U.N. says three of its schools struck in Gaza
Three schools of U.N.'s agency in Gaza, UNRWA, were hit in the last two days, the organization's chief Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X last night, adding that more than 140 of its schools have been attacked since Oct. 7.
At least 21 people were killed, he said.
"Schools used to be a safe haven for learning, they have now turned into hell for far too many," he said, adding the schools were home to 20,000 displaced people.
Israel unleashes airstrikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah leaders
Israel unleashed a new wave of airstrikes across Lebanon on an underground bunker in Beirut, targeting senior leaders of Hezbollah. Israeli officials say they aim to “destroy Hezbollah’s capabilities.”
Israeli military says for first time in two months, sirens sound in the south
The Israeli military said on Friday that for the first time in nearly two months, there were sirens sounding in southern Israel, near the Gaza strip.
“Almost a year after Oct. 7, Hamas is still threatening our civilians with their terrorism and we will continue operating against them,” the army added in a post on X.
Key road connecting Lebanon to Syria 'significantly bombed,' World Food Programme says
The road crossing between Lebanon and Syria, used by tens of thousands to flee Israeli attacks, has been "very significantly bombed," said World Food Programme’s country director Matthew Hollingworth.
“It will mean that goods that would normally come overland through that crossing — the cheapest, most effective way to bring commodities into the country — will also not be able to be to be received here,” he told BBC Radio 4 today,
Tense scenes at Beirut airport as civilians attempt to flee
Passengers believed to be German citizens at Beirut's Rafic Hariri international airport this morning as they attempt to evacuate as the capital is rocked by Israeli airstrikes. Several countries have ongoing operations to remove nationals to safety.
Dozens of medics killed in Lebanon, WHO warns health care 'under attack'
At least 28 healthcare workers Were killed in the past 24 hours, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters yesterday, adding dozens of healthcare facilities have been shuttered amid Israeli bombardment.
“Many health workers are not reporting to duty as they fled the areas where they work due to bombardment, he said, “This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and continuity of health services,” he added.
Healthcare workers were working under dangerous situations with limited resources, he said, “and yet health care continues to come under attack.”
“We had planned to deliver a large shipment of trauma and medical supplies tomorrow to Lebanon," he said, but the organization is unable to due to the closure of Beirut airport.
Civilians bear brunt in ‘catastrophic’ Lebanon conflict, U.N. official says
Civilians are bearing the brunt of a "truly catastrophic" situation in Lebanon, a senior U.N. official said, urging respect for the rules of war nearly two weeks since Israel launched a major offensive against the armed group Hezbollah.
With around 1 million people in Lebanon impacted, Imran Riza, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said the pace of displacement since Sept. 23 had exceeded worst case scenarios, and too much damage was being done to civilian infrastructure.
"What we saw from Sept. 23 on is truly catastrophic," Riza said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday. He was referring to the day when Israel dramatically ramped up airstrikes in Lebanon, killing more than 500 people in a single day, according to Lebanese government figures.
"The level of trauma, the level of fear amongst the population, has been extreme," he said.
Only way to solve crisis is to end Palestinian occupation, Oman’s foreign minister says
While it may be easy for governments to condemn Iran’s actions and defend Israel’s, that doesn’t address the “real cause” of the current crisis, Oman’s foreign minister said.
“It is only by ending Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine that we can hope to restore peace to the region,” Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said today in a post on X.
“Anyone who believes we can achieve peace by other means — by containing Iran, by eliminating Hamas, by defeating Hezbollah, or by steadfast political, military and financial support for Israel — is either deluded, naive or deliberately trying to avoid the truth.”
For too long, he said, many Western governments “have postponed reckoning with this reality and failed to guarantee the Palestinian people the security and stability that only statehood can provide.”
Israel resorting to assassinations and civilian killings in place of true victories, Khamenei says
Israel's actions in the Middle East have only fueled "rising anger and motivation among the people," Iran's supreme leader said, delivering his final comments in a rare sermon today.
Noting Israel's recent assassinations of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, Khamenei said Israel was still "unable to seriously damage strong organizations like Hezbollah, Hamas, or Islamic Jihad" and had resorted "to terror, destruction, and civilian bombings, perceiving these actions as victories."
But, he warned its actions would only lead "to the emergence of more leaders" whom he suggested would see Israel's "removal from existence." Iran does not recognize Israel's right to exist and seeks the Jewish state's eradication.
Beirut wakes up to more devastation
Destroyed residential buildings after the Israeli military carried out airstrikes on the Dahiyeh suburb south of the Lebanese capital this morning.