Ukraine and Russia exchange air, sea drones in overnight strikes
omersukrugoksu/Getty Images
(LONDON) — Ukrainian and Russian authorities reported dueling drone attacks overnight into Thursday as an intense and bloody week of long-range strikes continued.
The Kyiv City Military Administration posted on Telegram early on Thursday to report “another sustained massive attack by Russian attack drones,” citing administration head Serhiy Popko.
The capital’s air raid sirens began sounding before midnight, and the threat lasted for more than nine hours, Popko said.
“Almost all the southern, northern, eastern, central and part of the western regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv, were under the threat of an air strike,” he said.
“All drones that threatened the capital were neutralized,” Popko said, noting no casualties or damage were reported in the capital.
The Ukrainian air force issued drone, bomb and missile warnings via its Telegram channel throughout the night and into Thursday morning, reporting one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 78 Shahed UAVs fired into the country.
Ukrainian defenses downed 60 attack UAVs, the air force said, with two drones returning back into Russian airspace and one into Belarusian. Fifteen were “lost” over Ukrainian territory, it added.
Strikes also continued close to the front. Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, noted explosions near the town of Nikpol, along the Dnieper River which forms part of the contact line with Russian forces. Among the weapons used were attack drones, Lysak said.
In Sumy — close to Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia — local authorities reported 37 explosions overnight, from a range of weapons including glide bombs and an FPV drone.
The Ukrainian General Staff on Thursday morning reported 14 missiles and 72 airstrikes in the previous 24 hours.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that its air defense teams intercepted one Vilkha rocket and two drones over the territory of the Belgorod region, three drones over the Kursk region and two more over the Bryansk region.
The ministry also said its forces destroyed two “unmanned boats” in the “north-eastern part of the Black Sea.”
Unconfirmed reports circulating on social media suggested a fire at the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a possible naval drone attack.
The overnight exchanges even expanded into Belarusian airspace, Minsk confirmed, reporting “a violation” of its state borders, “presumably by unmanned aerial vehicles.”
“A decision was made to destroy them,” the Defense Ministry wrote on Telegram. “Timely actions by the air defense forces on duty destroyed all the intruder targets. An investigation is being conducted into this incident.”
The ministry did not offer any information on who was responsible for the UAVs, nor confirm how many aircraft were downed.
(LONDON) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, is opening up about her health six months after announcing she had been diagnosed with cancer.
Kate, the wife of Prince William and a mom of three, said in a video message Monday that she is focused on staying “cancer free” and gradually returning to work after completing chemotherapy.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” Kate, 42, said in the video message shared by Kensington Palace. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
Kate went onto describe her cancer journey as “complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone,” adding of the perspective it’s given her, “This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.”
The video gives an intimate glimpse into Kate and her family, including William and their three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.
The footage, taken by photographer Will Warr in August in Norfolk, England, shows the Wales family playing outside, enjoying a picnic together and embracing in hugs and kisses.
In one clip, Kate, William and their three children are seen playing a card game with Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.
In other clips, William and Kate are seen walking and sitting together and embracing.
Kate announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing what the palace described as “planned abdominal surgery” in January.
She has not revealed publicly what type of cancer she faced, nor exact details of her treatment beyond that she was undergoing “preventative chemotherapy.”
In the newly-released video, Kate said she plans to take on a few additional public duties after remaining out of the public spotlight for most of the past year.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she said. “I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”
Since March, she has been seen only a few times publicly, including attending Trooping the Colour in June and watching the men’s singles final at Wimbledon in July alongside her daughter Charlotte.
Prior to attending Trooping the Colour in June, Kate shared a health update, saying she was “making good progress” while undergoing chemotherapy but was not “out of the woods yet.”
Kate said at the time that her treatment would continue “for a few more months.”
Kate’s absence from public duties came at the same time that her father-in-law, King Charles III, also faced a cancer diagnosis.
Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles was diagnosed with cancer, but did not specify the type of cancer, the stage of cancer or the type of treatment.
Charles also spent time away from public duties before returning to a modified schedule of public engagements in late April.
The king’s first public royal engagement since his own cancer diagnosis was a visit to a cancer treatment center in London.
(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.
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the southern village of Habbouch on September 23, 2024. (Photo by RABIH DAHER/AFP via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — The Israeli military expanded its Lebanon campaign with hundreds of airstrikes early on Monday, as the long-simmering border conflict with Hezbollah threatened to explode into a larger war.
Dozens of Israeli warplanes struck more than 300 targets in southern Lebanon on Monday morning, according to an Israel Defense Forces count posted to X.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 100 people were killed and more than 400 wounded in the ongoing strikes, among them women, children and medical personnel.
The attacks coincided with a warning by from IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari of more planned Israeli strikes against Hezbollah “terrorist infrastructure” in the border region and elsewhere.
“Shortly, the IDF will engage in extensive, precise strikes, against terror targets which have been embedded widely throughout Lebanon,” Hagari said early Monday.
“We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety.”
Hezbollah returned fire across the border with at least 25 projectiles, the IDF said, with alarms sounding across the region. Some munitions were intercepted and some fell in open areas, the force wrote on social media.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service reported one man injured by shrapnel in the Lower Galilee area and another lightly hurt while making his way to a shelter.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a social media post that Israel “will act with full force” to change the current situation in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Katz said, “has taken the people of Lebanon hostage, placing missiles and weapons in their homes and villages to threaten Israel’s civilians.”
“This is a clear war crime,” Katz said. “We will not accept this reality.”
“The people of Lebanon must evacuate any home turned into a Hezbollah outpost to avoid harm,” Katz continued. “We will not stop until the threat is removed from Israel’s citizens and the residents of the north return safely to their homes.”
Thousands of Lebanese cell phone users received a text message from the IDF on Monday, warning: “If you are in a building where Hezbollah weapons are located, stay away from the village until further notice.” Similar messages were issued over Lebanese radio.
The fresh Israeli warnings come after a weekend of intense cross-border fire, with rockets, missiles and drones launched into Israel by Hezbollah met with Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon.
Fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah has been constant since Oct. 8, when the Iranian-backed militant group began attacks into Israel in protest of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas. Hezbollah has said it will continue its attacks until Israeli forces withdraw from the Palestinian territory.
Tens of thousands of Israelis fled border regions under Hezbollah fire since the fighting began. Their return is a priority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
“We will take whatever action is necessary to restore security and to bring our people safe back to their homes,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.
Israeli leaders are also demanding that Hezbollah withdraw beyond the Litani River — some 18 miles north of the Israeli border — as stipulated in a 2006 United Nations Security Council resolution that sought to end the last major cross-border war.
“If the world does not withdraw Hezbollah north of Litani in accordance with Resolution 1701 — Israel will do so,” Katz said on Sunday.
The conflict intensified last week with Israel’s detonation of Hezbollah communication devices in Lebanon and Syria, which Nasrallah described as an “unprecedented blow” for the group.
Two consecutive days of explosions — which killed at least 37 people and wounded 2,931, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad — were followed by the killing of Hezbollah operations chief Ibrahim Aqil and 14 other members in a Beirut airstrike.
The bombing in the Hezbollah-aligned Dahiya suburb killed at least 45 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The dead included at least three children — aged 4, 6 and 10 — and seven women, the ministry said. Dozens more people were wounded.
Hezbollah leaders said they would continue their operations despite last week’s setbacks.
Deputy Secretary General Naim Qasem spoke at Aqil’s funeral in Beirut on Sunday, telling hundreds of mourners that the conflict has now entered “a new phase” which he called an “open-ended battle of reckoning”.
“Threats won’t stop us, and we don’t fear the most dangerous possibilities,” he continued. “We are ready to face all military scenarios.”
Israeli communities in the north of the country are braced for further escalation. The IDF issued new security guidance on Sunday closing schools and beaches in the region, while the Rambam Hospital in Haifa transferred patients to an underground facility.
This weekend, the State Department reissued its level 4 “do not travel” warning for Lebanon, noting “recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut.”
The Department’s July warning for American citizens to “depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available” is unchanged. “At this time, commercial flights are available, but at reduced capacity,” the advisory said.
“If the security situation worsens, commercial options to depart may become unavailable.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself and stressed the importance of achieving a diplomatic solution to return citizens to their homes in the north” in a Sunday phone call with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, per a Pentagon readout.
Austin also “emphasized his concern for the safety and security of U.S. citizens in the region,” the Pentagon said.
ABC News’ Dana Savir, Ghazi Balkiz and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
