Israel-Lebanon latest: UK readies troops for Lebanon evacuation as Hezbollah rocket targets Tel Aviv
Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed more than 560 people, including women and 50 children, says health ministry
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Hundreds of British troops are being sent to Cyprus to prepare for a possible evacuation of thousands of UK nationals from Lebanon, as clashes between Israel and Hezbollah intensify.
Sir Keir Starmer has told British nationals still in Lebanon “now is the time to leave”, with about 700 British troops deploying imminently to assist hundreds of those already out there waiting to help stranded British citizens. Government officials fear that there may be more than 10,000 British citizens still in Lebanon.
It comes as rocket sirens were sounded across Tel Aviv this morning as the Israeli military said it intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired from Lebanon.
This is the first time Hezbollah has targeted Tel Aviv, in central Israel, since near-daily rocket fire across the border late last year following the 7 October Hamas attack and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s retaliatory war on Gaza.
Israel’s two-day bombardment of southern Lebanon has killed more than 560 people, the majority of them civilians, Lebanon’s health minister said. He described the attacks as “carnage”, which has forced tens of thousands of people to flee southern parts of the country.
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Lebanon journalist hit by Israeli airstrike during live broadcast
A journalist in Lebanon sustained injuries after his house was struck by an Israeli projectile while he was broadcasting live.
Fadi Boudia, the editor-in-chief of the Maraya International network, suffered injuries when the blast shattered the windows of his house in eastern Lebanon’s Al-Bekaa region.
The video of the incident is now viral on social media.
Mr Boudia was speaking live on the Iraqi channel iNews about Israel’s bombings in Lebanon, which has killed more than 560 people, Middle East Monitor reported.
Protests in US over Biden’s support for Israel
Protesters in some US cities demonstrated yesterday against American military support for Israel amid concerns of a wider war in the Middle East, with anti-war activists demanding an arms embargo against the US ally.
Dozens of protesters gathered in Herald Square in New York City on Tuesday evening and carried banners that read “Hands off Lebanon now” and “no US-Israeli war on Lebanon,” according to the ANSWER coalition group, which stands for “Act Now to Stop War and End Racism”.
Protesters chanted “Hands off the Middle East”, “Free Palestine” and “Biden, Harris, Trump and Bibi; none are welcome in our city,” referring to US president Joe Biden, vice president Kamala Harris, former president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A smaller protest with similar slogans and banners was also seen near the White House in Washington last evening.
“Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and the ongoing siege and genocide in Gaza are made possible by the huge amount of bombs, missiles and warplanes provided by the US government,” the ANSWER coalition group said in a statement.
It said protests were also being organised in other cities including San Francisco, Seattle, San Antonio and Phoenix.
Which bases will 700 troops go to to help Brits evacuate?
The UK already has a significant diplomatic and military presence in the region, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and British ships RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan, which have remained in the eastern Mediterranean over the summer.
The Royal Air Force has planes and transport helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary.
The deployment to Cyprus comes as the government begins the first stage of its contingency plan, with the military team supported by Border Force and Foreign Office officials.
Mapped: Where have Israel’s missiles hit Lebanon as nearly 500 die in one day
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire of thousands of rockets, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes, with the Israeli strikes on Lebanon being particularly intense, leaving more than 550 people dead and 1,800 injured in less than two days.
The Israeli military said warplanes struck 1,600 targets on Monday, claiming that they were being used by the Iran-backed Hezbollah Many, the military said, were hidden in residential areas and they called on resiudents to evacuate. Israeli warplanes resumed aerial attacks in the early hours of Tuesday.
Pictured: Scenes on the ground in Lebanon
Breaking: Israel intercepts ‘missile fired from Lebanon’
Rocket sirens were sounded across Tel Aviv this morning as the Israeli military said it intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired from Lebanon.
This is the first time Hezbollah has targeted Tel Aviv in central Israel since it began launching attacks on the north of Israel this year following Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Gaza.
Israel’s two-day-long bombing of Lebanon has killed more than 560 people, including 50 children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel claims it was targeting Hezbollah hideouts.
Lebanon’s health minister says Israeli strikes causing ‘carnage’
Lebanon’s health minister has described the incessant Israeli airstrikes as “carnage”, which killed more than 560 people, including 50 children in just two days.
Firass Abiad said it was “clear” that about 550 people killed on Monday were civilians and not Hezbollah militants.
“If you look at the people who were brought to the emergency rooms it’s clear that they’re civilians. They are not the combatants that the Israelis claim they are,” he told BBC.
“We know about the victims of the attacks because our ambulances are the ones that transferred them to hospitals,” he added.
“[They were] civilians who were doing their normal things.”
Israel says it is acting in self defence against Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets into northern Israel for almost a year now since the start of the Gaza war.
Thousands flee Lebanon as Israel vows to continue strikes
Tens of thousands of people have fled southern Lebanon after Israel’s two-day-long incessant bombing killed more than 560 people, including 50 children, according to the health minister.
Families that fled southern Lebanon flocked to Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon, sleeping in schools turned into shelters, as well as in cars, parks and along the beach.
Some sought to leave the country, causing a traffic jam at the border with Syria, Associated Press reported.
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that attacks will continue on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. But a military spokesperson said Israel aims to keep them “as short as possible, that’s why we’re attacking with great force”.
“At the same time, we must be prepared for it to take longer,” he said.
The UN’s high commissioner for refugees in Lebanon said one of its staffers and her young son were among those killed on Monday in the Bekaa region, while a cleaner under contract was killed in a strike in the south.
Israel kills top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon
Israel says it has killed a top Hezbollah commander during its two-day bombing campaign in Lebanon that has left more than 560 people, including 50 children, dead.
Israel late on Tuesday said it carried out “extensive strikes” targeting Hezbollah weapons and rocket launchers across southern Lebanon.
It said the strikes in Beirut killed Ibrahim Kobeisi – a top commander with the militant group’s rocket and missile unit who allegedly planned a 2000 attack when three Israeli soldiers were abducted and killed.
Lebanon’s health ministry said six people were killed and 15 were wounded in the strike in a southern Beirut suburb, an area where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
British ministers repeat calls for ceasefire in Middle East
Ministers say more than 500 people have been killed in the past 24 hours as they echoed calls for ceasefire in Lebanon.
The Defence Secretary John Healey said: “We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life.
“Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British nationals should the situation deteriorate.
“I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism.”
A government source told The BBC that the difference between the chaotic 2021 Afghanistan evacuation is there are still commercial flights leaving Lebanon - for now.
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