Israel targets north Lebanon, kills Hamas leader in fresh airstrikes

Mangalore Today News Network

Israel, October 5, 2024: The Israeli army on Saturday expanded its airstrikes to northern Lebanon as bombings continued in Beirut and southern cities, as the Israeli army continued its offensive targeting Hezbollah. Strikes hit the northern city of Tripoli early on Saturday, where a top Hamas leader and his family were killed.

The Israeli military issued three alerts, urging residents in the area to evacuate immediately. Explosions and airstrikes also occurred near Beirut’s airport during the night, as flights were arriving.

The fresh round of intensified attacks came after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned in his Friday sermon that "Israel will not last long" and "Iran will not back down".

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has been pounding southern Lebanon for nearly three weeks, killing scores of people and displacing over 1.2 million Lebanese from their homes.

Middle east crisis - latest devolopments

1. Saeed Atallah, a leader of Hamas’ armed wing, al-Qassam brigades, was killed with three family members in an Israeli strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, according to Hamas-affiliated media. The Israeli army has not immediately commented on the strike.

2. The IDF has announced that air strikes have targeted a Hezbollah headquarters in a mosque in southern Lebanon, from where the terror group’s members have been operating. "Air Force aircraft carried out targeted attacks during the night, under the intelligence guidance of Amman and the Northern Command, against operatives of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah, who were operating from a headquarters established in a mosque near the ’Salah Ehandor’ hospital in southern Lebanon," the Israeli army tweeted in Hebrew.

3. The fate of Hashem Safieddine, the likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah as Hezbollah chief, who was reportedly targeted in an Israeli strike on Thursday night, remains unclear. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah have provided any comment. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz tweeted a photo of Safieddine and Nasrallah and urged Khamenei to "take your proxies and leave Lebanon".

4. Hezbollah stated that the Israeli army was attempting to infiltrate the southern Lebanese town of Odaisseh, adding that clashes were ongoing. The Israeli army carried out artillery shelling in the city of Khiam and the outskirts of Kafr Kila in southern Lebanon.

5. Israel is reportedly considering its options in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Tuesday, which Tehran claims was in retaliation for Israel’s military action in Lebanon and the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. US President Joe Biden stated that he believes Israel has not yet decided on a course of action and noted that, if he were in Israel’s position, he would consider alternatives to striking Iranian oil fields.

6. The United States announced that it will provide nearly 157 million US Dollar in new humanitarian assistance to support civilians affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region. "This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them. The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighbouring Syria," the US State Department said.

7. The US military, meanwhile, conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Friday. The residents reported blasts at military outposts and even an airport as aircraft and warships bombed the area. The British military also took part in the strikes.

8. US President Joe Biden, commenting on the Middle East crisis, said that he doesn’t know if Netanyahu is trying to influence the US election. Biden said, “No administration has helped Israel more than I have done. None, none, none. And I think Bibi should remember that. And whether he’s trying to influence the election, I don’t know, but I’m not counting on that.”

9. On Friday, addressing a massive crowd in Tehran, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei asserted that Iran and its regional allies would not back down. He said Israel’s adversaries in the region should "double your efforts and capabilities... and resist the aggressive enemy," Khamenei said in a rare Friday sermon.

    Iran’s Foreign Minister also warned that Tehran will retaliate harshly if Israel attacks them. He said, “If the Israeli entity takes any step or measure against us, our retaliation will be stronger than the previous one".

10. The Lebanese Health Ministry has announced that more than 2,000 people have now been killed in Israeli attacks on the country, including 127 children and 261 women, since the fresh round of attacks started. Gaza’s health ministry on Saturday said that at least 41,825 Palestinians have been killed and 96,910 wounded in Israel’s military offensive on the Palestinian enclave since October 7.