Israel-Iran War Live Updates: 2 Israeli airstrikes on Syrian capital kill 15, say reports

Italy on Friday said an unexploded artillery shell hit the base of the Italian contingent in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and Israel promised to investigate.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke with Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar and protested Israeli attacks against its personnel and infrastructure in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, an Italian statement said.

Tajani said the safety of the soldiers in UNIFIL had to be ensured and stressed "the unacceptability" of the attacks.

The US has presented a truce proposal to Lebanon aimed at resolving the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah conflict, Lebanese officials informed AFP on Friday, following more than a month of intensified cross-border hostilities.

According to a senior Lebanese government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of discussions, US Ambassador Lisa Johnson held talks with high-ranking Lebanese officials on Thursday regarding a 13-point proposal. The plan encompasses a 60-day cessation of hostilities and includes provisions for Lebanese military deployment along the border. The official noted that Israel's response to the proposal remains pending.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told his French counterpart that authorities must ensure the safety of Israeli fans, in a phone call Thursday ahead of a Paris football match between France and Israel.

"Israeli fans' security must be assured," Saar told France's top diplomat Jean-Noel Barrot during their first phone call, according to the Israeli foreign ministry. It came a week after Israeli fans were attacked in Amsterdam following a match there.

"In the current fighting in southern Lebanon, the organization is assisting Hezbollah, with the aim of harming the State of Israel. All of this with a clear Iranian intention, as the organization is another branch of Iran in the Middle East, and sits in Syria under the auspices of the Syrian regime," the IDF said.

Israel carried out at least two airstrikes on a western neighbourhood of Damascus and one of the capital's suburbs on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding another 16, Syria's state news agency said.

The airstrikes on the Mazzeh neighbourhood in Damascus and the suburb of Qudsaya, northwest of the capital, struck two buildings, the SANA news agency said. An Associated Press journalist at the scene in Mazzeh said that a five-story building was damaged by a missile that hit the basement.

An Israeli airstrike on Thursday struck an apartment in Damascus's upscale Mazzeh district, resulting in four fatalities, according to a war monitoring organisation, which also noted another attack in the capital's periphery.

Recent weeks have seen an increase in Israeli strikes on Syria, particularly in regions near the Lebanese border, where Israel has conducted extensive aerial operations, claiming to target positions held by the Iran-supported Hezbollah organisation.

"Four people were killed in the Israeli strike on an apartment in Mazzeh, Damascus, with another Israeli strike hitting" a residential building in Qudsaya, according to Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in his statement to AFP.
The Mazzeh district, which houses diplomatic missions, UN facilities and security installations, has previously experienced strikes attributed to Israel.

Qudsya is situated on Damascus's outskirts.

Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday that Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing.

The new report released by the New York-based rights group said people have been killed while evacuating under Israeli orders and in Israeli-designated humanitarian zones, where hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps.

The report said the widespread, deliberate demolition of homes and civilian infrastructure in Gaza -– some of them to carve a new road bisecting the territory and establish a buffer zone along Israel's border -– was likely to "permanently displace" many Palestinians.

"Such actions of the Israeli authorities amount to ethnic cleansing," Human Rights Watch told Associated Press.

Israel's warfare in Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide, a special UN committee said Thursday, accusing the country of "using starvation as a method of war".

Israel's warfare practices in Gaza "are consistent with the characteristics of genocide", the UN Special Committee to investigate Israeli practices said, pointing to the "mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians there," AFP reported.

Israeli forces launched a third day of airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beirut and southern Lebanon, with early Thursday strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs following a night of bombardment. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported extensive damage in Beirut and Bint Jbeil, and five fatalities in Bazourieh and Jumayjimah. Since October 7, Israeli strikes have killed at least 3,365 and injured 14,344 in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Lebanese negotiators, through US envoy Amos Hochstein, reached a preliminary understanding on a ceasefire framework, though Israel has yet to respond.

A military bombardment struck the outskirts of Lebanon's capital on Thursday, following Israeli notifications to clear specific areas within the Hezbollah stronghold, as captured in AFPTV footage.

Grey smoke billowed above the region in the aftermath of this recent attack, which came amid Israel's heightened operations against the Iranian-supported militant organisation since September.

In a report published on Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) asserted that Israel's multiple evacuation directives in Gaza constitute serious violations of international law. The organisation characterised these actions in stark legal terms.

"Human Rights Watch has amassed evidence that Israeli officials are... committing the war crime of forcible transfer", stated the HRW document, further noting that "Israel's actions appear to also meet the definition of ethnic cleansing" in regions where Palestinian return appears impossible.

Jason Eaton, charged with shooting and wounding three Palestinian descent college students in Burlington, Vermont, has been declared fit to stand trial. The shooting occurred on November 25, 2023, as the students were walking near the University of Vermont, conversing in English and Arabic. Eaton, who faces three counts of attempted murder, pleaded not guilty. The students’ families believe it was a hate crime, but prosecutors lack sufficient evidence. Eaton’s defense requested an extension for depositions, which the judge granted, setting a new deadline for May 31, 2025. A status hearing is scheduled for March.

Asif William Rahman, a former US government employee, has been charged with leaking classified information about Israel's plans to respond to an Iranian missile attack. Arrested by the FBI in Cambodia, Rahman faces charges in a Virginia court for willfully transmitting national defense information. The documents, from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and NSA, surfaced on Telegram, revealing Israeli military preparations for a potential strike on Iran. Rahman held top-secret clearance, and his case has prompted an FBI investigation into possible security breaches. The New York Times first reported his arrest.

Following Donald Trump’s apparent victory in last week’s US elections, advocates for Jewish settlements in the West Bank celebrated, seeing renewed opportunities for expansion. Trump’s prior term saw significant growth in settlements and moves favoring Israel’s claims, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the Golan Heights annexation. As Israel faces a multifront war, settler advocates are optimistic Trump’s support could push toward annexing the West Bank, a step critics warn could end hopes for Palestinian statehood. Some even hope for Gaza resettlement, despite potential international backlash.

Israel faced a deadly day in its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, with six soldiers killed, bringing Israeli troop losses to 47 since September 30. The new Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, vowed to intensify actions against Hezbollah, aiming to disarm the group. Hezbollah launched missile strikes on Israeli military targets, and Israel continued airstrikes in Lebanon, including in Beirut. Cross-border violence has caused over 3,300 Lebanese deaths and 45 civilian deaths in northern Israel since October. The UN Security Council condemned recent attacks on peacekeepers in Lebanon. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Hamas-linked militants continue to hold 97 Israeli hostages.

In Paris, protests erupted against a gala organised by far-right figures to support the Israeli military, which included Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as an invited guest. Smotrich, known for his hard-line stance on Israeli settlements, faced criticism for his presence, though he later canceled his trip. The event, dubbed "Israel is Forever," was organized to mobilize support among French-speaking Zionists but drew backlash from local unions, political parties, and activists, who denounced it as promoting hatred. Demonstrations occurred as Paris prepared for a high-security soccer match against Israel’s national team, deploying thousands of police and stadium staff amid regional tensions. Some protests turned destructive, with a McDonald's window being broken. France's Foreign Ministry condemned Smotrich's recent remarks on West Bank annexation, reiterating support for a two-state solution.

Hezbollah said Wednesday it had fired missiles at Israeli soldiers near the key border town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, the scene of fierce fighting during their 2006 war.

The Iran-backed militia said in a statement it targeted the forces "on the southern outskirts of the town of Bint Jbeil with a salvo of Nasr 1-type missiles."

Lebanon's Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing a series of missiles at army forces in northern Israel on Wednesday night.

The Iran-backed group said in a statement that it had targeted "a gathering of the Israeli enemy army forces in the Sa'sa settlement with a salvo of missiles". (AFP)

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that a heavy barrage of rockets was fired from Lebanon at Israel.

Following sirens that sounded in a number of areas in central Israel, approximately five projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon, the military said in a statement.

Israel rejected on Wednesday accusations made by eight international aid groups, including Oxfam and Save the Children, that Israel had failed to meet US demands to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Washington said on Tuesday that Israel had made progress in implementing the list of demands which it had given Israel 30 days to complete or face a potential halt in US military support. Tuesday marked the deadline for meeting the demands.

COGAT, the branch of the Israeli military which coordinates humanitarian aid to Gaza, said humanitarian organisations had not coordinated with, or sought information from, the military before filing their report and thus had produced a conclusion based on "partial information".

The military said the organisations had evaluated a joint task force of the military and international bodies for humanitarian aid "despite none of the organisations being partners in this room or aware of the processes occurring there".

The Israeli military "intends to continue its tireless efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Strip during the ongoing conflict", a statement said.

Israel has questioned the impartiality of an International Criminal Court judge appointed to a panel deciding whether an arrest warrant should be issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The move could further delay a decision in the case, in which the ICC chief prosecutor filed a request in May for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Israel's then defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders over the Gaza war.

The request requires the approval of ICC judges but their decision has been delayed, partly because of several rounds of legal filings by Israel challenging the court's jurisdiction.

In a further delay, Romanian magistrate Iulia Motoc, citing health grounds, asked last month to leave the three-judge panel that is reviewing the request for arrest warrants. She has been replaced by ICC Judge Beti Hohler, who is Slovenian.

The Office of the Attorney-General of Israel said in a statement, dated Nov. 11 and seen by Reuters on Wednesday, that Hohler had worked for the Office of the Prosecutor before she was elected as an ICC judge last December.

Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack targeting Israel's military headquarters and ministry of defence in the city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Lebanese militant group said it conducted an "aerial attack with a squadron of exploding drones" on the site housing Israel's main defence institutions in the commercial hub.

The Israeli military said in two statements that it intercepted two drones and 40 projectiles launched from Lebanon, and that the attack had caused no injuries.

The statements did not specify what sites had been targeted.

An Israeli group campaigning for the release of hostages held in Gaza said Wednesday their loved ones had "no time left", following a Palestinian militant group's release of a video of a hostage.
"The hostages have no time left -- a deal for their release is the only way to bring them all back to us," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday called on Israel to implement "real and extended pauses" in fighting in Gaza to allow for the delivery of aid to its war-ravaged population.
"We need to see real and extended pauses in large areas of Gaza, pauses in any fighting, any combat, so that the assistance can effectively get to people who need it," Blinken told reporters during a visit to Brussels, adding that Israel was taking steps to address the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.

Israeli military strikes killed at least 14 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, as Israeli forces deepened their incursion into Beit Hanoun town in the north, forcing most remaining residents to leave.

Residents said Israeli forces besieged shelters housing displaced families and the remaining population, which some estimated at a few thousand, ordering them to head south through a checkpoint separating two towns and a refugee camp in the north from Gaza City.

Men were held for questioning, while women and children were allowed to continue towards Gaza City, residents and Palestinian medics said.

Israel's campaign in the north of Gaza, and the evacuation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the area, has fueled claims from Palestinians that it is clearing the area for use as a buffer zone and potentially for a return of Jewish settlers.

"The scenes of the 1948 catastrophe are being repeated. Israel is repeating its massacres, displacement and destruction," said Saed, 48, a resident of Beit Lahiya, who arrived in Gaza City on Wednesday.

Russia has asked Israel to avoid launching aerial strikes as part of its war against Lebanon's Hezbollah near one of Moscow's bases in Syria, a top official said Wednesday.
Syrian state media in mid-October claimed that Israel had struck the port city of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Russia and in turn backs Hezbollah.

Latakia, and in particular its airport, is close to the town of Hmeimim that hosts a Russian air base.

"Israel actually carried out an air strike in the immediate vicinity of Hmeimim," Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy in the Near East, told the RIA Novosti press agency.

The Israeli army on Wednesday issued a third warning in 24 hours, advising residents of parts of Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate. Army spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, saying, “You are located near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah, against which the Israel Defense Forces will act in the near future.” The message included a map highlighting the areas at risk. This warning comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in the region.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be ambassador to Israel, has long rejected a Palestinian state in territory previously seized by Israel and has repeatedly signaled his staunch support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Huckabee, a former TV host and Baptist preacher, frequently visits Israel and once said he wanted to buy a holiday home there. He has maintained throughout the years that the West Bank belongs to Israel, and recently said “the title deed was given by God to Abraham and to his heirs.”

His argument for a so-called “one-state solution” contradicts longstanding official U.S. support for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state.

He has described the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas as “horrific" and " beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime” and argued that the U.S. needs to stand firmly behind Israel.

Here are some things Huckabee has said over the years about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He is decisively against a two-state solution
Huckabee has never supported a two-state compromise even when Netanyahu endorsed the idea in 2009.

Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. Palestinians want those territories for a future state and view them as parts of a single country now under military occupation.

The U.S., along with most of the international community, has supported the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines as the cornerstone of a peace agreement. Even Israel’s hardline prime minister once endorsed a two-state solution while rejecting a return to Israel’s pre-1967 lines. Netanyahu now rejects the creation of a Palestinian state.

US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday he has nominated Mike Huckabee as the next ambassador to Israel, saying the former Arkansas state governor will "work tirelessly" for peace in the Middle East.

"Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him," Trump said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington on Monday, the State Department said.

Dermer updated Blinken on operational changes and policy decisions taken by Israel in response to a US letter sent in October, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Blinken "emphasized the importance of ensuring those changes lead to an actual improvement in the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through the delivery of additional assistance to civilians throughout Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the statement. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday in a direct message to Iranians that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's government feared the people of Iran more than Israel. "That’s why they spend so much time and money trying to crush your hopes and curb your dreams," he said in a video message. "Well, I say to you this: Don’t let your dreams die. I hear the whispers: Women, Life, Freedom. Zan, Zendegi, Azadi. "Don't lose hope. And know that Israel and others in the free world stand with you," Netanyahu said. (Reuters)

Two people were killed on Tuesday in Nahariya, northern Israel, after a residential building was struck, Israeli police said in a post on X. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Tuesday it said was aimed at a military base, east of Nahariya. (Reuters)

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday that he had a "productive meeting" with U.S. President Joe Biden. "There is an in-depth commitment and effort to move forward. I sincerely hope we will see certain results in the foreseeable future, in the next few days hopefully, on some of these efforts," Herzog told reporters at the White House after the meeting. (Reuters)

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack on a military base near the town of Nahariya in northern Israel on Tuesday. The base lies inland from the Israeli coastal town, near which Israeli emergency services said two men were killed by rocket fire. (AFP)