Lebanon’s Baalbek region sees most ‘intense’ night of air strikes

At the hospital I was at just less than an hour ago, they said that last night and this morning was the most intense night of air strikes that they have experienced.

I’ve received so many videos from people in the area showing those strikes taking place and fires raging throughout the night.

At Al-Murtada Hospital, which has had to close its doors, the windows have been blown in. The ceilings have come down. Patients were injured. They have been moved to different hospitals.

While we were filming at the hospital, filming the damage, there were two more strikes that we heard and then saw take place in the distance. We saw the smoke rising. So the strikes haven’t stopped.

It has been an intense night of Israeli air strikes. Even as I speak, there have been strikes taking place in this area, and many people here have been displaced. But those who remain have said that last night was terrifying.

Israeli raid in Tyre killed 2: Report

An air raid on a house in the town of Jennata in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district killed two people and injured another, the official National News Agency reported.

Hezbollah leader says Israel wants to ‘control all Muslims’

Naim Qassem says the Lebanese group considers Israel “an aggressor” that represents a real threat to the region.

It wants to “expand its occupation and Palestine is not enough for Israel”, he said in a televised speech. Israel also wants to control all the “territory of the Arab states and all the Muslims”, the deputy Hezbollah leader charged.

He said Israel carries out “a policy of massacres and it is depending on a policy of all sins that can be committed on Earth”.

According to Qassem, Israel wants three things:

Biden’s gov’t gives ‘guarantee’ for de-escalation of Israeli attacks: PM Mikati

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that the Biden administration has given “some kind of a guarantee” that Israel will de-escalate in Beirut and its suburbs.

“We want a ceasefire, the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the election of a president for the republic,” Mikati also said. That 2006 UN Security Council resolution called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

“The Taif Agreement must be implemented, the state’s sovereignty must be extended over its lands and there is no weapon other than the weapon of legitimacy,” the Lebanese leader added, referring to the agreement negotiated in 1989 in Taif, Saudi Arabia, designed to end the 15-year-long Lebanese Civil War.

US representative Ilhan Omar says Israel’s ‘evil genocide must end’

In a post on X, Omar, a Democrat, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu is committing human rights abuses over and over again—bombing hospitals, burning Palestinians alive, blocking food aid, and killing aid workers”.

“This evil genocide must end and President Biden has to stop enabling it,” she said. “That starts with cutting off military aid,” she added.

Omar’s post comes after the US Department of Defense said on Sunday that the US is sending a THAAD anti-missile system to help bolster Israel’s air defences amid mounting tensions with Iran.

_{US representative Ilhan Omar is among several progressive Democrats who have been critical of the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza}

Arrests at protest against Israel’s war on Gaza outside New York Stock Exchange


_{Hundreds of New Yorkers joined a sit-in protest in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, organised by Jewish Voice for Peace}

_{The group wore t-shirts and held signs protesting financial support from the US government and Wall Street for Israel’s war on Gaza}

_{Organisers say about 200 people were arrested at the protest}

Better drag those dangerous old ladies away to protect your evil overlords. I could not do that job (police officer) working for fascists.

Arab American PAC rejects both Trump and Harris over Israel support

The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) has cited the “blind support” of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump for Israel – in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon – for withholding its endorsement.

The November 5 US elections will mark the first time AAPAC has chosen not to endorse a candidate since the group’s 1998 inception. It usually endorses Democrats. Polls show the race between Harris and Trump as tight.

Arab and Muslim Americans overwhelmingly backed President Joe Biden in 2020 but have been vocal opponents of US support for Israel, which has eroded their backing of Democrats, particularly in crucial swing states such as Michigan.

_{Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (centre), Primer Minister Manuel Marrero (centre-rght), and first secretary of the Young Communist League of Cuba, Meybis Estevez}

Australia announces new sanctions on Iran after missile attack on Israel

Australia has imposed sanctions on “five Iranian individuals contributing to Iran’s missile program” after Tehran’s attack on Israel on October 1.

“Iran’s 1 October launch of over 180 ballistic missiles against Israel was a dangerous escalation that increased the risk of a wider regional war,” Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said in a statement.

Iran said it targeted three Israeli military bases with missiles in retaliation for the killings of the leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas and a senior general from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The new sanctions are in addition to approximately 200 Iran-linked individuals already facing sanctions from Australia, the statement said. As we reported earlier, the United Kingdom made a similar announcement of new sanctions, also in response to the October 1 attack, on Monday.

The Albanese Government has now sanctioned 200 Iran-linked individuals and entities, including almost 100 individuals and entities with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

We will continue to hold Iran to account for its reckless and destabilising actions.

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) October 14, 2024

Australian aid group calls for sanctions on Israel

The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) has called on the Australian government to impose sanctions on Israeli officials in response to Israel’s deadly siege on the north of the Gaza Strip.

“Engaging in siege tactics of civilians, sealing people off from humanitarian assistance and causing further starvation are all illegal under the Geneva Conventions,” said Marc Purcell, ACFID’s chief executive officer.

ACFID, which represents dozens of Australian aid organisations, highlighted inconsistencies in sanctions imposed by the Australian government.

As we reported earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced new sanctions on Iranian officials on Tuesday, following Iranian attacks on Israel, which reportedly caused no civilian casualties.

_{A protester holds a photo of Australian Zomi Frankcom, who was one of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in an Israeli drone attack in April}

Australian sanctions on Iran ‘hypocritical’: Jewish advocacy group

The Jewish Council of Australia has called on the Australian government to “use all possible pressure to stop Israel committing the crime of genocide”, including through sanctions, after the Australian government announced new sanctions on Iran.

The progressive Jewish group highlighted that more than 400,000 people are at “severe risk of starvation in northern Gaza”, where no food has entered since October 1, according to the World Food Programme.

Australian foreign minister “Penny Wong’s issuing of new sanctions on Iran today is hypocritical in the extreme”, said Max Kaiser, the executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia.

“We are still waiting for the Australian government to take any substantial action against the Israeli government,” Kaiser added.

Israel’s Treasury proposes tax hikes to pay for war: Report

Israel’s Finance Ministry is proposing higher taxes, including on the country’s lowest income earners, to help pay for the mounting war costs, The Times of Israel is reporting. Other proposed changes include increasing insurance contributions for the unemployed and skimming more money from pension contributions, according to The Times of Israel.

Israel’s direct costs for its wars on Palestine and Lebanon have been estimated at more than 250 billion Israeli shekels ($57bn), The Times of Israel reported.

Israel’s economy has also seen deep declines.

In the end, the US tax payer will likely pay for Israel's deficits.

Israel tells US it won’t hit Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities: Reports

Israel has assured the White House that a planned retaliatory attack on Iran would not target nuclear or oil facilities, according to US media.

Quoting unnamed US officials, The Washington Post reported that Israeli PM Netanyahu told the White House a counterstrike it’s contemplating would target only military sites.

The Wall Street Journal, also quoting anonymous US officials, said the pledge came in a call between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu last week, as well as in conversations in recent days between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.

Israel has promised to counterattack after Iran fired ballistic missiles at the country on October 1 in response to Israel’s killing of Tehran-aligned leaders in the region, including Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah.

Seems like a deal was made for THAAD deployment in Israel. However I doubt it would stop Iran retaliating again, so it's just for PR reasons. It likely won't stop further escalation. Only if Israel keeps it small and Iran can downplay it like back in April. Otherwise this 'tit for tat' will escalate as now in Lebanon.

Israel will act in ‘national interest’ in response to Iran attack

Israel will take into account the “opinion” of the US but will act in response to Iran’s recent missile attack based on its own “national interests”, the prime minister’s office says.

“We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

The statement followed news reports, quoting unnamed US officials, that Netanyahu reassured the White House any counterstrike would be limited to military sites, not nuclear or oil facilities. Israel has promised to retaliate against the Iranian missile attack, with Defence Minister Gallant saying the response would be “deadly, precise, and surprising”.

US warships, military bases ‘within range’, warns Iran official

Brigadier-General Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, says any US military support for Israel if it attacks Iran will lead to retaliation.

“The Americans should know that if one day they enter the battlefield and want to take action against the Islamic Iran, their bases, interests and ships will be within the reach of our weapons,” Jabbari told Iran’s Press TV.

The US “is not prepared at all to confront us, the axis of resistance and the Muslim world”, he said. However, Jabbari added, the US was unlikely to take part in such a “foolish act”.

“Although the Americans support Israel, it is unlikely that they will commit a folly and engage in a conflict with Iran. They always advise the [Israeli] regime not to engage in a conflict with the Islamic republic.”

Israel faces ‘shortage’ of air defence missiles: Report

Israel is facing a “shortage” of air defence missiles, prompting the Netanyahu government to seek help from the US, the Financial Times reports.

“Supply constraints” and the demands of war have left the Israeli military “relying on the US to fill the gaps in protective shields”.

In recent days, the US announced it is deploying the anti-missile system THAAD to Israel as it continues to provide “ironclad” support for its ally during mounting tensions with Iran.

Gaza crisis lays bare international system’s bias: Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has criticized the international rule of law, saying Israel’s war on Gaza has exposed its hierarchical nature.

“What’s happening in Gaza is a living testimony to the fact that the international system has been designed, used and abused to the privilege of a few,” Fidan said at the Global Diplomacy and Future of Palestine conference in Ankara.

“Unfortunately, the international community – starting with ourselves, the Muslim community and the Arab community – has been useless, powerless and hopeless in stopping this ongoing tragedy.”

Fidan urged immediate action, warning that unless a solution is found, the Gaza war would escalate into a larger regional and global crisis.

Italy’s Meloni says she will visit Lebanon

The prime minister makes the announcement at the Senate without giving a date. “It is already planned that I will go to Lebanon,” she said, adding that Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be heading to Israel and Palestine next week.

Italian soldiers are part of a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. UNIFIL, which consists of about 9,500 soldiers of various nationalities, has accused the Israeli military of “deliberately” firing on its positions. Meloni, whose country is the second biggest contributor of forces to UNIFIL, has condemned the attacks several times.

Iran summons Hungarian ambassador over EU sanctions

Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the ambassador of Hungary, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, to condemn the block’s recent sanctions on the Islamic republic.

The ministry announced in a statement Iran’s “strong objection” and said “resorting to illegal and coercive methods such as sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran is not acceptable in any way and will lead nowhere.”

UNICEF condemns ‘shameful violence against children’ in Gaza

The UN Children’s Fund has called for an immediate end to the “shameful violence against children” in Gaza, as Israel continues to attack refugee camps and medical facilities housing displaced Palestinian refugees.

“Today, our screens were once again filled with horrifying reports of children killed, burnt, and families emerging from the bombed tents in Gaza. These should shock the world to its core,” UNICEF wrote in a post on X.

“There is no safe place for children in Gaza,” it added.

There is no safe place for children in Gaza.

This shameful violence against children must end now. pic.twitter.com/uz79ZFdE4T

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) October 14, 2024

Doctor pleads with world after attack on Gaza hospital grounds

Mohammed Tahir, a UK doctor on his third medical mission to Gaza, pleads with the world to do more to end the war. His plea follows an attack on tents for displaced Palestinians on the Al-Aqsa Hospital grounds.

Israel has repeatedly carried out deadly strikes on medical facilities and refugee camps since its war in Gaza began in October 2023.

Gaza polio campaign starts well despite Israeli strikes, WHO says

The World Health Organization says it was able to begin its polio campaign in central Gaza and vaccinate tens of thousands of children despite Israeli strikes in the designated protected zone hours before.

As part of an agreement between the Israeli military and Palestinian militant group Hamas, humanitarian pauses in the year-long Gaza war had been due to begin early on Monday to reach hundreds of thousands of children.

However, hours before then, the UN humanitarian office said Israeli forces struck tents near al Aqsa hospital, inside in the zone, where it said four people were burned to death.

WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarevic told a Geneva press briefing that over 92,000 children, or around half of the children targeted for polio vaccines in the central area, had been inoculated on Monday. “What we have received from colleagues is that the vaccination went without a major issue yesterday, and we hope It will continue the same way,” he said.

Death toll rises from Israeli attacks on Jabalia refugee camp

We reported earlier that several people had been killed in an Israeli attack on the Hafsa School, where families had been sheltering, in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Wafa news agency is now reporting that three people were killed in that attack and 15 others injured.

A child, who was playing on his scooter, was among the casualties, it said. Wafa also has more details on two other Israeli attacks that targeted homes belonging to the Sayed and Al-Sharif families in the al-Faluja area of the camp.

Rescuers and medical teams have reportedly been unable to reach either of the homes after the attacks.

As we reported earlier, at least four people were killed in the attack on the Sayed family home.

Two children among five killed in latest Israeli attack near Khan Younis

Five people, including two children, have been killed in an Israeli attack on a house in the town of al-Fakhari, east of Khan Younis, according to Al Jazeera’s reporters in Gaza.

Earlier, the Wafa news agency reported that eight civilians were killed and several others injured after Israeli fighter jets targeted a group of civilians in Gaza City and two tents for displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Two separate air attacks on tents for refugees west and east of Khan Younis also left more than a dozen people injured, mostly women and children, Wafa added.

_{A Palestinian child walks among the rubble at a camp for internally displaced Palestinians on the premises of Al-Aqsa Hospital following an earlier Israeli air attack}


At least 29 Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks across Gaza since early Tuesday

The death toll has risen to 29 since Israel carried out a series of air attacks across Gaza early on Tuesday, according to our Al Jazeera team in the besieged territory. Among those killed were three people in the latest Israeli bombardment of a house near Salah al-Din Mosque in the Zeitoun neighbourhood south of Gaza City.

Our team also reported that the number of deaths from one of the Israeli attacks in the town of al-Fakhari east of Khan Younis has risen from five to six.

Israeli forces blowing up Jabalia neighbourhood in north Gaza assault

On day 11 of its ground invasion of northern Gaza, the Israeli army launched a major attack on the al-Faluja neighbourhood in the besieged Jabalia refugee camp.

Residents told Al Jazeera that troops are planting explosive-filled barrels into the ground to destroy buildings and homes. The area is also under attack by drones and artillery. Dozens of Palestinian families are trapped and the wounded cannot be evacuated.

Medical teams attempting to reach the area are being targeted by drones, sources say. Soldiers are also shooting at anyone trying to move in the northern Gaza areas of al-Balad, an-Nazla, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon.

At least 3 killed, several injured in latest Israeli strike in Jabalia

Israel attacked the Birkat Abu Rashid area of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, killing at least three people and wounding several others, according to Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif, reporting from the scene.

In the aftermath of the air strike, rescuers were seen frantically helping survivors exit from a heavily damaged building, with one man carrying a wounded child.

Earlier, our team in Gaza reported the death toll from a series of Israeli attacks across the besieged Palestinian territory since early Tuesday had reached 29.

The Israeli army said in the last 24 hours it launched at least 30 air strikes on Gaza.

Death toll from Israeli strikes across Gaza rises to 45

The death toll from Israeli strikes across Gaza since early Tuesday has risen to at least 45, medical sources tell Al Jazeera. At least 14 of the deaths took place in twin Israeli air raids in the Bani Suheila neighbourhood, east of Khan Younis, and in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

In the last hour, our Al Jazeera team in Gaza reported three people were killed and several injured in an air strike in the Birkat Abu Rashid neighbourhood in Jabalia, in besieged northern Gaza.

The death toll from another Israeli strike on a house in al-Faluja in Jabalia has now risen to 11.

Family of 10 killed in Israel attack in southern Gaza

At least 10 people of a family were killed and many others wounded in an air strike by Israeli forces in southern Gaza. The attack on a residential building took place while people were sleeping. Casualties were transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis city.

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes early on Tuesday throughout the war-battered territory.

Twelve bodies recovered during Israeli attack on northern Gaza

The civil defence agency says seven people killed by Israeli fire belonged to the al-Sayed family, adding their bodies were buried in their family home in the al-Faluja area in the Jabalia refugee camp.

The agency’s spokesman said on the Telegram channel five more Palestinian bodies were recovered from the streets of the neighbourhood.

At least 42,344 Palestinians killed in Israel’s war on Gaza

The death toll from Israel’s yearlong war on Gaza now stands at 42,344, with 99,013 Palestinians wounded, the Health Ministry says. At least 55 people were killed in the past 24 hours, it said.

It’s estimated the actual number of dead is far higher, with thousands of bodies buried in the vast destruction from Israeli strikes.

 
Qassam Brigades claims killing of Israeli soldiers in Rafah

Hamas’s armed wing says its fighters have targeted Israeli soldiers with a barrel bomb in the al-Rayyan area of the southernmost city of Gaza. The attack “killed and wounded” some Israeli forces, according to a statement on Telegram.

Since it’s much-criticized ground offensive on Rafah in May, the Israeli military said its forces had “dismantled” the Hamas battalion there, but fighting continues.

Young Palestinian dies of injuries months after Israeli raid in occupied West Bank

Salah al-Din Jabarin has succumbed to his injuries months after he was shot by Israeli forces during a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, according to several reports from Palestinian media.

Overnight, the Israeli military carried out raids in Hebron and the city of Tubas.

The occupied West Bank has been subjected to daily raids and operations by Israeli forces since the breakout of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Since October 7, 2023, at least 747 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, according to Palestinian health officials, and more than 6,200 others have been wounded.

Deep pain in a beautiful West Bank home: The Arrabis’ dead sons

I don't frequent on here much now but you have to summarise things and leave links rather than leave entire pages of texts and images. It's too much to soft through.

It's shocking what's happening but they are a terror state after all, The USS Liberty incident proves that