Israel-Hezbollah-Iran conflict updates: Lebanon ‘racing against time’ as crisis escalates, ‘Axis of resistance’ lines up against Israel
Israel says it has killed senior Hamas leader Rawhi Mushtaha who was the “right hand man” to the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks.
There are reports of multiple people dead from “massive” Israeli strikes on Beirut, as Lebanon issues a chilling battle cry.
Hezbollah spokesperson, Mohammad Afif, warned Israel “this is only the first round” in its retaliation, after strikes on a medical centre killed at least nine people, and wounded 14.
Afif told reporters in southern Lebanon the Iranian militant group has enough fighters, weapons and ammunition to push back against the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
“We assure you, the enemy, that this is only the first round,” he said, adding that Hezbollah is ready “to sacrifice our blood and soul for our homeland by the grace of God”.
“What happened in …(Lebanese villages) Maroun al-Ras and other areas, including Odaisseh, was nothing but the tip of the iceberg.”
The United Nations has urged a ceasefire but Israel seems in no mood to pull back.
Israel has said Iran needs to pay for its almost 200 strong rocket attack in which one man died. Seven people died in a terror attack at a Tel Aviv tram stop at a similar time which Hamas has now claimed responsibility for.
Hamas kingpin and October 7 mastermind killed in airstrike
Gaza’s de facto prime minister Rawhi Mushtaha — the “right-hand man” of Hamas terror leader and October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar — was killed in an airstrike in Gaza, Israel said Thursday.
Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of Hamas’ government in Gaza, was one of three of the terror group’s leaders confirmed dead in an earlier missile strike on an underground compound in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces announced for the first time Thursday.
“Mushtaha was considered to be the most senior figure in the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, and during the war maintained civil control of the Hamas regime, while simultaneously engaging in terror activity against Israel,” the military said.
He was also “one of Hamas’ most senior operatives, and had a direct impact on decisions relating to Hamas’ force deployment,” according to the IDF.
“Mushtaha was Sinwar’s right-hand man and one of his closest associates,” the military said of the October 7 slaughter that triggered the war.
Mushtaha and Sinwar once served a prison sentence together in an Israeli jail, the Times of Israel reported. Sinwar is still believed to be alive and in hiding in Gaza.
Israel fire kills more than 40 rescuers
Lebanon’s health minister said Thursday more than 40 rescuers and firefighters were killed by Israeli fire in three days, with 97 killed overall since Hezbollah and Israel began clashing last October.
“In the past three days, more than 40 martyrs have fallen in Lebanon among those working in ambulances and fire trucks,” Firass Abiad told reporters, adding that 97 “paramedics and firefighters” had been killed since fighting began.
The toll includes rescuers in organisations affiliated with Hezbollah or other Lebanese parties.
Israel says 15 Hezbollah fighters dead in air strikes
Hezbollah has reported that Israeli forces have attempted to advance at the Fatima border crossing, where an alleged firefight broke out with the terror group’s front line in the nation’s south.
The Israeli military is yet to comment on the matter.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did confirm that airstrikes had “precisely struck the Bint Jbeil municipality building in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating, alongside large quantities of Hezbollah weapons stored in the building”.
“As part of the strike, approximately 15 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated,” the IDF said in a release.
Lebanon ‘racing against time’ as crisis escalates
Approximately 1.2 million people have been displaced since Israel’s most recent round of airstrikes on Lebanon. The embattled nation’s environment minister, Nasser Yassin, says officials are scrambling to address the growing humanitarian crisis that has now destabilised large regions around the country’s south and in the capital of Beirut.
“We are racing against time to house them, and there are now more than 870 shelters, especially in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, where schools have reached their maximum capacity,” he said via Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Yassin also commented on the “machine of destruction” that is currently ripping through the Middle East and expressed hope for a ceasefire in the near future.
“[There are] some ideas that could constitute an entry point to support the diplomatic track regarding Lebanon’s request for a ceasefire, and to stop the machine of destruction and killing to which it is being subjected,” he continued.
“There are Arab initiatives, including those presented by Egypt, Qatar, and other countries, and France always calls for a ceasefire, but it is clear that the Israeli side does not care about international laws and resolution.
“We are activating Lebanese diplomatic work at home and abroad to raise awareness of what is happening in Lebanon and focus on how to protect the country and the Lebanese [people].”
Israel ‘pushing region towards abyss’
Lebanon’s ambassador to the UK has warned Israel is “pushing the region towards abyss”.
Speaking with BBC Radio on Thursday, Rami Mortada said peace brokers must act fast before the Middle East escalates into a broader and more uncontrollable conflict.
“On 7 October, there was a genocide that started in Gaza. Conflicts in the region are contagious because of the social fabric shared by all the countries of the region. We need to stop this carnage in Gaza, stop this carnage in Lebanon and seek a diplomatic solution.
“This expansion of the war theatre does not help. It’s pushing the region towards abyss. It’s time to reverse the trend and look for a diplomatic solution. That’s what we are saying.”
‘Axis of resistance’: Major players line up against Israel
Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” is emerging as a unified front in the Middle East, as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and senior commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) coordinate various groups opposed to Israel.
Israel has long faced threats from a number of its Middle Eastern neighbours. While these groups shared opposition to Israel, their battles were largely local and fragmented.
Now, their focus has sharpened into a collective mission as the fallout of the October 7 attacks continues to unfold.
Whether it’s Hamas in Gaza, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, or Shia militias across Iraq and Syria, the hostile factions have now received a unified directive as Israel ramps up its offensive.
Hezbollah has been described as an offshoot of the Iranian intelligence complex, a highly sophisticated mechanism that has an unknown amount of nuclear weapons at its disposal.
Lebanon and Gaza aren’t the only locations being hit, with Israel launching air strikes at the Yemeni city of Hudaydah earlier this week.
‘Immediately’: IDF issues new evacuation warning
In a post on X, the IDF has warned residents of five buildings in three neighbourhoods of Dahieh, in southern Beirut, to “leave immediately or stay at least 500 metres away from those buildings”.
“You are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the IDF will operate in the near future,” the statement read.
“For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building and the surrounding buildings immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 metres.”
Three Israeli air strikes have already been carried out against Dahieh in the past few hours.
Hezbollah leader agreed to ceasefire days before assassination
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to 21-day ceasefire just days before he was killed by Israel during an attack on Beirut, Lebanon’s foreign minister has said.
“He agreed, he agreed,” Abdallah Bou Habib told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
“We agreed completely. Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire but consulting with Hezbollah.
“The (Lebanese House) speaker, Mr Nabih Berri, consulted with Hezbollah and we informed the Americans and the French what happened.
“And they told us that (Israeli Prime Minister) Mr Netanyahu also agreed on the statement that was issued by both presidents (Biden and Macron).”
White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein intended to go to Lebanon to negotiate, Mr Habib said.
“They told us that Mr Netanyahu agreed on this and so we also got the agreement of Hezbollah on that and you know what happened since then,” he said.
‘Violent bombardment’: More than 70 people killed in Gaza
More than 70 people were killed in southern Gaza on Wednesday by the IDF’s relentless attacks on the territory, Palestinian medical officials said.
According to the health ministry, at least 51 were killed and 82 were wounded in a “sudden ground operation” at Khan Younis – among them 12 children, some as young as 22 months old.
“Yesterday, the Israeli army started a sudden ground operation in the eastern areas of Khan Younis,” a Nasser hospital spokesperson said.
“The areas were attacked with a very violent aerial bombardment … The martyrs and the wounded arrived at the European hospital and here.”
A further 23 people, including another two children, were killed in separate strikes elsewhere in Gaza, local hospitals said.
‘Do not wait’: Message to Aussies in Lebanon
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged the 1700 Australians who have registered to leave Lebanon not to wait for their preferred route out to open up.
The government estimates at least 15,000 – but as many as 30,000 – remain in the country during what Senator Wong described as “a deeply distressing time”.
“I would say to people – this is really the time to leave. We are very worried about the situation escalating,” she told reporters on Thursday morning.
DFAT is working to secure seats on flights out of Beirut, “subject to the security situation and, of course, the airport in Beirut remaining open”.
An additional 500 seats for Australian permanent residents and their immediate family members have been secured on two flights to Cyprus, leaving on Saturday.
“Please take whatever option is available to you,” Senator Wong said.
“My message to Australians in Lebanon is ‘do not wait’. If you are able to secure a seat on a flight, please take that seat.
“If you have a seat on today’s flight, don’t delay. Now is not the time for you to wait and see, now is the time to leave.”
‘This is only the first round’: Hezbollah’s warning
The head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif, has issued a firm warning to Israel, saying “this is only the first round” in its retaliation.
Mr Afif told reporters in southern Lebanon the Iranian militant group has enough fighters, weapons and ammunition to push back against Israel.
“We assure you, the enemy, that this is only the first round,” he said, adding that Hezbollah is ready “to sacrifice our blood and soul for our homeland by the grace of God”.
“What happened in …(Lebanese villages) Maroun al-Ras and other areas, including Odaisseh, was nothing but the tip of the iceberg.”
Israel’s superiority in the air, he said, will “turn into losses on the ground”.
Military and political analyst, Elijah Magnier, earlier told Al Jazeera that Israel faces a more prepared and better-equipped “enemy” in Hezbollah, compared with Hamas in Gaza.
“I think the Israelis understand that Hezbollah is a formidable force, unlike Hamas and the Palestinian resistance in Gaza,” he said.
The IDF is still testing the ground by doing “forced reconnaissance to see if Hezbollah is really ready to start confronting the Israelis on a full-scale war on different fronts”.
Beirut under attack: Israel pounds Lebanon
The Israel Defence Forces has confirmed it is “now targeting Beirut” in a post to X, after local media reports of a “massive strike”.
A security source told Reuters that the strike hit within the Lebanese capital’s city limits for the first time, not far from downtown.
“Massive strike heard, clearest one yet to be heard from downtown/central Beirut,” Reuters’ journalist Timour Azhari wrote on X.
At least six people were killed and 11 wounded in a raid near the city centre, in the Bashoura neighbourhood, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
A cruise missile was fired from the sea at a “health centre” belonging to Hezbollah in Salim Slam street, close to downtown Beirut, a Lebanese security source told the BBC.
Separately, the IDF launched three air raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs just before midnight, a source close to Hezbollah said, in the third wave of Israeli strikes against the militant group in the past 24 hours.
AFP journalists just outside Beirut could hear the explosions, which were audible just kilometres away.
Biden urges no attack on Iran nuclear facilities
On Wednesday, US time, President Biden told reporters in Maryland that he was not in support of an attack by Israel on Iranian nuclear sites.
“The answer is no,” said Mr Biden when asked if he supported a strike on the heavily guarded facilities. In April, Israel hit an air base in an Iranian city close to a nuclear site in a message that it could hit the facility later.
“There’s things we’ll be discussing with the Israelis (about) what they’re going to do.
“All (G7 nations) agree that they have a right to respond, but they should respond in proportion”.
“Obviously, Iran is way off course,” he added.
Although Iran denies it, Western nations and Israel have long accused it of trying to enrich uranium to the level need for a nuclear bomb. It is thought to be around 80 per cent of the way to completion.
The country would then have to turn that into a bomb and find a way to deliver it.
Israel has never confirmed it, but it is widely accepted to posses nuclear weapons and has said it won’t allow Iran to itself get the bomb. In the wake of Iran’s attack this week, several Some Israeli politicians have called for a retaliatory strike to take out its bomb plants.
Mr Biden has told reporters that he and other leaders of the G7 nations uphold the right of Israel to respond to Iran’s attack. But that doesn’t mean by targeting nuclear facilities.
Israeli strikes kill 46 people in Lebanon
In the past 24 hours, 46 people were killed and 85 wounded in “enemy Israeli strikes” on Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said in a statement.
Overall, more than 1000 people have died as a result of the raids across Lebanon in the past two weeks, many of them women and children, according to the ministry.
Israel mulling possible Iran targets
Aside from its nuclear facilities, other options on the table include targeted assassinations, strikes on ports and power planets or an attack on other military facilities, such as those that were involved in the attack on Israel.
The latter is thought to be a more palatable option as it would to a certain extent mirror Iran’s attack on Israel.
Iran’s relatively new president Massoud Pezeshkian has said his country is “not looking for war,” but if Israel retaliates Tehran will have a “stronger response”.
Hezbollah wary of picking new leader
Terror group Hezbollah is reportedly worried about picking a successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air strike, for fear he too will be assassinated.
According to Reuters, both Iran and Hezbollah are in disarray because of the feared depth of Israeli spies in their ranks.
“The trust that held everything together has disappeared,” an Iranian official told Reuters.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “no longer trusts anyone,” said another senior source.
Suspicion in Tehran has fallen on senior military and government personnel who have travelled to Lebanon or other destinations, or have family abroad, who might be leaking information.
Hezbollah fears that if it chooses a new leader, that person will then be picked off by Israel who will swiftly find out his location.
Eight Israeli soldiers killed
In a clear sign, Israel’s ground incursion into southern Lebanon will come at a coast, it’s been confirmed eight Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed on Wednesday, local time.
Five members of the Egoz commando unit were killed in a gunbattle with Hezbollah terrorists in a Lebanon village.
They have been named as Cpt. Eitan Itzhak Oster, 22, Cpt. Harel Etinger, 23, Sgt. First Class Noam Barzilay, 22, Sgt. First Class Or Mantzur, 21, Sgt. First Class Nazar Itkin, 21, and Captain Itai Ariel Giat.
Four more soldiers and an officer were seriously hurt in the same gunbattle.
Staff Sgt. Almken Terefe and Staff Sgt. Ido Broyer, both 21 and of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, were killed in a separate attack.
“May their memories forever be a blessing,” the Israel Defence Force wrote on X.
Overnight attacks caught in chilling footage
Chilling footage of missile strikes on Israel are emerging after Iran launched a series of attacks overnight.
The Islamic regime fired 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday night local time, as at least seven people were killed by terrorists opening fire on civilians near a busy train station.
Iran’s response in response to the decimation of Lebanon’s ruling militia Hezbollah and the ground invasion of the country’s south.
Tehran has long been a financial and political backer of Hezbollah, as well as Syria, as part of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ against Israel and the west.
Sirens blared across the nation as the Israeli Defence Force urged citizens to hide in bomb shelters.
After about an hour, the IDF announced there was no longer a threat and “it was decided that it is now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas across the country”.
They said a “large number” of the 180 missiles fired at Israel by Iran had been intercepted.
Explosions were heard all over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, while rescuers said two people suffered minor injuries from shrapnel in central Israel.
– with AFP
Key Hezbollah figure killed in huge strike
A rare Israeli air strike in central Beirut has killed Hezbollah’s chief spokesman.
Hamas sends message to Donald Trump
Hamas has said it is now ready for a ceasefire but has demanded Donald Trump push Israel to stop fighting.
‘Sovereignty’: Aus makes huge Palestine call
Australia has voted in favour of a UN resolution calling for ‘permanent sovereignty’ of Palestinians for the first time since 2003.