Forty percent of Lebanese pupils displaced by Israeli attacks

About half of Lebanon’s school pupils have become displaced by Israel’s bombardment, according to a senior Education Ministry official on Sunday, as Israel’s intensifying attacks on Hezbollah strongholds have forced more than one million people to flee.

“There are 1.25 million pupils in Lebanese schools,” AFP quoted Director General of Education Imad Achkar as saying.

“Forty percent of them have been displaced” by Israeli attacks, he added.

‘Nowhere might be safe soon’ in Beirut as Israel ramps up attacks

Imad al-Refai, a Lebanese man displaced by Israel’s attacks on Beirut, tells Al Jazeera he is now forced to live in his car.

“What we are seeing until now, the amount of destruction we see, shows that there might be no safe spaces. Even here, in the street by the Corniche, it might not be safe as well in the coming days,” said al-Refai.

The UN says Israeli attacks have displaced more than half a million people across Lebanon. As Israel continues its bombardment, that number is likely to increase.

“We have been displaced for 10 days now,” said Hassan, another man. “We don’t have food with us. You are not able to even go and bring new clothes. We left our homes and came here. Every night there is a strike, you cannot sleep. Our situation is terrible.”

_{Charred cars at the site of an Israeli air raid in Dahiyeh, Beirut, October 6}

Traumatised Beirut civilians forced to live on the streets

Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburb that has been repeatedly hit in Israeli air attacks, is home to about 700,000 people.

We’ve been speaking to people forced to live on the streets, in makeshift shelters. They have no idea if they still have a home and whether they will be able to return. The situation is extremely traumatic.

Lebanese officials have called the displacement situation “catastrophic” and say they are overwhelmed.

More than 900 public schools have been turned into shelters, which means that children who were supposed to go back to school at the beginning of October are going to have remote learning for the time being. The start of the school year has been pushed back by a month.

Those shelters are now at full capacity and people are desperate. Even private citizens have been turning their businesses into makeshift shelters.

Despite all of that, it’s still not enough.  We’ve seen people sleeping on the streets along the Corniche, in their vehicles and on the beach, as well as in public parks and outside mosques.

Hezbollah says launched ‘attack drones’ at Israeli base south of Haifa

In a statement, the Lebanese group said it had “launched an air assault with a squadron of attack drones on the maintenance and rehabilitation base south of Haifa”. There was no immediate comment by the Israeli army.

Baalbek neighbourhod hit as Israel attacks more sites on Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

The situation here has been the same for the last week or so, which is that there’s been an increase of Israeli air strikes. We understand that the Jabalia neighbourhood of Baalbek has been hit by an air strike and there’s been some considerable amount of destruction.

Baalbek, an ancient city that is home to Roman temples and whose archaeological complex has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been a specific focal point for Israeli bombing.

Elsewhere in the Bekaa Valley, the Zahle area as well as the town of Douris have been hit, among other places. Bekaa Valley has been a focal point for the Israeli army.

Two weeks ago, the Israeli army told people to flee their homes, again with that claim that Hezbollah is storing weapons in civilian homes and also using human shields – the same thing that the Israeli army used in Gaza.

Those who have remained have to deal with the air strikes and the constant sound of drones hovering overheard, not knowing what will be hit or when it will be hit.


_{Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek, Lebanon}

Israeli air raid hits area close to Roman ruins in Baalbek

The governor of Baalbek and Hermel in Lebanon has said an Israeli attack hit an area “500 to 700 metres away from” the famous castle known for its Roman architecture.

The Roman ruins in Baalbek, at an altitude of about 1,000 metres (3,280 feet), are among the most impressive of antiquity and are a popular tourist destination. The city and its surroundings have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

Huge temples were built there by the Roman Empire. The most famous are the remains of the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter, whose six remaining columns are also a famous Lebanese landmark.

Win what? What's the goal? Hamas is still there, Hezbollah isn't going away either. There is no military solution.

Iran cancels flights till Monday morning

A spokesman of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization has confirmed to state-run IRNA news agency that flights in “some” of the country’s airports will be halted from 9pm to 5am (17:30 to 01:30 GMT).

The spokesman only cited “operational limitations” without elaborating further.

Meanwhile, Tehran’s Tohid and Resalat tunnels, two major arteries of the capital, will be shut from midnight to 5am (20:30 to 01:30 GMT).

This comes as Israel continues to promise an attack on Iran in response to its launching of ballistic missiles on Israeli military bases, which came in retaliation to the killing of top Iranian, Lebanese and Palestinian officials close to Tehran.

Earlier today, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad visited the country’s largest oil facilities at Kharg and met the top military commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the area to discuss the security of the site. He had earlier visited Asaluyeh in the south.

Iran’s cancellation of flights ‘critically important, should be monitored closely’

Tohid Asadi, a Tehran-based writer and specialist in Iranian affairs, says it was not immediately clear why aviation authorities had decided to cancel flights until Monday morning.

“We do not know much – whether it’s going to be sort of an offensive or defensive action, or simply a measure of precaution,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that this remained to be seen.

Asadi noted, however, that the announcement came amid heightened tensions, citing Israeli PM Netanyahu’s statements threatening Iran in the wake of the missile attack and Tehran’s “very strong messages” that an Israeli attack would be met with a “crushing” response.

“We will have to wait and see, but under these surging tensions, this is a critically important event that should be monitored very closely,” Asadi said.

They know Netanyahu likes to put on a show to appease his right wing cabinet. It seems likely he'll want to something big for Oct 7 tomorrow.

US, Israel defence chiefs to meet on October 9

The Pentagon said in a statement that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will host Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant “to discuss ongoing Middle East security developments”.

The announcement comes as Israel vowed to retaliate for Iran’s missile attack last week, where 180 ballistic missiles were launched in response to the killing of Iran’s allies, including Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.

That suggests attack on Iran is not imminent yet.

Iran’s attack on Israel was to ‘contain its barbarism’: President Pezeshkian

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeskhian has told Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof that Tehran refrained from immediately responding to the assassination of Hamas chief Ismael Haniyeh in hopes that efforts to reach a ceasefire for the Gaza war would yield results.

“The missile attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Zionist regime was exactly meant to contain the regime’s barbarism, prevent its efforts to expand crimes and attacks in the region, and to achieve ceasefire, peace and calm, based on the UN Charter and while adhering to international legal frameworks, and only against military targets,” Pezeshkhian told Schoof in a phone call.

UN refugee chief says Israeli air strikes on Lebanon violated humanitarian law

The United Nations refugee chief says many air strikes on Lebanon have violated international humanitarian law in a reference to Israel’s bombardment of large parts of the country.

“Unfortunately, [there are] many instances of violations of international humanitarian law in the way the air strikes are conducted that have destroyed or damaged civilian infrastructure, have killed civilians, have impacted humanitarian operations,” Filippo Grandi told media in Beirut.

This comes after the Israeli military conducted its most intense aerial attacks on Lebanon since the start of the war on Gaza a year ago.

During his visit to Beirut, Grandi also said Lebanon is seeing a “major displacement crisis” as a result of Israel’s escalating air campaign.

Israeli army declares three border areas ‘closed military zones’

The areas of Manara, Yiftach and Malkia in northern Israel have been declared closed military zones, the Israeli military said, adding that entering these areas is now “strictly prohibited”.

According to Israeli media, this is the third closed military zone to be imposed since the army launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

It comes as the Israeli military has been ordering residents in Lebanese villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border to leave as it continues its ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL says its safety compromised by Israeli forces’ actions

The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, said it is “deeply concerned” by recent activities by the Israeli military adjacent to one of the mission’s positions.

“This is an extremely dangerous development. It is unacceptable to compromise the safety of UN peacekeepers carrying out their Security Council-mandated tasks,” it added.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), composed of about 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 states, was mandated by UN Security Council’s resolution 1701 to stabilise the troubled border region.

Its forces have been stationed there since 2006 following a 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanese chemists say evidence points to Israel’s use of depleted uranium in attacks

The Syndicate Of Chemists in Lebanon has condemned “the barbaric aggression against civilians in Lebanon”, warning against “the effects of inhaling the dust of the bombings on the southern suburb of Beirut and the rest of the Lebanese regions” from Israeli attacks.

The syndicate found that “the extent of the destruction and the penetration of buildings and land for depths amounting to dozens of metres is evidence of the use of bombs that contain depleted uranium”.

“The use of these types of internationally prohibited weapons, especially in the densely populated capital, leads to massive destruction, and the dust they leave behind causes many diseases, especially when inhaled,” it said in a statement.

Evacuees fleeing Israeli attacks in Lebanon arrive in Brazil

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received a group of 229 evacuees from Lebanon, according to a Reuters news agency report. The evacuees disembarked the aircraft carrying Brazilian and Lebanese flags, with one man even kneeling on the runway.

“They [Israeli government] are cowards, terrorists, because for them to say that there are bombs and weapons under schools, under hospitals, that is cowardice,” said Rami Rkeim, one of the evacuees, after showing a video of strikes hitting buildings in Lebanon.

President Lula also expressed disapproval of the attacks on Beirut, assuring that such actions from Israel will not deter his government from protecting Brazilian citizens.

Israeli captive families block Tel Aviv traffic

Family members of Israeli captives held in Gaza have disrupted traffic in Tel Aviv, demanding the government secure the release of their loved ones on the eve of the first anniversary of the October 7 attack.

Dozens of protesters chanted and held placards featuring photographs of the captives, with others depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers, captioned “The Cabinet of Death”.

The families of many captives have accused Netanyahu of sacrificing their loved ones by insisting on continuing the war on Gaza, and are now voicing similar concern over Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon.

_{Protesters block a main road in Tel Aviv}

Israelis differ on whether Israel has emerged victorious in its wars

The opinion in Israel is quite polarised. You have Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his solid block of supporters, the hawks, the right-wingers. And then you have the families of Israeli captives who are extremely frustrated with him, who don’t buy all of his talk about victory.

This is especially in light of the fact that earlier this evening, sirens went off in Kissufuim, which is a community on the outskirts of Gaza where rockets fell. The Israeli army continues to suffer in Gaza, and in Lebanon. And the rockets – over 100 of them almost on average – are getting into Israel on a daily basis from Lebanon.

So Netanyahu on this day, October 7, needs to sound strong and paint that picture. That’s why you hear all that talk promising very strong action against Iran because of its missile attack.

Demonstrators in Morocco demand end of ties to Israel

Thousands of people have demonstrated in the streets of Morocco’s capital to call for justice for the Palestinians and for the Moroccan government to revoke its 2020 agreement formalizing its ties with Israel.

The protest in Rabat was among the largest demonstrations in months. Moroccans from around the country gathered in the capital to march past the country’s parliament.

“I don’t know who is next, probably in Syria or any other country. Maybe it’s our turn next,” said Houria, a demonstrator from northern Morocco, who gave only one name.

Morocco’s government has spoken out against the war but retained its ties with Israel. Authorities have mostly permitted protests yet pursued charges against demonstrators who blocked the entrance to businesses.

Palestinian women, children systematically dehumanised: UN expert

Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur for violence against women and girls, says that over the past year, women in Gaza have gone through “the most bloody chapter” of inhumane Israeli mistreatment.

This included “collective punishment, incarceration, sexual violence and deliberate extermination”, she told Al Jazeera.

“Women and children have been systematically dehumanised – where children are seen as not innocent and where women’s wombs are seen as something that has to be attacked and exterminated,” Alsalem said.

This is being carried out through large-scale violence, attacks on health infrastructure that amount to reproductive violence, “and forcing women to leave their babies behind” when Israeli troops forcefully evacuate hospitals, she noted, in addition to starving lactating mothers.

‘Using kitchen vinegar to put on wounds’: Surgeon recounts lack of supplies in Gaza

Plastic surgeon Victoria Rose has spoken to Al Jazeera about what she encountered during her time working at two hospitals in Khan Younis in southern Gaza: the European Hospital in March and April and Nasser Hospital in August.

She said the main difference between the first and second visit was the growing number of deaths coming in and the smaller number of charities and doctors working.

“I saw one other emergency medical team while I was there [in August], and I was acutely aware of the lack of specialist doctors. I was the only plastic surgeon in Gaza at that period, and I was the first plastic surgeon to enter Gaza since May.”

Rose said she entered through Rafah with some medical supplies in March, but had to go through the Karem Abu Salem crossing, which Israel calls the Kerem Shalom crossing, after the invasion of southern Gaza, only carrying a single suitcase with three days’ worth of water, a month’s stock of food and no medical kit.

“We had very, very basic supplies, I was using kitchen vinegar to put on wounds. The amount of aid that was getting to the hospitals was a fraction of what we had in March.”


‘For children, this is hell on earth’

James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson in Gaza, has described the suffering endured by Gaza’s children as “hell on earth”.

“I find it absolutely heartbreaking. I spent my adult life in war zones advocating for children to receive healthcare, protection and education,” he told Al Jazeera from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

“This might be the first crisis where I have to begin by advocating that children are humans.”

He said that Gaza is not a place for children right now because “they’re forced to live in conditions that deny them life-saving medicine, water, even their dignity. And at the same time, bombs continue to fall”.

“Sometimes I fail to capture just how horrific the situation is that’s been imposed on children,” Elder said.

Israel blames UN and Hamas for aid blockade

The Israeli agency in charge of managing humanitarian aid to Gaza is once again defying accounts by the UN, international organisations, doctors, Western media and some of its allies that it proactively hampers aid to the enclave.

The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) claims to be “happy to facilitate whatever is coordinated” by aid organisations, and says “the abilities of the UN aid organisations to pick up the aid from the Gazan side” of the Karem Abu Salem crossing with Egypt (known to Israelis as Kerem Shalom) is the bottleneck.

It also reiterated the Israeli claim that “assuring that items don’t end up in the hands of Hamas terrorists” is the reason behind prolonged delays in allowing some aid in, and the fact that some basic medical supplies like scissors are being barred from entry because they are classified as “dual use”.


Rockets fired from Gaza into south Israel

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/6/palestinian-journalist-19-killed-in-israeli-raid-after-receiving-threats

The Israeli army said rockets fired from northern Gaza landed in southern Israel.

“Several projectiles were identified crossing from the northern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. One projectile was intercepted, and the rest fell in open areas,” the military said in a statement.

Israeli air strikes target southern Beirut

Lebanon’s state media is reporting that at least two Israeli air strikes have hit the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The Israeli military had earlier issued new evacuation orders for those areas that have already been targeted multiple times.

Lebanese army can enforce ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel: PM Mikati

Lebanon’s caretaker PM Najib Mikati said the Lebanese army is prepared to bolster its presence in the south and enforce a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, provided it receives the necessary military equipment.

“The foundation for stability in the south is the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701,” he said.

He also said that conferences will be held in the next two weeks to rally support for the Lebanese army, and secure the equipment necessary for it to carry out its duties, including disarmament in the southern region.

“Lebanon’s primary concern is stability and the return of displaced people from the south to their homes,” Mikati said, adding that Lebanon would adhere to a ceasefire as soon as Israel commits to one.

“I didn’t decide to start the fire, but if a ceasefire is agreed upon, Lebanon will fully comply. No shots will be fired from the Lebanese side, and I pledge to uphold Resolution 1701.”