Israeli Strikes on Hezbollah Leave 569 Dead, Netanyahu Urges Lebanese to Evacuate Conflict Zone

Israel said it killed a top commander with Hezbollah's missile and rocket unit Tuesday as the Israeli military traded fire with Hezbollah again and the death toll from a massive Israeli bombing campaign climbed to nearly 570 people.

Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the airstrikes, saying “this reality exacerbates crises, puts the region on the brink of the abyss, and exposes it to more tensions that will have a profound impact regionally and internationally.”

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, warned Israel of “dangerous consequences” following the strikes on Lebanon.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has slammed Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon, saying his government “strongly condemn acts that violate basic norms of international order.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s war is not with Lebanon but with Hezbollah and its leadership on Tuesday.

“I say to the people of Lebanon: our war is not with you. Our war is with Hezbollah. (Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah is leading you to the brink of the abyss,” Netanyahu said during a visit to an intelligence base.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said his country is open to ideas for de-escalating the conflict in Lebanon.

“As we speak there are important forces trying to come up with ideas and we are open-minded for that,” he told reporters.

Lebanon health officials said Israeli attacks since Monday have killed hundreds, including women and children. Israel claimed it had killed one senior Hezbollah commander with an airstrike on a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Biden in his farewel speech at the United Nations General Assembly said, “Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell. Thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers.Too many families dislocated, crowded in a tent, facing a dire situation. They didn’t ask for this war.”

United Nations: President Joe Biden declared in his final address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that the U.S. must not retreat from the world, as Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon edged toward all-out war and Israel's bloody operation against Hamas in Gaza neared the one-year mark.

Biden used his wide-ranging address to speak to a need to end the Middle East conflict and the 17-month-old civil war in Sudan and to highlight U.S. and Western allies' support for Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He also raised concern over artificial intelligence and its potential to be used for repression.

His appearance before the international body offered Biden one of his last high-profile opportunities as president to make the case to keep up robust support for Ukraine, which could be in doubt if former President Donald Trump defeats Vice President Kamala Harris in November. Biden insisted that despite global conflicts, he remains hopeful for the future.

“I've seen a remarkable sweep of history," Biden said. “I know many look at the world today and see difficulties and react with despair but I do not.” “We are stronger than we think” when the world acts together, he added.

Biden came to office promising to rejuvenate U.S. relations around the world and to extract the U.S. from “forever wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq that consumed American foreign policy over the last 20 years.

“I was determined to end it, and I did,” Biden said of the Afghanistan exit, calling it a “hard decision but the right decision.” He acknowledged that it was "accompanied by tragedy” with the deaths of 13 American troops and hundreds of Afghans in a suicide bombing during the chaotic withdrawal.

But his foreign policy legacy may ultimately be shaped by his administration's response to two of the biggest conflicts in Europe and the Middle East since World War II.

“There will always be forces that pull our countries apart,” Biden said, rejecting “a desire to retreat from the world and go it alone.” He said, "Our task, our test, is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than the forces pulling us apart.” The Pentagon announced Monday that it was sending a small number of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East to supplement the roughly 40,000 already in the region. All the while, the White House insists Israel and Hezbollah still have time to step back and de-escalate.

“Full scale war is not in anyone's interest,” Biden said, and despite escalating violence, a diplomatic solution is the only path to peace.

Biden had a hopeful outlook for the Middle East when he addressed the U.N. just a year ago. In that speech, Biden spoke of a “sustainable, integrated Middle East” coming into view.

At the time, economic relations between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors were improving with implementation of the Abraham Accords that Israel signed with Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates during the Trump administration.

Biden's team helped resolve a long-running Israel-Lebanon maritime dispute that had held back gas exploration in the region. And Israel-Saudi normalization talks were progressing, a game-changing alignment for the region if a deal could be landed.

“I suffer from an oxymoron: Irish optimism,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met on the sidelines of last year's U.N. gathering. He added, "If you and I, 10 years ago, were talking about normalization with Saudi Arabia ... I think we'd look at each other like, Who's been drinking what?'” Eighteen days later, Biden's Middle East hopes came crashing down. Hamas militants stormed into Israel killing 1,200, taking some 250 hostage, and spurring a bloody war that has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza and led the region into a complicated downward spiral.

Now, the conflict is threatening to metastasize into a multi-front war and leave a lasting scar on Biden's presidential legacy.

Israel and Hezbollah traded strikes again Tuesday as the death toll from a massive Israeli bombardment climbed to nearly 560 people and thousands fled from southern Lebanon. It's the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Israel has urged residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons, saying the military would conduct “extensive strikes” against the militant group.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, has launched dozens of rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes last week that killed a top commander and dozens of fighters. Dozens were also killed last week and hundreds more wounded after hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah militants exploded, a sophisticated attack that was widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.

Israel's leadership launched its counterattacks at a time of growing impatience with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah's persistent launching of missiles and drones across the Israel-Lebanon border after Hamas started the war with its brazen attack on Oct. 7.

Biden reiterated his call on the parties to agree to a cease-fire and hostage release deal, saying it's time to "end this war" — even as hopes for such a deal are fading as the conflict drags on.

Biden, in his address, called for the sustainment of Western support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Biden helped galvanize an international coalition to back Ukraine with weapons and economic aid in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's February 2022 assault on Ukraine.

“We cannot grow weary," Biden said. "We cannot look away.” Biden has managed to keep up American support in the face of rising skepticism from some Republican lawmakers — and Trump — about the cost of the conflict.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing Biden to loosen restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles so that Ukrainian forces can hit deeper in Russia.

So far Zelenskyy has not persuaded the Pentagon or White House to loosen those restrictions. The Defense Department has emphasized that Ukraine can already hit Moscow with Ukrainian-produced drones, and there is hesitation on the strategic implications of a U.S.-made missile potentially striking the Russian capital.

Putin has warned that Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its NATO allies if they allow Ukraine to use the long-range weapons.

Biden and Harris are scheduled to hold separate meetings with Zelenskyy in Washington on Thursday. Ukrainian officials were also trying to arrange a meeting for Zelenskyy with Trump this week.

The president also sounded an alarm about the rapid advances in artificial intelligence development, particularly around disinformation, respect for human life and the potential exploitation by totalitarian powers. He told the world leaders, "There may well be no greater test of our leadership than how we deal with A.I." “We must make certain that the awesome capabilities of A.I. will be used to uplift and empower everyday people, not to give dictators more powerful shackles on the human spirit," he added.

Biden struck a wistful tone in his remarks, peppering his speech with references to his first time attending the General Assembly more than 50 years ago, and quoting Irish poetry.

Biden held up his decision to step aside up as an instructive moment as he addressed a gathering that has no small share of totalitarian and nondemocratic leaders.

“Some things are more important than staying in power," Biden said. "It's your people that matter the most. Never forget, we are here to serve the people. Not the other way around.” 

Colonel (RES.) Olivier Rafowicz, IDF Spokesperson said, "It's a real war, rockets are being launched every day against Israel, targeting civilians, farms, everything. We gave enough time to Hezbollah to continue attacking Israel and pay the price. Hezbollah is the biggest Middle East army, with arms financed by Iran. Hezbollah's intention is to destroy the State of Israel.

We don’t want to be apologetic and neither the victim. We are not in a war against Lebanon and its people, we are in a war with Hezbollah."

Alex Gandler, Dy Spox, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel, talk to Republic TV over the ongoing conflict with Conflict with Hezbollah and said," I think the escalation from Israel is not a correct word. Escalation is done from the Hezbollah side.  The decision to go out and attack in Lebanon because 60,000 Israelies were forced to displace. We are talking about an all out war by Iran against civilians. This is not new. Israel has decided to put a stop this escalation by Hezbollah. Middle east army is fully equiped by Iran. This group has weapons like the army."

"Intension lags intension of hamas. Intension is there, weapons is there and political support is there from Iran. Israel is a small country but a very strong nation. Iran and Iraq are destabalising the region. While Israel is trying to establish peace. We are not in a war against Palestinian people, war is against Hezbollah, Hamas," he added. 

"The next day, Hezbollah attacked directly at Israel from Lebanon with trained rockets. We are a very small country. We were almost losing everything. During this conflict, through diplomatic ways, we hope to find a solution. It is a war. Rockets are launched every day. People cannot live there," IDF Spokesperson said to Republic TV

Turkish Politician Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,  Slams Israel on the Extensice Attacks Gaza and said, “They (Israel) hit marketplaces, tents, and camps where refugees were sheltered, they hit 820 mosques and three churches that shouldn’t have been touched even in war and they deliberately hit dozens of hospitals, dozens of schools… they shredded the charter of the United Nations from the rostrum of the United Nations and shamelessly challenged the whole world.”

IDF: Initial report - The IDF is currently conducting extensive strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon. Details to follow

United Nations: In a strong message to China, US President Joe Biden on Tuesday told world leaders that Washington will continue to strengthen its network of alliances and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, which he said are not against any nation, as it seeks to responsibly manage the competition with Beijing.

“We also need to uphold our principles as we seek to responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not veer into conflict,” Biden said as he addressed world leaders from the podium of the UN General Assembly.

Delivering his last address as President of the United States, Biden told the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly that in matters of conviction, the “US is unabashed, pushing back against unfair economic competition, against military coercion of other nations in the South China Sea, and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, protecting our most advanced technologies so they cannot be used against us or any of our partners.

“At the same time, we're going to continue to strengthen our network of alliances and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. These partnerships are not against any nation. There are building blocks for a free, open, secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific,” he said.

Biden’s remarks come just days after he hosted leaders of the Quad group - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan - in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit.

The Wilmington declaration, asserting that the “Quad is here to stay”, said that “four years since elevating the Quad to a leader-level format, the Quad is more strategically aligned than ever before and is a force for good that delivers real, positive, and enduring impact for the Indo-Pacific.” It added that as four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, the Quad nations unequivocally stand for the maintenance of peace and stability across this dynamic region, as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.

“We strongly oppose any destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” it said.

Biden also said that Washington stands ready to cooperate on “urgent challenges of the good of our people and the people everywhere. We recently resumed cooperation with China to stop the flow of deadly synthetic narcotics. I appreciate the collaboration. It matters for the people of my country and many others around the world.” 

Biden: The good news is, Putin’s war has failed, and as has his core aim. 

“He set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free. He set out to weaken NATO, but NATO is bigger, stronger, more united than ever before, with two new members, Finland and Sweden.”

The Israeli military says it has killed a top commander with Hezbollah's missile and rocket unit in a strike in Beirut.

Military officials said Ibrahim Kobeisi, who they said was responsible for launches towards Israel, was killed Tuesday. The military said “other key commanders” were with Kobeisi at the time of the strike, but officials did not say whether any of the others were killed or wounded.

“I’ve met with the families of those hostages. I’ve grieved with them,” US president Biden said at UNGA adding that “They’re going through hell.”

“Full scale war not in anyone’s interest. I hope a solution can be achieved through diplomatic channels,” US President Joe Biden on Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon

“Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon are now relentlessly claiming hundreds of civilian lives. And I am very saddened to confirm that two UNHCR colleagues were also killed yesterday. On behalf of all of us at UNHCR, heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and colleagues,” UNHCR chief Fillipo Grandi said. 

Speaking at Labour party’s conference in Liverpool, the UK’s prime minister Keir Starmer has called for “restraint and de-escalation” in Lebanon and “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”.

“Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world – cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at UNGA.

In the last day, the fighter squadrons of the Air Force took off for hundreds of attack sorties in the skies of Lebanon in order to remove a threat and harm the capabilities of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and dropped nearly 2,000 weapons on 1,500 terrorist infrastructures in the interior and south of Lebanon, Israel Air Force said. 

Six people were killed and 15 injured by Israel’s strike on Dahiyeh in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said on Tuesday afternoon

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, in northern Israel.

Israeli airstrike hits building in southern suburb of Beirut, according to news agency AP. 

“Northern Arrows. The IDF has now begun another wave of attacks against Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon," Israel Military said.

"We don't believe it's in Israel's interest for it to escalate, for there to be an all-out war there on the North, on that blue line between Israel and Lebanon." — White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said. 

Israel’s army radio is carrying a quote from Israel’s chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, said “Hezbollah must not be given a break – we will speed up the offensive operations today.”

Death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since Monday jumps to 558, including 50 children and 95 women, says Lebanese Health Ministry

Sirens sound were reported in the Lower Galilee and Nazareth as the areas were targeted with rocket fire from Lebanon.

 Rocket alarms sound in Nazareth and the Galilee.  Hezbollah continues to attack Israeli cities which are home to Jews, Christians and Muslims.  No country would tolerate this. We will never apologize for protecting Israelis," tweeted the official X account of the State of Israel.

Schools will remain shut in Northern Israel and Lebanon in view of escalation of ongoing conflict.

"The rocket that you see below is a long-range rocket, stored on a hydraulic system directed toward Israeli civilians and ready to be launched at a moments notice. This is just one of the 1,300 targets including long-range cruise missiles, heavy-weight rockets and UAVs that were struck today in Lebanon and were going to be used to cause major damage in all areas of Israel, tweeted the IDF.

The past week has seen a rapid escalation in the nearly yearlong conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. First came two days of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah — deadly attacks pinned on Israel that also maimed civilians across Lebanon. Hezbollah's leader vowed to retaliate, and on Friday the militant group launched a wave of rockets into northern Israel. Later in the day, the commander of Hezbollah's most elite unit was killed in a strike in Beirut that killed dozens more people.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said most of the rockets fired by Hezbollah were intercepted by its renowned Iron Dome defence system and that no casualties or damages were reported.

The Israeli military struck 1,600 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday in the its most intense barrage in nearly a year of cross-border violence.

As tensions escalated between Israel and Hezbollah with the former launching deadliest aerial assault on Lebanon since 2006, killing over 490 people, hundreds of rockets were fired into Israeli airspace which was eventually intercepted by the Iron dome.  

"This is the most difficult week for Hezbollah since its establishment and the results speak for themselves," said Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant on Monday.

Israel estimates that Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles, including guided missiles and long-range projectiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel.

During an assessment with military commanders on Monday,  Israel Defence Minister Gallant said “Today is a significant peak,” . “On this day we have taken out of order tens of thousands of rockets and precise munition. What Hezbollah has built over a period of 20 years… is in fact being destroyed."

Israel’s defense minister said on Monday that the Israeli offensive in Lebanon has destroyed "tens of thousands" of rockets in Hezbollah’s formidable arsenal. Yoav Gallant said, during an assessment with military commanders Monday, that the results of the Israeli air campaign are “extremely impressive.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday sent out a message for the people of Lebanon saying that Hezbollah has been using them as "human shield and urged them to get out of "harm's way now." The statement by the Prime Minster comes as Israel on Monday pummeled Lebanon with airstrikes killing 492 people and injuring over 1,600 people.

Israel on Monday pummeled Lebanon with airstrikes killing over 400 including several women, and children and injuring thousands. Triggering widespread chaos across the country in the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, thousands of people were forced to flee parts of southern and eastern Lebanon as concerns over a possible full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. READ MORE

As tensions escalated between Israel and Hezbollah with the former launching deadliest aerial assault on Lebanon since 2006, killing over 490 people, several rockets were fired into Israeli airspace which was eventually intercepted by the Iron dome. Over 200 rockets were launched towards the northern Israeli city of Haifa early on Tuesday. Notably, this was the first time since 2006 that rocket sirens sounded in Haifa as Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets from Lebanon. 

Over 1,600 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon

The Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority has announced the suspension of all flights to Beirut until further notice, citing rising security concerns. Travelers are advised to stay updated as the situation develops.

In a video message, IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari explained how Hezbollah exploits civilian infrastructure as weapons storage sites and uses the Lebanese people as human shields.

In a video message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese civilians to heed Israeli calls to evacuate, saying “take this warning seriously.” “Please get out of harm's way now,” Netanyahu said. “Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes,” he added.

The pentagon announced additional troop deployments to the middle east amid escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah. The US Embassy has urged Americans to leave Lebanon immediately, warning of increasing risks as Israel intensifies airstrikes.

The death toll in the Israeli strikes on Lebanon rose to 492 on Tuesday. The toll far surpassed that of Beirut's devastating port explosion in 2020, when hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse detonated, killing at least 218 people and wounding more than 6,000.
 

Massive traffic jams in Southern Lebanon amid evacuations after Israeli strikes

Toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Monday has increased to 490, AP reported.

Israeli strikes on Monday killed more than 350 Lebanese, including more than 60 women and children, Lebanese authorities said, in the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war as the Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of a widening air campaign against Hezbollah.

Iran’s president accused Israel on Monday of seeking a wider war in the Middle East and laying “traps” to lead his country into a wider conflict.

Masoud Pezeshkian told about two dozen media representatives that Iran doesn’t want to see the current war in Gaza and airstrikes across the Israeli-Lebanon border expanded.

In a message to the Lebanese citizens, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "I have a message for the people of Lebanon. Israel's war is not with you. Its with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage, those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out these weapons. Starting this morning, the IDF has warned to get out of harm's way, I urge you- take this warning seriously. Don't let Hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones, don't let Hezbollah endanger Lebanon. Please, get out of harm's way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes." 

Jordan says it has cancelled flights to Beirut amid escalation of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah

The U.S. is sending additional troops to the Middle East during a sharp spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that has raised the risk of a greater regional war, the Pentagon said Monday.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do. The U.S. currently has about 40,000 troops in the region.

The new deployments come after significant strikes by Israeli forces against targets inside Lebanon that have killed hundreds and as Israel is preparing to conduct further operations and the State Department is warning Americans to leave Lebanon as the risk of a regional war increases.

Iran's president accused Israel on Monday of seeking a wider war in the Middle East and laying “traps” to lead his country into a wider conflict.

Masoud Pezeshkian told about two dozen media representatives that Iran doesn't want to see the current war in Gaza and airstrikes across the Israeli-Lebanon border expanded.

He said while Israel insists it doesn't want a wider war, it is taking actions that show otherwise.

Pezeshkian pointed to the deadly explosions of pagers, walkie-talkies and other electronic devices in Lebanon last week, which he blamed on Israel, and the assassination of Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on the eve of his inauguration.

Since this morning (Monday), the IDF has conducted proactive and extensive aerial strikes against Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon. Thus far, the IAF has carried out strikes based on precise intelligence on approximately 800 Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon and in the area of Beqaa deep inside Lebanese territory. Among the targets struck were buildings where Hezbollah hid rockets, missiles, launchers, UAVs and additional terrorist infrastructure.
 

Lebanon received approximately 80,000 calls on Monday instructing residents living near alleged Hezbollah locations to evacuate, according to Imad Kreidieh, head of the state-owned telecom company Ogero.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III discussed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. Austin expressed support for Israel’s right to self-defense amid escalating Hezbollah attacks. However, he emphasized the importance of a diplomatic solution to protect civilians and called for a ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate the release of hostages.

President Isaac Herzog announced that a recent gathering of top Hezbollah commanders in Beirut, which was targeted by Israeli airstrikes, was organized to plan an attack on Israel similar to the October 7 assault by Hamas.

Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, killing more than 180 people, said the Lebanese Ministry of Health. 

IDF says civilians in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley have 2 hours to leave homes used by Hezbollah to store weapons

Israeli strikes killed more than 180 Lebanese Monday in the deadliest and most intense barrage in nearly a year as the Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of a widening air campaign against Hezbollah.

Thousands of Lebanese fled the south, and the main highway out of the southern port city of Sidon was jammed with cars heading toward Beirut in the biggest exodus since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. More than 400 other people were injured in the strikes.