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Israel strikes southern Beirut as Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets
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• A series of Israeli airstrikes were the “most violent” to hit Beirut’s southern suburbs since the war began, destroying six buildings and causing widespread fires, Lebanon’s state news agency said. Authorities said at least one person was killed in the strikes on the Dahiyeh area, a Hezbollah stronghold.
• The Israeli military said Hezbollah fired about 135 projectiles into Israel in a single day. The Iran-backed militant group claimed it hit a military manufacturing firm in Tel Aviv; CNN is attempting to reach the Israeli military for comment on the claim.
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East as the US seeks to move forward on efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The top US diplomat traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and will next visit Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza war.
• In northern Gaza, medicine, food and fuel is in short supply, with health officials warning the area is at “breaking point” as Israeli bombardment intensifies. A UN report warned Israel’s war against Hamas could set back Gaza by nearly 70 years.
Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in an Israeli airstrike during the evacuation of wounded people in the south of the country, Lebanon’s army said on Thursday.
An officer was among the dead following the strike on the outskirts of the village of Yater, the Lebanese Army said in a statement.
CNN has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
Israeli forces are continuing ground raids on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, the IDF said in a statement on Thursday. The IDF said it struck more than 160 Hezbollah targets, including launchers and infrastructure, and killed 20 militants over the past day.
In recent days, Israel has launched a number of strikes on the southern coastal city of Tyre and the surrounding region, including near Yater, according to Lebanese state media.
US concerns: Speaking to his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern about reports of Israeli strikes against the Lebanese armed forces and stressed the importance of taking steps to ensure the safety of both the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers, a readout from the Pentagon said.
International delegates are gathering in Paris for a conference on Thursday aimed at pushing for a ceasefire in the Middle East and raising half-a-billion dollars in humanitarian aid for Lebanon.
The meeting comes as tensions simmer between France and Israel following calls from Paris to end arms exports to the Jewish state to try to bring about a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a video statement on X that the conference aims to promote a viable diplomatic solution “for both Lebanon and Israel,” to mobilize humanitarian aid and to support Lebanon’s army “to preserve the country’s unity, stability and sovereignty.”
Paris hopes to raise 500 million euros ($540 million) in aid at the rally, Reuters reported, citing a foreign ministry document.
Some context: The Paris conference is being held amid strained ties between France and Israel after Israeli military fire injured UN peacekeepers in Lebanon and with European countries distancing themselves from Israel as it wages what critics say is a “forever war” in the Middle East.
In a phone call earlier this month, Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Israel is opposed to a “unilateral ceasefire” in its war with Hezbollah, claiming it would only return the security situation in Lebanon “to what it was before.”
The spillover of Israel’s regional wars into Syria is “alarming and could get much worse,” the United Nations’ special envoy to Damascus told the UN Security Council on Wednesday, as he warned of serious implications for international peace and security.
Israel has carried out more than 100 airstrikes in Syria since October 7 last year, while hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Israeli bombardment in Lebanon have crossed into Syria in recent weeks, exacerbating the country’s humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.
“I want to issue a clear warning: regional spillover into Syria is alarming and could get much worse, with serious implications for Syria and international peace and security,” he added, saying the country needed “collective attention.”
Some background: About 425,000 people, including 300,000 Syrians, have crossed into Syria from Lebanon in recent weeks, according to the UN. That’s aggravating Syria’s humanitarian crisis, with worsening shortages of essential goods such as fuel and water, the UN has said.
The Israeli military has said its recent strikes on Syria targeted Hezbollah- and Iran-linked arms routes.
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday said she hopes the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could lead to an opening for potential peace talks in the Middle East.
Asked in a CNN town hall about what she would do to ensure not another Palestinian is killed by US-funded bombs, the Democratic presidential nominee said: “I will say and I think this is to your point: far too many innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed.”
Separately, Harris also called for legislation to tackle antisemitism.
“We need to have laws in place that make those who would commit crimes on behalf of antisemitism and hate, that they pay a serious consequence,” she told CNN’s town hall. “We need to have the deterrent so that doesn’t happen.”
More on Harris: After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late July, Harris reiterated US President Joe Biden’s “ironclad support” for Israel and the need to secure the release of hostages from Gaza. Israel has a right to defend itself but “how it does so, matters,” she said at the time.
Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs were the “most violent” to hit the area since the war began, with 17 airstrikes launched over a few hours, Lebanon’s state news agency said on Wednesday.
Lebanese authorities said at least one person was killed and five injured in the strikes on the Dahiyeh area, a Hezbollah stronghold.
But the Iran-backed militant group appears undeterred by weeks of heavy Israeli bombardment. Hezbollah fired about 135 projectiles into Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the Israeli military. Hezbollah said it hit a military manufacturing firm in Tel Aviv; CNN is attempting to reach the Israeli military for comment on the claim.
Earlier, shrapnel from intercepted rockets fell in several Israeli cities, including northern Tel Aviv, delaying the departure of visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Here’s what else you need to know:
- US diplomacy: Blinken is in the Middle East as the US seeks to move forward on efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The top US diplomat traveled to Saudi Arabia Wednesday, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and is scheduled on Thursday to visit Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza war.
- Regional efforts: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Israel to “seize opportunities” for a ceasefire and hostage deal in a call with his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday, the Pentagon said. But as unease grows over the US’ inability to de-escalate tensions, some of Washington’s closest Arab allies have significantly increased engagement with the US’ main regional adversary: Iran.
- France fundraiser: Meanwhile, international delegates are gathering in Paris for a conference aimed at pushing for a ceasefire in the Middle East and raising half-a-billion dollars in humanitarian aid for Lebanon. The meeting comes as tensions simmer between France and Israel following calls from Paris to end arms exports to Israel to try to bring about a ceasefire.
- Gaza “breaking point”: In northern Gaza, medicine, food and fuel is in short supply, with health officials warning the area is at “breaking point” as Israeli bombardment intensifies. A UN report warned Israel’s war against Hamas could set back Gaza by nearly 70 years.
- Syria strikes: Israeli airstrikes on Syria killed a soldier and wounded seven others early on Thursday, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Israel has not commented on the alleged strikes.
Hezbollah fired about 135 projectiles into Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday, as of 11 p.m. local time, the Israeli military said.
The Iran-backed militant group said it targeted a military manufacturing firm in the Tel Aviv suburbs with “precision-guided missiles,” which hit “their targets accurately.”
CNN is attempting to contact the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment on the claim.
In a statement, the IDF said that following sirens heard in central Israel around 8:33 p.m. local time, two projectiles were intercepted. One fell in an open area and one was “identified as having fallen in the area,” the IDF said.
Air raid sirens were heard across central and northern Israel, including Tel Aviv, for a second day in a row on Wednesday, delaying the departure of visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Israeli airstrikes on Syria killed a soldier and wounded seven others early on Thursday, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
The strikes at about 3:40 a.m. local time targeted two points in Damascus’ Kafr Sousa district and a military site in the western region of Homs, SANA reported, citing a military source.
“Material damage” has been reported, it said, without specifying further.
Earlier, SANA said an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in the Syrian capital.
Israel has not commented on the alleged strikes.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Israel to “seize opportunities” for a ceasefire and hostage deal in a call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
The call comes as the White House seeks to move forward on efforts to reach an end to hostilities in Gaza following the recent killing of a top Hamas leader.
Austin also noted the recent deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as an example of “ironclad” US commitment to Israel’s defense. Earlier this week, the secretary said the system, one of the US military’s most powerful anti-missile weapons, had arrived in Israel and was ready for operation.
Austin also expressed concern about reports of Israeli strikes against the Lebanese armed forces and stressed the importance of taking steps to ensure the safety of both the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers, the readout said.
Some context: Concern for the safety of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon has mounted in recent weeks after several UN soldiers were injured by Israeli fire.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has condemned the Israeli attacks on its positions, saying “any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law.” The Israeli military has accused Hezbollah of operating in areas near UNIFIL posts, and said it had asked UNIFIL forces to “remain in protected spaces.”
Growing unease over the United States’ inability to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East is prompting some of Washington’s closest Arab allies to significantly increase engagement with its primary regional adversary: Iran.
Over the past few months, Arab nations have been leveraging their revived relations with the Islamic Republic to ward off a wider regional war as the US fails to contain an impending regional escalation.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken landed in Israel for his 11th trip to the region in a year on Tuesday in an apparent effort to take advantage of the killing of Hamas leader and October 7 architect Yahya Sinwar to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. US officials, however, are tempering expectations as Washington’s calls for calm fall on deaf ears and Israel vows to push ahead with its wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Blinken’s visit also comes as Israel prepares a response to Tehran’s October 1 firing of hundreds of missiles in one of the biggest ever attacks on the Jewish state. The strike was in response to Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last month and its suspected killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.
Arab nations have long been suspicious of Shiite Iran’s role in a region that is dominated by US-allied Sunni states, and share Israel’s concerns about its support for non-state Islamist groups.
For the past month, Tehran has tried to gauge their position on its conflict with Israel, dispatching its top officials and diplomats for an intensive campaign of diplomacy with its neighbors, many of whom host US military personnel and bases. Arab nations that had spent decades brawling with Iran for regional influence are now opting to engage with it again.
A series of Israeli airstrikes were the “most violent” to hit Beirut’s southern suburbs since the war began, destroying six buildings and causing widespread fires, Lebanon’s state news agency said on Wednesday.
The Lebanese health ministry said at least one person was killed and five injured by the Israeli strikes on a residential complex in the Dahiyeh area, a Hezbollah stronghold.
Video footage circulating on social media shows a large fireball rising through buildings near the al-Laylaki area, accompanied by the sound of explosions.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli warplanes had launched four strikes on the complex late Wednesday evening.
NNA said the strikes had destroyed six buildings and caused widespread fires. There were a total of 17 strikes on Dahiyeh Wednesday evening, it added.
Minutes before the strikes, the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee had warned civilians to stay at least 500 meters away from Hezbollah-affiliated locations in the Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath areas of Dahiyeh, as they were about to be targeted.
The IDF told CNN it did not have additional comments at this time.
Hezbollah has confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, one of the candidates possibly slated to take charge of the group following the assassination of leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier that Safieddine was killed when the Israeli Air Force attacked the underground intelligence headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs about three weeks ago.
Hezbollah said in a statement Wednesday that Safieddine was killed in an Israeli airstrike, without specifying the date.
The group has yet to name a successor to Nasrallah.
Health care officials in northern Gaza warned of severe shortages in medical supplies on Wednesday as Israeli bombardment in the area intensified.
“We smell death everywhere in northern Gaza,” Dr. Mohamed Saleh, acting director of Al-Awda Hospital in Beit Lahiya told CNN over the phone, adding that ambulances are unable to transport the injured due to relentless Israeli attacks. The hospital faces severe shortages in staff, medical supplies, blood units, food for patients and fuel to activate medical devices, he said.
Repeated Israeli bombardment nearby has significantly damaged the hospital, he said, destroying patient accommodations and blocking access for emergency services.
At least 74 Palestinians were killed and 130 injured over the past 24 hours in Gaza, bringing the total death toll to 42,792 since October 7 last year, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.
Kamal Adwan Hospital, also in Beit Lahiya, is facing severe shortages as well, its director Hussam Abu Safiya told CNN over the phone.
“We are sharing the few remaining items we have, like bread or anything we can find, as our supplies have run out,” he said, calling for protection for medical teams and the opening of safe corridors to deliver essential medical supplies, food, and fuel “before more lives are lost.”
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for a comment on the intensive bombardment in northern Gaza.
The impact of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza could erase “over 69 years of progress” in the enclave, the United Nations has warned in a new report, saying that measurement for indicators such as life expectancy, education, income and standard of living are projected to drop to a level estimated for 1955.
The UN Development Programme said that without “lifting economic restrictions, enabling recovery, and investing in development, the Palestinian economy may not be able to restore pre-war levels and advance forward by relying on humanitarian aid alone.”
The UN report comes as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is in the Middle East to “emphasize the need to chart a new path forward that enables Palestinians to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations free from Hamas’s tyranny,” according to the State Department.
The report, which looks at estimates for Palestinian territories as a whole, says that over 4 million people were affected by poverty in 2024, including 2.6 million newly impoverished people. This brings the poverty rate to 74.3% in 2024 in all Palestinian territories, according to the report.