Israel-Lebanon live: Israeli strike kills two in Beirut as US ‘furious’ over Netanyahu’s ceasefire dismissal
Air attack reportedly targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah but injured at least 76
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At least two people have been killed as Israeli military strikes in Beirut reportedly targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The airstrikes shook the Lebanese capital, wounding 76 and destroying six buildings in the southern suburbs, where Hezbollah’s central headquarters are said to be located. The death toll was expected to rise.
Israeli sources said Nasrallah was the intended target but a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters he was still alive.
Meanwhile, top US officials were thought to be furious after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire plan.
Biden administration chiefs had assured by Netanyahu aides he had agreed the 21-day peace deal, but hours after the White House announced the idea on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu branded it “incorrect”.
According to CNN, angry US officials have been scrambling to get answers from Israel, demanding a public statement to remedy the diplomatic embarrassment.
Mr Netanyahu vowed to continue attacks on Iranian-backed fighters in Lebanon in a closely watched United Nations speech.
He told the assembly: “There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that’s true of the entire Middle East.”
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Netanyahu orders Israeli military to fight Hezbollah with full force – despite ceasefire push
Strike took place around 700m from school where displaced people sheltering
The huge strike in Beirut took place only about 700 to 800m from a school where displaced people from the south of Lebanon have taken refuge, the BBC reports.
Nafiseh Kohnavard was reporting from the school, where more than 1000 displaced people are staying, when she suddenly heard huge booms.
She said women and children were screaming and crying and she saw some people faint, falling on the ground.
Israel says Hezbollah intentionally built HQ under civilian buildings
Israel’s military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a video statement that the Hezbollah HQ was “intentionally built under residential buildings” in the city’s southern Dahieh area “as part of Hezbollah’s strategy of using Lebanese people as human shields”.
He said: “Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they had a terror organisation that seeks their destruction on their border, taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely.”
Pictures of the huge strike in Beirut
Fresh airstrike on Lebanon as Netanyahu claims Israel ‘yearns for peace'
Israeli military says it carried out a “precise strike” on the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut.
An airstrikes hit one of Beirut’s heavily-populated southern suburbs on Friday as blasts were heard throughout the Lebanese capital sending thick black smoke billowing across the sky.
The strike came an hour after thousands of people attended the funeral of a top Hezbollah commander who was killed the day before.
Israeli Prime Minister has today told the UN that Israel “yearns for peace” and “will make peace again” but added that it must defend itself against “savage” enemies.
More than 700 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks this week as calls for ceasefire grow
Israel will press on with discussions on ceasefire proposals for Lebanon in the days ahead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, but after an intense week of fighting the two sides kept up cross-border fire, killing at least 25 in Lebanon.
Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and continued airstrikes that have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and heightened fears of a regional war.
Lebanon’s health minister, Firass Abiad, said the death toll in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the early hours of Friday was 25. One attack killed nine members of a family, including four children, in the border town of Shebaa, mayor Mohammad Saab told Reuters.
More than 700 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli attacks since Monday, according to a tally of official tolls.
Diplomats walked out of speech in protest
Cheers were heard through the duration of Netanyahu’s speech but cameras may not have shown the flurry of diplomats leaving the hall in protest, Sky News has said.
International affairs editor Dominic Waghorn witnessed “lots of diplomats” head for the exit during the Israeli prime minister’s speech and videos on X show similar scenes too.
Dozens of diplomats exit the UN general assembly hall when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters to give his speech pic.twitter.com/bvmJ3tRBo9
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) September 27, 2024
Netanyahu 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.”
He said Israeli forces have destroyed “90%” of Hamas’ rockets and killed or captured half of its forces.
Netanyahu concludes his speech
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just concluded his speech at the United Nations in New York, however we will recap and continue to bring you more of the top lines from his 30 minute speech.
Netanyahu accuses UN members of anti-Semitism
Netanyahu has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor of “pure antisemitism.”
Addressing a bid for an arrest warrant to be issued for him by the ICC, he told UN: “Now, given the antisemitism at the UN, it should surprise no one that the prosecutor of the ICC, one of the UN’s affiliated organs, is considering issuing arrest warrants against me and Israel’s defence minister.
“The democratically elected leader, leaders of the democratic state of Israel - the ICC prosecutors rush to judgement. His refusal to treat Israel, with its independent courts, the way other democracies are treated is hard to explain by anything other than pure antisemitism.”
Hezbollah is ‘the quintessential terror organisation in the world'
Netanyahu turned to addressing the escalating conflict with Hezbollah.
He said: “We will not accept a terror army parked on our northern border...able to perpetrate another Oct 7-style massacre. We will continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met.”
He went on to say that Israel is not at war with Lebanon but with Hezbollah and that the group is “the quintessential terror organisation in the world today,”
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