Israel-Hezbollah latest: Israel expands ground invasion of Lebanon amid fresh wave of airstrikes in Beirut
Israel has pushed into south-west Lebanon after days of fighting on the eastern side of the country
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The Israeli military has pusher further into southern Lebanon as Beirut was rocked by a fresh wave of airstrikes overnight.
Israeli troops have moved into south-west Lebanon after nine days of focusing on the eastern side of the border - where Israel invaded on 30 September.
The 146th reservist division will carry out a “localised” ground operation alongside an artillery brigade against Hezbollah militants in the area, as up to 1.2million people have been displaced across Lebanon.
It comes as Beirut’s southern suburbs were rocked by fresh Israeli airstrikes overnight, with Israeli forces claiming it killed senior Hezbollah commander Suhail Hussein Husseini.
If confirmed, the death of Suhail Hussein Husseini would be the latest in a string of Israel’s assassinations of leaders and commanders of Hezbollah and its ally Hamas.
More than 2,080 have been reported killed in total, and a further 9,869 wounded, since Israel began its bombing operations in Lebanon last month.
On Monday, Israeli citizens marked the anniversary of Hamas’s deadly 7 October attacks, during which 1,205 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Of those, 101 remain in Gaza.
Nearly 42,000 Palestinians have since been killed by Israel’s retaliatory air and ground attacks, according to the Gazan health ministry.
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Sirens sounded in central Israel
Sirens have sounded in central Israel after several projectiles were launched from Lebanon on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
The Israeli military said some projectiles - which were identified crossing from Lebanonwinto Israeli territory - were intercepted, while the rest fell in open areas.
It added there were no changes made in the Home Front Command’s guidelines.
Yemen’s Houthis say they fired two missiles at central Israel
Yemen’s Houthis said on Monday it had fired two missiles at Jaffa, a city in central Israel.
The Israeli military said a surface-to-surface missile set off air raid sirens across central Israel, sending residents running for shelter.
“Following the sirens that sounded in a number of areas in central Israel, the surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen was successfully intercepted” by the Israeli Air Force, the military said in a statement.
The statement did not say who fired the missile.
The Houthis said one missile was a Palestine 2 and it “reached” its target. The group said the second was a Dhu al-Fiqar missile but did not describe its outcome.
The Yemeni group said the operation “successfully achieved its objectives” and it targeted several drones at Jaffa and Eilat.
Israel only mentioned the intercepted surface-to-surface missile, without referring to the drones or a second missile.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement which controls northern Yemen has frequently attacked Israel over the past year in what it says is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Israeli military issues new evacuation warning on specific buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs
The Israeli military issued on Monday a new evacuation warning for residents especially those in specific buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs including in the Burj al-Barajneh neighbourhood.
Earlier, the military told residents south of Lebanon’s Awali River to stay off beaches and the sea for their safety as it said it will soon launch operations on Lebanon’s southern coast. The river empties into the Mediterranean about 60 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The military’s statement did not specify what operations would be carried out.
Israeli ground operations in Lebanon so far continue to be limited, State Dept says
The United States assesses that Israel‘s ground operations in Lebanon so far continue to be limited, the State Department said on Monday, as Israeli forces looked poised to expand ground raids into south Lebanon on the first anniversary of the Gaza war.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington expects Israel to target Hezbollah in Lebanon in a way that complies with international humanitarian law and minimises civilian casualties.
Live: Israel's official state memorial marks one year since October 7 attacks
Watch live as Israel’s official state memorial ceremony in Jerusalem marks one year since October 7 Hamas attacks on Monday 7 October.
In a separate ceremony taking place in Tel Aviv, families of hostages are protesting against the government inability to bring back their family members from Gaza.
Bel Trew: Gaza hostage families blast air raid siren outside Netanyahu’s home as wake up call to agree release deal
Relatives march in Jerusalem on anniversary of Hamas attack in which their loved ones were taken to urge Israeli PM to bring them home, writes Bel Trew, while airstrikes continue in both Gaza and Lebanon:
Hostage families blast air raid siren outside Netanyahu’s home as wake up call
Relatives march in Jerusalem on anniversary of Hamas attack in which their loved ones were taken to urge Israeli PM to bring them home, writes Bel Trew, while airstrikes continue in both Gaza and Lebanon
Israel to launch operations on Lebanon’s southern coast
The Israeli military says it will soon launch operations on Lebanon’s southern coast, telling residents to stay off the beaches and fishermen off the sea for a 60-kilometre stretch along the Mediterranean.
The military’s statement did not specify what operations would be carried out.
Israeli forces have been carrying out intensified airstrikes across southern Lebanon and limited ground incursions near the border in a campaign against Hezbollah.
The statement told residents south of Lebanon’s Awali River to stay off beaches and the sea for their safety.
The river empties into the Mediterranean about 60 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Watch: Starmer’s blunt response to suspended Labour MP’s question on Israel arms sales
Sir Keir Starmer had a blunt one-word response to a suspended Labour MP when she asked him if the government would ban all arms sales to Israel.
Speaking as the House of Commons marked the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Zarah Sultana — who lost the whip after supporting a motion to abolish the two-child benefit cap — asked the prime minister if he believes Israel’s right to self-defence “justifies” the death toll in the region, adding: “And will he do what is morally and legally right and end the Government’s complicity in war crimes by banning all arms sales to Israel.”
Sir Keir replied: “No... Banning all sales would mean none for defensive purposes.”
Starmer’s blunt response to suspended Labour MP’s question on Israel arms sales
Sir Keir Starmer had a blunt one-word response to a suspended Labour MP when she asked him if the government would ban all arms sales to Israel. Speaking as the House of Commons marked the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Zarah Sultana — who lost the whip after supporting a motion to abolish the two-child benefit cap — asked the prime minister if he believes Israel’s right to self-defence “justifies” the death toll in the region, adding: “And will he do what is morally and legally right and end the Government’s complicity in war crimes by banning all arms sales to Israel.” Sir Keir replied: “No... Banning all sales would mean none for defensive purposes.”
Vigils held for victims of Hamas attack
The victims of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel have been remembered at a vigil in Hove.
Their names were read out to a silent crowd who gathered in Palmeira Square on Monday, a year after the deadly attack and kidnappings.
A prayer was also said for the victims.
Starmer denies government has ‘stepped back’ from Israel support
Sir Keir Starmer disputed claims that there had been a “stepping back” in the Government’s support of Israel.
The Prime Minister said: “There’s been no stepping back of support for Israel, we’ve been absolutely robust in that support.”
Tory MP Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire) had asked: “Some of the decisions he has taken has led to a feeling that this Government has stepped back its support for Israel, not least in the restoration of the funding for UNRWA. Does the Prime Minister regret that and will he revisit that decision?”
Elsewhere, Conservative former minister Robert Jenrick said there had been an “explosion of antisemitism” in the UK since the October 7 attacks in Israel, adding: “We have to root out those who despise our country and our values.
“What will the Prime Minister do to revoke visas, where appropriate, of those in the UK who are conducting themselves in this manner, to encourage the police to enforce our existing laws without fear or favour, and defer the ban and proscribe those organisations such as the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)?”
Sir Keir replied: “We are proud of the democratic right to protest in this country but supporting a proscribed terrorist group is unacceptable and we need to be very, very clear about that and give the police our full support in taking the action they need to take in relation to it, wherever it is in the United Kingdom.”
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