Israel Gaza War Live Updates: Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu to address media soon as hopes grow for a ceasefire with Hezbollah

More than 100 UN member states called Tuesday for the protection of humanitarian aid workers, who are dying in record numbers in conflicts around the world.

Last year 280 of these workers died in 33 countries, according to the Aid Worker Security Database, which the United Nations uses as a reference. And this year is turning out to be even more deadly.

The ambassadors of 117 UN delegations issued a joint statement to honor humanitarian workers, saying "your work and your dedication is essential to save lives and to alleviate the suffering of millions of people around the world."

"We will repeat it as long as it is needed: Civilians, and those who assist them, must be respected and protected. They are not a target," said the Swiss ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl, speaking on behalf of all the signatories of the statement.

They represent a strong majority of the 193 UN member states, including all the members of the Security Council except Russia, with notable absences such as Israel and Sudan.

Earlier, the Swiss ambassador and several representatives of NGOs stood behind a row of 14 empty vintage chairs with large letters that read "War has limits."

Switzerland, the depository nation of the Geneva Conventions, gave the 75-year-old chairs to the Security Council in August of this year to mark the 75th anniversary of those seminal texts of international humanitarian law.

G7 foreign ministers said Tuesday they "will comply with our respective obligations" regarding the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Group of Seven industrialised nations brings together Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, host Italy and the United States.

"We reiterate our commitment to International Humanitarian Law and will comply with our respective obligations," the ministers said in a joint statement issued following two days of talks near Rome.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu last week, prompting outrage from Israel and its allies -- including the US, which is not a member of the ICC and has rejected its jurisdiction.

All of the other G7 countries are members of the ICC -- meaning they would have to arrest Netanyahu if he travelled there.

The ICC also issued warrants for Netanyahu's former defence minister and for Hamas's military chief Mohammed Deif, whom Israel claimed was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July. Hamas has not confirmed his death.

The G7 statement said the foreign ministers "underline that there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel".

"In exercising its right to defend itself, Israel must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including International Humanitarian Law," the statement said.

The Hague-based ICC says the warrants for Netanyahu and his former minister were "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024".

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Tuesday that efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon were "in the final stages", and that a deal could help end the Gaza conflict.

"We're not there yet, but I believe we are in the final stages," Blinken told reporters after a meeting near Rome with G7 counterparts, adding that "by de-escalating tensions in the region, it can also help us to end the conflict in Gaza".

He was speaking as Israel's security cabinet convened to discuss a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, as a flurry of air strikes hit central Beirut.

Blinken said that after months of "intensive diplomatic effort" with partners including France, working with Lebanon and Israel, he hoped to reach a conclusion "very soon".

"It will make a big difference in saving lives and livelihoods in Lebanon and in Israel. It will make a big difference in creating the conditions that will allow people to return to their home safely in northern Israel and in southern Lebanon," he said.

"And I also believe that by de-escalating tensions in the region, it can also help us to end the conflict in Gaza in particular."

"Hamas will know that it can't count on other fronts opening up in the war. So we're tracking this very closely, and I hope and believe that we can get this over the finish line."

The G7 -- Britain, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, Italy and the United States -- had also discussed aims to end the Gaza war, Blinken said.

Israel's military said Tuesday at least 20 projectiles had been identified crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel, as the security cabinet met to discuss a potential ceasefire with Hezbollah.

"Following the sirens that sounded between 17:26 (1526 GMT) and 17:35 in the Western Galilee area, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon," the army said in a statement, adding that some were intercepted.

It also said that in a separate incident, a "suspicious aerial target was identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory", but that no injuries were reported.

Earlier, the military said it had identified another 10 projectiles crossing into Israeli territory, including five that were intercepted over the coastal city of Haifa.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meeting key ministers in his security cabinet to discuss the terms of a US-French mediated ceasefire deal.

Israel ramped up its aerial bombing of Lebanon on September 23, mainly targeting Hezbollah strongholds in south Beirut and the south and east of the country.

A week later it sent ground troops across the border into Lebanon.

The war has killed at least 3,799 people in Lebanon since October 2023, according to the health ministry in Beirut, most of them since September.

On the Israeli side, the Lebanon hostilities have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities say.

Jordanian military planes dropped aid to northern Gaza on Tuesday for the first time in five months to help relieve the dire humanitarian situation in the enclave, the army said.

Two C-130 planes belonging to the Jordanian air force dropped the cargo, comprising nearly seven tonnes of food and other essential relief, to areas the U.N. agencies identified as most in need, the army said.

"The kingdom is maintaining an air and land corridor as part of its efforts to step up aid," an army source told Reuters

A U.N. aid official said last week that Gaza aid access had reached a low point, with deliveries to parts of the besieged north of the enclave all but impossible.

Jordan has been air-dropping aid and sending convoys westward overland to the Palestinians in Gaza throughout the war that erupted in October 2023 between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that has been ruling the enclave.

The army said it has so far launched around 400 such operations by its airforce and allied countries.

King Abdullah has accused Israel of placing obstacles to deliveries and has called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to allow uninterrupted aid flows.

Washington has prodded Israel to expand the use of a land corridor through Jordan that first began late last year. The World Food Programme (WFP) wants it to be a major conduit for the supply of UN-funded food and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israeli officials deny accusations they are deliberately using aid as a political weapon and say they have been seeking to alleviate the humanitarian situation since the start of the war.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Tuesday 22 people were killed in Israeli air strikes and shelling of the Palestinian territory, including 11 killed by a strike on a school-turned-shelter for displaced civilians.

"At least 11 Palestinians were killed and more than 40 injured in an Israeli air strike that targeted Al-Hurriya School, which houses thousands of displaced peo

The Israeli army said it struck "Hamas terrorists who were operating inside a command and control centre in Gaza City", adding that it "was embedded inside a compound that previously served as the 'Al-Hurriya' School".

Palestinian militant group Hamas condemned the strike as a "new crime".

Earlier on Tuesday, the agency said 11 people were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes and shelling.

In the northern city of Jabalia, seven people were killed and several wounded in an air strike on a residential building, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

Another person was killed in a strike on a house in nearby Beit Lahia, which along with Jabalia has been the focus of a major Israeli military operation since October 6.

Two people were killed in shelling of Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, Bassal said.

In the southern city of Rafah, an air strike killed one person and wounded several, he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to make a public statement at 8 pm (1800 GMT), his office said, as hopes grow for a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Israeli leader is currently meeting with key ministers in his security cabinet to discuss the terms of a deal laid out by US mediators, with French involvement.

Talks to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon "are on the right path", Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Tuesday after a meeting of G7 counterparts.
"As a G7 we have worked hard to try to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon... we are on the right path," Tajani told reporters at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of Group of Seven industrialised nations near Rome.

The Israeli army said it carried out a series of strikes on 20 "terror targets" belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the Beirut area on Tuesday.

"These strikes included 13 terror targets in the Dahieh area, a key Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. Among the targets struck were a Hezbollah aerial defence unit centre, an intelligence centre, command centre, weapons storage facilities," it said in a statement, adding "seven other targets struck were components of Hezbollah's financial system".

Lebanese state media reported an Israeli strike on a Beirut building housing displaced people on Tuesday, killing one according to authorities, as raids formed "a belt of fire" around the capital's southern suburbs.

The intense strikes came as Israel prepared to decide whether to accept a proposed ceasefire in its two-month war with Hezbollah after nearly a year of limited, cross-border clashes initiated by the group over the Gaza war.

"The Israeli strike on the Nweiri area in Beirut destroyed a four-storey building housing displaced people," Lebanon's National News Agency said.

The strike killed one person and injured 10 others, the health ministry said.

Shortly after the Beirut strike, "a belt of fire has encircled (Beirut's) southern suburbs, as raids targeted Burj al-Barajneh, Haret Hreik and Hadath, with smoke covering most of the southern suburbs and reaching Beirut," the NNA said.

The strikes comes amid a flurry of Israeli evacuation calls for Hezbollah's south Beirut bastion that included at least 20 buildings, following earlier morning strikes.

Israel's security cabinet was set to discuss a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon Tuesday afternoon, as a hail of air strikes encircled south Beirut in what state media called a "belt of fire".

The United States, European Union, United Nations and G7, among others, have pushed for a halt to the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into full-scale war in late September.

But as the pressure for a truce has intensified, so too have air raids and ground battles between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Waves of strikes pounded Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold Tuesday after a flurry of Israeli evacuation warnings, AFPTV footage showed, in the heaviest raids since Israel's air campaign escalated.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said that "a belt of fire has encircled (the city's) southern suburbs" as raids targeted Burj al-Barajneh, Haret Hreik and Hadath.

The NNA reported that another strike in the central "Nweiri area in Beirut destroyed a four-storey building housing displaced people". It killed three people and injured 26, the health ministry said.

Rola Jaafar, who lives in the building opposite, said: "We were blown away and the walls fell on top of us."

Israel's military said it attacked 20 Hezbollah "terror targets" in the Beirut area, including command centres, "weapons storage facilities" and "components of Hezbollah's financial system".

It also said it had hit 30 targets in south Lebanon since the morning, and troops had "engaged in close-quarters combat with terrorists" and destroyed hidden weapons caches during ground raids in the Litani River region.

On the diplomatic front, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said the security cabinet would meet later Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire deal, though she declined "to go into details about it because of the sensitivity of the issue".

Israel is poised to approve a U.S. plan for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah on Tuesday, according to a senior Israeli official. This move could bring an end to the war, which has claimed thousands of lives since it began 14 months ago, triggered by the Gaza conflict.

Israel's security cabinet is scheduled to meet later on Tuesday, likely to approve the plan under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This would set the stage for a ceasefire declaration by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, as confirmed by four senior Lebanese sources on Monday.

Oil prices dipped in early trading on Tuesday, continuing the decline from the previous session as investors assessed the potential for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which is weighing on oil's risk premium.

Brent crude futures fell 28 cents, or 0.38%, to $72.73 per barrel by 0106 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 32 cents, or 0.46%, to $68.62 per barrel. Both benchmarks had fallen by $2 per barrel on Monday following reports that Lebanon and Israel had agreed on terms to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, prompting a selloff in crude oil.

Diplomats and officials report that while conditions for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah seem favorable, significant obstacles remain in the negotiations. Israel's military has eliminated most of Hezbollah's senior leadership, but the group continues to launch missiles into Israel. Tens of thousands of Israelis, evacuated from the border months ago, are pressuring the government to facilitate their return. Meanwhile, the international community is focused on preventing the conflict from escalating further.

After a recent visit by a US mediator, Israel struck central Beirut over the weekend, prompting Hezbollah to launch its largest barrage in weeks, as both sides exert pressure to secure a deal. Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza, Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire almost daily.

A senior Israeli official said on Monday Israel’s cabinet would meet on Tuesday to approve a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, and a Lebanese official said Beirut had been told by Washington that an accord could be announced “within hours”. Israeli officials had said earlier that a deal to end the war was getting closer though some issues remained, while two senior Lebanese officials voiced guarded optimism even as Israeli strikes pounded Lebanon anew. An NYT report said that Israeli PM Netanyahu has signalled he is open to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, but is seeking clearer assurances on how Israel could restart the fighting if Hezbollah breaks the truce, according to two Israeli officials briefed on his thinking. US officials have been putting pressure on Israel to finalise a deal before Thanksgiving, according to those Israeli officials and two others.

Discussions Hochstein had on Lebanon-Israel ceasefire were positive, going in right direction, added the White House

Israeli airstrikes hit southern Beirut and other areas in Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 12 people and causing widespread destruction. The Israeli military claimed to have targeted Hezbollah positions across the country, including in the Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut. Strikes followed a deadly weekend raid in central Beirut and continued despite efforts to secure a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the Lebanese army has suffered casualties, and the UN peacekeeping mission expressed concern over deadly attacks on Lebanese soldiers. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 3,700 deaths in Lebanon since October 2023.

The Israeli ambassador to Washington, Mike Herzog, announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah could be reached "within days." Negotiations are ongoing, with key issues such as Israel’s right to respond if Hezbollah violates the deal still unresolved. The deal aims to push both Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. This comes after extensive talks, including discussions by a US envoy. Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, which began in October 2023, escalated the conflict, with thousands of rockets fired into Israeli towns.

A senior UN official on Monday called on all parties involved in the conflict in Lebanon to "accept a ceasefire," as new Israeli strikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs which are a Hezbollah stronghold.

"I welcome the ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a cessation of hostilities and urge the parties to accept a ceasefire anchored in the full implementation of UNSCR 1701," Muhannad Hadi told the Security Council on behalf of UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland, referring to a resolution adopted in 2006 to end regional violence.

The Israeli government's cabinet is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to evaluate a potential ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, as per report by the American news outlet Axios, which indicated that both Israel and Lebanon have reached mutually acceptable terms to halt the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

"Among the targets struck were the Executive Council's command centres, and intelligence control and collection centres, where Hezbollah commanders and operatives were located," the army said in a statement. The strikes took place in Nabatiyeh, Baalbek, Bekaa Valley, southern Beirut and the city's outskirts, it said.

G7 foreign ministers met near Rome to address the Middle East conflict, Ukraine, and global crises, including Haiti, Sudan, and Venezuela. Discussions included the ICC arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hamas' Mohammed Deif, the Gaza-Lebanon ceasefire efforts, and sanctions against Russia. Other participants included Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific nations, NATO officials, and Ukraine's foreign minister.

An aircraft transporting the remains of Israeli-Moldovan rabbi Tzvi Kogan, who lost his life in the United Arab Emirates, was heading towards Israel on Monday, according to an Israeli rescue and recovery organisation.

"At this moment, his coffin has been placed on a flight to Israel," Zaka announced in a statement about Kogan, aged 28, who had served in the UAE as a Chabad Hasidic movement representative.

The ultra-Orthodox Jewish organisation Chabad announced that Kogan's funeral would be conducted at 11 pm (2100 GMT) at the Mount of Olives in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Heavy rains have flooded tent encampments in Gaza, worsening conditions for displaced Palestinians already devastated by over a year of war. Floodwaters damaged shelters and essential supplies, leaving thousands in dire need of aid. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes intensified, targeting areas in northern Gaza and killing several people. Israel has urged residents to evacuate some areas, while Palestinians accuse it of seeking permanent displacement. The conflict, sparked by a Hamas-led attack in October 2023, has killed over 44,200 people in Gaza and caused massive displacement.

Israel has reportedly agreed in principle to a US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to multiple sources, quoted by the Times of Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now strategizing how to present the agreement to the public following high-level consultations on the matter.

The discussions occurred amid a day of intense hostilities, with waves of rocket fire striking Israel from Lebanon and the Israeli Air Force conducting repeated strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut.

Reports from Kan, Ynet, and Haaretz, citing officials from Jerusalem, Washington, and Beirut quoted by the Times of Israel, emphasized that while the proposal's approval is not yet final, Jerusalem has accepted its key components. According to Ynet, this approval has been communicated to Lebanon.

Britain would adhere to its legal obligations if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the country, Foreign Minister David Lammy stated on Monday. When questioned about the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Netanyahu, Lammy affirmed the UK’s commitment to the Rome Statute.

"We are signatories to the Rome Statute, we have always been committed to our obligations under international law and international humanitarian law," Lammy said at a G7 meeting in Italy.

He added, "Of course, if there were to be such a visit to the UK, there would be a court process and due process would be followed in relation to those issues."

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, at the MED Dialogue in Rome, urged a ceasefire in West Asia, reaffirmed India's support for a two-state solution, and condemned terrorism and civilian casualties. He highlighted India’s diplomatic engagement with Israel and Iran and its role in UN peacekeeping in Lebanon. Addressing the Ukraine-Russia war, he called for dialogue and warned of global supply chain disruptions. Jaishankar emphasized growing India-Mediterranean ties, trade, and initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), while also meeting UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to discuss bilateral cooperation.

The Israeli army confirmed on Monday that it targeted a Hezbollah command center in Beirut's Basta neighborhood during a weekend airstrike. The attack, which took place on Saturday, killed 26 people and injured 67, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Renewed Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, state media reported and AFPTV images showed, after an Israeli army evacuation warning and following heavy raids on the Hezbollah bastion the previous night.
The official National News Agency reported "two consecutive strikes in the vicinity of the Haret Hreik area", as AFPTV images showed heavy smoke rising from two locations. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on social media platform X said the military would target Hezbollah "facilities and interests" in the southern suburbs, pinpointing several locations.

Iran's supreme leader Khamenei declared that Israeli leaders should be given death sentence and not arrest warrants.

Three people have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates in connection with the alleged murder of an Israeli citizen, the Emirati interior ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry statement did not give details on the suspects or say if they had been charged, but said all legal powers would be used "to respond decisively and without leniency to any actions or attempts that threaten societal stability".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office had denounced the killing of the rabbi, Zvi Kogan, 28, as a "heinous antisemitic terrorist act" and said Israel would do everything it could to bring those responsible to justice.

G7 Host Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added another item to the G7 agenda last week after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas' military chief. Italy's right-wing government has been a strong supporter of Israel after the October 7 Hamas attacks, while also providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

The Italian government has taken a cautious line, reaffirming its support and respect for the court but expressing concern that the warrants were politically motivated.

"There can be no equivalence between the responsibilities of the state of Israel and the terrorist organization of Hamas," Premier Giorgia Meloni said, echoing the statement from US President Joe Biden.

The White House said on Sunday it was working in close coordination with Israel and the United Arab Emirates after what it described as the murder of rabbi Zvi Kogan in the Gulf country.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE and our prayers are with his family," White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said.

The remains of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, who disappeared in the United Arab Emirates, have been discovered. Israeli authorities confirmed that Zvi Kogan was killed in what they termed a "heinous antisemitic terror incident".

Following this development, UAE's Interior Ministry announced the arrest of three individuals connected to Kogan's death.

On March 24, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement declaring that Israel would employ all available resources to ensure justice against those responsible for his death. However, Israeli officials did not elaborate on their classification of the incident as a terror attack.

The 28-year-old ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who vanished on March 21, operated a kosher grocery establishment in Dubai. The city has become a popular destination for Israeli visitors and business people since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations through the 2020 Abraham Accords.

The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has intensified, with Hezbollah launching deep strikes into Israel, including missile and drone attacks, and Israel responding with airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. EU diplomat Josep Borrell, visiting Lebanon, called for an immediate ceasefire and adherence to UN Resolution 1701. The conflict has caused thousands of deaths in Lebanon and significant casualties in Israel. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, tensions remain high, with fears of further escalation.

Iran is preparing to “respond” to Israel, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in an interview published by Iran’s Tasnim news agency on Sunday. Without giving details, he said that the Iranian response will aim to restore “deterrence.” On Oct 26, Israeli fighter jets carried out three waves of attacks on Iranian military targets, a few weeks after Iran fired a barrage of about 200 ballistic missiles against Israel. Iran has previously vowed to respond to Isarel’s attacks. reuters