Protesters disrupted a speech by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony remembering the victims of Hamas’s 7 October attack on southern Israel last year.
People shouted “shame on you” and made a commotion, forcing Mr Netanyahu to stop his speech shortly after it began. The speech was broadcast live.
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader said Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed”, while stopping short of calling for retaliation.
The remarks from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday are the latest suggesting Iran is carefully weighing its response to the attack.
“It is up to the authorities to determine how to convey the power and will of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime and to take actions that serve the interests of this nation and country,” said Khamenei.
Israel claimed the attack, launched in three waves in the early hours of Saturday, was a “precise and targeted” response to the Iranian missile attack on the country on 1 October.
The comments come as one person was killed and dozens injured after a truck rammed into a bus stop at a major intersection near Tel Aviv, in what police said they suspected was a terrorist attack.
Key Points
- Netanyahu heckled at event for remembering Hamas attack victims
- Egypt proposes two-day Gaza ceasefire to secure release of hostages
- Iranian officials to determine how to respond to Israel, Ayatollah says
- One killed after truck rams into bus stop near Tel Aviv
- ‘I hope this is the end’, says Biden
Netanyahu heckled at event for remembering Hamas attack victims
08:08 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIsraeli strikes on northern Gaza kill at least 33
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIsraeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 33 people, mostly women and children, the health ministry of the Hamas-run Strip said yesterday.
The attacks drew sharp criticism from UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who said Israel’s war made the conditions of life “untenable for the Palestinian population there”.
“This conflict continues to be waged with little regard for the requirements of international humanitarian law,” he said in a post on X.
The devastation & deprivation resulting from Israel’s military operations in North Gaza are making the conditions of life untenable for the Palestinian population there.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 27, 2024
This conflict continues to be waged with little regard for the requirements of international humanitarian…
Meanwhile, two Israeli strikes killed eight people in Sidon city in southern Lebanon, with 25 wounded, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. One strike hit a residential building.
The Israeli military said four soldiers, including a military rabbi, were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, without providing details.
Netanyahu praises Israel’s hard hitting attack on Iran
07:00 , Tom Watling
Netanyahu praises Israel’s hard hitting attack on Iran as Tehran plays down impact
Satellite images show damage from Israeli attack
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAn Israeli attack on Iran damaged facilities at a secretive military base southeast of the Iranian capital that experts in the past have linked to Tehran‘s onetime nuclear weapons program and at another base tied to its ballistic missile program, satellite photos analyzed Sunday by The Associated Press show.
Some of the buildings damaged sat in Iran’s Parchin military base, where the International Atomic Energy Agency suspects Iran in the past conducted tests of high explosives that could trigger a nuclear weapon. Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though the IAEA, Western intelligence agencies and others say Tehran had an active weapons program up until 2003.
More here.
Satellite images show damage from Israeli attack at two Iranian military bases
West warns Iran not to hit back as Israel launches revenge strikes
06:00 , Tom Watling
West warns Iran not to hit back as Israel launches revenge strikes
Bahrain condemns Israel’s military action on Iran
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarBahrain condemned Israel’s recent military action targeting Iran and warned of the “serious repercussions” on civilians amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
“We express our deep concern over the continued escalation and military attacks in the West Asian region,” Bahrain’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We call for an immediate ceasefire and protection for civilians in Gaza and southern Lebanon”.
Egypt proposes two-day Gaza ceasefire
05:24 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarEgypt’s president said his country has proposed a two-day cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas group in Gaza in an effort to free four hostages and release Palestinian prisoners.
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi yesterday said the ceasefire proposal also includes the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged Strip.
Mr al-Sisi made the announcement as efforts to defuse the devastating, more than year-long war resumed in Qatar with the directors of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency taking part.
“I expect Hamas would listen to the new offers, but it remains determined that any agreement must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza,” a Palestinian official told Reuters.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the US, have been working to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but months of negotiations sputtered to a halt in August.
Everything we know about Israel’s attack on Iran
05:00 , Tom Watling
Why is Israel striking Iran? What we know as IDF targets military sites in Tehran
UN Security Council to meet today at Iran’s request
04:37 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for this afternoon at Iran’s request on Israel’s air strikes against the country.
Switzerland, which holds the council’s rotating presidency, announced the meeting yesterday and said the Iranian request was supported by Russia, China and Algeria, the Arab representative on the council.
Meanwhile, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said his country will respond to Israel “appropriately”, after Israel openly attacked Iranian military sites for the first time this weekend.
“We are not seeking war, but we will defend the rights of our nation and country and will respond appropriately to the Zionist regime’s aggression,” Pezeshkian was quoted by state TV on Sunday as saying.
Iran says a civilian was killed in Israel’s attack
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOne civilian was killed in Israel’s attack on Iran, the nation’s officials said, without offering any details on the circumstances of his death.
The state-run IRNA news agency identified the dead man as Allahverdi Rahimpour and said he lived in a suburban area of southwestern Tehran.
Israeli warplanes on Saturday attacked military targets in Iran in response to Iran launching nearly 200 ballistic missiles toward Israel earlier this month.
US pressure on Israel over revenge against Iran has paid off for now
04:00 , Tom Watling
US pressure on Israel over revenge against Iran has paid off – at least for now
Iran’s supreme leader’s X account suspended
03:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe social platform X has suspended a new account of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei that posted messages in Hebrew.
The account was suspended early this morning with a note appended to it saying: “X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what the violation was. The move came after Israel openly attacked Iran for the first time this weekend.
Mr Khamenei said in a speech yesterday that Israel’s strikes — in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack this month — “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” while stopping short of calling for retaliation.
The X account opened Sunday with a message in Hebrew reading: “In the name of God, the most merciful,” a standard Islamic greeting.
Mr Khamenei’s office has maintained multiple accounts for the 85-year-old supreme leader on X for years and has sent messages in a variety of languages in the past.
A second message corresponded to a speech Mr Khamenei gave yesterday and was sent on his English account as: “Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran. They don’t know Iran. They still haven’t been able to correctly understand the power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people.”
Netanyahu heckled at event for remembering Hamas attack victims
03:04 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarProtesters disrupted a speech by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony yesterday remembering the victims of Hamas’s attack on southern Israel last year.
People shouted “Shame on you” and made a commotion, forcing Mr Netanyahu to stop his speech shortly after it began. The speech was broadcast live.
Many Israelis blame Mr Netanyahu for the failures that led to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home the remaining hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.
Israel and UN are maneuvering fraught but fundamental ties during Middle East wars
03:00 , Tom Watling
Israel and UN are maneuvering fraught but fundamental ties during Middle East wars
In pictures: Israel strikes southern Beirut
02:00 , Tom Watling
Palestinians light a fire in southern Gaza - picture
01:00 , Tom Watling
RAF’s Gaza photos could be used against Israel in war crimes court
00:00 , Tom Watling
RAF’s Gaza photos could be used against Israel in war crimes court
Starmer has to do all he can to ensure restraint in the Middle East
Sunday 27 October 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling
Keir Starmer needs to do all he can to help ensure restraint in the Middle East
Everything we know about Israel’s attack on Iran
Sunday 27 October 2024 22:00 , Tom WatlingWhy is Israel striking Iran? What we know as IDF targets military sites in Tehran
In pictures: Protesters in Tel Aviv demand ceasefire
Sunday 27 October 2024 21:00 , Tom Watling
Iran president says Tehran will give 'appropriate response' to Israeli attack, state media reports
Sunday 27 October 2024 20:00 , Tom WatlingIran is not looking for war but will give an “appropriate response” to Israel‘s recent attack, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday according to state media.
Netanyahu praises Israel’s hard hitting attack on Iran
Sunday 27 October 2024 19:00 , Tom WatlingNetanyahu praises Israel’s hard hitting attack on Iran as Tehran plays down impact
In Beirut, a photographer's frozen moments slow down time and allow the contemplation of destruction
Sunday 27 October 2024 17:55 , Tom Watling
In Beirut, a photographer's frozen moments slow down time and allow the contemplation of destruction
Egypt proposes initial two-day truce in Gaza with limited hostage-prisoner exchange
Sunday 27 October 2024 17:18 , Tom WatlingEgypt has proposed an initial two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages of Hamas for some Palestinian prisoners, Egypt’s president said on Sunday as Israeli military strikes killed 45 Palestinians across the enclave.
Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made the announcement as efforts to defuse the devastating, more than year-long war resumed in Qatar with the directors of the CIA and Israel‘s Mossad intelligence agency taking part.
Speaking alongside Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during a press conference in Cairo, Sisi also said that talks should resume within 10 days of implementing the temporary ceasefire in efforts to reach a permanent one.
There was no immediate comment from Israel or Hamas but a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort told Reuters: “I expect Hamas would listen to the new offers, but it remains determined that any agreement must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza.”
Israel has said the war cannot end until Hamas has been wiped out as a military force and governing entity in Gaza.
The US, Qatar and Egypt have been spearheading negotiations to end the war that erupted after Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel on 7 October last year, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, by Israeli tallies.
In pictures: Israel strikes Beirut
Sunday 27 October 2024 16:46 , Tom Watling
Kamala Harris says she is not concerned about Trump's talks with Netanyahu
Sunday 27 October 2024 16:14 , Tom WatlingUS Vice President Kamala Harris has said she is not concerned about talks between former President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and reiterated her positions on the conflict in the Middle East.
Democratic presidential candidate Harris faces Republican Trump in what polls show to be a tight race for the upcoming US elections.
“No,” Harris said when asked if she felt that talks between Trump and Netanyahu could undermine what the current US government is trying to achieve.
US pressure on Israel over revenge against Iran has paid off for now
Sunday 27 October 2024 15:48 , Tom WatlingUS pressure on Israel over revenge against Iran has paid off – at least for now
CIA and Mossad chiefs to meet Qatar PM to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza, official says
Sunday 27 October 2024 15:13 , Athena StavrouThe directors of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad are seet to meet Qatar’s prime minister in Doha on Sunday to begin negotiations for a new short term Gaza ceasefire deal.
They are expected to discuss and the release of some hostages by Hamas in exchange for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters.
The talks aim to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza that would last less than a month, with the hope that it would lead to a more permanent agreement, the official said.
The details of which or how many hostages and prisoners would be released as part of the deal is not yet clear, the official said.
UN Security Council expected to meet Monday over Israel's strike on Iran, diplomats say
Sunday 27 October 2024 14:51 , Athena StavrouThe United Nations Security Council is expected to meet on Monday to discuss Israel’s attack on Iran, diplomats said on Sunday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called on the Security Council to meet over the attack and diplomats said the council was likely to discuss the situation on Monday.
“The Israeli regime’s actions constitute a grave threat to international peace and security and further destabilize an already fragile region,” Araqchi said in a letter to the 15-member council on Saturday.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in alignment with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and under international law, reserves its inherent right to legal and legitimate response to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time,” he wrote.
Israel claimed attack, launched in three waves in the early hours of Saturday, was a “precise and targeted” response to the Iranian missile attack on the country on 1 October.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon rejected Iran’s complaint at the United Nations, saying in a statement on Sunday that Iran was “trying to act against us in the diplomatic arena with the ridiculous claim that Israel has violated international law.”
“As we have stated time and time again, we have the right and duty to defend ourselves and will use all the means at our disposal to protect the citizens of Israel,” Danon said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed “to all parties to cease all military actions, including in Gaza and Lebanon, exert maximum efforts to prevent an all-out regional war and return to the path of diplomacy,” his spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.
Latest pictures from Gaza
Sunday 27 October 2024 14:30 , Athena Stavrou
One killed after truck rams into bus stop near Tel Aviv
Sunday 27 October 2024 14:02 , Athena StavrouOne person has now died after a truck rammed into a bus stop at a major intersection near Tel Aviv, in what police said they suspected was a terrorist attack.
Israeli police said about 40 people were injured to varying degrees, including some seriously, and were taken to nearby hospitals.
Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv said one of the victims succumbed to his wounds. Nearly Sheba Medical Center said it treated eight civilians and soldiers.
The attack, in which a truck ran into a bus stop close to a military base, took place around 10 am local time, police said, noting the driver - who had Israeli citizenship - was “neutralised” by gunfire from a nearby civilian.
“All investigative directions are being examined with an emphasis on the suspicion that this is a terror attack,” police said.
“Initial investigations suggest that the truck driver, who was traveling near the Glilot base (north of Tel Aviv) from north to south, veered off course and hit a bus and people waiting at the stop with the truck.”
Israeli media reported that the attacker was an Israeli Arab from Qalansawe in central Israel.
Gaza strip death toll increases to 45 as ceasefire talks resume
Sunday 27 October 2024 13:22 , Barney DavisIsraeli military strikes killed at least 45 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday as efforts to secure a ceasefire in the more than year-long war resumed in Qatar.
The directors of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency will meet with Qatar’s prime minister on Sunday in Doha, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters.
The negotiations will seek a short-term ceasefire and the release of some hostages being held by Hamas in exchange for Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners, the official said.
The talks aim to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a halt in fighting for less than a month in the hope it would lead to a more permanent ceasefire.
‘Shame on you’ Israeli protesters interrupt Netanyahu memorial speech
Sunday 27 October 2024 12:54 , Barney DavisProtesters disrupted a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony Sunday remembering the victims of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel last year.
People shouted “Shame on you” and made a commotion, forcing Netanyahu to stop his speech shortly after it began. The major commemorative event is being broadcast live around the country.
Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures that led to Hamas’ October 7, attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home the remaining hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.
36 killed in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian health officials say
Sunday 27 October 2024 12:25 , Athena StavrouIsraeli military strikes have killed at least 36 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian health officials said.
Twenty people were killed following an airstrike on houses in Jabalia, the largest of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, medics and the Palestinian official news agency WAFA said.
An Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in Shati camp in Gaza City also killed four people and wounded 20 others, many in critical condition, medics said.
Two killed in Israeli strike on Lebanon's Sidon, ministry says
Sunday 27 October 2024 12:17 , Athena StavrouAt least two people have been killed by an Israeli strike on Sidon in southern Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said on Sunday.
A further 11 people were been wounded in the attack.
Truck rams into bus stop in Israel - pictures
Sunday 27 October 2024 11:56 , Athena Stavrou
Israel’s defence minister briefs US over Iran strikes
Sunday 27 October 2024 11:46 , Athena StavrouIsrael’s defence minister and the US defence secretary have spoken about Israel’s recent strikes on Iran.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant’s office said he had briefed Lloyd Austin on the strikes and discussed “strategic opportunities”.
“Gallant discussed initial assessments regarding the success of the strikes against missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and Iranian aerial capabilities,” it said.
“Minister Gallant also discussed the strategic opportunities that have risen as a result of operational achievements, in both the northern and southern arenas,” the statement said, referring to fighting in Lebanon and Gaza.
Dozens injured as truck strikes bus stop in central Israel
Sunday 27 October 2024 11:07 , Athena StavrouDozens of people have been injured after a truck struck a bus stop at a major intersection in central Israel, with the circumstances around the incident on Sunday being investigated.
Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service said it was treating dozens of people at the site, at least four of them with serious injuries.
Israel tells residents of 14 Lebanese villages to move north of Awali River
Sunday 27 October 2024 10:49 , Athena StavrouThe Israeli military has told residents of 14 villages in southern Lebanon on Sunday to evacuate immediately and move north of the Awali river.
Iran’s defence capability hit hard, Netanyahu says
Sunday 27 October 2024 10:30 , Athena StavrouIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has Iran’s defence and ability to produce missiles has been hit hard following airstrikes on Saturday.
“The air force attacked throughout Iran. We hit hard Iran’s defence capabilities and its ability to produce missiles that are aimed at us,” Netanyahu said in a speech.
“The attack in Iran was precise and powerful, and it achieved all its objectives,” he said.
Tehran said its air defence intercepted most of the incoming drones and missiles and that the attack caused “limited damage”, although four of its soldiers were killed.
Satellite photos show Israel hit Iran former nuclear weapons test building, researchers say
Sunday 27 October 2024 10:24 , Athena StavrouAn Israeli airstrike has hit a building that was part of Iran’s defunct nuclear weapons development program, researchers have said.
The assessments based on commercial satellite imagery were reached separately by David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, and Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at a Washington think tank.
They told Reuters that Israel struck buildings in Parchin, a massive military complex near Tehran. Israel also hit Khojir, according to Eveleth, a sprawling missile production site near Tehran.
Eveleth said the Israeli strikes may have “significantly hampered Iran’s ability to mass produce missiles.”
Ayatollah stops short of demanding revenge for Israeli strikes as Tehran mulls response
Sunday 27 October 2024 09:35 , Athena StavrouIran’s supreme leader has said Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed”, while stopping short of calling for retaliation.
The remarks from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday are the latest suggesting Iran is carefully weighing its response to the attack.
“It is up to the authorities to determine how to convey the power and will of the Iranian people to the Israeli regime and to take actions that serve the interests of this nation and country,” said Khamenei, who has the final say over all major decisions in Iran.
Four Israeli soldiers killed in south Lebanon, Israeli military says
Sunday 27 October 2024 09:00 , Namita SinghFour Israeli soldiers were killed in south Lebanon, where Israel has been battling Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Israeli military said today.
Multiple injuries as truck strikes bus stop in central Israel, police say
Sunday 27 October 2024 08:45 , Namita SinghMultiple people were injured on Sunday when a truck struck a bus stop at a major intersection in central Israel, Israeli police said.
“Currently, the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation,” the police said in a statement.
Israeli media said at least 20 people were injured.
Iranian officials to determine how to respond to Israel, Supreme Leader says
Sunday 27 October 2024 08:07 , Namita SinghIranian officials should determine how best to demonstrate Iran’s power to Israel after the Israeli attack on Iran two nights ago, Iran’s official IRNA news agency cited the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying on Sunday.
“The evil committed by the Zionist regime (Israel) two nights ago should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated”, IRNA cited Mr Khamenei as saying.
Iran on Saturday played down Israel’s overnight air attack against Iranian military targets, saying it caused only limited damage, as US president Joe Biden called for a halt to escalation that has raised fears of an all-out conflagration in the Middle East.
Israel’s attack on Iran: Everything we know as IDF targets military sites in Tehran
Sunday 27 October 2024 07:59 , Namita SinghIsrael has launched air strikes on military targets inside Iran in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack earlier this month.
Iran’s foreign ministry has said that the country has a right to defend itself “against external aggressive acts”.
Here’s what else we know so far:
Why is Israel striking Iran? What we know as IDF targets military sites in Tehran
Dozens killed in Israeli air strikes on northern Gaza, says Wafa news agency
Sunday 27 October 2024 07:41 , Namita SinghAt least 40 Palestinians were killed and 80 others injured in Israeli air strikes on several houses in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya on Saturday, official Palestinian news agency Wafa said today, citing medical sources.
Iran demands urgent UN Security Council meeting over Israeli strikes
Sunday 27 October 2024 07:35 , Namita SinghIran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address Israel’s recent attacks against Iran, in a letter to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.
In a statement to state television, Mr Araghchi expressed doubts about the outcome, given the US’s position, stating, “With the US and certain other countries present, there is little hope for resolutions that could reduce tensions or curb the Zionist regime’s actions, yet we are still pursuing this.” He emphasised that such a session would allow Iran and regional allies opposed to the attacks to assert their stance.
Mr Araghchi criticised the US’s role in the conflict, describing America as “a partner in the crimes of the Zionist regime” and accused Washington of facilitating the attacks. “The Americans’ involvement is evident to us,” he said, alleging that the US “at the very least, provided Israel’s air force with an air corridor” for the recent strikes.
Israeli attacks kill six in Lebanon
Sunday 27 October 2024 06:30 , Namita SinghIsraeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least six people and injured one on Saturday evening, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The fatalities occurred in the town of Jdeideh Marjayoun.
The agency reported that Israeli forces targeted several neighbourhoods in Beirut overnight, with airstrikes hitting Burj al-Barajneh, Haret Hreik and al-Hadath in the district of Dahiyeh. These areas, primarily residential and located in the southern suburbs, were reportedly heavily affected by the attacks.
Details regarding the condition of the injured individual remain unclear as local authorities respond to the aftermath of the strikes.
Iran vows 'certain' retaliation to Israeli attacks
Sunday 27 October 2024 06:16 , Namita SinghIran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declared that Israel’s latest attacks against his country were ineffectual, contrasting them with Iran’s missile strikes earlier this month, and promised that Tehran would respond.
In an address aired at the start of a closed meeting, Mr Ghalibaf accused Israel of committing “genocide and the mass murder of defenceless children and women in Gaza and Lebanon” and argued that Israel “has no credibility on the international stage”, Al Jazeera reported.
Mr Ghalibaf, a former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, asserted that under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iran considered itself entitled to self-defence and would deliver a “certain” response in line with international law.
He also accused the US of being “the main partner in all the war crimes” committed by Israel, urging Washington to “rein in” Israel and push for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon to prevent further civilian deaths.
Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes have killed 22 people in northern Gaza
Sunday 27 October 2024 06:00 , Namita SinghIsraeli strikes on northern Gaza have killed at least 22 people, Palestinian medical officials said.
The Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service said that 11 women and two children were among those killed in the strikes late on Saturday in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
A Lebanese family was holding a Sunday gathering when an Israeli strike toppled their building
Sunday 27 October 2024 05:45 , Namita SinghIt was Sunday, family time for most in Lebanon, and Hecham al-Baba was visiting his sister. She insisted he and their older brother stay for lunch, hoping to prolong the warm gathering in stressful times.
The brother declined. Like many in Lebanon, he hadn’t been sleeping because of Israel’s intensifying airstrikes, so he left to take a nap.
The 60-year-old, on his annual visit from Germany to see his family in Lebanon, stayed. His sister Donize even convinced him to call an old flame over for coffee. He excitedly stepped into the bathroom to clean up before his visitor arrived.
Within seconds, a huge boom shook the basement apartment. Mr Al-Baba fell to the floor. Something hit him in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. He pulled himself up and reached for the door, screaming his sister’s name. A second explosion threw him back to the floor. The bathroom ceiling — and the whole building above it — collapsed on his back.
An Israeli air raid hit the six-story residential building in Ain el Delb, a neighborhood outside the coastal city of Sidon. The entire building tipped over down a hillside and landed on its face, taking with it 17 apartments full of families and visitors. More than 70 people were killed, and 60 injured.
Israel said the 29 September strike targeted a Hezbollah commander and claimed the building was a headquarters for the group. It could not be independently confirmed whether any of the residents belonged to Hezbollah.
In a video that surfaced online mourning one of the people believed to be residing in the building, he appeared in an old photo wearing military fatigues, a sign of affiliation with Hezbollah.
