Israeli forces demolish homes in the occupied West Bank

Israeli forces demolished two homes under construction in a town west of Salfit, in the central occupied West Bank. Local sources told the Wafa news agency that military bulldozers demolished the two houses in az-Zawiya, which belonged to local Palestinians.

The agency also reported Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at Palestinian civilians at the Hamra military checkpoint, in the northern Jordan Valley, while a mosque in Khirbet Tana was attacked by settlers.

Settlers entered and vandalised the mosque and smashed solar panels that generated electricity for it.

Mapping 1,400 settler attacks in the occupied West Bank

Over the past year, at least 1,423 incidents of settler violence in the occupied West Bank were recorded – an average of four a day, according to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

With 321 incidents, Ramallah and el-Bireh governorate saw the highest number of settler attacks, followed by 319 incidents in Nablus and 298 in Hebron.

Israeli forces demolish house of Palestinian journalist in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have demolished the home of a Palestinian journalist in the town of Shuyukh al-Arroub, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

The house of journalist Khaled Khanna was destroyed with bulldozers after the family of five who had just moved in were forced to evacuate, according to the Wafa news agency.

Israeli forces had also demolished a house owned by Khanna and his brother Nabil in 2019.

Israeli forces ‘deliberately’ attacked UNIFIL cameras and positions



UNIFIL confirmed two peacekeepers were wounded when an Israeli tank fired at an observation tower at its headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon.

Israeli “soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Ras Naqoura, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system”, it said in a statement, adding an Israeli “drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance”.

On Wednesday, UNIFIL said Israeli soldiers “deliberately fired at” perimeter-monitoring cameras and disabled them.

“They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A, where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station,” it said. “Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701.”

_{UN peacekeepers along the Lebanese side of the border with Israel}

Italy summons Israeli ambassador after UN peacekeepers wounded: Report

Italy’s defence minister has summoned the Israeli ambassador, a government source told AFP, after the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said it had been hit by Israeli tank fire.

The UNIFIL force, which has some 10,000 peacekeepers in south Lebanon, said that Israeli tank fire on its headquarters wounded two members.

EU, Spain condemn Israeli attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers

The Spanish government says it “strongly condemns” the Israeli attack on the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, in southern Lebanon, that wounded two peacekeepers.

In a statement, it said attacks against peacekeeping operations a very serious violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701. The government also demanded that the safety of UNIFIL peacekeepers is guaranteed.

Separately, the European Union’s foreign policy chief also slammed what he described as “another line” being “dangerously crossed in Lebanon”.

“We condemn this inadmissible act, for which there is no justification,” Josep Borrell wrote on X.

Israel preparing to invade Lebanon, not create a buffer zone: Analyst

Military analyst Elijah Magnier told Al Jazeera that today’s incident is not the first time UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL has been under fire from Israel since it began its presence in Lebanon.

“We’re talking about 1978. In 1982, the UNFIL position came under fire. In 1996, a compound … came under fire” he said, adding the incident resulted in the deaths of 106 civilians.

He said this is happening “because Israel needs to go through the UNIFIL position in Naqoura and start the invasion of Lebanon, and this axis is vital for the Israeli army”.

Magnier said that the number of Israeli troops ready to enter Lebanon is “huge”.

“We’re talking about 70-80,000. This is not to create a small buffer zone,” as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated, Magnier said, adding they are there “to invade Lebanon”.

_{Members of the United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) look at the Lebanon-Israel border, as they stand on the roof of a watch tower ‏in the town of Marwahin, in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2023}

France, Italy seeks answers from Israel on UN peacekeepers attack

France and Italy have condemned the targeting of UN troops by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, that resulted in injuries to two peacekeepers at the UNIFIL headquarters.

“France expresses its deep concern following the Israeli shots that hit the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and condemns any attack on the security of UNIFIL,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that none of its 700 troops in the mission had been wounded.

“We await explanations from the Israeli authorities. The protection of peacekeepers is an obligation that applies to all parties to a conflict.”

Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto also expressed concern at a news conference in Rome, saying that the attack could constitute “war crimes”.

“What took place does not have a military justification,” Crosetto said. “We are waiting for a response to understand what led to these actions. These shots were not fired by mistake.”

_{Spanish peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) coordinate their patrol with the Lebanese army, in Marjayoun in south Lebanon on Tuesday}

Israel urges UN peacekeepers in Lebanon to move north after firing on their positions

Israel recommends that the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon move north, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said after Israeli forces fired on several UNIFIL positions today and yesterday.

“Our recommendation is that UNIFIL relocate 5 km [3 miles] north to avoid danger as fighting intensifies and while the situation along the Blue Line remains volatile as a result of Hezbollah’s aggression,” Danon said in a statement.

Thursday’s incident, in which two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured, is the most serious reported by the mission since it said last week it had rejected Israeli demands to “relocate” from some of its positions.

Israeli evacuation ‘warnings’ for Lebanese ‘misleading and inadequate’: Amnesty

Inadequate, and in some cases misleading – that’s how Amnesty International has described the evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli army to residents of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In a statement, the rights group said the orders do not absolve Israel of its obligations under international law to never target civilians and take all possible measures to minimise harm to them.

“Our analysis shows that not only did the warnings issued by the Israeli military include misleading maps, but they were also issued at short notice – in one instance less than 30 minutes before strikes began – in the middle of the night, via social media, when many people would be asleep, offline or not following media reports,” Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary-general, said.

“Furthermore, instructing the residents of entire towns and villages in south Lebanon to evacuate is an overly general warning that is inadequate and raises questions around whether this is intended to create the conditions for mass displacement.

“Regardless of the efficacy of the warnings, they do not mean that Israel can treat any remaining civilians as targets. People who choose to stay in their homes or are unable to leave because members of their household have limited mobility, due to disability, age or other reasons, continue to be protected by international humanitarian law.”

_{A displaced child holds her sibling, at the city’s downtown business district, where their families shelter, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday}

US moves 1,000 citizens out of war-hit Lebanon via Turkey

More than 1,000 Americans and their dependents have fled Lebanon on board US-chartered flights in the past week, arriving in Turkey for a temporary stay, the top US diplomat in Istanbul says.

As Israel ramped up its ground and air assault on Lebanon in recent weeks, the US and several other countries have for now relied on commercial and state-booked flights to get citizens out, especially via Turkey.

“It’s the fastest, safest way to get Americans out of harm’s way,” Consul General Julie Eadeh said in an interview in Istanbul. “The security situation is dynamic, so we have been planning for months for all contingencies. Given the airport in Beirut remains operational and open, our focus is on facilitating departures by air.”

Ten of 12 US-chartered flights from Beirut have arrived in Istanbul, carrying 1,025 citizens and immediate family members since October 2, according to another US official. Those interviewed at the airport said they were shaken by bombings and feared for their lives.

“It’s not safe for her there,” Nadine El Shab said of the baby daughter she held in her arms, adding she would next travel to Michigan.

Belgium says 111 people evacuated from Lebanon

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib says that a Belgian military plane has evacuated 111 people from Lebanon. The flight from Beirut to Brussels was carrying 58 Belgian nationals and those with residence rights and 53 Europeans, Lahbib said in a post on X.

Many countries have sought to get their citizens out of Lebanon in the last two weeks after Isreal drastically ramped up its bombing campaign on Lebanon and began ground attacks.

Lebanon’s only commercial international airport remains open amid threats to bomb it from the Israeli army.

Israeli air raid in Bekaa Valley kills four: Health Ministry

Israeli warplanes have hit a residential area of Karak, located in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, leaving four people dead and 17 wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The attack, which took place about an hour ago, has devastated the area, shattering windows up to 200 metres (650 feet) away from the blast site, according to our correspondent Assed Baig, who is reporting from the area.

“I saw families outside covering their faces in complete shock,” Baig said. Fire crews are currently on-site, searching for residents who are still missing and may be trapped beneath the rubble.

“Tensions here are very high. People are very angry,” Baig said.

Lebanon Civil Defence: Four killed in Israeli attack on Bekaa Valley

On its official Facebook page, the Lebanese rescue organisation says that it pulled four dead people and 18 wounded from the rubble after an Israeli air attack hit the town of Karak in eastern Lebanon.

Israeli military says its troops operated in Naqoura near UNIFIL base

The Israeli military says its soldiers have operated today in the area of Naqoura in southern Lebanon near a base housing soldiers from UNIFIL, the UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

It added that it instructed the UN forces in the area to remain in protected spaces, after which the Israeli forces opened fire.

This is the first acknowledgment by the Israeli army of an incident today in which its soldiers in southern Lebanon fired on UNIFIL positions, wounding two peacekeepers.

These actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, including from France, Ireland and Italy.

Israel wants UNIFIL out of southern Lebanon

Israel’s attacks against UNIFIL aim to put pressure on the peacekeeping mission to leave southern Lebanon, says Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in international peace and security at Durham University in the UK.

“Israel sees UNIFIL not as someone to fight but as an impediment – as people getting in their way – so they are trying to squeeze them and force them to withdraw,” Pinfold told Al Jazeera, noting how Israel feels the UN mission failed to secure the border from nonstate armed groups since its establishment in 2006.

Should southern Lebanon be free of peacekeepers and civilians, Israel would have easier control over the territory and, therefore, would stay “for as long as they want until they get the deal they want”, Pinfold said.

Removing UNIFIL peacekeepers would also reduce the risk of killing an international soldier, something that would “create political pressure to stop Israeli operations,” he said. “Israel wants to see UNIFIL gone and without anybody dying,” he added.

UN says its Lebanon peacekeepers ‘increasingly in jeopardy’

The safety and security of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are “increasingly in jeopardy” and operational activities have virtually come to a halt since September 23, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix tells the Security Council.

“Peacekeepers have been confined to their bases with significant periods of time in shelter,” he said, adding that UNIFIL was ready to support all efforts towards a diplomatic solution.

“UNIFIL is mandated to support the implementation of resolution 1701, but we must insist that it is for the parties themselves to implement the provisions of this resolution,” he told the 15-member council.

Security Council resolution 1701 gives UNIFIL a mandate to help the Lebanese army keep its southern border area with Israel free of weapons or armed personnel other than those of the Lebanese state.


Indonesia condemns Israeli attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon: Report

Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has “strongly condemned” the Israeli military’s attack in southern Lebanon that injured two Indonesian peacekeepers serving with the UNIFIL force, local media report.

According to Indonesia’s Kompas TV news, the two Indonesian UN peacekeepers were injured when an Israeli tank opened fire on their UNIFIL base in Naqoura in southern Lebanon on Thursday.

The two personnel were sent for treatment at a nearby hospital and are “currently in good condition”, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli strike in central Beirut

We are receiving reports that there has been an Israeli strike on Ras el-Nabaa, a neighbourhood in central Beirut, Lebanon.

This is not the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, which Israeli forces have been targeting over the weeks.

_{A building is destroyed after being hit by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday}

Israeli strike rocks central Beirut

We’re about a kilometre and a half (about one mile) away from one of the locations where Israel carried out its air strike. We felt the impact of the air strike in our office. The building shook where I am standing.

We understand Israel has hit two different buildings in the heart of Beirut and we’re getting reports that they are residential buildings in the heart of the capital.

What we do know is that one of the buildings that was hit is in an area where many displaced people were sheltering nearby.

This attack, which came without prior warning, marks the third time since Isreal expanded its campaign on Lebanon in late September that its bombs have hit outside of Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburb, which sees daily air raids.

_{Smoke rises from Israeli airs trikes in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday}

Large plumes of smoke rise above Beirut skyline

Videos published by local news channels and verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency show chaotic scenes in the aftermath of air strikes on Ras el-Nabaa and al-Nuweiri in Beirut.

The strikes appear to have hit densely populated residential areas, with smoke billowing from two residential blocks and flames engulfing the streets below. Many residents have left their apartments in the high-rise blocks in the area and are gathering in courtyards as emergency services rush to the scene.

_{Smoke and fire rise over Beirut after Israeli air strikes as seen from Sin el-Fil, Lebanon, October 10}

Eleven killed in Israeli strikes on Beirut: Ministry

The Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon says on X that 11 people were killed and 48 wounded in Israeli strikes on Beirut this evening.


_{People gathering in front a destroyed building hit by an Israeli air strike}

Death toll rises in Israeli strike on central Beirut

The latest figures we have from Lebanese health officials are at least 18 people killed and 92 injured.

What is clear is that these two areas that were targeted are not in the southern suburbs of Beirut. They are not Hezbollah strongholds. This is now in the heart of the Lebanese capital, where people have taken shelter over the past few weeks.

This is at least the third strike in areas in and around the centre of Beirut.

_{Flames and smoke rise at the scene of destroyed buildings}

Scenes of chaos in central Beirut

A huge number of people were injured, well over 100, and they’ve been brought to nearby hospitals in the surrounding neighbourhood.

The hospitals have asked for no one to come and donate blood at the moment because they are already overwhelmed, so having more people come in to donate is just going to push them even further.

I was about a kilometre and a half (about 1 mile) away when the attack occurred. I heard a very deep rumble. People outside told our colleagues that they saw streaks in the sky and, of course, big explosions. We know that people were running and screaming in these neighbourhoods, absolutely traumatised.

These are densely packed neighbourhoods anyway, but many people have come from the southern suburbs of Beirut and are sheltering there. About 700,000 people emptied from these suburbs into these areas, so they’d already been traumatised and moved once. Of course, they wanted to seek safety, and they certainly did not find that in the centre of Beirut.

_{Members of the Red Cross stand near a damaged building at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 10}

Hezbollah political official survives Israeli assassination attempt: Report

A senior Hezbollah political official survived an assassination attempt on Thursday night, three anonymous security sources have told the Reuters news agency, as the Israeli military carried out its largest attack yet on central Beirut.

Wafiq Safa, the chief of Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit, which works with Lebanese security agencies, was reportedly the target as Israeli fighter jets bombed a densely-packed neighbourhood in the heart of Beirut, killing at least 22 people and injuring 117 others.

The Israeli military did not issue an evacuation order before carrying out the strike, which was only the third to hit central Beirut since the start of its bombing campaign in late September.

Most Israeli attacks have been concentrated in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, and where the Lebanese armed group has its headquarters.

Reports that Israeli strike on Beirut was first targeting of Hezbollah ‘political figure’

We know from Israeli media that the Israeli army seems to be targeting a member of Hezbollah. His name is Wafiq Safa. He was the head of Hezbollah’s liaison coordination unit.

It is important to know that this is the first political figure they have targeted. He is a liaison between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, and he also deals with some foreign relations as well.

This is the first time that we have really seen Israel extend their attacks away from just military figures – as they’ve been trying to take down the military functions of Hezbollah. Which, of course, makes it very dangerous for people here.

They are Hezbollah members of Lebanon’s parliament. They play an active role in parliament. So they really could be anywhere, and it makes it very dangerous for people here in central Beirut.

Iranian Red Crescent says Israel attacked field hospital on Syria-Lebanon border

The director of the organisation said the medical facility, along with equipment, supplies and ambulances were destroyed in the attack.

“Supplies including food, medical items and equipment were stationed there, clearly marked with Red Crescent flags,” said Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of the Iranian Red Crescent.

“It was evident from the air, from the ground, that the location was designated for healthcare services, emergency relief and temporary shelter. Unfortunately, earlier this morning, the site was targeted by the Zionist regime. Everything was destroyed,” he said.

The mobile #hospital of the #Iranian_Red_Crescent_Society, located at the #Lebanon-#Syria border, which consisted of 56 beds, and a pharmaceutical warehouse, has completely been burned due to the last night’s attack of Zionist occupied regime.#NotATarget#Reshtu pic.twitter.com/YSc1CwSt7L

— Iranian Red Crescent Society (@Iran_RCS) October 10, 2024

Iran is not seeking a wider war: Foreign minister

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reiterated once again that Tehran is not seeking a wider war while pushing back against the accusation that Iran has abandoned its allies in Lebanon.

“Netanyahu is the only one who wants war to destroy the region and stay in power. Therefore, in our consultations, we call on the countries of the region to be vigilant in this matter,” Iran’s top diplomat said after a meeting with Qatari officials in Doha.

Araghchi also rejected the argument that Iran, the main supporter of Hezbollah, has abandoned the group as its fighters are battling Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

“Iran will not abandon its support for the resistance,” he said, noting that he brought this message during a recent visit to Beirut.

Gulf states urge US to pressure Israel to not attack Iranian oil sites: Report

As the wider region awaiting Israel’s response to last week’s Iranian missile attack, three Gulf sources have told Reuters that Gulf countries are lobbying the United States to stop Israel from attacking Iran’s oil sites because of concerns that their own oil facilities could come under fire from Iranian proxies if the war escalates.

The countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are also refusing to let Israel fly over their airspace for any attack on Iran and have conveyed this to the US, the sources close to government circles said, according to the news agency.

During meetings this week, Iran warned Saudi Arabia it could not guarantee the safety of the kingdom’s oil facilities if Israel were given any assistance in carrying out an attack, a senior Iranian official and an Iranian diplomat told Reuters.

The diplomat reportedly said Iran had sent a clear message to Saudi Arabia that its allies in countries such as Iraq or Yemen might respond if there was any regional backing for Israel against Iran.

A potential Israeli attack was the focus of talks yesterday in Riyadh between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Gulf and Iranian sources said.

Araghchi’s visit, along with Saudi-US communications at the defence ministry level, are part of a coordinated effort to address the crisis, a Gulf source close to government circles told Reuters.

A person in the US familiar with the discussions confirmed that Gulf officials had been in touch with US counterparts to express concern about the potential scope of Israel’s expected retaliation, the news agency reported.

Houthis claim to have attacked and hit two ships

The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, says that group conducted two operations today.

The first targeted an American oil tanker called the Olympic Spirit with 11 ballistics missiles and two drones, he said in a televised address. He said the ship was “directly and severely hit”.

He said the second operation targeted and hit a ship, St John, in the Indian Ocean with a winged missile, according to Saree, but he did not specify where the ship was registered.

The Houthis say their attacks on commercial and military ships with potential Israeli links are “in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese resistances”, and in “retaliation to the American-British aggression” against the group.

There has been no comment yet on these claimed attacks from the US military’s Central Command.

UNICEF: Gaza fighting pauses agreed to for polio vaccinations

Humanitarian pauses have been agreed to allow a second round of polio vaccinations targeting 590,000 children under the age of 10 to start in the Gaza Strip on October 14, according to the head of the UN children’s agency UNICEF.

“Area-specific humanitarian pauses have been agreed. It is critical that these pauses are respected by all parties. Without them, it is impossible to vaccinate the children,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.

Israeli forces block fuel to Gaza hospitals as supplies run low: Media office

Israeli forces have turned back fuel supplies intended for hospitals in Gaza City and North Gaza for the fifth consecutive time, the territory’s Government Media Office has said in a news release.

As a result, the statement warned that all hospitals and Health Ministry facilities are at risk of halting operations within 24 hours due to insufficient fuel, with some facilities already running on empty.

“We are facing a complete crime being carried out by the occupation army within the framework of destroying the health system and hospitals,” the statement reads.

_{Wounded Palestinians, including children, are brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city for treatment after the Israeli army attacked the Rafida school, in Deir el-Balah, Gaza on October 10}

WFP: Gaza food distribution halted in October

The UN World Food Programme says on X that a lack of supplies forced its teams to stop distributing aid parcels this month. In the North Gaza governorate, the agency said, the WFP is “no longer able to distribute food in any form”.

It added that in the central and southern Strip, there is currently no aid distribution and bakeries are running out of flour, but hot meal kitchens are still operating in some areas.

Back in July, UN experts said that famine had already arrived in the Gaza Strip.

“Israel’s intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the Palestinian people is a form of genocidal violence and has resulted in famine across all of Gaza,” 10 independent UN experts, including the special rapporteur on the right to food and the special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, said in a statement at the time.