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Netanyahu says killing Nasrallah is key to restoring power balance and recovering hostages

The powerful Shia cleric's death is a devastating blow to the Iran-backed militant group and a major escalation that threatens an all-out regional war.

Coverage on this live blog has ended. Follow live updates here.


What we know

  • Hezbollah has confirmed that its powerful leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike yesterday in a dramatic blow to the Iran-linked Lebanese militant and political group.
  • The Israeli military has continued intensive strikes across Lebanon today, including pre-dawn strikes in Beirut, issuing evacuation orders for neighborhoods in the city's southern suburbs.
  • The attack targeting Nasrallah killed at least 11 people and injured 108, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The damage is extensive and the official death toll is likely to rise.
  • Iran, Hezbollah's ally, has condemned the strike as a "blatant war crime" crossing its red lines and called for plans to send troops to Lebanon.
  • Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned early from U.N. General Assembly after Netanyahu delivered a hawkish speech defending Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon while rallying opposition to Iran.
  • The U.S. said it had no prior knowledge of Israel's strike and sought to prevent further escalation, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging Israel to accept a 21-day cease-fire proposal from the U.S., E.U. and Arab countries, which Netanyahu has so far rejected.

Netanyahu, not Biden, is setting the agenda in the Middle East

Dan De Luce

Abigail Williams

Dan De Luce and Abigail Williams

Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s longtime leader has driven home how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set the agenda in the Middle East in recent months, with a frustrated Biden White House unable to shape events or defuse a spreading conflict in the region.

Officials in the Biden administration felt blindsided by the Israeli air strikes Friday in southern Beirut that killed Hassan Nasrallah, and other senior Hezbollah figures, current and former officials say. 

In the days before the Israeli attack, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had intensively shuttled between delegations in New York during the U.N. General Assembly session, trying to forge a 21-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. 

The Biden administration was so confident in the proposal’s success that a senior administration official briefing reporters after its public debut suggested both parties’ agreement was a foregone conclusion.

American and European officials believed they were moving closer to a possible deal, but then came the television images of a massive plume of smoke rising over southern Beirut.

Read the full story here.

State Department offers help to U.S. citizens looking to leave Lebanon

The State Department tonight offered assistance to U.S. citizens looking to leave Lebanon, warning that citizens who remain in the country should be ready to shelter in place for an extended period of time.

The department on its website said it "strongly encourages" Americans in southern Lebanon, near the borders with Syria or in refugee settlements to leave immediately.

"We continue to advise that U.S. citizens depart Lebanon due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hizballah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut," a State Department advisory read.

Commercial flights are currently available, though at reduced capacity, the department said. It said it is currently only able to help U.S. citizens and their immediate family (spouses, children under 21 years old and parents) who have valid travel documents "for onward travel from Turkey or Cyprus."

An online form allows citizens to request help with a U.S. government loan to buy a commercial plane ticket, or for help with a U.S. passport or visa for an accompanying spouse or minor child.

"You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Lebanon. Only attempt to depart Lebanon or travel within Lebanon if you believe it is safe for you to do so," the State Department said. "The U.S. Embassy may not be able to assist U.S. citizens who choose to remain."

Iran calls for emergency U.N. Security Council meeting

Rudy Chinchilla

Sean Nevin

Rudy Chinchilla and Sean Nevin

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations today called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss what he called Israel's "terrorist aggression" in Lebanon.

In a letter to the U.N. secretary-general and the Security Council's president, Amir Saeid Iravani warned that Israel's actions threaten to thrust the region into a full-scale war and "an all-out catastrophe."

"For a year now, Israel has been committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Gaza with complete impunity, while the UN Security Council has remained paralyzed due to the United States’ obstruction of an effective decision by that body," Iravani wrote. "This rogue regime is now extending its brutal aggressive war to Lebanon."

He called on the Security Council to condemn Israel's actions, compel it to immediately halt its attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, and address the country's "terrorist aggression and the continuous atrocities perpetrated by the warmongering Israeli regime in Lebanon and across the region."

Iravani also warned that Iran has the right under international law to defend its national and security interests, and that it would not hesitate to "take every measure" to do so.

Israel ‘will fail to defeat Hezbollah:’ Senior Middle East diplomat

Ian Sherwood

Despite the killing of one of Hezbollah’s top leaders, Israel will fail to defeat the Lebanese militant group, a senior Middle East diplomat said today.

“Despite all the suffering and the horror, the fact remains: Israel has failed to defeat Hamas and will fail to defeat Hezbollah," the diplomat said, referencing Israel's ongoing efforts to destroy Hamas in Gaza.

The declaration came after the death of Hassan Nasrallah, under whom Hezbollah became the most powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group in the Middle East.

U.N. Secretary-General concerned about escalation in Beirut, says 'cycle of violence must stop now'

Rebecca Emery

Mirna Alsharif

Rebecca Emery and Mirna Alsharif

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement today that he's "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours."

"This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink," his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement on his behalf. "The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war."

Guterres urged the parties involved to recommit to Security Council resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 to call for an end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. He also reiterated his call for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.

'It's time for a cease-fire,' Biden says

NBC News

President Joe Biden made a quick comment about the need for a cease-fire as he left church today in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Asked whether a ground incursion into Lebanon is inevitable, Biden responded, "It's time for a cease-fire."

The U.S. and allies have proposed a 21 day-cease fire to allow for talks between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to insist that Israel “will not stop” its fight against the group, and has told the military to keep “fighting with full force.”

Pentagon is looking at options for more troops in the Middle East, officials say

Courtney Kube

Mosheh Gains

Courtney Kube and Mosheh Gains

The Pentagon is looking at options for increasing the number of troops and equipment in the Middle East after the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, according to two U.S. officials. 

This morning, military officials presented Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with options for additional military support to the region, and he in turn discussed the current military posture and some options on the call with President Joe Biden and other national security leaders. No decisions were made on the White House call, the officials said, but Austin does have the authority to send forces to the region.

The U.S. has about 40,000 troops in the region right now — that’s more than the U.S. had in place when Iran retaliated against Israel in April. As of now, the U.S. officials say the Pentagon is confident in their posture but could extend some current deployments even after replacements arrive (thereby increasing the total number) or make a few adjustments in air defense and other capabilities given the probability of retaliation from Iran or Hezbollah.

The U.S. has troops and assets in the region now to support a military-assisted departure of civilians should one be necessary, but the officials said the airport is operating and there are still a couple of commercial flights leaving.

They added there are not many requests for help from Americans to leave right now. So, while there is planning and they are ready, there is still no decision to order a non-combatant evacuation, or NEO. However, the officials pointed out, that could change quickly if the situation deteriorates.  

There is still a chance that the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group is re-routed from Europe to the Middle East, but as of now there is no indication that is happening. It arrives in the European theater in about a week but could quickly be re-assigned to U.S. Central Command.

Israeli attacks killed at least 33 in Lebanon today

NBC News

At least 33 people have been killed in Lebanon today as a result of Israeli attacks on the country, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Over 190 people have been injured, the ministry said.

Biden and Harris held call with national security team

The White House said today that Biden convened a call with Harris and his national security team for "an update on the situation in the Middle East."

On the call, Biden, Harris and their team also reviewed the status of U.S. military units in the region and "continued diplomatic efforts to coordinate with allies and partners," the White House added.

Houthis say they fired missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport upon Netanyahu’s arrival

The Houthis said they fired a missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport upon Netanyahu’s arrival today.

The missile the Houthis launched was a “Palestine 2 ballistic missile,” according to a statement from the group. It's not clear at this time if this was the same missile that set off sirens in central Israel and was intercepted by the IDF earlier today.

The Houthis said this was done "in support for the oppressed Palestinian people and in response to the crimes of the Zionist enemy in Gaza and Lebanon," and that these action "will not stop until the aggression against Gaza and Lebanon ceases."

"The Yemeni Armed Forces, along with all the honorable and free people of the nation, will continue to respond to the crimes of the Israeli enemy and will not hesitate to raise the level of escalation in response to the requirements of the stage and to participate in the defense of Gaza and Lebanon," the group said.

In a message on its website, Ben Gurion Airport said the airport "is working as planned including departures and landings."

Sirens sound in Jerusalem after launch from Lebanon, IDF says

NBC News

The IDF said that sirens sounded in Jerusalem "following a launch from Lebanon toward Israeli territory."

In an update later in the day the IDF said a projectile launch crossed from Lebanon into Israel before falling in Mitzpe Hagit, an Israeli outpost in the West Bank, causing a fire.

U.S. State Department advises Americans in Lebanon to sign up for departure assistance

Abigail Williams

The U.S. State Department advised Americans in Lebanon to sign up for departure assistance.

"Please be aware that currently we are only able to assist U.S. citizens and their accompanying immediate family (including spouses, children under 21-years old, and parents)," the state department's message read.

Following Israel's attack on southern Beirut yesterday, the department also encouraged all citizens in Lebanon to leave while commercial flights are still available.

The department also authorized the departure of certain U.S. Embassy employees in Lebanon, including mission-employed and non-essential U.S. direct hire employees.

Netanyahu says killing Nasrallah was 'a necessary condition' for achieving Israel's goals

NBC News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said killing Nasrallah was "a necessary condition" for achieving Israel's goal of returning residents of northern Israel to their homes and change "the balance of power in the region over the years."

"Because as long as Nasrallah lived, he would quickly restore the capabilities we took away from Hezbollah," Netanyahu said during a briefing he held today. "That’s why I gave the directive — and Nasrallah is no longer with us.

Netanyahu said that Nasrallah's killing will also send a message to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that "Hezbollah will no longer come to his rescue," potentially improving the chances of recovering hostages from Gaza.

The prime minister also sent a message to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his administration: "Whoever beat us, we will beat him."

"We are determined to continue to strike at our enemies, return our residents to their homes, and return all our hostages," Netanyahu said. "We do not forget them for a moment."

Israel decided to kill Nasrallah after he refused to separate Lebanon from Gaza, officials say

Raf Sanchez

Reporting from Tel Aviv

Israel took the decision to assassinate Nasrallah after concluding he would not accept any diplomatic solution to end the fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border that was not tied to an end to the war in Gaza, an Israeli official said. 

Israel had tried repeatedly to reach a separate diplomatic solution with Hezbollah since October 8th but Nasrallah was adamant he would continue firing until Israel made a deal with Hamas, the official told NBC News.

"What we found after over 11 months is that Nasrallah is persistent in tying himself — and the hijacked Lebanese state that he took over — to whatever’s going on in Gaza," the official said. "He declined every diplomatic effort. He declined messages to stop connecting himself to Gaza. And he continued to fire at Israel, and in the past few weeks or months, even expanded the range and velocity of attacks against Israel."

“This led us to understand that he cannot be part of the game anymore. And what we did is to conduct a very precise, intelligence-based strike against the headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, to make sure that Nasrallah cannot be a decision maker anymore in the region.”

When asked if Israel believed Nasrallah’s replacement might be more open to a diplomatic solution, the official responded that whether the new Hezbollah leader agrees to a diplomatic solution for returning displaced Israelis is up to him. But this is not Israel's final option and that there are many other tools available to achieve their objectives if there is noncompliance, the official said.

The official declined to say whether or not it was possible for Israel to achieve its goals without a ground invasion of Lebanon.

Harris and Biden call Nasrallah's death 'a measure of justice' for victims

Vice President Kamala Harris called Nasrallah "a terrorist with American blood on his hands."

She said in a statement today that, under his leadership, terrorists "destabilized the Middle East and led to the killing of countless innocent people in Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and around the world."

"Today, Hezbollah’s victims have a measure of justice," Harris added.

Her statement echoed that of President Joe Biden's, which also called Nasrallah's death "a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians."

Iran's Supreme Leader declares five days of mourning following the killing of Nasrallah

NBC News

Iran’s Supreme Leader Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of mourning following the killing of Nasrallah, according to Iranian state media, IRNA.

"The Islamic world has lost a great personality, the resistance front a distinguished leader, and Hezbollah an irreplaceable figure," the Supreme Leader said in a statement shared by IRNA. "However, the legacy of his decades-long efforts will continue to strengthen the foundation of resistance."

Matt Bradley

Reporting from Beirut

Supporters of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah wept in the streets of Beirut following news of his death in an Israeli airstrike.

But not all Lebanese civilians mourn Nasrallah’s death. Some see it as a chance to loosen Hezbollah’s grip on the country.

IDF says it killed senior Hezbollah official in southern Beirut

NBC News

The IDF said it killed senior Hezbollah official Hassan Khalil Yassin in a strike in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut.

"Yassin stood at the head of a department responsible for the identification of civilian and military targets, on the northern border and deep within Israeli territory," the IDF said in a statement.

NBC News has not independently confirmed the IDF's claim about Yassin's death.

11 killed and 108 injured in Lebanon following Israeli airstrike

NBC News

At least 11 people were killed and 108 were injured in Lebanon since Israel launched an attack on southern Beirut yesterday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Over 1,000 people were killed in Lebanon from Sept. 16 to Sept. 27, including 56 women and 87 children, the ministry said. Over 6,300 have been wounded in that two-week period.

Iran air cancels flights out of Beirut

Iran Air has cancelled all its flights to Beirut, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, quoting the airline's spokesperson.

This comes as the Lebanese Public Works minister Ali Hamieh directed Beirut airport to "instruct an incoming Iranian plane not to enter Lebanese airspace or land," Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

IDF continues strikes in Lebanon

NBC News

The IDF says it is continuing to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon today.

"Among the targets that were struck are Hezbollah launchers that were aimed toward Israeli territory, structures in which weapons were stored and additional Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure," the IDF said in a statement.

Houthis mourn killing of Nasrallah, say 'his departure will not weaken' the group

NBC News

The Houthis of Yemen extended their condolences for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a statement today.

"He has achieved what he desired — the honor of martyrdom after decades of being a brave fighter, unmatched in contemporary history," spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam said in the statement.

Abdul Salam said Nasrallah's death won't weaken the group, but "rather, it will grant them greater strength to continue the path of resistance and jihad until the final victory."

IDF says missile launched from Yemen intercepted over central Israel

NBC News

The Israel Defense Forces reported intercepting a missile launched from Yemen after sirens sounded in central Israel.

There have been no reports of casualties after the missile interception, according to the Magen David Adom, adding some were injured "on the way to a protected area." The rescue service did not clarify how many people were injured and the extent of their injuries.

A look at Israeli pre-dawn strikes on Beirut, targeting Hezbollah control center

Matt Bradley

Reporting from Beirut

The Israeli army conducted pre-dawn strikes in Beirut near Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Officials have issued evacuation orders for neighborhoods in the city’s southern suburbs. Masses of civilians were fleeing the south, heading for northern Lebanon.

Hamas mourns Nasrallah's death

Key Hezbollah ally, Hamas, mourned the Hassan Nasrallah's death today, saying in a statement that the Israeli attack will "only increase the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine in determination and resolve."

The attack on Nasrallah was a “cowardly terrorist act,” Hamas said.

"We offer our sincere condolences, sympathy and solidarity to the brotherly Lebanese people and our brothers in Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon," the group added.

Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar, who like Nasrallah has also remained in hiding. The head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran in July, in an attack belived to have been carried out by Israel.

Iran Revolutionary Guard general killed in Israeli airstrike that killed Nasrallah

NBC News

An Iran Revolutionary Guard general was killed in the same Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, according to Iranian state media, Mehr News.

The outlet identified the general as Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan.

NBC News has not independently verified the general's killing.

Crowds rally to mourn Nasrallah in Beirut suburbs

Zoya Awky

Reporting from Beirut

Spontaneous marches have erupted in Beirut as crowds mourn the deceased Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

In the suburbs of the capital, hundreds of people can be seen walking down the streets, chanting and holding their fists in the air.

While Nasrallah was popular with Hezbollah supporters, he was disliked and even hated by others in Lebanon.

Israel imposes new restrictions on gatherings across country

Freddie Clayton

Lina Dandees

Freddie Clayton and Lina Dandees

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari has announced new restrictions from Israel's Home Front Command, including a ban on gatherings of more than a thousand people across Israel.

The order includes areas in south and central Israel, as well as the West Bank and towns near the border with Gaza.

Yesterday, an Israeli official told NBC News that Israel expects Hezbollah will attempt to mount a major retaliatory attack after the IDF struck the militant group’s command center in south Beirut.

Analyst: Israel has 'blown through' boundaries of risk

Freddie Clayton

Israel has disrupted the status quo of its conflict with Hezbollah, former Deputy National Security Advisor for President Obama, Ben Rhodes, told NBC News.

"I think what Israel has done is it’s blown through any boundaries in terms of its willingness to accept risk and escalation," he said.

"They’re going to try to take out as many leaders as they can, and accept huge amounts of civilian casualties in Lebanon, huge amounts of international condemnation of those civilian casualties, to just try to do as much damage to Hezbollah as possible."

But he said Israel will face consequences for this strategy.

"Memories are long, and there will be reprisals on Israel," he added.


Who is Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader killed in Beirut strike

Mirna Alsharif and Chantal Da Silva

Israel announced on Saturday that its forces have killed Hassan Nasrallah, the powerful leader of the Lebanese militant and political group, Hezbollah, in what would mark a major escalation amid mounting hostilities at its northern border with Lebanon.

Image:
An Iranian woman holds a poster of Nasrallah at anti-Israeli rally in Tehran yesterday.Vahid Salemi / AP

An Israeli official said Friday that Israeli forces had targeted Nasrallah, who has led the Iran-backed militant group for the past three decades, in a large-scale attack on a suburb of southern Beirut.

“Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X.

Hezbollah has confirmed in a statement Saturday that Nasrallah, 64, had been killed.

Under Nasrallah’s leadership, Hezbollah became the most powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group in the Middle East with an arsenal of ballistic missiles trained on Israel, as well as a potent political player in Lebanon. The disciplined force has also trained other Iran proxies in the region, and fought in Syria to quell forces trying to oust the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Read full story here.

Iraq announces three days of mourning for Nasrallah

Ammar Cheikh Omar

Freddie Clayton

Ammar Cheikh Omar and Freddie Clayton

Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani has announced three days of mourning in all parts of Iraq, following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel may be confusing tactical wins with strategic breakthroughs, analyst says

Freddie Clayton

Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah will not give Netanyahu the "total victory" he craves, says Fawaz Gerges, professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics.

"Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah is the climax of this total war that Netanyahu has promised Israelis will bring them 'total victory,'" he said. "This has proved to be elusive in Gaza and will prove to be more so in Lebanon."

"Prematurely celebrating the killings of Hezbollah leaders and top operational commanders, Netanyahu and his associates confuse tactical wins with strategic breakthroughs," Gerges said.

"This moment will be historically seen as Netanyahu’s 'mission accomplished'-moment in both Gaza and Lebanon," he added, referring to former President George W. Bush's ill-timed declaration of victory in Iraq, only to be embroiled in another 8 years of war.

Heavy damage caused to property as missile parts fall in northern Israel

Freddie Clayton

Lawahez Jabari

Freddie Clayton and Lawahez Jabari

The Israeli Police say that parts of interception drones and "IDF items" have fallen near Ma'alot, a city in northern Israel just 15 miles from the border with Lebanon.

It said there were no reports of casualties, but warned people to stay away from the scene.

"We ask all residents to avoid congregating in the areas of the fall in order to avoid risking life and unnecessary injury to the body and so that the work of the saboteurs and the policemen on the spot is not interrupted," the Israeli police said.

Gunfire erupts immediately after Hezbollah confirms Nasrallah's death

Matt Bradley

Ziad Jaber

Matt Bradley and Ziad Jaber

Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon

Gunfire erupted immediately after Iran-linked Hezbollah confirmed that their longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed in a huge Israeli attack on southern Beirut yesterday.

The successive bursts of gunfire came in a the largely Shia neighborhood of Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold.

A large column of smoke also rose from the area —almost certainly an Israeli airstrike near where bunker buster bumbs are believed to have killed Nasrallah and other senior Hezbollah leaders.

Hezbollah confirms that Nasrallah was killed in Beirut attack

Freddie Clayton

Hezbollah has confirmed that its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed yesterday. Israel carried out the strike on Beirut on Friday.

Image: FILES-LEBANON-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-HEZBOLLAH-NASRALLAH
Hassan Nasrallah during a speech in 2015.ANWAR AMRO / AFP - Getty Images

France says it has information confirming Hezbollah chief Nasrallah is dead

Reuters

France’s foreign ministry said that according to its information Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was indeed dead, after Israel said it had killed him a day earlier.

“According to the information we have, Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah, would indeed have died,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement today.

Demonstrators gather in anti-Israel rallies Tehran

NBC News

Image:
Iranians gather in Tehran after Friday prayers yesterday, holding posters of Hassan Nasrallah and flying Hezbollah flags during an anti-Israel rally.Vahid Salemi / AP
Image: IRAN-ISREAEL-LEBANON-CONFLICT
The demonstrations continued to today in Tehran's Palestine Square, with men holding up cell phone photos of Hassan Nasrallah. ATTA KENARE / AFP - Getty Images

Iran stands with Hezbollah, supreme leader says

Amin Khodadadi

Freddie Clayton

Amin Khodadadi and Freddie Clayton

Reporting from Tehran

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Israel is unable to inflict "meaningful harm" on Hezbollah, and that all resistance forces in the region stand alongside the militant group in support.

Though Khamenei did not address reports of his death directly, the statement was issued shortly after Israel's announcement that it had killed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militant group.

Khamenei said that wars in neither Lebanon nor Gaza could "weaken or bring down the strong structure of the resistance movement."

"The fate of this region will be determined by the resistance forces, led by the resolute Hezbollah," he said.

Emergency worker killed during an overnight rescue operation

Ammar Cheikh Omar

Freddie Clayton

Ammar Cheikh Omar and Freddie Clayton

Continuous Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon has meant that rescue workers are being killed and injured even as they sift through the rubble of earlier strikes.

Image: LEBANON-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT
Residents sift through the afrermath of yesterday's strike in Beirut.ANWAR AMRO / AFP - Getty Images

Lebanon's Civil Defense said one of its members was killed and another critically injured while carrying out a rescue mission last night, "due to the intensity of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs."

Normal Saturday in Tel Aviv as hostilies escalate in the north

Bill O'Reilly

Reporting from Tel Aviv

From our hotel balcony in Tel Aviv, it looks like a normal Saturday.

There are plenty of people walking and cycling along the corniche in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood, and several sailboats and paddle boarders are out in the ocean.

Pool decks at the Intercontinental next door are packed.

IDF mobilizes three reserve battalions as tensions escalate

The Associated Press

The IDF says it is mobilizing additional reserve soldiers as tensions escalate with Lebanon. 

On Saturday morning, the Israeli military carried out several strikes in southern Beirut and eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, while Hezbollah launched dozens of projectiles across northern and central Israel and the Israel-occupied West Bank.

The military said Saturday morning they were activating three battalions of reserve soldiers, after earlier sending two battalions to northern Israel earlier in the week to train for a possible ground invasion.

Multiple airlines cancel flights to Israel

Freddie Clayton

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority says Air France, Aegean, British Airways and Iberia have cancelled flights to Israel following the IDF’s announcement that it has assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Iranian official calls for troop deployment to Lebanon

Amin Khodadadi

Freddie Clayton

Amin Khodadadi and Freddie Clayton

Reporting from Tehran

An Iranian official has announced that Iran will begin registration in the coming days for those interested in being deployed to Lebanon.

“With public registration, officials will certainly grant permission for the deployment of forces to Lebanon and the Golan heights,” Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, head of the Committee for Supporting the People of Palestine, told Iranian news site Didban.

Any plan to send troops to Lebanon would require official approval.

“We can send forces to Lebanon to fight against Israel, just as we did in the year 1981.”

IDF says Hezbollah chief Nasrallah killed in strike

Freddie Clayton

The IDF issued a statement saying it has eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in yesterday's strike on the Iran-backed militant group's headquarters in Beirut.

"The IDF announces that yesterday (Friday), September 27th, 2024, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF," the statement said.

In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces said "Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world."

Hezbollah has not commented on Israel's claim, and yesterday denied that Nasrallah had been killed.

Syria sends medical aid to Lebanon

Freddie Clayton

Ammar Cheikh Omar

Freddie Clayton and Ammar Cheikh Omar

Syria's Health Ministry dispatched a 20-ton convoy of medical aid to Lebanon this morning, delivered through the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.

It said the shipment included essential items focused on emergency response needs.

IDF tells some residents of southern Beirut to evacuate

Lina Dandees

Freddie Clayton

Lina Dandees and Freddie Clayton

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee this morning warned residents of Dahia in Beirut to move from locations near "Hezbollah interests."

In a post on X, Adraee referred to a map of the suburb, warning people to stay away from certain buildings.

"You are located near Hezbollah interests and for your safety and the safety of your loved ones, you are obliged to evacuate the buildings immediately and move away from them at a distance of no less than 500 meters," he said.

Hospitals in Beirut to be evacuated

Freddie Clayton

Ammar Cheikh Omar

Freddie Clayton and Ammar Cheikh Omar

Hospitals in the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, are being evacuated as conflict in the city escalates.

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health issued a statement calling on hospitals unaffected by Israeli strikes to "stop receiving non-emergency cold cases" until the end of next week, in order to free up capacity to receive patients from evacuated hospitals.

Sirens sound in Israel as projectiles cross from Lebanon

Freddie Clayton

The Israel Defense Forces said projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory this morning, with some of the projectiles intercepted.

A surface-to-surface missile fired from Lebanese territory also landed in an open area central Israeli this morning, the IDF said, with details of the incident under review.

Blinken: There is a path to diplomacy

Abigail Williams

Antonio Planas

Abigail Williams and Antonio Planas

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he is hopeful that diplomacy can win out and will continue pushing for that, while adding that Israel has a right to defend itself.

“The way it does so matters,” Blinken said. “The choices that all parties make in coming days will determine which path this region is on with profound consequences for its people now and possibly for years to come.”

Blinken continued, saying diplomacy is the course the U.S. government prefers.

“The path to diplomacy may seem difficult to see at this moment, but it is there and it is necessary. We will continue to work intensely with all parties to urge to choose that course.”

Blinken said violence will only lead to more bloodshed and instability in the region, causing “ripples of which will be felt around the world.”

America, Blinken said, will not shy away from defending itself against attacks on its interests.

“Anyone using this moment to target American personnel, American interests in the region, the United States will take every measure to defend our people,” he said.

Iran’s president calls Israel attack in Beirut ‘blatant war crime‘

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Amin Khodadadi

Max Taylor

Antonio Planas

Amin Khodadadi, Max Taylor and Antonio Planas

Reporting from Tehran

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian called Israel’s attack on Hezbollah in Beirut an “undeniable and blatant war crime.”

Israel’s strike on Hezbollah amounted to “state terrorism” and a sign Israel is the “greatest threat to regional and international peace and security,” Pezeshkian said in a statement.

“I express my condolences to the nation and government of Lebanon and extend my sympathies to the families of the proud martyrs of this incident,” Pezeshkian said. “I share in the grief of you, the dear and honorable people of the Lebanese resistance.”

Iran will pursue the crime against Israel and stands alongside Lebanon, Pezeshkian said.

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