance Front” — which includes forces like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen — is “a matter of common knowledge and an obvious fact.”

“However, dragging Iran or Hezbollah into the Oct. 7 operation represents a fabricated conclusion and a cynical attempt to mislead public opinion — all aimed at covering up the Israeli regime’s major intelligence failure in relation to Hamas,” the mission said.

The mission accused “certain American media outlets” of having “morphed into tools for disseminating this psychological operation.”

Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8 in support of Hamas. The group has vowed to continue its attacks until Israeli forces conclude a cease-fire in Gaza and withdraw from the devastated Palestinian territory.

Israel targeting civilian infrastructure in north Gaza, UNRWA chief says

Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said Tuesday that “two long weeks” of Israeli military operations have “all but collapsed” the health system in northern Gaza.

“Hundreds of Palestinians are reported killed, among them children,” Lazzarini wrote on X. “More than 400,000 people continue to be trapped in the area.”

“We are not able to reach our teams due to telecommunications cuts,” he added. “The U.N. has not been allowed to provide any assistance, including food” since Sept. 30, he said. “The two crossing points into northern Gaza have been closed since.”

The Israel Defense Forces is pressing its operation in north Gaza around the Jabalia refugee camp, which the Palestinian Civil Defense said has been put under “complete siege.” The IDF said Tuesday it had “eliminated dozens of terrorists over the past day” there with the assistance of airstrikes.

Lazzarini said the camp is the worst affected part of northern Gaza. Around 50,000 people have fled, while basic UNRWA services have been interrupted or forced to halt, he added.

“Such attacks, the sabotage of civilian infrastructure and the deliberate denial of critical assistance continue to be used as a tactic by the Israeli authorities to force people to flee,” he said.

“Civilians are given no choice but to either leave or starve.”

“In Gaza, too many red lines have been crossed,” Lazzarini said. “What might constitute war crimes can still be prevented.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

IDF claims 230 strikes in Lebanon, Gaza in 24 hours

The Israel Defense Forces said in a Tuesday statement it struck “over 230 terrorist targets throughout the past day” as it continues its operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

The force claimed to have “eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat” and airstrikes in southern Lebanon, along with the dismantling of “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure” and the discovery of “vast quantities of weaponry.”

In north Gaza, the IDF continued its intense operation around the Jabalia refugee camp. The Palestinian Civil Defense said the area has been put under “complete siege.”

The IDF said its forces “have eliminated dozens of terrorists over the past day” with the assistance of airstrikes.

Fighting is also ongoing in the south of the strip. There, “troops eliminated multiple terrorists and dismantled terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

100 US soldiers will go to Israel with THAAD deployment

On Monday, U.S. Army leaders said the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel will include approximately 100 soldiers to operate it.

“The THAAD deployment is going to have about 100 soldiers who will go over to Israel,” Christine Wormuth, the secretary of the U.S. Army said at the Army’s annual AUSA conference.

Wormuth did not provide operational or timing details about the deployment of the THAAD system or its deployment for security and force protection reasons.

“I think we should view this THAAD deployment as for what it is, which is another visible statement of our commitment to the security of Israel as it deals with everything that’s coming at it from Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” said Wormuth.

A U.S. official told ABC News that discussions about deploying the THADD system to Israel in order to shore up its defenses against ballistic missile barrages have been underway for months.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Shannon Kingston

Northern Gaza still waiting for food supplies, group says

Thirty trucks carrying flour and food entered Gaza on Monday, according to Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli agency that oversees logistical coordination within the Gaza Strip.

This aid was meant for northern Gaza, COGAT said. However, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme told ABC News it has not yet reached the people there.

“Israel is not denying the entry of humanitarian aid, with an emphasis on food, into the Gaza Strip,” COGAT said in response to an inquiry from ABC News.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Guy Davies

IDF claims it killed head of Hamas Aerial unit

Samer Abu Daqqa, the head of Hamas’ Aerial Unit, has been killed, the Israel Defense Forces claimed in a statement Monday.

Abu Daqqa was killed during an Israeli airstrike in September, the IDF said, but did not say where the attack took place.

— ABC News’ David Brenna and Julia Reinstein 

54 killed, 258 wounded in Lebanon in past 24 hours

In the past 24 hours, 54 people have been killed and 258 have been wounded in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

The total number of casualties since Israel’s increased attacks on Lebanon in mid-September is now 2,309 people killed and 10,782 people injured, the ministry said.

A situational report from the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office on Monday said 200 airstrikes and shellings were recorded in various parts of Lebanon over the past 48 hours.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a release Monday that they found an underground compound in southern Lebanon stocked with “weapons, ammunition and motorcycles ready to be used in an invasion into Israel.”

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Jordana Miller

Netanyahu: ‘We will continue to hit Hezbollah mercilessly in all parts of Lebanon’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “will continue to hit Hezbollah mercilessly in all parts of Lebanon” while visiting the Golani camp, which was hit by a Hezbollah drone Sunday evening, killing four IDF soldiers and injuring dozens.

“I want to make it clear: We will continue to hit Hezbollah mercilessly in all parts of Lebanon — also in Beirut, all according to operational considerations. We have proven this in recent times, and we will continue to prove it in the coming days as well,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu extended his condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and said he would visit the injured later on Monday.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Doctors Without Borders staffer killed in northern Gaza

A Doctors Without Borders staffer has been killed in northern Gaza, the organization announced Monday.

Nasser Hamdi Abdelatif Al Shalfouh, 31, was struck by shrapnel Tuesday and died of injuries to his legs and chest two days later, according to the organization.

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In a statement, Doctors Without Borders condemned Israeli forces for having “systematically dismantled the health system in Gaza, impeding access to life-saving care for people.”

“He was unable to receive the necessary level of care due to the hospital’s lack of capacity and an overwhelming number of patients in the facility,” the organization said of Al Shalfouh.

Al Shalfouh joined Doctors Without Borders as a driver in March 2023, but had not been able to work for them recently as operations have been impacted by the war, the group said.

He is the seventh Doctors Without Borders staffer to be killed in Gaza since the war began, the organization added.

“We are horrified by the killing of our colleague which we strongly condemn and call yet again for the respect and protection of civilians,” the NGO said. “In this tragic moment, our thoughts are with his family and all colleagues mourning his death.”

Americans in Lebanon should ‘depart now,’ embassy says

American citizens in Lebanon “are strongly encouraged to depart now,” the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said in a new alert Monday.

The embassy has been urging Americans to depart Lebanon via commercial flights in recent weeks. Monday’s warning was the starkest yet.

The embassy noted it had helped add thousands of extra seats to commercial flights to help Americans leave amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

“Much of this capacity has gone unused,” Monday’s alert said. “Please understand that these additional flights will not continue indefinitely.”

“U.S. citizens who choose not to depart at this time should prepare contingency plans should the situation deteriorate further,” the embassy said.

“These alternative plans should not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation,” the notice read.

The embassy has been warning citizens not to travel to Lebanon since July.

Airstrike kills 18 in north Lebanon, Red Cross says

Eighteen people were killed and four wounded in an airstrike in the town of Aitou in northern Lebanon on Monday, the Lebanese Red Cross wrote on X.Seven Red Cross teams were dispatched to the area in the Zgharta district, the organization said. “Our teams are working to provide first aid and evacuate the wounded,” it added.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Guy Davies

Hezbollah launches dozens of cross-border attacks, marking daily record

Hezbollah issued 38 statements claiming cross-border attacks into Israel on Sunday — the highest tally since renewed fighting began on Oct. 8, 2023, per ABC News’ count.

The attacks included the drone strike on an Israel Defense Forces training base in northern Israel, which killed four soldiers and injured 55.

Hezbollah has expanded its attacks into Israel despite the IDF’s monthslong campaign of targeted killings of top commanders and airstrikes on Hezbollah military facilities and weapons caches.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Guy Davies

IDF claims killing of Hezbollah anti-tank commander

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it killed a Hezbollah commander responsible for anti-tank missile forces.

The IDF said in a statement posted to social media that Muhammad Kamal Naim was killed in an airstrike in the Nabatieh region of southern Lebanon.

Naim, it said, was responsible for the elite Radwan Force’s anti-tank weapons.

Naim “was responsible for planning and carrying out many terrorist plots, including firing anti-tank missiles at the Israeli rear,” the IDF wrote.

Israel kills 20 in strike on UNRWA school, health ministry says

At least 20 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East school-turned-shelter in central Gaza, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said.

The school was being used to shelter displaced people in Nuseirat camp, health authorities said. It was bombed on Sunday.

The school was earmarked for use in the planned second round of the Gaza polio vaccination campaign, which was due to begin on Monday.

-ABC News Diaa Ostaz and Guy Davies

10 killed amid ‘total siege’ in northern Gaza

Ten people were killed in shelling at an aid distribution center in the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza on Monday morning, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the strip.

The area has been the focus of intense recent Israeli military activity, with the Israel Defense Forces reporting fierce fighting with Hamas militants there.

The IDF has ordered residents of northern Gaza — of whom there are an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 — to leave the region, which it has classified as a military zone.

Hamas is urging residents to stay, suggesting Israel will not allow those who leave to return.

Gaza’s Civil Defense said there was a “complete siege” of Jabalia. Aid agencies have said that no food has been allowed to enter the north of Gaza since Oct. 1.

-ABC News’ Nasser Atta and Guy Davies

 

Israel to probe deadly drone attack on troops, Gallant says

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the scene of a deadly Hezbollah drone strike in northern Israel on Monday, telling soldiers there the incident “was a difficult event with painful results.”

Four troops were killed and 55 wounded in Sunday’s attack on the Golani Training Base close to the town of Binyamina, some 20 miles south of Haifa.

“We must investigate it, study the details and implement lessons in a swift and professional manner,” Gallant said, according to a Defense Ministry readout.

“We are concentrating significant efforts in developing solutions to address the threat of UAV attacks,” he added

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

IDF claims 200 strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday its warplanes targeted around 200 “Hezbollah terror targets” in its continuing operation against the Iranian-backed group in southern Lebanon.

The targets included “launchers, anti-tank missile launch posts, terrorist infrastructure and weapons storage facilities containing launchers, anti-tank missiles, RPG launchers and munitions,” the IDF wrote on X.

Ground forces, meanwhile, “eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters encounters and aerial strikes” in their ongoing cross-border incursion, the force reported.

The IDF is still describing its ground operation as consisting of “limited, localized, targeted raids” in southern areas close to the border.

Airstrikes, though, continue across southern Lebanon. Around a quarter of all Lebanese territory is under IDF evacuation orders and some 1.2 million civilians are displaced, according to the government in Beirut.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Hezbollah drone attack on IDF base ‘painful,’ commander says

The Israel Defense Forces identified the four soldiers killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on a training base in the north of the country on Sunday.

Sgt. Omri Tamari, Sgt. Yosef Hieb, Sgt. Yoav Agmon and Sgt. Amitay Alon were killed, an IDF press release said. The strike occurred at the Golani Training Base close to the town of Binyamina, some 20 miles south of Haifa.

Around 55 more are reported to have been injured.

IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi addressed Golani Brigade troops on Sunday night following the attack.

“We are at war, and an attack on a training base in the rear is difficult and the results are painful,” the commander said according to a post on the IDF’s official Telegram channel.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Israel strike on Gaza hospital kills 4, wounds dozens

At least four people were killed and 40 others wounded Monday in an Israeli airstrike on tents housing displaced Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa Hospital in the central Gaza’s city of Deir al-Balah, health officials said.

The Israeli military said it targeted militants operating from a command center inside the compound. Israel accuses Hamas of routine use of civilian facilities such as hospitals for military purposes — a charge Hamas denies.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Defense Secretary Austin discusses safety of UNIFIL forces with Israel’s Gallant

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant by phone on Sunday to express his condolences for the IDF soldiers killed in a Hezbollah drone attack and discuss the IDF’s military operations in Lebanon.

According to a readout of the call from the Pentagon, Austin, “reinforced the importance of Israel taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and Lebanese Armed Forces, and the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway to provide security for civilians on both sides of the border as soon as feasible.”

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon established by the U.N. Security Council.

The conversation comes after the IDF has repeatedly fired on the UNIFIL headquarters in southern Lebanon.

Additionally, Secretary Austin “reaffirmed the deep U.S. commitment to Israel’s security,” which he says is demonstrated by the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

According to the Department of Defense, THAAD employs interceptor missiles, using “hit-to-kill” technology, to destroy threat missiles.

During the call, Austin “again raised concern for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken soon to address it,” the Pentagon said.

At least 3 killed in IDF strike on Gaza hospital

At least three people were killed and dozens more were injured after Israel Defense Forces struck Al Aqsa Hospital in Gaza on Sunday.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

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