Kyiv says Russian ICBM strikes Ukraine, but US officials describe missile as shorter-range IRBM

(NEW YORK) — The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it’s happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heatwaves are reshaping our way of life.

The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future.

That’s why the ABC News Climate and Weather Unit is cutting through the noise by curating what you need to know to keep the people and places you care about safe. We are dedicated to providing clarity amid the chaos, giving you the facts and insights necessary to navigate the climate realities of today — and tomorrow.

Compost your pumpkin and do a gourd thing for the planet

From carving jack-o-lanterns to baking pies, pumpkins are a staple of fall festivities and Halloween. According to the USDA, American farmers produced more than 1.6 billion pounds of pumpkins last year.

But what happens to all those pumpkins after the trick-or-treating and hayrides are done? The ones that aren’t turned into food end up at a local landfill and decompose into methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is contributing to climate change.

In the U.S., food is the most common material sent to landfills, making up 24% of municipal solid waste. The EPA estimates that food waste, including pumpkins, is responsible for 58% of fugitive methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills.

There are alternatives, however, to throwing out your pumpkins and other organic decorations like hay, cornstalks and leaves. But before you get started, make sure these materials are free of paint, coating and any nonorganic compounds. Those should be discarded in the trash.

Composting is an excellent option if your pumpkin doesn’t have any of those alterations. This can be done in your backyard or at a local community-based composting program. Just make sure you remove the seeds or your compost could turn into a pumpkin patch. To speed up the composting process, you can break your pumpkin into little pieces before spreading it into your garden. Unlike landfills that trap waste, bacteria in your backyard release very little methane when they break down organic material.

If you don’t want to compost it at home, look for local events and nonprofits, like Pumpkins for the People, that collect used pumpkins for farms and community composting. Some zoos and local farms also accept pumpkins and use them to feed their animals.

Besides composting, you can also chop up your pumpkin and leave it out for local wildlife to enjoy. The Nature Conservancy says that many animals, from squirrels to porcupines, enjoy feasting on this fall treat. But you should ask for permission before leaving it at a park or a managed open space like a state or national park, as some discourage this practice.

You could turn your pumpkin into a temporary bird feeder and leave the pumpkin seeds for birds completing their migration journey. You can also plant the pumpkin seeds. According to the National Wildlife Federation, the blooming flowers of the pumpkin plant provide a great source of nectar for certain bee species and insects.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

What caused the extreme flooding in Spain that killed more than 90 people?

The weather phenomenon responsible for the extreme rainfall and flooding in Valencia, Spain, isn’t rare or even uncommon. It was also well forecasted in the days leading up to the storm.

The Mediterranean region, including parts of eastern Spain, is frequently affected by heavy rainfall and significant flash flooding events. This recent disaster saw a year’s worth of rainfall in just eight hours. In September 2019, the same region saw 12 to 18 inches of rain in 48 hours.

What’s responsible for these events is a weather system known as a cut-off low. This happens when a low-pressure area is separated from the primary airflow.

Cut-off lows are common and can happen at any time of the year, anywhere in the world. When there is an extended stretch of cloudy, damp, and dreary weather, this is often related to a cut-off low.

However, the slow-moving nature of a cut-off low can set the stage for devastating extreme rainfall events when it interacts with other favorable factors, like the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea and nearby mountains. Because it is slow-moving, it can quickly pound areas with relentless rounds of heavy rain, resulting in significant flooding.

In Spain, these weather events are often called a “gota fría,” which translates to “cold drop.” But that term doesn’t tell the whole story. What happened in Valencia wasn’t caused by a sudden cold blast sweeping across the region but by the unique characteristics of a cut-off low.

That’s not to say that cold air in the atmosphere doesn’t play a role in enhancing the precipitation. It does bring more frequent rounds of heavy rain. As the system pushes the colder air over the very warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, it helps trigger and enhance areas of heavy rain.

Because the low-pressure system moves very slowly, it keeps sending waves of heavy rain over the same areas for an extended period, bringing extreme rainfall totals and catastrophic flash flooding.

The nearby mountains also likely enhanced the precipitation and impacts. Plus, the infrastructure in the Valencia region, like many municipalities, isn’t built to handle this amount of rainfall. Add in all of those factors, and you get catastrophic flash flooding.

What role, if any, does climate change play in these extreme weather events?

Climate attribution science will look at how much worse the rain was because of human-caused emissions, but we know that human-amplified climate change is supercharging the water cycle, bringing heavier rainfall and related flood risks. More intense extreme rainfall events increase the frequency and scale of flash flooding as the influx of water is more than the infrastructure of many municipalities was built to handle.

According to the U.S. Government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment, human-amplified climate change is contributing to increases in the frequency and intensity of the heaviest precipitation events. So, in a way, we are all making it rain more.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Reducing food waste is good for your budget and the planet

We waste a lot of food. According to the U.N., over a billion tons of it are wasted each year globally, most of it from households. Not only does wasting all this food cost the average American family $1,200 a year, but it’s a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA says food waste in the U.S. is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of more than 50 million passenger cars and is responsible for 58% of methane emissions from municipal landfills.

Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas because it traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. The U.N. Environment Programme says methane is “responsible for more than 35 percent of the global warming we are experiencing today.”

How does our food waste become methane?

Landfills act like big diaper linings on the ground, so nothing we throw away decomposes into the soil. There’s a barrier preventing it. Our food waste gets sandwiched between all the plastic, metal and non-organic trash, and without oxygen, it mummifies and releases methane. So, every time we throw away leftover food, we create methane and speed up climate change.

There are, however, ways to curb food waste at home. Composting can turn leftovers into fertilizer for your plants and homegrown produce. If you don’t have a garden, you can use a product like the Mill Kitchen Bin to turn your food waste into clean, dry grounds that don’t smell. Those grounds can then be used as part of the composting process at home or given to a local community garden or farm.

The Too Good To Go app is another way of keeping food out of landfills. The service allows people to purchase surprise bags of surplus food from nearby restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores, preventing perfectly edible items from being thrown away. The bags, priced between $5 and $10, are packed with various items that are still good to eat but would have been thrown away.

Understanding food labels can also significantly reduce your waste. The often confusing terms “use by,” “best by,” and “expiration dates” sound similar but mean different things.

A “use by date” is the last date recommended for eating a product while it’s still at its peak quality. After this date, the food might still be safe, but the quality may decline. For perishable items like dairy or meats, it’s often best to follow this date closely, but use your nose and eyes to help determine whether it’s still good.

“Best by” or “best before” dates are about the product’s quality, not safety. It indicates when the food will be at its best flavor or texture. After this date, the food is usually still safe to eat, but it might not taste as good or have the same texture. Often, you won’t even notice a difference.

“Expiration dates” are dates found on products where safety is a concern, like baby formula or certain medications. After this date, the product should not be consumed, as it may not be safe or effective.

-ABC News Chief Climate Correspondent Ginger Zee and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Greenhouse gas concentrations reach new record high in 2023

Our planet is facing another unfortunate climate milestone.

According to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), carbon dioxide concentrations have increased by more than 11% in just two decades, making 2023 a record for the amount of the greenhouse gas currently in our atmosphere.

The WMO says CO2 is now building up in the atmosphere faster than at any time in human existence. They say massive vegetation fires, which emit greenhouse gases, and El Niño, which can reduce our forests’ ability to absorb CO2 due to drought, contributed to the recent surge. However, the U.N. agency also points out, “The reason behind this decade-long significant increase in CO2 is historically large fossil fuel CO2 emissions in the 2010s and 2020s.”

The WMO began reporting on greenhouse gas emissions in 2006. That year, they found that atmospheric CO2 levels for 2004 were at 377.1 parts per million. Last year, they were recorded at 420 parts per million. That puts CO2 concentrations at 151% above the preindustrial era.

Methane, one of the worst greenhouse gases in terms of global warming, also reached a record level for atmospheric concentrations. It is now 265% higher than preindustrial readings at 1,934 parts per billion.

Because CO2 stays in the atmosphere for 300 to 1,000 years, according to NASA, the WMO is warning that these high levels of greenhouse gases “lock in future temperature increase” even if emissions are cut to net zero.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

October record heat made more likely because of climate change

It may be fall, but it feels a lot like summer in much of the country. That has some people wondering: Is climate change responsible for these record-high temperatures? With climate attribution science, we can now answer that question and determine when human-amplified climate change is responsible for extreme weather events and the significance of that impact.

Using advanced computer models, climate attribution science takes a real-world weather event, such as a record high-temperature day or a hurricane, and compares it to the world where human-caused, post-industrial greenhouse gas emissions don’t exist. By comparing what is actually happening with what would have happened without human intervention, science can estimate how likely or severe a weather event has become due to climate change.

Climate Central, a nonprofit climate research and communications organization, uses climate attribution science to provide real-time data that shows “how much climate change influences the temperature on a particular day.” The information is displayed on a global interactive map called the Climate Shift Index.

For example, the Index showed that human-amplified climate change made Sunday’s record high in Tucson, Arizona of 98 degrees at least three times more likely. The same was true for Waco, Texas, which broke a record with 92-degree heat, and Mobile, Alabama, which hit a record 90 degrees.

Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S., with children and adults over 65 being among the most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and death. And the average number of heat waves that major U.S. cities experience each year has doubled since the 1980s, according to the federal government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

How crops will fare with 45% of the US experiencing drought

The U.S. is experiencing the driest fall on record, which could potentially impact the quality of upcoming autumn harvests, experts told ABC News.

About 77% of the mainland U.S. is abnormally dry, and almost half of the country is experiencing drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The spatial pattern of the dry conditions varies widely across the continent, Josue Medellin-Azuara, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California Merced, told ABC News.

Improvement in the drought is not expected for most of the South, the Plains and parts of the Upper Midwest due to expected La Nina conditions this winter that would further reinforce the dryness, according to forecasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

However, a lot of the crops in these regions that harvest in the fall had good growing conditions throughout the summer and are in the process of being harvested, meaning overall output should not be heavily impacted, Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute and former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told ABC News.

Read more here.

EPA cancels toxic pesticide used in growing produce

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it’s canceling any product containing the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), also known as Dacthal.

According to the EPA, their decision is based on comprehensive scientific studies that indicate potential thyroid toxicity linked to DCPA. The agency says research suggests that exposure to this pesticide during pregnancy can lead to changes in thyroid hormone levels in unborn children. Studies cited by the EPA indicate that these hormonal changes could be associated with various health concerns, including low birth weight, impaired brain development and reduced IQ. That research suggests that these developmental challenges may also have long-term effects on motor skills.

DCPA is used in the industrial farming of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions. While pregnant women working in agriculture are most at risk, pesticides can travel into neighboring communities via the air and runoff, putting non-agricultural workers at risk as well.

In a press release, EPA’s assistant administrator for the office of chemical safety and pollution prevention, Michal Freedhoff, wrote, “With the final cancellation of DCPA, we’re taking a definitive step to protect pregnant women and their unborn babies. The science showing the potential for irreversible harm to unborn babies’ developing brains, in addition to other lifelong consequences from exposure, demands decisive action to remove this dangerous chemical from the marketplace,” Freedhoff added.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) — Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets of the capital Tbilisi on Monday evening to protest what the opposition said were fraudulent parliamentary elections handing victory to the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Opposition leaders — joined by President Salome Zourabichvili — gathered with the protesters hoping to spark a new round of mass demonstrations against GD akin to those that swept the capital in 2023 and 2024 in response to the government’s proposed foreign agent bill.

Russia looms large over the showdown. Moscow occupies 20% of Georgian territory, and officials in Moscow have threatened war if Georgia continues on its professed path to NATO and membership. GD, the Western-facing opposition says, is at best sympathetic to the Kremlin — and at worst in thrall to it.

Mamuka Khazaradze — the leader of the Strong Georgia coalition — told ABC News on Tuesday that his compatriots will not stand for the electoral “irregularities orchestrated through a Russian special operation and a clear pattern of systemic fraud.”

“Over the past twelve years, the government of the Georgian Dream has operated in service of Russian interests, resembling a Russian-style clan syndicate, and has established a system of manipulation and influence that undermines the integrity of our elections,” Khazaradze said.

“Georgia is not a nation that will tolerate such actions,” he added.

The official results published by the Central Election Commission said GD secured almost 54% of the vote, with the combined share of the four opposition parties just under 38%.

The CEC said GD will therefore take 89 seats in the 150-seat parliament — one less than it secured in the last election in 2020. The four pro-Western opposition parties combined will take 61 seats. The CEC said Khazaradze’s Strong Georgia coalition won 8.8% of the vote and 14 seats.

International election observers reported “frequent compromises in vote secrecy and several procedural inconsistencies, as well as reports of intimidation and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process.”

Leaders in Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Venezuela and China were quick to acknowledge the official results and congratulate GD. But the U.S., European Union and several individual Western states raised concerns about suspected electoral violations.

President Joe Biden said the contest was “marred by numerous recorded misuses of administrative resources as well as voter intimidation and coercion,” and called for a full and transparent investigation.

Bidzina Ivanishvili is GD’s billionaire founder, former prime minister and purported decision-maker behind the party. Ivanishvili is Georgia’s wealthiest person and made his fortune in post-Soviet Russia through an empire of metals plants, banks and real estate.

Ivanishvili and GD leaders like Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze framed the election as a choice between renewed war with Russia or peaceful co-existence. They repeatedly pointed to Ukraine as a cautionary tale for Georgians voting for pro-Western parties.

Opposition leaders see Moscow’s hand behind GD’s legislative agenda, particularly its 2023 and 2024 efforts to introduce legislation to curb foreign funding of media and civil society groups. Opponents dubbed it the “Russian law” given its similarities to a similar measure passed by Moscow in 2012.

“Ivanishvili and his government are governing this country in accordance with Russian directives; this assertion no longer requires extensive evidence — merely the existence of the Russian law suffices,” said Khazaradze, who also transitioned into politics after a successful business career.

Asked if there was concrete proof of Russian meddling, Khazaradze said “rigorous and qualified research” will be needed. “The substantial support of our international partners will be essential, as Russia is adept at obscuring its actions,” he added.

Khazaradze alleged that Russian influence operations have been ongoing in Georgia since long before Saturday’s vote.

“Over the past year, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service has been actively disseminating narratives that align with the primary messages of the Georgian Dream’s campaign regarding the war,” he said.

“They have employed the most disreputable Russian tactics, with campaign materials closely mirroring” the rhetoric of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Khazaradze said.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the recent election. “This has become standard for many countries, and, at the slightest thing, they immediately accuse Russia of interference,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said this week.

“There was no interference and the accusations are absolutely unfounded,” he added.

The opposition is now hoping to stoke major protests while gathering evidence of electoral fraud and appealing to Western partners for their backing.

“We have a strategy in place, and we do not intend to disclose this plan in advance to the oligarchs who have usurped power,” Khazaradze said of the opposition’s next steps.

Khazaradze said he was “confident” that foreign nations “will play a pivotal role.”

“We are engaged in intensive communication with the diplomatic corps and are collaborating with international organizations to investigate reported violations,” he added.

“The West must implement effective mechanisms to curtail Russian influence in Georgia, which may include sanctions against those responsible for undermining the electoral process,” Khazaradze said.

He added, “Ultimately, the West remains our reliable and trustworthy partner, and the Georgian people have the full support of both European and American allies.”

The protests against the foreign agent bill in 2023 and 2024 saw violent scenes in the streets surrounding the parliament building in central Tbilisi. On Monday, large numbers of riot police descended on the area.

Khazaradze said the opposition would not be silenced.

“While resistance is anticipated, I firmly believe that no amount of water cannons or rubber bullets can deter the will of the Georgian people,” he said. “It is in Ivanishvili’s best interest to acknowledge the reality that his time in Georgia has come to an end.”

“I remain hopeful in the resilience of the Georgian people and the hundreds of thousands of voters who stand with us,” he said. “I assure you that the world will bear witness to our determination.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Israeli troops are now active in southern Lebanon in what the Israel Defense Forces called “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” targeting Hezbollah positions.

Israel believes it has eliminated around 30 top Hezbollah leaders over the last several weeks, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, U.S. and Israeli officials said.

Here’s how the news is developing:

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.

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