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The Israeli mililtary warned it was on high alert as Hezbollah confirmed that its leader Hassan Nasrallah had been assassinated in an airstrike in Beirut, amplifying fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
The airstrike was carried out as Hezbollah’s leadership met at their headquarters in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh. Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, was among several commanders also killed, the Israeli military claimed.
Iranian media reported that a prominent general in the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also died in the strike. Abbas Nilforushan, 58, was sanctioned in 2022 by the US government, which identified him as deputy commander for operations.
The Lebanese health ministry said six people were killed and 91 injured.
Israel has maintained its barrage of strikes in southern Beirut and eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, as Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles across northern and central Israel and the Israel-occupied West Bank.
Israel said it had called up three more battalions of reservists, having earlier sent two brigades to northern Israel to train for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon.
Key Points
- Israel on high alert and ‘ready for a wider escalation’, military says
- Hezbollah confirms decades-long leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in airstrike
- Iran’s Khamenei ‘moved to secure location’ after Israel targets Hezbollah chief
- Revolutionary Guards chief killed in Beirut strikes, Iran says
- At least 720 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon in one week
Germany striving for ceasefire, minister says
Germany is continuing efforts to enable a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, its foreign minister has said, adding that the situation was extremely dangerous.
“There is a threat that this entire region will slip further into an absolute spiral of violence,” Annalena Baerbock was quoted as saying.
Germany last month called for “de-escalation and regional stability” in the Middle East.
PM joins French and German leaders in Middle East ‘de-escalation’ call
Sir Keir Starmer urged Iran and its allies not to ‘jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages’ in Gaza.
Jane Dalton29 September 2024 00:15 1727557847Israel’s military mobilises extra reservists as tensions escalate
Israel's military mobilizes additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon
The Israeli military says they are mobilizing additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon
Jane Dalton28 September 2024 22:10 1727554547Opinion: There’s still a chance to avert war
With the world overwhelmingly opposed to a new all-out war, it could yet be avoided, writes Mary Dejevsky:
The Middle East is closer than ever to all-out war – but there is a path to peace
As Israel refuses a ceasefire with Lebanon, the future of the region is again on a knife edge – but this time, says Mary Dejevsky, the key to any peaceful settlement rests elsewhere
Jane Dalton28 September 2024 21:15 1727551247US committed to Israel’s defence, says Pentagon
The United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iran-backed groups from exploiting the situation in Lebanon or expanding the conflict, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has told Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant in phone calls.
Mr Austin expressed full US support for Israel’s right to defend itself and made clear that “the United States remains postured to protect US forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defense of Israel”, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said.
Jane Dalton28 September 2024 20:20 1727548247Fire and smoke at Lebanese border
Smoke billows over Khiam, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the Lebanese border with Israel:
Armed men fire into air and shut down shops as Hezbollah supporters in shock
Armed men fired shots in the air and shut down shops in parts of Beirut after the death of Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah supporters said they were in a state of shock and disbelief.
“God, I hope it’s not true. It’s a disaster if it’s true,” said Zahraa, a young woman displaced overnight from Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
“He was leading us. He was everything to us. We were under his wings,” she said tearfully.
She said other displaced people around her fainted or began to scream when they received notifications on their phone of Hezbollah’s statement confirming his death.
“We’re still waiting for him to come out on the television at 5pm and tell us that everything is okay, that we can go back home,” Zahraa said.
In some parts of Beirut, armed men went into shops and told owners to shut them down, witnesses said. It was not immediately clear what faction the armed men belonged to.
Search for victims goes on as more strikes expected
Rescue workers in Beirut are still looking for victims under the rubble and more strikes are expected across southern Lebanon overnight, writes Cosette Moljin in the city.
At least six buildings were destroyed in Friday night’s airstrike that killed Hassan Nasrallah.
The site is close to Rasoul al-Aazam Hospital, near the entrance of the Palestinian refugee camp Bourj el-Barajneh, and along a main road that leads from the centre of Beirut to the Beirut national airport.
Jane Dalton28 September 2024 17:59 1727542187
Killing of Hezbollah chief ‘a measure of justice’, says Biden
US president Joe Biden has said the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was “a measure of justice” for his many victims.
Mr Biden said: “Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror.
“His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.
“The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023.
“Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a “northern front” against Israel.”
The president said the US fully supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups, adding: “Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of US military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.
“Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.
“In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.
“It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability.”
Jane Dalton28 September 2024 17:49 1727540447Airstrikes killed five relatives, says British woman
A British woman returning to the UK from Lebanon said Israeli airstrikes had killed five members of her family, including a young engineer due to be married in 10 days’ time.
Sana Chamseddin, who clutched her son in her arms in Heathrow Airport, spoke of her guilt at escaping besieged Lebanon and leaving behind loved ones.
Her uncle, his wife and his three daughters, all in their twenties, were killed when their home in the Lebanese city of Tyre was bombed, she told the PA news agency.
Two of the daughters were doctors and one was an engineer who was due to be married in 10 days, said Mrs Chamseddin.
She and her husband, both British citizens, returned to London with their sons, two-month-old Zien and one-year-old Jawad.
She broke down in tears as she said: “On Monday morning we wake up as a big bomb (hit) just beside our house, and we saw on the news that they said another round (of attacks) will start in one hour, so we didn’t take it seriously because we don’t fight - we are normal civilians.
“I was talking with my uncle over WhatsApp, he told me that it’s okay, it’s not going to bomb him, but we lost the connection when they bombed around us.
“When we arrived after 10 hours on the road we found out that he didn’t make it - me and my husband feel very guilty to come here (to England) and (leave) our family in unsafe places.”
Smoke rises from Beirut suburbs after Israeli attacks
Recap:
Israel-Hamas war latest: Smoke rises from Beirut’s southern suburbs after a night of Israeli attacks
Israel's attacks on Hezbollah targets pounded areas around Lebanon's capital overnight
Jane Dalton28 September 2024 16:50 Newer1 / 5OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
