IDF confirms killing of Hezbollah official expected to be group’s next leader
Israel’s military has confirmed the killing of top Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, who had been widely expected to be the militant group’s next leader.
The IDF said he was killed in an airstrike in southern Beirut earlier this month.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said on 8 October that Safieddine had probably been “eliminated”, but his death had not been confirmed until now.
Hezbollah has not commented.
The Lebanese group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli airstrike last month. Speculation over who would replace him began quickly after, with Safieddine widely touted to take over the role.
You can find out more about who he was here:
Blinken scraps visit to Jordan
US secretary of state Antony Blinken will no longer undertake a planned visit to Jordan tomorrow, but will be travelling to Saudi Arabia, a senior US state department official has said.
The Jordanian foreign ministry confirmed the visit had been postponed but said no reason was given.
Mr Blinken is on a multi-day trip to the Middle East – his 11th since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict – in hopes of reviving ceasefire efforts.
The state department said yesterday that Mr Blinken would travel to “Israel and other countries” in the region from 21 to 25 October.
At least 10 people killed in separate Israeli strikes on Lebanon – health ministry
As reports emerge that an Israeli soldier has been killed in battle in southern Lebanon (see previous post) the Lebanese health ministry says at least 10 people have died in two separate Israeli strikes on the country.
The ministry said on X that five people were killed and 21 wounded after an Israeli raid in the Nabatieh area in the south.
In a separate post, it said five people were killed and 10 injured in the northeastern Baalbek-Hermel region.
Earlier, the health ministry said at least 63 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon over the past day, bringing the total number killed in a year of conflict to 2,530 (see 16.19 post).
Israeli deputy commander killed in Lebanon – reports
An Israeli soldier has been killed in battle in southern Lebanon, Israeli media is reporting.
The reports, citing the Israeli military, say Major Aviram Harib was the deputy commander of IDF battalion 9308.
Sky News has not independently verified the report.
Fresh Pentagon audit to ensure US weapons to Israel being properly tracked
Pentagon inspector general Robert Storch has announced an audit of the defence department’s oversight of military aid from the US to Israel.
The audit will look at what the Pentagon calls enhanced end-use monitoring, which ensures sensitive weapons and defence equipment are accounted for, used properly, stored correctly and physically secured.
The inspector general will not assess whether the systems are being used according to the law of armed conflict, but will look at whether the weapons are being tracked and provided to the correct Israeli forces rather than being diverted.
No timeline has been given for completion of the audit. It is among several oversight projects the inspector general’s office is conducting in relation to US assistance to Israel.
Israelis protest outside Blinken’s hotel in Tel Aviv
Crowds of protesters have gathered outside the hotel where Antony Blinken is expected to stay in Tel Aviv to demand the release of the remaining hostages from Gaza.
Family members and supporters of those being held captive by Hamas hold signs saying “bring them home” and “stop the war”, as well as pictures of the hostages.
Mr Blinken, the US secretary of state, is on his 11th trip to the Middle East since the start of the conflict in efforts to revive Gaza ceasefire negotiations which fizzled out several weeks ago.
Iran doesn’t expect ‘significant’ retaliation, says former Revolutionary Guards chief
Iran is not expecting a “significant” retaliation from Israel for the missile attack it launched against the country at the start of the month, the former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has said.
Tehran fired nearly 200 rockets at Israel in response to the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
“Israel is too small to be able to attack Iran, although it may carry out a desperate, limited, and small attack to say it has retaliated, but it will definitely not carry out an offensive [strike] similar to ours,” said Mohammad Al Jafari.
He added that Iran’s response would depend on the intensity of Israel’s retaliation, and that if Israel ended up carrying out a significant attack, Iran would respond with a higher-intensity offensive against Israel.
Mr Jafari commanded the IRGC from 2007-2019.
Watch: Moment missiles strike Beirut building
An bystander has captured the moment a missile struck a building in Beirut, bringing it to the ground in seconds.
The strike came 40 minutes after an IDF spokesperson issued a warning that two buildings allegedly containing “Hezbollah facilities” had been targeted in the southern suburb of Ghobeiri.
No immediate casualties were reported after the strike.
Netanyahu tells Blinken killing of Hamas leader Sinwar ‘may have positive effect’ on hostage release efforts
More details have emerged from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office about the Israeli leader’s meeting with US secretary of state Antony Blinken today.
The two men sat down for “friendly and productive” talks which lasted for two and a half hours in Jerusalem, his office said.
It said Mr Netanyahu emphasised that the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “may have a positive effect” on the return of the remaining hostages from Gaza, the achievement of Israel’s war goals and its day after plan.
The prime minister also told Mr Blinken there was a need for security and political change in Lebanon that would allow displaced Israeli citizens to return to their homes in the north.
The two men also discussed the issue of the Iranian threat and the need for Israel and the US to join forces against it, Mr Netanyahu’s office said.
Nova festival survivor who took own life on 22nd birthday was ‘haunted by psychological scars’
A woman who survived the Nova festival massacre took her own life on her 22nd birthday as she was “haunted by the psychological scars of her experience”, a charity supporting those caught up in the 7 October attacks has said.
Shirel Golan’s death is “a devastating reminder of the enduring trauma these survivors face and the crushing weight of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)”, SafeHeart said in a statement.
Her family has criticised the Israeli government for failing to do enough to support her in the wake of the event (more in 13.35 post).
SafeHeart, which offers mental health support to Nova survivors, said those caught up in the attack “continue to grapple with the devastating trauma of that day” more than a year on.
While it has lobbied the Israeli government to increase the number of subsidised therapy session for survivors from 36 to 48, the provision “falls short of what is truly needed”, the charity said.
“Shirel’s family is right – the government must step up and do more. We stand with the Golan family in a clarion call to action: we cannot let another family lose a loved one to this tragedy,” its statement read.
Nearly 400 Israelis were killed at the site of the Nova festival during Hamas’s attacks last October.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.