Israel-Lebanon latest: Fighter jets strike 220 Hezbollah targets in a day, Israel says, as ceasefire rejected
Netanyahu ordered strikes to continue as Israel rejected a US-French proposal for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon
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Israel struck about 220 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon 24 hours, military leaders have said.
The targets included infrastructure sites, launchers from which projectiles were fired toward Israeli territory, Hezbollah operatives and weapons storage facilities.
Earlier, Israel said a Hezbollah air force commander had been killed in an air strike on Beirut.
Mohammad Surur, the head of one of Hezbollah's air force units, was killed in the strike on a populated area of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
There have been a number of such strikes this week, alongside more than 1,000 others around the country.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government ruled out a ceasefire with Hezbollah, instead ordering his military to fight at full force.
The UK joined the US, France and other allies in calling for a 21-day temporary truce. In a statement, Mr Netanyahu’s office said: “The news about a ceasefire – not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.”
The proposed ceasefire agreement would not affect the war in Gaza.
Report: What is the proposed Lebanon ceasefire deal – and can Israel be convinced to accept it?
The UK has joined the US and France and a number of other allies in calling for a 21-day ceasefire in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
More than 600 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon this week, as Israel carried out an extensive bombing campaign days after a pair of attacks causing Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies to explode. Around 600 people have been killed and thousands more wounded in the strikes.
US President Joe Biden is among the Western leaders to express fears of an all-out war and UN secretary-general António Guterres, has told a UN security council meeting that “hell is breaking loose”.
The UK has now joined calls for a 21-day ceasefire. But what does this actually mean, and will Israel accept it?
Read the full report below:
What is the proposed 21-day Lebanon ceasefire deal?
The UK has joined 11 other countries in pushing for a truce
Australia urges its citizens to leave Lebanon as Beirut airport may close soon
Australia has urged its 15,000 citizens in Lebanon to leave due to the escalating conflict, warning that Beirut airport may close soon.
With Israel intensifying airstrikes and the possibility of a ground assault, Australia is preparing contingency plans, potentially including evacuations by sea, according to Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.
He refused to give more details on the evacuation plan.
“We’re looking at every option, but there’s obviously national security issues,” he told Sky News in an interview.
“Given the large numbers we are talking about, this situation will be difficult to resolve,” Mr Albanese said on ABC Television.
“We’ve been meeting on this through appropriate bodies over a period of time, including engaging with our friends and allies,” he added.
Foreign minister Penny Wong also said there is a risk Beirut airport may close for an extended period, and urged Australians who live in Lebanon — around 15,000 — to leave now.
UN chief attacks Security Council for failure of leadership to end wars
UN chief criticizes divided Security Council for failure of leadership to end wars, calls for unity
The United Nations chief sharply criticized the powerful Security Council for a failure of leadership to end wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond
Israel claims to have hit 220 Hezbollah sites
Israel’s air force has struck about 220 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon the past day, the military says.
Among the targets struck were infrastructure sites, launchers from which projectiles were fired toward Israeli territory, Hezbollah operatives and weapons storage facilities in Lebanon, it said.
“The IDF is continuing to operate to degrade and dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure,” the Israeli Defence Forces said.
Pictured: Relatives mourn the death of an Iraqi killed in Lebanon
Blinken: World is calling for ceasefire
The US Secretary of State has spoken out on the international efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The world is speaking clearly on the need for a ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border - otherwise known as the Blue Line - he told MSNBC.
Report: Why is Lebanon being attacked and will there be a ceasefire?
Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate as Israel ramps up its assault on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Beginning with a major bombardment on 23 September, Lebanon has now experienced its deadliest attack since the end of the 1975 - 1990 Civil War, with over 90,000 civilians displaced from their homes.
Israel has called the bombardment a “new phase” of its war on Gaza, striking more than 1,000 targets in Lebanon which it says were Hezbollah strongholds or military facilities in homes.
Read the full report from The Independent’s Albert Toth:
Israel-Hezbollah: Why is Lebanon being attacked and will there be a ceasefire?
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a US-led ceasefire deal
Israel strikes Lebanese-Syrian border crossing
An Israeli strike has hit a border crossing bridge between Syria and Lebanon, Lebanese transport minister Ali Hamieh said.
The strike on Thursday hit the Syrian end of the small bridge, Hamieh told Reuters, but it is unclear whether the bridge is still usable.
Israel says its fighter jets hit infrastructure on the border to stop the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
It said it will “continue to strike” on Hezbollah’s attempts to arm itself.
ICYMI: Netanyahu’s office says reports of ceasefire with Hezbollah are “not true”
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a possible ceasefire deal on Thursday.
In resonse to reports that Tel Aviv was open to negotiating, the Prime Minister’s office said: “The news about a ceasefire – not true.
“This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.”
Netanyahu will meet fellow world leaders at the United Nations this week.
The bombing campaign in southern Lebanon has continued, with over 600 people in Lebanon killed so far, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Netanyahu has instructed the military to continue fighting at full power for the moment, Reuters news agency reported.
He added that the fighting in Gaza would continue until Israel has achieved its war aims.
Nearly two dozen Syrian refugees killed in Israeli strike
Twenty-three Syrian refugees were killed in Lebanon after an Israeli airstrike destroyed a building housing workers, Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported.
Four more Syrians and four Lebanese were wounded in the airstrike late on Wednesday in the village of Younine.
It comes as Israel’s military chief prepares troops for a potential ground invasion following a heavy bombing campaign across southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has fired dozens of rockets across the border into northern Israel, most of which have been intercepted by Israeli defence systems.
Israeli strikes killed more than 72 people on Wednesday, bringing the death toll since Monday to more than 630 with more than 2,000 wounded.
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