✕
Close
Your support helps us to tell the story
Support NowMy 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
Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah intensified as eight IDF soldiers were killed in ground combat in south Lebanon. In response, Israel bombed central Beirut, killing at least six people and wounding seven.
The airstrike targeted a building in the Bachoura neighborhood, near Lebanon’s parliament.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to defeat Iran’s “Axis of Evil,” saying, “we are at the height of a difficult war... we will stand together and with God’s help, we will win together.”
Hezbollah reported ground clashes with Israeli forces, claiming to have destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks. Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli air raids killed 46 people in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden said the US will not support an Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear programme as the US looked to contain the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
“The answer is no,” the US president told reporters on Wednesday when asked if he would support such a response after Iran fired around 200 missiles at Israel the previous day following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.
Key Points
- Biden says he does not support attack on Iran's nuclear sites
- Israel will respond to Iran’s missile attack, military chief warns
- Iran’s president warns: ‘If Israel acts against us we will respond’
Air France passengers endure eight-hour trip to nowhere as Iran attack on Israel sparks flight diversion chaos
Tens of thousands of airline passengers are waking up where they did not expect to be after carriers diverted many planes in response to Iran’s overnight attack on Israel.
The normal flightpath from Europe and North America to the Gulf and south Asia is to fly to the southeast corner of Turkey and then head southeast over either Iran or Iraq.
But as missiles were fired from Iran over Iraq towards Israel, the airspace of both countries was closed. Jordan’s skies were also closed temporarily.
The most extreme response was Air France flight AF218 from Paris to Mumbai – in which the passengers endured an eight-hour trip to nowhere.
Report:
Air France passengers endure eight-hour flight to nowhere after Iran attacks Israel
Exclusive: UK passengers to the key Gulf hubs touched down at Vienna, Cairo or Jeddah, while Air France travellers from Paris to Mumbai endured an eight-hour ‘flight to nowhere’
Namita Singh3 October 2024 05:57 1727931404Iran’s UN ambassador criticises US as he defends Tehran's attack
Iran’s UN ambassador accused the United States, along with the United Kingdom and France, of cynically attempting “to justify Israel’s heinous crimes under the guise of self-defence, shifting the blame onto Iran.”
Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council Wednesday that the United States, which has continued to arm Israel since Hamas’ 7 October attacks on its south, is complicit “in Israel’s crimes.”
Iravani called Iran’s missile barrage targeting Israel on Tuesday “a necessary and proportionate response to Israel’s continued terrorist aggressive acts over the past two months.”
Lebanon’s health ministry raises death toll to six from airstrike near central Beirut
Lebanon’s health ministry raised the death toll to six from an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building near the center of Beirut late Wednesday night.
It said seven people were injured in the attack.The airstrike hit near the residential Bashoura district. The previous death toll had been two with 11 people injured.
Residents reported a sulfur-like smell following the attack, and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency accused Israel of using internationally banned phosphorous bombs.
Human rights groups have in the past accused Israel of using white phosphorus incendiary shells on towns and villages in conflict-hit southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry says two killed in Israeli airstrike in central Beirut
Namita Singh3 October 2024 05:39 1727929457Australia plans evacuation flights from Lebanon
Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said on Thursday her government had booked 500 seats on commercial aircraft for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families to leave Lebanon on Saturday.
The seats are available to 1,700 Australians and their families known to be in Lebanon on two flights from Beirut to Cyprus, Ms Wong said.
“What I would say to Australians who wish to leave, please take whatever option is available to you,” the foreign minister told reporters in Geelong, Australia.
“Please do not wait for your preferred route,” she added.
Namita Singh3 October 2024 05:24 1727929038UK government warns citizens to leave Lebanon as violence intensifies
In a post to X, foreign secretary David Lammy reiterated calls for British citizens in Lebanon to leave while commercial flights are still available.
The Defence Secretary John Healey also met military personnel preparing for a potential evacuation of Britons from Lebanon, as he thanked RAF personnel involved in the operation to defend Israel from Iranian missiles.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has said that any further flights in the coming days will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground. Vulnerable British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18, will be prioritised.
Two Typhoon fighter jets, supported by a tanker aircraft, were involved in the operation although the Ministry of Defence said because of the nature of the attack “they did not engage any targets”.
Mr Healey told Sky News in Cyprus: “They were part of the wider effort to prevent further escalation and to show the UK’s steadfast support for Israel’s right to self defence and to security.
“They did not engage, but they were ready to do so, and nevertheless, they were playing a part in the wider efforts to deter the further conflict, and they will continue to do so.”
Namita Singh3 October 2024 05:17 1727928987Ireland cannot unilaterally withdraw from Lebanon peacekeeping duties – Martin
Ireland cannot unilaterally withdraw from peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, the Tanaiste has insisted.
There are currently 379 Irish Defence Forces personnel serving with the UN’s Unifil mission in south Lebanon.
Micheal Martin said the troops were currently bunkered down in camps amid the intensification of hostilities after incursions across the border by Israeli forces.
Report:
Ireland cannot unilaterally withdraw from Lebanon peacekeeping duties – Martin
There are currently 379 Irish Defence Forces personnel serving with the UN’s Unifil mission in south Lebanon.
Namita Singh3 October 2024 05:16 1727927728Plane evacuating Britons from Lebanon lands in UK as blasts heard in Beirut
More British nationals are expected to be airlifted out of Lebanon on Thursday as further blasts hit Beirut.
An apparent Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building near the centre of the Lebanese capital on Wednesday, marking the second time Israel has struck the city this week.
The airstrike hit not far from the United Nations headquarters, the prime minister’s office and parliament and no warning was issued ahead of the blast, with the number of casualties unclear.
Report:
Plane evacuating Britons from Lebanon lands in UK as blasts heard in Beirut
The Foreign Office has said that further flights in the coming days will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground.
Namita Singh3 October 2024 04:55 1727925575Israel's PM pledges to defeat 'Iran's axis of evil' amid escalating conflict
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged victory in the country’s conflict with Hezbollah, following the deaths of eight soldiers in Lebanon.
“I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to the families of our heroes who fell today in Lebanon, may God avenge them, and may their memories be a blessing,” Mr Netanyahu said, paying tribute to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.
Mr Netanyahu emphasised that Israel is engaged in a “tough war against Iran’s axis of evil.” He reassured the nation, saying, “this will not happen. Because we will stand together, and with God’s help, we will win together.”
His remarks come as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate, with the Lebanese-based militant group posing a significant challenge to regional stability.
Namita Singh3 October 2024 04:19 1727924390China urges UN Security Council to de-escalate Middle East crisis
China called on the United Nations Security Council to take “urgent actions” to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East as Israel launched fresh air strikes in Lebanon.
China’s permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, said during a Security Council briefing on Wednesday, that it needed to make clear and unequivocal demands to stop the cycle of violence over the Israeli-Lebanon conflict.
“The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” the official Xinhua news agency reported Mr Fu as saying, noting that all parties concerned “must return to the track of political and diplomatic solutions”.
Israel’s latest missile strikes in central Beirut come after Iran fired more than 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday. Israel has also sent infantry and armoured units into Lebanon with reports of fighting with the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
Iran said on Wednesday its missile volley - its biggest ever assault on Israel - was over barring further provocation, but Israel and the United States promised to hit back hard.
Iran’s missile attack and Israel’s pledge of retaliation have raised concerns that the oil-producing Middle East could be caught up in a wider conflict.
Warning that the current situation is “hanging by a thread,” Xinhua cited Mr Fu as saying that any “passive procrastination would be irresponsible, and any rhetoric of condoning further military adventurism would send a wrong message”.
Mr Fu said the spreading Middle East conflict had already caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, with Gaza having become a “hell on earth,” and over 1.2 million people displaced in Lebanon.
Namita Singh3 October 2024 03:59 1727920808Hezbollah says it fired surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli helicopter
Hezbollah says it fired surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli military helicopter flying over Beit Hillel in northern Israel, forcing it to retreat.
The Lebanese militant group didn't say if the helicopter was hit in the attack Wednesday, and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. It is the first time the group has said it fired a missile at a helicopter since hostilities between the two sides escalated two weeks ago.
Hezbollah and the Israeli military have clashed in southern Lebanese border towns since Israel launched its ground operation against Hezbollah.
Hezbollah earlier said it destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks heading towards Maroun al-Ras, and detonated an explosive device hidden in an abandoned building on the outskirts of Kfar Kila after Israeli soldiers entered.
Tara Cobham3 October 2024 03:00 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.
