Israel-Lebanon latest: ‘At least 7’ killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza school as Al Jazeera office shut down
Israel has accused Al Jazeera of being the ‘mouthpiece’ of Hezbollah and Hamas - allegations it denies
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
At least seven people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
The strike hit Kafr Qasem School in Gaza City at around 11am (8am GMT) local time on Sunday as it was being used to shelter displaced people, the ministry added.
The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hamas fighters and it had used aerial surveillance to limit the risk to civilians.
It come as Israeli forces raided the bureau of Qatar-funded media network Al Jazeera in Palestine’s capital of Ramallah in the West Bank.
Balaclava-clad troops could be seen standing in the network’s newsroom with rifles as a military order was issued to shut down operations for 45 days.
Israeli has accused Al Jazeera of being “the mouthpiece” of Gaza’s Hamas and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah. The network denies these allegations.
Meanwhile, Israel said it struck around 290 targets inside Lebanon after Hezbollah launched just over 100 rockets at northern Israel in the most intense skirmish since the war in Gaza began almost a year ago.
Israel closed schools and in many northern areas of the country and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights early on Sunday, with reports of rockets hitting Haifa, a port city around 17 miles from the Lebanon border.
Top Hezbollah commander killed in Beirut airstrike, Israeli military says – fuelling fear of all-out war
The Lebanon explosions raise a question: Deep into the smartphone era, who is still using pagers?
Japan company denies making Hezbollah walkie-talkies that exploded in Lebanon
David Lammy considers plans to evacuate Britons from Lebanon as Israel conflict escalates
What is Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group hit in ‘double tap’ pager attacks?
Israeli strike kills 7 in Gaza school, ministry says
At least seven people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
The strike hit Kafr Qasem School in Gaza City at around 11am (8am GMT) local time on Sunday as it was being used to shelter displaced people, the ministry added.
The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hamas fighters and it had used aerial surveillance to limit the risk to civilians.
Lammy ‘deeply concerned’ by violence in West Bank
David Lammy has said he was “deeply, deeply concerned” by events in the West Bank and left the door open for possible sanctions for those engaging in “escalatory behaviour”.
“I’m not announcing further sanctions today but that is kept under close review,” the UK foreign secretary told a Labour Party conference fringe event hosted by Labour Together.
“As you would expect, I’m deeply, deeply concerned by what I’ve seen at this point in time.” Asked whether he was referring to events in the West Bank, he said: “Yes.”
The Foreign Secretary was asked by an audience member at a fringe event at Labour conference when the Government would take the step of introducing a full arms embargo.
“We have suspended those licences that could be used to breach international humanitarian law in Gaza,” he said.
“I don’t think it would be quite right to suspend licences, for example, that the Israelis could use in relation to the Houthis, that Israel may need to use in relation to the challenges it has with other proxies in the area. I think that would be a mistake.
“It would lead to a wider war and an escalation that we here in the UK are committed to stopping, so I’m afraid I disagree with that position.”
What to know about the growing conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah
What to know about the growing conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah
This week saw a dizzying escalation in the 11-month-old conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah
What is Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group?
What is Hezbollah, the Lebanese group hit in ‘double tap’ pager attacks?
Israel has declared a ‘new phase of war’ on its border with Lebanon
Watch: Israel hit by Hezbollah rockets in biggest attack yet
Israel said it struck around 290 targets inside Lebanon after Hezbollah launched just over 100 rockets at northern Israel in the most intense skirmish since the war in Gaza began almost a year ago.
Israel closed schools and in many northern areas of the country and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights early on Sunday, with reports of rockets hitting Haifa, a port city around 17 miles from the Lebanon border.
In this video from Haifa, northern Israel, a number of vehicles can be seen ablaze on a residential street on Sunday.
Netanyahu says Israel has hit Hezbollah in ways it could not imagine
Israel has in recent days hit Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon in ways it could not imagine, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
“If Hezbollah has not understood the message, I promise you, it will understand the message,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office.
Israel denies involvement with pager attack
Israel has denied having any involvement with a deadly exploding pager attack which injured thousands of people across Lebanon and Syria.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog said he “rejects out of hand any connection” to the audacious operation carried out against Hezbollah on Tuesday.
At least 39 people were injured and 3,000 were wounded after the Shi’ite militia’s pagers and walkie-talkies simultaneously detonated across the Middle East.
Who is Ibrahim Aqil, the Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli airstrike?
Just hours after Hezbollah launched around 150 rockets over Lebanon’s southern border into Israel on Friday, an apartment block around 70 miles north in Beirut was flattened by an Israeli airstrike.
The Israeli military said it had carried out a targeted attack, which ended up killing 31 people, including 15 Hezbollah operatives, as well as wounding 68 others.
The strike was the third devastating blow to the Shi’ite militia in four days after the explosion of the group’s pagers and walkie-talkies killed over 30 and wounded hundreds in a suspected Israeli attack.
One of those slain was Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil, after multiple missiles tore into the side of the building he was in the basement of while meeting other Hezbollah members.
Aqil, 61, was described as one of the group’s “top leaders” by Israel.The Independent takes a look at who he was below:
Who is Ibrahim Aqil, the Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli airstrike?
Ibrahim Aqil was killed after multiple Israeli missiles tore into the side of an apartment block in Beirut on Friday
Israeli military says it intercepts ‘aerial target’ launched from the east
Israel’s military said on Sunday that it intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” launched from the east, and that no damage or injuries were reported.
Earlier, an official in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a grouping of Iran-backed armed factions, said they launched cruise missile and explosive drone attacks at Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel exchange rocket fire in most intense skirmish yet
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged rocket fire across the southern Lebanon border in the most intense skirmish since the war in Gaza began almost a year ago.
The Israeli military said it struck around 290 targets inside Lebanon after the Shi’ite militia launched just over 100 rockets at northern Israel.
Israel closed schools and in many northern areas of the country and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights early on Sunday, with reports of rockets hitting Haifa, around 17 miles from the Lebanon border.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments