What we know
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with President Joe Biden today ahead of an Israeli Cabinet vote on the response to Iran's missile attack and after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's trip to the U.S. was called off, Israeli and U.S. officials told NBC News.
- The White House said Biden reiterated his commitment to Israel's security and emphasized the need for a diplomatic agreement to end the fighting in Lebanon, according to a readout.
- Netanyahu said Lebanon faces "destruction and suffering" like Gaza's unless its people rise up against Hezbollah. The White House has pushed back, saying "we cannot and will not see Lebanon turn into another Gaza." So far, more than 1,400 people have been killed and 1.2 million have been displaced in Lebanon.
- Hezbollah said it forced Israeli troops to retreat after clashes in the border towns of Blida in the southeast and Labbouneh in the southwest. Two people were killed in the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona after Hezbollah rocket fire was reported in the area.
- About 400,000 people are trapped in northern Gaza, where there is "no end to hell" as they have nowhere safe to flee a renewed Israeli assault, the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has said. The death toll in Gaza passed 42,000, local officials said.
IDF: Armored personnel carriers positioned in West Bank
The IDF said it is positioning armored personnel carriers (APCs) in the West Bank as Israel is "preparing for potential threat scenarios."
The APCs are stationed "at several points" in the West Bank and Jordan Valley and will be "utilized by security forces if necessary," the IDF said.
At least 15 people were killed in an Israeli strike on the Yemen al-Saeed Hospital in Jabalia, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
U.S. helping Americans get out of Lebanon ahead of potential Israeli strike, White House says
The U.S. is working to get Americans out of Lebanon ahead of a potential Israeli attack, White House press spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said today.
The U.S. embassy in Beirut remains open and can help Americans who need emergency passports or other documentation, and the U.S. will continue to make airplanes available as long as the Beirut airport remains open, Jean-Pierre said.
More than 400,000 people recorded fleeing Lebanon into Syria
More than 300,000 Syrians and 100,000 Lebanese people have fled the country into Syria since Sept. 23, according to the Lebanese Government Emergency Committee.
Last week, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati said there were an estimated 1.2 million Lebanese civilians displaced because of Israeli airstrikes and the ground invasion into southern Lebanon. There are 185,400 people registered at shelters, while many others have fled to loved ones' homes, paid for hotels or rentals, and others are simply sleeping on the street.
The country has established roughly 1,000 shelters and more than 800 of them have reached capacity, the emergency committee said today.
It added that the committee "receives international aid and distributes it to displaced people within a clear and transparent mechanism across governorates."
Biden, Harris spoke to Netanyahu on call this morning
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning as tensions in the Middle East reach a boiling point. This marks the first call between Biden and Netanyahu since late August.
Biden on the call reiterated his commitment to Israel's security and rebuked Iran's missile attack against Israel earlier this month, according to a readout from the White House.
The readout did not offer news on Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran.
Biden emphasized the need for a diplomatic agreement to end the fighting in Lebanon, ensuring that both Israelis and Lebanese citizens can safely return to their homes in the region.
He also said Israel has a right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, but emphasized that harm to civilians, especially in densely populated areas like Beirut, needs to be minimized.
On Gaza, the two leaders emphasized the "urgent need to renew diplomacy to release the hostages held by Hamas," the readout said. Biden urged Netanyahu to restore access to the northern part of Gaza, including by "reinvigorating the corridor from Jordan immediately," to address the dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
1,100 U.S. citizens and their families have left Lebanon on U.S.-organized flights
A total of 1,100 U.S. citizens and their family members have departed Lebanon on 12 U.S.-organized flights, Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said. There were 3,620 seats available on those flights.
One flight left Beirut for Istanbul last night, Miller said, and another one this morning. He noted that only 50 people embarked on this morning's flight, and a "very small number," 13 or 14 people, left the country on last night's flight.
90 projectiles launched from Lebanon to Israel today, IDF says
The Israeli military says it identified at least 90 "projectiles" launched today across the border from Lebanon.
Though the IDF said it was able to intercept some of them, others did make contact. Emergency responders are working to put out fires caused by the projectiles.
The Israeli air force destroyed a launcher that was sending projectiles to the area of Kiryat Shmona, the military said. An Israeli naval ship also shot down a drone that was approaching from Lebanon, according to the IDF.
Iranian foreign minister sits down with Saudi counterpart, state media reports
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud today, to discuss issues in the region, a significant move for the regional rivals.
Iranian state-news agency IRNA shared photos from the meeting and reported that Araghchi told Al Saud that he hoped renewed ties between the countries would help to “ensure stability, security, and more increased economic cooperation.”
IRNA also reported that Araghchi said he hoped the two nations could help create better conditions for Palestinian and Lebanese people, adding that bilateral issues between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran could be discussed in a separate visit.
Israel's attack on Iran will be 'lethal' and 'surprising,' defense minister says
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant gave an ambiguous statement on the plan to strike Iran, saying that the attack would be "lethal, precise and, above all, surprising."
His remarks were made during a visit with an intelligence unit today, where he told the unit whoever harms Israel will pay.
"They won’t understand what happened and how," Gallant said. "They will see the results."
Israel's cabinet has not yet voted on a plan to respond to Iran's ballistic missile attack earlier this month. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone today as the expected assault looms.
At least 125 people killed in 5 days of Israeli operations at Jabalia, Gaza government says
At least 125 people have been killed during five days of Israeli operations in northern Gaza, the enclave's Hamas-run government said in a statement today. Many were killed in the Jabalia refugee camp, it added.
The government said that there were “dozens of bodies” in the streets because the IDF was refusing to allow ambulances through to help people.
The IDF has not responded to a request for comment from NBC News about the allegation that they had blocked ambulances.
Earlier, an Arabic-language spokesperson for the IDF urged civilians to flee Jabalia, saying the Israeli soldiers have paused fighting there temporarily and asked them to go to shelters.
“Move now without delay from the shelters and homes to the southern Gaza Strip,” he said. “Do not believe the lies of Hamas through its men or media who tell you to stay there.”