Israel Hezbollah War Highlights: Explosions in Beirut as Israel attacks Hezbollah HQ with bunker busters

Israel's UN ambassador says Israel will take all necessary actions to return citizens to the North

Iran embassy in Lebanon warns Israel strikes 'change the rules of the game'

The Iranian embassy in Lebanon condemned a series of intense Israeli strikes on the densely-packed Hezbollah stronghold of Beirut's southern suburbs Friday, warning of a "dangerous escalation" in the Middle East.

"This reprehensible crime... represents a dangerous escalation that changes the rules of the game," the Iranian embassy said in a post on X, adding that Israel "will receive the appropriate punishment".

Nasrallah 'Injured' As Israel Blows Up Hezbollah HQ In Beirut Moments After Netanyahu's UN Speech

Israel says it struck Hezbollah's headquarters in huge explosion that shakes Lebanese capital

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says the Israeli leader is cutting short a visit to the US and returning home. The office made the announcement shortly after a massive Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut.

Netanyahu, in New York to address the United Nations, had been scheduled to stay in the US until Saturday night, after the end of the Jewish sabbath.

Israeli politicians do not normally travel on the sabbath except for matters of great importance.

Lebanon PM accuses Israel of waging 'genocidal war'

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged the international community to "stop" Israel from waging a "genocidal war" against Lebanon, following a huge Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs.

"This new Israeli aggression proves that the Israeli enemy doesn't care about all the international efforts and calls for a ceasefire," Mikati, who is in New York, said in a statement issued by his office, urging the international community to stop the "genocidal war that it (Israel) is waging on Lebanon".

LIVE | Hassan Nasrallah Assassinated? Israel Bombs Hezbollah's Beirut HQ | Lebanon War

Netanyahu Shocked As World Leaders Walk Out Before His UNGA Speech; Hamas Has The Last Laugh

The United States did not have advanced warning of an Israeli strike in Beirut and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart as the operation was ongoing, a Pentagon spokesperson said on Friday.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV says at least one killed and 50 wounded in Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.

'Here’s the truth, Israel seeks, yearns, has made and will make peace again': Netanyahu's address in UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday delivered a fiery speech at the UNGA, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a fresh wave of strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu’s remarks came amid rising tensions following a year of conflict with Hamas, and new reports of attacks involving Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi forces.

Netanyahu started his speech with clear intentions stating, "Here’s the truth; Israel seeks peace, Israel yearns for peace, Israel has made peace and will make peace again."

In his address to the UN, Netanyahu rejected recent US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, making clear that Israel would continue its military campaign until all its objectives were achieved. Read full article

UN says watching Israel strikes on Beirut with 'great alarm'

The United Nations on Friday said it was alarmed by Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

"The UN is watching with great alarm" the strikes on Beirut, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a briefing.

Hamas slams Netanyahu's 'blatant lies' at UN assembly

Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of telling "blatant lies" in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday.

Netanyahu "continued his series of blatant lies and escalated his threats against the peoples of the region, while... expanding his circle of crimes to include our people in Lebanon", a statement from the Palestinian group said.

'Hezbollah's headquarter was the epicenter of terror; intentionally built under residential area,' says IDF

Yemen's Houthis say they attacked Israel, US destroyers

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants said on Friday they had targeted the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Ashkelon along with three U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones in support of Gaza and Lebanon.
The Israeli army said it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen which had triggered sirens to sound in central Israel.
The Houthis' military spokesperson said operations would not halt until Israel's offensives in Gaza and Lebanon stop. The group attacked Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile and launched a drone towards Ashkelon in southern Israel, Yahya Sarea said.

Israel says it struck Hezbollah's headquarters as huge explosions rocked Beirut

The Israeli military said Friday it carried out a “precise strike” on the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut.

The Israeli army's spokesman, Daniel Hagari, announced in a televised address after the explosion in Beirut sent massive clouds of orange and black smoke billowing in the skies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had addressed the UN earlier in the day.

Huge explosion rocks a southern suburb of Beirut, target not immediately clear

Israeli airstrikes hit one of Beirut’s heavily-populated southern suburbs on Friday as blasts were heard throughout the Lebanese capital.

It was not immediately clear what the target was but thick black smoke was seen billowing from the area.

The strike came an hour after thousands of people attended the funeral of a top Hezbollah commander who was killed the day before.

'Hamas has got to go,' says Benjamin Netanyahu

“If Hamas stays in power, it will regroup and rearm and attack Israel again and again and again as it has vowed to do.”
“Hamas has got to go.”
He says it is “inconceivable” and “ridiculous” that could be Hamas's part of reconstructing Gaza, and that Israel will reject any plan that includes them.
Israel will support any civil administration in Gaza that is peaceful, he says.

'What a hypocrisy. What a double standard,' asks Israeli PM Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls singling out Israel “a moral stain on the United Nations,” making the institution a swamp of antisemitism, a “flat earth society.”
“What hypocrisy. What a double standard. What a joke,” he says to applause from the gallery.
“Its not about Gaza,” he says about the condemnations. “Its about Israel” and its very existence.
Until it ends, the UN will be seen as nothing more than a “contemptuous farce.”

Israel's Netanyahu, at UN, says Israel will keep 'degrading Hezbollah' until its objectives are met

His leadership strained by conflicts on two fronts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders at the United Nations on Friday that his nation will “continue degrading Hezbollah" until it achieves its goals along the Lebanon border, further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire to halt the spiral into an all-out regional war. He said his government would no longer tolerate daily rocket fire from the area.
“Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing ... we’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met," Netanyahu said.

“Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns ... How long would the American government tolerate that?" he said, shaking his fist in emphasis. “Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say: Enough is enough.”

Netanyahu, armed with visual aids as he has been in the past, defended his nation's response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel that triggered an Israeli military operation that has devastated the Gaza Strip. He said he traveled to the United Nations to refute the untruths he had heard from other leaders on the same rostrum earlier in the week.

'Hamas War Drained Israel': How Hezbollah Fighting Could Deal Heavy Blow To Netanyahu | Report

'If you strike us, we will strike you,' says Benjamin Netanyahu to Iran

"For the sake of peace and security worldwide, we must not let that happen," he emphasized regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Addressing Iran's leadership directly, Netanyahu warned, "I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran: If you strike us, we will strike you."

Israel to continue Lebanon strikes 'until we meet our objectives': Netanyahu to UN

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reveals that Israel’s actions have delayed Iran’s nuclear weapons program, but has not stopped it.

Netanyahu urges global action against Iran, calls for end to "appeasement"

PM Netanyahu presented two maps at the UN General Assembly; one envisioning a logistical bridge from India through the Middle East and Israel, and another illustrating Iran’s crescent of allies across the region.

Netanyahu warned that if unchecked, Iran would pose a threat to every country in the Middle East and beyond. "For too long the world has appeased Iran," he said, highlighting the nation's internal and external repression. "That appeasement must end, and that appeasement must end now."

He urged global support for the Iranian people and called on nations to "join Israel" in halting Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Netanyahu also pressed the UN Security Council to reimpose "snapback" sanctions on Iran.

Israel was on the verge of historic diplomatic agreement with Saudi Arabia, says Netanyahu

Netanyahu stated that during his address to the assembly last year, Israel was on the verge of a historic diplomatic agreement with Saudi Arabia. However, the Hamas-led attack on October 7th halted the progress of the deal.

'Israel seeks peace but faces savage enemies bent on annihilation,' says Israeli PM Netanyahu in UN

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he had not intended to attend this year, as Israel "is fighting for its life." However, after hearing the "lies and slanders" from the UN, he felt compelled to "set the record straight."

Netanyahu emphasized that he came to "speak the truth," reaffirming Israel’s desire for peace: "Israel seeks peace, Israel yearns for peace, Israel has made peace and will make peace again."

He warned, however, of "savage enemies who seek our annihilation," adding that they aim to destroy civilization.

Israel ground operation in Lebanon would be 'short': security official

An Israeli security official said Friday that any ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon would be swift, as tensions rapidly escalate after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges of fire.
The comments come after top Israeli ministers rejected a truce plan proposed by Israel's key backer the United States and its allies, seeking to prevent all-out war.

The security official, briefing journalists on condition of anonymity, said Israeli forces were "preparing... every day" for a potential ground invasion.

"We will try to do it as short as we can," said the official, without providing a clear timeline or specifying what would be the objectives of a ground campaign.

The goal of Israeli military operations in Lebanon is to downgrade Hezbollah's capacity to fire on Israel, eliminate the group's military leadership and "clean" the border areas from fighters, he said.

Japan to dispatch military planes for possible Lebanon evacuations

Japan is urging its citizens to leave Lebanon and has decided to prepare military flights for their possible evacuation, the government said Friday.
Israeli bombing has killed hundreds of people this week in Lebanon, particularly in Hezbollah strongholds while the militant group has retaliated with rocket barrages.

"We're currently checking the safety of Japanese citizens living in Lebanon, as well as urging them to leave the country while regular commercial flights remain in operation", chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday morning.

Hours later, the defence ministry said air force planes had been ordered to go to Jordan and Greece to be on stand-by in case Japanese nationals need to be transported out of the region.

The C-2 transport aircraft would be used to evacuate around 50 Japanese citizens currently in Lebanon, media outlets including Kyodo News said, citing unnamed government sources.

Lebanon facing deadliest period 'in a generation': UN

The UN on Friday decried the escalation in Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon as "catastrophic", warning the country was facing its deadliest period in years.
"The recent escalations in Lebanon are nothing short of catastrophic," said Imran Riza, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon. "We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning," he warned.

Yemen's Huthis claim missile, drone attack on central Israel

Israel official says any Lebanon ground operation to be swift

An Israeli security official said on Friday that any ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon would be carried out as swiftly as possible.
"We will try to do it as short as we can," the official told journalists, speaking anonymously in line with security rules. "I think that we are preparing that every day, and for sure that is inside our toolbox."

The comments came as Israel and Hezbollah traded fire after the United States and its allies failed to secure a halt in clashes that have killed more than 700 people in Lebanon this week.

The Israeli security official said the Israeli strikes had killed many Hezbollah militants and significantly curtailed the Iran-backed group's military capabilities.

"I think that they lost many capabilities," the official said.

Beyond degrading Hezbollah's capacity to fire on Israel, the goal of Israeli military operations in Lebanon are to kill its military leadership and "clean" border areas so displaced Israelis can return to their homes in the north.

Top NATO Diplomat Stuns US & Allies With Fiery Pro-Russia Speech At UN General Assembly

Yemen's Huthis claim missile, drone attack on central Israel

Yemen's Houthis say they will continue the military operations against Israel until attacks on Gaza and Lebanon stop.

Israel to continue ceasefire discussions for Lebanon, Netanyahu says

Israel will continue to discuss ceasefire proposals for Lebanon in the days ahead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, as Washington warned that further escalation would only make it harder for civilians on both sides to return home.

Israel's foreign minister on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and pressed ahead with airstrikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of a regional war.

An Israeli strike on Friday killed nine members of a family, including four children, in the Lebanese border town of Shebaa, mayor Mohammad Saab told Reuters. Israeli attacks have killed more than 600 people in Lebanon since Monday, the health ministry says.

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets into Israel on Friday at Kiryat Ata near the city of Haifa some 30 km (20 miles) from the border, and the city of Tiberias, declaring the attacks a response to Israel strikes on villages, cities and civilians.

High Drama As Pro-Palestine Protesters Storm Netanyahu's Hotel In New York | NYPD In Action

Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire after truce bid fails

Israel and Hezbollah traded fire Friday after the United States and its allies failed to secure a halt in clashes that have killed more than 700 people in Lebanon this week.
With top Israeli ministers rejecting a 21-day truce proposal, the spotlight is now on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is due to address the UN General Assembly later in the day.

Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in a deadly exchange of cross-border fire since the Iran-backed group's Palestinian ally, Hamas, attacked Israel on October 7.

Nearly a year into the war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel shifted its focus to its northern front with Lebanon.

With nearly 700 killed in a week, Lebanon fears Gaza-level violence

Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel has dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capacities and senior Hezbollah commanders.
Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israel’s actions in Gaza since Oct. 7 would be repeated in Lebanon.

The International Organization for Migration estimated Thursday that more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war. Lebanon says a total of 1,540 people have been killed within its borders in that time.

The United States, France and other allies jointly called for a 21-day cease-fire. Lebanon's foreign minister said the country welcomed the cease-fire efforts, and decried Israel’s “systematic destruction of Lebanese border villages.”

Iraqi Fighters Launch Cruise Missiles On Israel; Drone Hits Israeli-Occupied Golan | Watch

Israel Hezbollah War Live: Israel strike kills 5 Syrian soldiers on Lebanon border: state media

An Israeli air strike on Friday killed five Syrian soldiers near the border with Lebanon, the official news agency SANA reported, citing a military source. "The Israeli enemy carried out an aerial attack... on one of our military positions near Kfar Yabus on the Syrian-Lebanese border," SANA said, adding that five Syrian soldiers were killed and one was wounded.

Israel Hezbollah War Live: Hezbollah says fired rocket salvo at Israel's Tiberias

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group said its forces fired a salvo of rockets at the Israeli city of Tiberias on Friday. In a statement, Hezbollah said it was responding to Israel's "savage" strikes on Lebanese towns and civilians. The Israeli military said drones and projectiles had crossed its territory from Lebanon.

Houthi chief's message to Netanyahu after ballistic missile attack on Israel

Israel Hezbollah War Live: Unions press Israel over Palestinian workers' lost wages

Ten global unions have filed a complaint urging Israel to pay back wages for more than 200,000 Palestinian workers deprived of salaries since the start of the war in Gaza. The complaint, lodged at the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Friday, seeks unpaid wages and withheld benefits for workers employed in Israel before the October 7 attacks there by fighters from Palestinian militant group Hamas. The unions cited "millions of dollars of lost income, causing severe financial insecurity... and widespread hardship for the affected workers and their families, who have no access to judicial remedies".

Israel Hezbollah War Live: With nearly 700 killed in a week, Lebanon fears Gaza-level violence

Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel has dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capacities and senior Hezbollah commanders. Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, raising fears that Israel’s actions in Gaza since Oct. 7 would be repeated in Lebanon. The International Organization for Migration estimated Thursday that more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war. Lebanon says a total of 1,540 people have been killed within its borders in that time.

Israel Hezbollah War Live: Japan urges citizens to leave Lebanon

Tokyo is urging its citizens to leave Lebanon, Japan's top government spokesman said Friday, with media reporting plans are afoot to dispatch military aircraft to evacuate them. Israeli bombing has killed hundreds of people this week in Lebanon, particularly in Hezbollah strongholds while the militant group has retaliated with rocket barrages. "We're currently checking the safety of Japanese citizens living in Lebanon, as well as urging them to leave the country while regular commercial flights remain in operation", chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday. Meanwhile, Japanese media reported that arrangements are currently underway for the government to send military aircraft to Jordan where they will be on stand-by.

Israel Hezbollah War Live: UK's Starmer discussed importance of a ceasefire with Lebanon's PM

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met his Lebanese counterpart at the United Nations and discussed the importance of an immediate ceasefire and a negotiated solution in the conflict with Israel, his office said on Friday. Starmer met Lebanon's Najib Mikati at the United Nations General Assembly. "The Prime Minister opened by giving his sincere condolences to Prime Minister Mikati for the loss of civilian life in recent weeks," the statement said. "They discussed the escalating conflict in Lebanon, and agreed on the import

Big win for Iran: US forced to fulfil Tehran's wish; Pezeshkian returns home with...

Israel Hezbollah War Live: Nine people killed in Israeli strike on Shebaa town in southern Lebanon, mayor says

An Israeli strike at around 3 a.m. on Friday killed nine people from the same family in the southern Lebanese border-town of Shebaa, including four children, mayor Mohammad Saab told Reuters.