Israel-Lebanon live: Israeli army warns Beirut suburbs residents to flee as fresh attacks on Hezbollah planned
Air attack reportedly targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah but injured at least 76
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The Israeli military has issued a stark warning to people in areas of southern Beirut that it will strike a second time, and called on civilians to leave those areas.
In a televised address, spokesperson Daniel Hagari said an earlier strike on Hezbollah’s central command was “very precise” and that the defence forces would not tolerate the civilian airport being used for military purposes.
Earlier, the Israeli military struck Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut in a series of massive explosions thought to have targeted Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the militant group.
The airstrikes killed at least two people and wounded 76 in the suburbs where Hezbollah’s headquarters are said to be located.
Israeli sources said Nasrallah was the intended target but a source close to Hezbollah told Reuters he was still alive.
Top US officials are furious after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed a ceasefire plan, sources told CNN. Biden administration chiefs had been assured that he had agreed a 21-day peace deal framework, but hours after the White House announced the idea, Mr Netanyahu branded it “incorrect”.
Mr Netanyahu vowed at the UN to continue attacks on Iranian-backed fighters in Lebanon.
Britain joins US, France and allies in call for 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
Jordan travel: Is it safe to travel right now, and what are your rights if you have a trip booked?
Netanyahu orders Israeli military to fight Hezbollah with full force – despite ceasefire push
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,”
Netanyahu compares Hamas to Nazis
Netanyahu has compared Hamas to the Nazis and said it would be “inconceivable” for Israel to allow Hamas to remain a part of Gaza when the war is over.
He said: “Imagine in a post-war situation in the Second World War, imagine allowing the defeated Nazis in 1945 to rebuild Germany. It’s inconceivable. It’s ridiculous. It didn’t happen then, and it’s not going to happen now. We don’t seek to resettle Gaza.”
‘We remain focused on our sacred vision, bringing our hostages home'
Netanyahu has claimed that his army has defeated all but one of “Hamas’ terror battalions.”
He said the army’s focus is now on defeating Hamas’ remaining fighting capability and they are doing so by “taking out senior terrorist commanders and destroying remaining terrorist infrastructure.”
But, he says, the main goal remains focused on their “sacred mission” of bringing “our hostages home.”
The Israeli prime minister said 154 hostages have returned, 117 of those are alive.
He said: “We will not stop until that mission is complete.”
Further remarks from Netanyahu on Israel’s ‘enemies'
Israel is seeking peace despite fighting for its life in the face of “savage enemies” who want its annihilation, Netanyahu has said.
He continued: “My country is at war, fighting for its life. We must defend ourselves against these savage murderers. Our enemies seek not only to destroy us, they seek to destroy our common civilization and return all of us to a dark age of tyranny and terror.”
Netanyahu calls for sanctions on Iran
Netanyahu has called on the UN Security Council to reimpose sanctions on Iran to ensure it doesn’t get nuclear weapons.
Israel tells Iran: ‘If you strike us, we will strike you'
Netanyahu has said his army was forced to defend itself “on six more fronts, organised by Iran” after the initial attack by Hamas inside Israel on 7 October.
He lists others who have attacked Israel including the Yemeni Houthis and says that last April, Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory.
He said he had a message for the “tyrants of Tehran”, saying there is “no place in the Middle East” that “the long arms of Israel” cannot reach.
Netanyahu then declared: “We are winning!”
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