Live Updates: Israel strikes Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah threat detected

Sunday, August 25, 2024

06:17 GMT — Israel strikes Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah threat detected

Israeli jets launched strikes in Lebanon after the military claimed they assessed that Hezbollah was preparing to fire rockets and missiles towards Israel, the military said.

The Israeli army assessed that Hezbollah is "preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory. In response to these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon," said in a statement.

The army also gave an ultimatum to residents in southern Lebanon to "leave immediately" in an Arabic-language message.

05:40 GMT — US will 'keep supporting Israel's right to defend itself': national security spokesman

The United States has said it would "keep supporting Israel's right to defend itself" as the Israeli military announced it was conducting strikes in Lebanon.

At President Joe Biden's direction, "senior US officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts," US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement.

"We will keep supporting Israel's right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability."

05:00 GMT — Hezbollah announces completion of 'first phase' of retaliation against Israel

Hezbollah has said it had completed the "first phase" of its response to Israel's killing of the group's top commander in a strike on a Beirut suburb last month.

Hezbollah added that it had hit 11 Israeli military sites, fired more than 320 rockets and sent drones flying into northern Israel.

04:26 GMT — Lebanon's Hezbollah launches retaliatory strikes against Israel

Lebanon's Hezbollah group has announced it launched attacks on Israel with a large number of drones in response to assassination of the group's top commander in Beirut last month.

The Lebanon-based group said it targeted an identified "special military target as well as Israel's Iron Dome platforms and other sites but that the full response would take "some time".

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that 200 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel.

03:40 GMT — Israel declares 48-hour state of emergency

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has announced a 48-hour nationwide state of emergency from 06:00 am (0300 GMT) Sunday after the Israeli military launched what it called pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon.

"The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF (Israeli military) to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant," Gallant said in a statement issued by his office.

03:18 GMT — Israel diverts incoming flights, delays others at Ben Gurion International airport

Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport has diverted incoming flights and delayed others after Israel launched strikes in Lebanon.

02:50 GMT — Israel kills 63 Palestinians across several parts of Gaza

At least 63 Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded in a series of Israeli air strikes targeting various areas of besieged Gaza.

Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital received the bodies of 59 Palestinians.

Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, said in a statement: "Some 4 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli air strike that targeted an apartment belonging to the Othman family in the Ain Jalut Towers in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the centre of the Strip."

02:40 GMT — Thousands of Israelis protest to demand swap deal

Thousands of protesters have demonstrated in several Israeli cities, demanding an immediate hostage swap deal with Palestinian resistance factions in besieged Gaza.

Thousands protested in downtown Tel Aviv, urging the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalise a deal that would lead to the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, the state-run broadcasting authority KAN reported.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid shared photos of himself on X taking part in protests.

02:28 GMT — Israeli army withdraws from Khan Younis, leaving destruction behind

The Israeli army has withdrawn from areas north of Khan Younis in the southern besieged Gaza, leaving behind mutilated bodies and widespread destruction.

The devastation was particularly severe in the "Hamad residential city" area, where Israeli warplanes destroyed dozens of apartments and levelled entire towers, eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency.

They reported that dozens of residential buildings were reduced to rubble in the northern areas of Khan Younis, alongside the bulldozing of citizens' lands and properties.

02:10 GMT — 60% of medicines depleted, essential services at risk: Gaza Health Ministry

Some 60 percent of essential medicines and 83 percent of medical supplies in besieged Gaza have been depleted due to the ongoing Israeli carnage and its control and closure of border crossings, the Gaza Health Ministry, sounding the alarm.

In a statement, the ministry warned of the unprecedented crisis in medicines and medical supplies, decrying the severe impact on the lives of patients and the wounded.

"Hospitals and health centres are facing acute shortages of medicines and medical supplies," the statement said.

For our live updates from Saturday, August 24, 2024, click here.