Sept. 23: IDF names military offensive against Hezbollah operation ‘Northern Arrows’

Netanyahu delays flight to NY until Wednesday night as fighting intensifies in Lebanon

Illustrative: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen at Ben Gurion Airport as he prepares to board a flight to Kenya on November 28, 2017. (Haim Zach/GPO/Flash90)

As fighting continues to escalate in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight to New York is postponed until Wednesday night at midnight, his office announces.

He will land in New York on Thursday morning, and will deliver his address to the United Nations on Friday morning.

IDF: Some 1,600 strikes launched the past day against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

The military says Israeli aircraft have attacked several hundred more Hezbollah targets in the past few hours, raising the number of strikes in Lebanon against the terror group over the past day to 1,600.

According to an Israel Defense Forces statement, the latest airstrikes across Lebanon struck launch sites, command posts and military facilities used by Hezbollah.

Hamas armed wing says field commander in south Lebanon was killed in Israeli strike

Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, says that its field commander in southern Lebanon, Mahmoud al Nader, was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon on Monday.

Saudi Arabia urges restraint as fighting escalates in Lebanon

Saudi Arabia has expressed deep concern in a statement over security developments in Lebanon, warning of escalating violence and urging all parties to exercise restraint, state news agency SPA reports.

Senior US treasury official stresses importance of settler sanctions in call with Bank of Israel governor

In a meeting earlier today with Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron in New York, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo stressed the importance of preventing terrorists and violent extremists from raising, using, and moving funds,” a US readout says, apparently referring to the sanctions that the Biden administration has been implementing to combat settler violence in the West Bank.

“Adeyemo stressed that an economically stable West Bank strengthens Israel’s own security,” the readout says.

Apparently referring to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the deputy treasury secretary also raised concerns “about threats by some within the Israeli government to sever correspondent banking relationships between Israeli and Palestinian banks and insisted that these should be extended for at least a year.”

“Extending these relations is critical to preventing an economic crisis in the West Bank and to strengthening Israel’s security by countering financial flows funding terror groups,” the US readout says.

Lebanese health ministry raises death toll from today’s IDF airstrikes to 492, with 1,645 wounded

The Lebanese health ministry raises the death toll of the IDF strikes in Lebanon today to 492.

Another 1,645 are wounded, the ministry says.

The IDF says it has been striking Hezbollah sites, including homes where the terror group has been storing weapons.

Regarding the high death toll reported in Lebanon, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said earlier tonight, “These numbers also refer to many terrorists we killed today who were near the weapons.” He says the IDF will provide its own figures at a later time.

Two-state solution is only framework for resolving the conflict, Biden and UAE leader say after meeting

US President Joe Biden, right, and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, left, meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, September 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

During their meeting earlier today at the White House, US President Joe Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed that the two-state solution is the only framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The leaders expressed their commitment to the two-state solution, wherein a sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state lives side-by-side in peace and security with Israel, as the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in accordance with the internationally-recognized parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative,” says a joint statement issued by the parties.

Such support by the US for the Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions Arab recognition of Israel on a two-state solution, has been rare in recent years following the signing of the Abraham Accords, which flipped that script.

At the same time, the statement says the two leaders “discussed the enduring importance of the Abraham Accords and continuing on the path of peace, integration and prosperity in the region.”

“They stressed the need to refrain from all unilateral measures that undermine the two-state solution and to preserve the historic status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites, recognizing the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in this regard,” the statement says.

Biden and bin Zayed also discussed the ongoing Gaza war, agreeing on the need for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, with the Emirati leader hailing the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to broker such a deal.

Bin Zayed stressed the importance of building on Biden’s May 31 speech, which laid out the framework for the hostage deal being discussed, “in order to create a serious political horizon for negotiation,” the statement says.

This statement is released even as the US has reportedly been moving away from the phased ceasefire unveiled by Biden on May 31 in favor of a framework that sees the hostages released and the war brought to an end in a shorter time frame.

“To that end, the leaders discussed a path to stabilization and recovery that responds to the humanitarian crisis, establishes law and order, and lays the groundwork for responsible governance,” the statement says, referring to what has become known as planning for the “day-after” in Gaza.

The US president “commended the UAE’s extraordinary humanitarian efforts in Gaza, which have been critical in addressing the humanitarian crisis, including through the launch of a maritime corridor for movement of aid, opening a field hospital in Gaza and supporting evacuations of wounded civilians and cancer patients,” the joint statement continues, adding that the leaders called on all parties to ensure the safety of aid workers and asked ensure more humanitarian assistance enters Gaza.

Biden also recognized the UAE as a major defense partner of the United States, the statement adds.

IDF announces name of military offensive against Hezbollah: Northern Arrows

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has chosen a name for the military’s offensive operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon: “Northern Arrows.”

The past day has seen the IDF carry out massive airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, hitting over 1,300 sites, according to the military.

After major uptick in Israel-Hezbollah tensions, White House repeats support for diplomatic solution

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

After the previous day brought the most significant escalation in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterates Biden administration talking points when asked to comment during an Air Force One gaggle with reporters.

“As it relates to the escalation that we’re seeing currently in the Middle East, we’re concerned,” Jean-Pierre says.

“The risk of escalation is real, and we continue to believe a diplomatic resolution is both achievable and urgent,” she continues. “Our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran backed threats, including Hezbollah.”

“The conflict along the Blue Line between Israel and Hezbollah has gone on for long enough. It’s in everyone’s interest to resolve it quickly and diplomatically, and that’s where we’ve been,” the White House spokesperson adds.

We need to see a diplomatic resolution. That’s what the President is going to continue to call for. That’s why we’ve been working around the clock, on the ceasefire deal, that hostage deal… We believe that by doing that, it would certainly help with the tensions in the region,” she says.

Greece FM: Israel not facing sufficient pressure to end Gaza war

Israel is not facing sufficient pressure to end the war in Gaza and the escalation in Lebanon is a minefield that the international community may not be able to deal with, Greece’s foreign minister says.

Greece was elected as a member of the United Nations Security Council for 2025-2026 earlier this year, and Athens believes the country’s historical ties with the Arab world and Israel give it credibility to act as a peace-broker.

“It seems that there is no effective pressure upon Israel. We are friends of Israel, and we’re strategic partners of Israel, and we’re trying to be as open and sincere with them,” George Gerapetritis tells Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

“The truth is that at the moment there is a continuous, very strong reaction on the part of Israel,” he says after a meeting with European Union and Arab foreign ministers.

Gerapetritis says it is crucial that Arabs and Europeans pursue joint, rather than disparate, initiatives that could weigh on Israel, but that the escalation at the Israel-Lebanon border of the last few days showed a collective international failure.

“We have not prevented the spillover, and the more dispersed the war becomes, the more the situation becomes more complicated to be solved,” he says. “Lebanon could easily be a zone of tremendous hostility, and this is something that we cannot deal with. It’s a clear minefield.”

Since June, Greece has been seeking to convince member states in Europe to join a project to temporarily bring children hurt and traumatized by war in Gaza to the European Union.

He says those talks, along with logistical coordination with Palestinians and Israelis, are ongoing and he hopes they would bear fruit soon. He says Greece could take in some 500 children for its part.

Police chief orders probe after officers filmed beating Haredi demonstrators in Beit Shemesh

Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy issues a statement saying that he ordered the immediate opening of an investigation after officers in Beit Shemesh were filmed beating extremist Haredi protesters with batons earlier tonight.

“If it turns out during the inspection that the police officers acted illegally, they will be dealt with severely,” Levy says.

תיעוד סוער וקשה: שוטרים מכים בעוצמה בעזרת אלות בקבוצת החרדים הקיצונים המפגינים מול מתנ"ס דורות בשכונת רמת בית שמש ד' מול אירוע המתקיים שלא לרוחם במקום • צפו: pic.twitter.com/KHM3BzPvpb

— בית שמש חדשות (@shemeshnews) September 23, 2024

After IDF Beirut strike, Hezbollah says senior commander Karaki is OK, moved to safe place

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group says that senior leader Ali Karaki, the head of the southern front, is okay and has been moved to a safe place, after a security source told Reuters he was targeted in an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Police filmed beating extremist Haredi protesters with batons in Beit Shemesh

Police officers are filmed beating extremist Haredi protesters with batons in the city of Beit Shemesh.

The ultra-Orthodox demonstrators were protesting against an event being held inside a nearby community center.

תיעוד סוער וקשה: שוטרים מכים בעוצמה בעזרת אלות בקבוצת החרדים הקיצונים המפגינים מול מתנ"ס דורות בשכונת רמת בית שמש ד' מול אירוע המתקיים שלא לרוחם במקום • צפו: pic.twitter.com/KHM3BzPvpb

— בית שמש חדשות (@shemeshnews) September 23, 2024

Iraq seeks Arab meeting at UN General Assembly over Israel raids on Lebanon

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani calls for an urgent meeting of Arab leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly after Israel intensified its strikes on Lebanon.

Iraq “calls on and works to convene an urgent meeting of the leaders of Arab delegations… to review the repercussions of the Zionist aggression on our peaceful people in Lebanon and to work jointly to stop its criminal behavior,” Sudani says in a statement.

Turkey says Israel’s Lebanon strikes risk ‘chaos’

Turkey warns that Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah threaten to push the Middle East deeper into “chaos.”

“Israel’s attacks on Lebanon mark a new phase in its efforts to drag the entire region into chaos,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.

An outspoken critic of Israel’s offensive in response to Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught that sparked the war, Turkey urges the international community to intervene.

“It is imperative that all institutions responsible for maintaining international peace and security, especially the United Nations Security Council, as well as the international community, take the necessary measures without delay,” the foreign ministry says.

“The countries that unconditionally support Israel are helping (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu shed blood for his political interests,” it says.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is due to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, is expected to focus on the Gaza war.

IDF releases photos purporting to show how Hezbollah stores munitions in civilian homes

This undated image released by the IDF on September 23, 2024, purportedly show a Hezbollah missile system in the attic of a home in the southern Lebanon village of Houmine al-Tahta. (Israel Defense Forces)

Images released by the IDF purport to show how Hezbollah stores munitions inside civilian homes.

According to the military, the long-range missile seen in the pictures was on a hydraulic system in the attic of a home in the southern Lebanon village of Houmine al-Tahta.

“It is ready to launch from an opening in the roof. A Lebanese family lives on the first floor, under the attic, serving as a human shield,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says in a press conference.

“This is an immediate and real threat to Israeli civilians, and we have an obligation to remove it,” he adds.

This undated image released by the IDF on September 23, 2024, purportedly show a Hezbollah missile system in the attic of a home in the southern Lebanon village of Houmine al-Tahta. (Israel Defense Forces)

This undated image released by the IDF on September 23, 2024, purportedly show a Hezbollah missile system in the attic of a home in the southern Lebanon village of Houmine al-Tahta. (Israel Defense Forces)

This undated image released by the IDF on September 23, 2024, purportedly show a Hezbollah missile system in the attic of a home in the southern Lebanon village of Houmine al-Tahta. (Israel Defense Forces)

While not in running to become defense minister, Sa’ar hails gov’t response to Hezbollah

Only days after announcing he would not join the government as defense minister, New Hope chief Gideon Sa’ar praises its decision to launch a massive strike on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

In a statement, Sa’ar calls the strikes “an important move in crushing the system built around Israel by the Iranian axis for over two decades.”

Israel must “not stop, not let up until the goal of returning the residents of the north safely to their homes is achieved,” he says. “We will continue to support any action for the security of Israel and its citizens.”

In a previous statement on Saturday evening, the former Likud MK said he had been offered the defense portfolio by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he turned it down because of the situation in the north.

Netanyahu declined to comment on Sa’ar’s statement when asked about it by lawmakers during a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, a harsh critic of the government‘s wartime policies, also backs its decision to launch a massive attack on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

“Assassinations, one thousand targets struck a day, damage to strategic assets. This is how Israeli deterrence is restored,” he tweets.

Egypt urges UN to intervene over Israel escalation in Lebanon

Egypt’s foreign ministry calls on “international powers and the United Nations Security Council to intervene immediately” to stop “the dangerous Israeli escalation in Lebanon.”

Cairo, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, has repeatedly warned against Israeli regional escalation, which it says “threatens to drag the region into a comprehensive regional war.”

Egypt again expresses “solidarity” with Lebanon and affirms its “total rejection of any violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territory.”

Egypt says it “continues its efforts towards a ceasefire in Gaza” in an attempt to restore calm.

Lebanese health ministry raises death toll from today’s IDF airstrikes to 356

The Lebanese health ministry raises the death toll of the IDF airstrikes in Lebanon today to 356.

Another 1,246 are wounded, the ministry says.

The figures do not differentiate between members of the terror group and civilians.

The IDF says it has been striking Hezbollah sites, including homes where the terror group has been storing weapons.

It warned civilians ahead of time to flee from buildings where Hezbollah has placed rockets, missiles, drones, and other weapons.

Clip of strike on home used to store Hezbollah munitions shows rocket flying out of house, hitting nearby building

The IDF releases footage of an airstrike against a home in Lebanon today, where it says Hezbollah had stored munitions.

The video shows a rocket flying out of the building following the strike, and hitting an adjacent home.

The IDF releases footage of an airstrike against a home in Lebanon where Hezbollah had stored munitions.

The video shows a rocket flying out of the building following the strike, and hitting an adjacent home. https://t.co/35egx69gYH pic.twitter.com/QrWvJTju8q

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 23, 2024

More than 1,300 Hezbollah targets were struck today in Lebanon, the IDF says.

1,300 strikes on Hezbollah largely targeting cruise missiles, mid-range rockets — IDF

Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari gives a press conference on September 23, 2024. (Screen grab)

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the Israeli Air Force has struck some 1,300 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon today, and is continuing to strike at this hour.

In a press conference, Hagari says the targets were largely weapons stored in homes, including “cruise missiles that can reach hundreds of kilometers, heavy rockets with a 1,000-kilogram warhead, medium-range rockets that reach a range of up to 200 kilometers, short-range rockets, and armed unmanned aerial vehicles.”

Regarding the high death toll reported in Lebanon, Hagari says “These numbers also refer to many terrorists we killed today who were near the weapons.” He says the IDF will provide its own figures at a later time.

He says that there are no changes to Home Front Command guidelines for civilians at this time, despite a “special order” signed by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant — which allows restrictions to be imposed — being expanded nationwide.

“Challenging days are ahead. We continue to be focused on defense and attack on all fronts,” Hagari says.

“Your correct and responsible conduct, and resilience, play a large part in denying the enemy achievements,” he adds, addressing the Israeli public.

Security cabinet meets about war’s largest wave of IDF strikes targeting Hezbollah

The security cabinet is currently meeting at the IDF’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss the ongoing major escalation in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, an Israeli official says.

IDF: 5 rockets were launched at Haifa earlier this evening; no injuries reported

Five rockets were launched from Lebanon at Haifa this evening, according to the IDF.

Several rockets were shot down by air defenses, and there are no reports of injuries.

Since this morning, Hezbollah has fired more than 200 rockets at Israel, mostly at the north of the country.

Israeli Air Force has struck over 1,100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon so far today — IDF

Since this morning, the Israeli Air Force has struck more than 1,100 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the IDF says.

IAF fighter jets and drones launched more than 1,400 munitions at the Hezbollah targets, which according to the IDF included buildings and other sites where Hezbollah had stored rockets, missiles, launchers, and drones that “posted a threat and were intended to have been used against Israel.”

The military says that the IAF is continuing to target hundreds more Hezbollah sites tonight.

Biden says US working to de-escalate tensions between Israel, Hezbollah

US President Joe Biden greets United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan walk along the Colonnade around the Rose Garden on their way to the Oval Office at the White House, September 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

In comments to reporters ahead of his Oval Office meeting with visiting Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed, US President Joe Biden says he has been briefed on the latest round of Israel-Hezbollah tensions and says, “My team has been in constant contact with their counterparts, and we’re working to deescalate in a way that allows people to return to their home safely.”

Former CIA chief Panetta calls mass detonation of Hezbollah pagers ‘a form of terrorism’

Outgoing US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 2013. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

Former CIA chief and defense secretary Leon Panetta says the mass detonation of Hezbollah communication devices, widely attributed to Israel is “a form of terrorism.”

“The ability to be able to place an explosive in technology that is very prevalent these days and turn it into a war of terror. This is something new,” Panetta tells CBS.

“This has gone right into the supply chain. When you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question, ‘What the hell is next?’ This is a tactic that has repercussions, and we really don’t know what those repercussions are going to be,” he continues.

“The forces of war are largely in control right now of what’s going on,” the former CIA chief adds.

Pressed on whether the US should condemn Israel for the operation, Panetta dodges.

“I think it’s going to be very important for the nations of the world to have a serious discussion about whether or not this is an area that everybody has to focus on because if they don’t try to deal with it now, mark my word, it is the battlefield of the future,” he says.

Former CIA Director Leon Panetta calls Israel's explosive pager operation "terrorism" in an interview with CBS today:

"I don't think there's any question it's a form of terrorism."

"When you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question: what the… pic.twitter.com/18coO8lTQq

— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) September 22, 2024

Cabinet approves ‘special situation’ on Israel home front amid Hezbollah tensions

The cabinet approves a “special situation” on Israel’s home front, according to multiple media reports.

A “special situation” is a legal term used in times of emergency, granting authorities greater jurisdiction over the civilian population in order to streamline efforts to safeguard the population. It is valid for 48 hours unless extended by cabinet ministers.

No specific changes in IDF Home Front Command instructions were announced.

The vote was conducted by phone according to Channel 12.

In central and southern Israel, school and work is scheduled to take place as normal.

IDF chief says Israel dismantling capabilities Hezbollah built up for 20 years

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi holds an assessment at the military's underground command room at the IDF HQ in Tel Aviv, September 23, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is dismantling Hezbollah capabilities that it built up for 20 years.

“The IDF this morning launched a proactive offensive operation. We are taking [away] military infrastructure that Hezbollah built for 20 years. This is very significant,” Halevi says in a video distributed by the IDF, from an assessment at the military’s underground command room.

“We are striking targets, preparing the next stages… in the end, everything needs to be aimed at creating the conditions to return the [displaced] residents of the north to their homes,” he adds.

New rocket sirens triggered in Haifa and nearby towns

Fresh incoming rocket sirens are sounding in the northern coastal city of Haifa and nearby towns.

It marks the first time during the war that a Hezbollah rocket attack has set off sirens inside the city, and not Haifa’s suburbs.

Hezbollah has launched nearly 200 rockets at Israel today, mostly targeting areas deep in the north.

UN chief Guterres alarmed by escalating situation in Lebanon

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed by the escalating situation in Lebanon and very concerned about the large number of civilian casualties reported by Lebanese authorities, his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, says.

Gallant: IDF ‘crushing’ infrastructure Hezbollah built over decades; Nasrallah now alone

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with IDF leaders at the Kirya military headquarters on September 23, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says the IDF is “crushing” Hezbollah infrastructure that had been built up for decades in today’s strikes in Lebanon, and that the leader of the terror group, Hassan Nasrallah, now remains alone.

“In the past day, we are crushing what was built by Hezbollah for 20 years. Nasrallah remains alone at the helm, entire units of the Radwan Force were taken out of service, and tens of thousands of rockets were destroyed,” he is quoted by his office as saying.

The remarks are made during a visit by Gallant to the IDF Operations Directorate’s command room.

Man moderately wounded by shrapnel from Hezbollah rocket barrage — medics

A man was moderately wounded by shrapnel amid a Hezbollah rocket barrage on northern Israel this evening, medics say.

According to the IDF, some 25 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Upper Galilee, Haifa Bay, and Wadi Ara areas.

Air defenses shot down most of the rockets, although some impacts were identified, the military says.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it treated a 23-year-old man who was hit in the head by shrapnel amid the attack and took himself to a clinic in Kiryat Bialik. The man was then taken to Rambam Hospital in Haifa by MDA.

Fate of senior Hezbollah commander Karaki unclear after rare IDF Beirut strike — Lebanese security source

A screen capture of the Beirut skyline following an IDF strike targeting a senior Hezbollah commander on September 23, 2024. (Screen capture/Reuters)

An Israeli strike on Monday evening on the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital targeted senior Hezbollah leader Ali Karaki, the head of the southern front, a Lebanese security confirms to Reuters.

Karaki’s fate is unclear, the source says.

US to send more troops to Mideast as tensions peak between Israel and Hezbollah

The US 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 says.

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 US currently has about 40,000 troops in the region.

The new deployments come after significant strikes by Israeli forces against Hezbollah 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.

Rocket sirens triggered in Lower Galilee, Jezreel Valley, Wadi Ara area and towns near Haifa

Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in the Lower Galilee, Jezreel Valley, Wadi Ara area and towns near Haifa, amid a fresh rocket barrage from Lebanon.

The alerts are activated in the cities of Sakhnin, Umm al-Fahm, Karmiel, Migdal HaEmek, Kiryat Yam, Kiryat Bialik, Acre, Kiryat Motzkin, and numerous nearby towns.

Target of IDF Beirut strike is senior Hezbollah commander Ali Karaki — security sources

The target of the Israeli airstrike in Beirut this evening is senior Hezbollah commander Ali Karaki, security sources tell Israeli media.

Karaki is the head of Hezbollah’s so-called “Southern Front,” responsible for the terror group’s military activity in south Lebanon.

He is a member of the Jihad Council, Hezbollah’s top military body.

The IDF said it would provide further details on the “targeted strike” soon.

It is just the fourth IDF strike in Beirut since the start of the war.

An IDF infographic published September 21, 2024 shows Hezbollah’s chain of command. (Israel Defense Forces)

Netanyahu urges Lebanese civilians to evacuate: ‘Israel’s war is not with you’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells the Lebanese people to take Israel’s warning seriously and says they will be able to return home after the fighting is over.

“Israel’s war is not with you,” he says in a video statement. “It’s with Hezbollah.”

“For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields,” says Netanyahu. “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,” he says.

“Starting this morning, the IDF has warned you to get out of harm’s way,” continues the premier as Israel carries out intensive airstrikes across southern Lebanon.

“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,” Netanyahu urges. “Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes.”

IDF says it carried out strike in Beirut for fourth time since start of war

For just the fourth time since the start of the war, the IDF says it carried out an airstrike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

It describes the strike as “targeted,” and says further details will be provided later.

IDF: 15 rockets in three barrages targeted Jezreel Valley and Haifa Bay area in past hour

Another 15 rockets were launched from Lebanon in three separate barrages in the past hour, targeting the Jezreel Valley and Haifa Bay area, the IDF says.

The military says some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses, while the rest struck open areas, causing no injuries.

In all, some 180 rockets have been fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon at Israel today, according to the IDF.

Hezbollah has claimed to have targeted several Israeli military bases and a facility belonging to the Rafael defense firm.

Footage shows Hezbollah rocket impact in West Bank Palestinian town

Footage circulating on social media shows the site of a rocket impact in the West Bank Palestinian town of Deir Istiya.

Hezbollah launched a barrage of some 10 long-range rockets at Israel, setting off sirens in several West Bank settlements east of Tel Aviv.

According to the IDF, the rockets struck open areas.

⚡️???? تقارير فلسطينية:????⚡️

سقوط صاروخ على منزل في دير استيا قرب بلدة سلفيت بالسامرة pic.twitter.com/IP9WnXFlru

— رؤى لدراسات الحرب (@Roaastudies) September 23, 2024

احد صواريخ حزب الله سقط في في دير استيا قرب سلفيت بالضفة الغربية. pic.twitter.com/9aiotPO9AJ

— #القدس_ينتفض ???????? (@MyPalestine0) September 23, 2024

Hadash party: Military force has proven its failure in providing security to Israelis

The Arab-majority Hadash party accuses Israel’s “fascist right-wing government” of sparking a conflict that could lead to a regional war, following the IDF’s massive bombardment of Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

“The government of Israel, which has insisted on escalating the massacre in Lebanon for the past several days, bears responsibility for the outbreak of the Third Lebanon War, which may deteriorate into a devastating and comprehensive regional war,” the party says in a statement.

“The fascist, right-wing government, which uselessly carried out the most brutal massacre in Gaza under the pretext of returning the hostages, is waging war in Lebanon under the pretext of returning the residents of the north of the country to their homes. However, military force has proven its failure in providing security for every citizen. The only guarantee of security is an end to the war in Gaza and recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” it continues, asserting that “immediately ending the war in Gaza and Lebanon is in the supreme interest of all the residents of the region.”

Israeli official: What Hezbollah hasn’t understood through force, it will understand through more force

Channel 12 quotes a senior Israeli official who declares, “What Hezbollah hasn’t understood through force, it will understand through more force.”

New rocket sirens triggered in Jezreel Valley

New rocket sirens are sounding in several towns in the Jezreel Valley.

Sirens have sounded in the area previously, after Hezbollah launched barrages of rockets it claimed targeted the Ramat David Airbase.

Bennett: Hezbollah pays families in south Lebanon to store weapons in their homes

As Israel targets homes where Hezbollah weapons are being stored in southern Lebanon, former prime minister Naftali Bennett claims the families living in these houses are paid by the terror organization.

“Many Shiites in Lebanon have a unique revenue stream: In their home they have a special ‘Rocket Launcher Room,'” Bennett tweets. “They’re paid monthly rent by Hezbollah to host this launcher and be prepared to shoot rockets at Israel communities on demand.”

Many Shiites in Lebanon have a unique revenue stream:
In their home they have a special “Rocket Launcher Room”.

They’re paid monthly rent by Hezbollah to host this launcher and be prepared to shoot rockets at Israel communities on demand.

I remember as a company commander…

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) September 23, 2024

IDF: 165 rockets launched by Hezbollah at Israel so far today

The IDF says that some 165 rockets have been launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon at Israel today.

Most of the rocket fire has targeted areas deep in northern Israel, including the Haifa area.

At least 10 long-range projectiles were fired toward West Bank settlements, more than 100 kilometers from the Lebanon border.

Some 80 rockets from Lebanon launched at Israel, West Bank over past hour — IDF

Some 80 rockets were launched from Lebanon at Israel and the West Bank in the past hour, according to the IDF.

Some 25 rockets were launched at the northern Golan Heights at 4:45 p.m., followed by another 15 rockets at the Haifa Bay area at 5 p.m., the military says.

Many of the rockets were shot down by air defenses, while others impacted, the military says.

Not long after, at 5:13 p.m., a barrage of 10 rockets was fired at the West Bank, setting off sirens in several settlements near Ariel, east of Tel Aviv. According to the IDF, the rockets struck open areas.

At 5:20 p.m., another 30 rockets were launched at the Lower Galilee, the military adds.

There were no reports of injuries in the attacks.

Rocket sirens triggered in northern coastal city of Haifa, surrounding towns

Rocket sirens are sounding in some areas of the northern coastal city of Haifa and several nearby towns in the Mount Carmel area.

The alerts are activated in the Haifa suburb of Nesher, as well as in Isfiya, Kiryat Atta, Daliyat al-Karmel, and Shefa-Amr.

Thousands seen fleeing southern Lebanon as schools canceled throughout country tomorrow

Lebanese media outlets report an exodus of thousands of Lebanese residents, mostly from the south, fleeing the area as Israeli bombardments intensify.

Photos and videos on social media show traffic jams and chaos on the country’s highways as people head north.

The National Committee for Crisis Response set up hotlines to direct people to the nearest available shelter in four parts of the country: the south, Beirut, the Beqaa valley, and Mount Lebanon, according to the national press agency NNA. So far, about 40 shelters have been established, mostly in schools, NNA reports.

Traffic jams have been reported in the coastal city of Sidon and around Beirut as people drive in from the south. Meanwhile, schools in these cities have closed early to prepare for the influx of displaced people, asking parents to pick up their children and adding to the chaos on the streets, “This is Beirut” reports.

Various social media users express criticism of those fleeing southern Lebanon, Hezbollah’s birthplace and stronghold, saying that they are the ones who helped Hezbollah come to power and should face the consequences.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese education ministry announces that classes tomorrow in all schools throughout the country are canceled.

#خبر_عاجل #عناصر_حزب_الله بسيارة جيب سوداء هاربين من #جنوب_لبنان يصدمون عدد من سيارات المواطنين #حزب_الله_الجبان pic.twitter.com/uXH6EFjEVU

— ????????تنظيم ثوار لبنان ???????? (@Lebanon01452) September 23, 2024

Lebanese health ministry raises death toll from IDF airstrikes to 274, with 1,024 wounded

The Lebanese health ministry raises the death toll of the IDF airstrikes in Lebanon today to 274.

Another 1,024 are wounded, the ministry says.

The figures do not differentiate between members of the terror group and civilians.

The IDF says it has been striking Hezbollah sites, including homes where the terror group has been storing weapons.

It warned civilians ahead of time to flee from buildings where Hezbollah has placed rockets, missiles, drones, and other weapons.

Israeli official: If Hezbollah agrees to ceasefire in north, we will hold our fire as well

If Hezbollah indicates it is willing to move toward a ceasefire in the north, Israel will hold its fire, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

“We are going to hit them hard,” says the official, “but we will stop if they decide it’s time to move toward negotiations.”

Gantz: We must target sovereign state of Lebanon, which is responsible for terror from its territory

As fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz declares his “full backing” for the government and security services’ efforts to return residents of the north to their homes and asserts that Israel “must act not only against Hezbollah, but also against the sovereign state of Lebanon, which bears responsibility for terrorism emanating from its territory.”

There are currently two ways for Israel to move forward, the former war cabinet minister declares, either by coming to an arrangement to halt Hezbollah’s fire on Israel or “continue the offensive, including entering on the ground if necessary.”

Fresh rocket sirens triggered in Lower Galilee towns; no immediate reports of injuries

Fresh rocket sirens are sounding in numerous communities in the Lower Galilee, near the Golani Junction, as well as in the Mount Carmel area, south of Haifa.

There are no immediate reports of injuries in the latest attacks from Lebanon.

Long-range rockets fired from Lebanon for first time since October 8, triggering sirens in northern West Bank settlements

Long-range rockets have been launched from Lebanon at Israel for the first time during the war.

Sirens are sounding in several West Bank settlements, including Karnei Shomron and Ariel.

The IDF says it will provide details on the rocket fire soon.

The rocket sirens sounded in several West Bank settlements, just east of Tel Aviv pic.twitter.com/8OjKKGF7NW

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 23, 2024

Israeli official confirms that US has handed off new hostage deal proposal — one without phases

An Israeli official says that the Biden administration recently sent the draft text of a new hostage-release and ceasefire proposal to Israel, confirming a Channel 12 report.

The official says that Israel is still reviewing the proposal and has not yet responded.

Unlike the proposal that the Biden administration had been pushing since May, this one is not separated into three phases, the Israeli official says.

Earlier this month, government hostage point man Gal Hirsch offered to US officials a proposal that would see all the hostages released at once, and an end to war after Hamas’s leaders go into exile. But Hirsch is not part of Israel’s hostage negotiating team, which has said his offer is not known to them.

Lebanese media reports strikes in Beqaa Valley, after expiration of IDF warning to flee buildings where Hezbollah stores weapons

After the IDF warned civilians in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley to flee from buildings where Hezbollah has stored weapons, Lebanese media report strikes in the area.

The strikes are reported in Nabi Chit and Saraaine, deep in Lebanon.

דיווחים: החל גל תקיפות בבקעת הלבנון | תיעוד

@kaisos1987 pic.twitter.com/fPxxRlyL9k

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) September 23, 2024

In recent hours, residents in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa valley and southern Beirut have reportedly been receiving text messages and phone calls from the IDF urging them to evacuate their homes.

The Qatari-owned Al-Araby al-Jadeed paper shares a screenshot of one of these text messages, which reads: “If you are in a building in which Hezbollah weapons are stored, evacuate your village until further notice.”

The paper further reports that Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary received a phone call with a recorded audio message from the IDF requesting that he evacuate the building he was in.

Videos circulating on social media show a similar message from the IDF being broadcast on a radio station in southern Lebanon.

رسائل صوتية مسجلة يبثها الجيش الإسرائيلي ???????? عبر الهواتف وموجات الراديو في لبنان ????????. https://t.co/svDV0MipbT pic.twitter.com/YH6ESAvokR

— أحمـد ⛈️ (@A_MQQ_) September 23, 2024

Fresh rocket sirens triggered in towns surrounding Haifa

Fresh rocket sirens are sounding in the Krayot, close to Haifa.

The alerts are activated in Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Yam, Acre, and several other towns.

IDF: No reports of injuries after barrage of 35 rockets fired at north Israel from Lebanon

At least 35 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel in the past hour, according to the IDF.

The military says that in the first barrages at 4:15 p.m., five rockets were fired toward the Carmel region near Haifa, and another five were fired at the Upper Galilee.

Some of the rockets were intercepted, while others impacted open areas and in towns.

At 4:24 p.m., another 25 rockets were launched from Lebanon at the Lower Galilee, the IDF says.

Some of those rockets were also intercepted and others struck open areas.

There were no injuries in the attacks.

Meanwhile, another rocket barrage was fired at the Golan Heights a short while ago. Sirens did not sound in any towns during the attack.

IAF targeting Hezbollah’s long-range missile arsenal, built up over 18 years – analyst

The IAF is currently targeting Hezbollah’s long-range missiles — an arsenal built up over the past 18 years, most of which is located in Lebanon’s Beqaa, veteran Middle East analyst Ehud Ya’ari says on Channel 12. “The air force won’t be able to destroy every missile,” he says, but the goal is to broadly neutralize that threat.

He says this presents Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah — and his Iranian backers — with a dilemma of how to respond, and says there are voices in Iran that are opposing a major Hezbollah response and even urging that Hezbollah stop firing at Israel.

Says Ya’ari: “Nasrallah has to decide whether to fire on Tel Aviv, when he knows that the [Israeli] reply will be [to target] Beirut, and certainly the Dahieh neighborhood” — Hezbollah’s stronghold.

Hezbollah reportedly going door-to-door telling residents to leave south Lebanon’s Nabatieh

Hezbollah members have been going door to door in the southern city of Nabatieh calling on people to evacuate immediately, according to a resident quoted by the Lebanese paper L’Orient le Jour.

The woman recounts that she fled her home in slippers with her 11-year old son.

PM: IDF operating to change balance of power in north by taking out Hezbollah missiles

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks from the IDF's military headquarters in Tel Aviv on September 22, 2024. (Screen capture/GPO)

Speaking from the underground command room of the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the IDF is operating to “change the balance of power in the north” by taking out Hezbollah missiles.

“For those who have not yet understood, I want to clarify Israel’s policy,” says Netanyahu in a video statement, as Israeli jets pound southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. “We do not wait for a threat, we anticipate it. Everywhere, in every theater, at any time.”

Netanyahu says Israel is eliminating senior officials, terrorists, and missile caches, and that there is more to come.

“Whoever tries to hurt us, we hurt him even more,” he says. “I promised that we would change the security balance, the balance of power in the north. This is exactly what we are doing. We are destroying thousands of missiles and rockets aimed at Israeli cities and Israeli citizens.”

Netanyahu’s statement comes after he held a security assessment with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Air Force commander Tomer Bar, and Military Secretary Roman Gofman.

Secondary blasts from IDF strikes on south Lebanon buildings indicate use as weapons storehouse

The IDF releases footage of secondary blasts seen following an Israeli airstrike on a building in southern Lebanon’s Jabal al-Botm, which it says was used by Hezbollah to store weapons.

The strike was one of more than 300 in Lebanon today, which the IDF says have targeted homes and other civilian buildings where the Iran-backed terror group has been storing rockets, missiles, drones, and other weapons.

The IDF releases footage of secondary blasts seen following an Israeli airstrike on a building in southern Lebanon's Jabal al-Botm, which it says was used by Hezbollah to store weapons. pic.twitter.com/JpSzaqyvFc

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 23, 2024

The IDF warned civilians in advance to flee from areas where Hezbollah has placed weapons. It has also announced that it will carry out strikes in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley later today.

Another dramatic video published by Lebanese media shows Israeli airstrikes in the town of Aanqoun, in the Sidon District.

غارة اسرائيلية عنيفة تستهدف بلدة عنقون #جنوب_لبنان pic.twitter.com/UNvTf1KA35

— nbnlebanon (@nbntweets) September 23, 2024

Additional rocket sirens triggered in Lower Galilee amid Hezbollah attack from Lebanon

Additional rocket sirens are sounding in the Lower Galilee, amid a Hezbollah attack from Lebanon.

The alerts are activated in several towns near the Golani Junction.

Jewish Agency announces $14m project to support families in Israel’s periphery

The Jewish Agency “Youth Futures” project, which seeks to aid at-risk youth and their families in Israel’s periphery, will receive state recognition as a government project, with a multimillion dollar expansion, the agency says.

The Jewish Agency “will expand its activities and support thousands of children and their families who were affected during the war, with an investment of approximately 14 million dollars over three years,” beginning in 2025, the agency says.

State recognition will enable additional programming to be implemented with fewer bureaucratic procedures, the agency says, adding: “This expansion is the result of a broad partnership between government and municipal administrations and philanthropic agencies.”

Groups supporting the initiative include the Education Ministry, Mifal HaPayis (Israel’s state lottery), the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee, Keren HaYesod, the Mandel Foundation, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and others, the announcement says.

The expanded initiative is to be unveiled at a Tuesday ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem and will be officiated by President Isaac Herzog.

Rocket sirens triggered in towns surrounding Haifa amid latest barrage from Lebanon

Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in several cities and towns south of Haifa, as well as in the Upper Galilee, amid an attack from Lebanon.

The alerts are activated in Yokne’am, Daliyat al-Karmel, Isfiya, and several other communities near Haifa.

Sirens also sound in several towns near Safed in the Upper Galilee.

‘A PR stunt’: Israeli journalists union blasts IDF raid on Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau

IDF soldiers hand an Al Jazeera reporter a military order directing the closure of his Ramallah office during a raid of the bureau on September 22, 2024. (Screen capture/X)

The Union of Journalists in Israel condemns last week’s “problematic and worrisome” raid and ordered closure of Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah.

“The closure was made under a military order, subject to a confidential opinion, and it is not possible to know what is behind the decision to close the offices,” the union’s statement says.

The raid was also publicized by the IDF “in what appears to be a public relations stunt and nothing more,” the statement continues.

The Union of Journalists in Israel says such moves should be backed by civilian authorities, who can ensure due process, and that the raid “should worry every journalist and every citizen in a democratic country.”

Northern school closures impact 500,000 students

School closures in northern Israel today and yesterday have impacted some 500,000 students, Channel 12 reports. State educational institutions in Haifa and northward have officially shifted to remote classes.

Schools were shuttered Sunday by the Education Ministry, in conjunction with the Home Front Command, due to the security situation in the north. The closures are expected to continue as Israel ramps up attacks on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

An Education Ministry official confirms to The Times of Israel that “around 500,000 students have moved to remote learning.” The Haifa district alone has 110,000 students.

The ministry has been announcing at 6 p.m. each day if the closures will continue the next day.

Report: IDF tested DNA of bodies retrieved from Gaza to see if they were Sinwar’s; results were negative

Hamas's Gaza Strip leader Yahya Sinwar in a tunnel in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, October 10, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

Channel 12 reports that the IDF recently brought several bodies out of Gaza recently and checked them to see if their DNA matched that of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

The tests all came back negative.

The report comes amid unsubstantiated speculation that Sinwar may have been killed in recent weeks. This speculation is solely based on the Hamas leader being incommunicado for a relatively long time — something that has happened at other periods throughout the war.

Lebanese health ministry raises death toll from IDF strikes to 182, with 727 wounded

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in villages in the Nabatiyeh district, seen from the southern town of Marjayoun, Lebanon, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

The Lebanese health ministry raises the death toll of the IDF airstrikes in Lebanon today to 182.

Another 727 are wounded, the ministry says.

The figures do not differentiate between members of the terror group and civilians.

The IDF says it has been striking Hezbollah sites, including homes where the terror group has been storing weapons.

It warned civilians ahead of time to flee from buildings where Hezbollah has placed rockets, missiles, drones, and other weapons.

PM’s office dispatches delegation of hostage families for meetings on UNGA sidelines

Idit Ohel (C) mother of Israeli-Serbian citizen Alon Ohel, who is being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas holding the portrait of her son stands flanked by Israel's President Isaac Herzog (L) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R), during a press conference at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, on September 11, 2024. (OLIVER BUNIC / AFP)

The Prime Minister’s Office announces that last night it sent a delegation of 20 family members of hostages held in Gaza to the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week in New York.

The delegation, organized in coordination with the IDF, Defense Ministry, and Foreign Ministry, is slated to meet with the Czech and Bulgarian presidents, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the World Health Organization, and the Swedish and Serbian foreign ministers.

Other family members of hostages will join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his flight to New York, currently slated for Wednesday.

In call last week, PM panned Macron for backing UN resolution against Israel — official

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meets with French President Emanuel Macron in Jerusalem on October 24, 2023 (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

After French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that he was “pushing the region to war,” an Israeli official familiar with the conversation tells The Times of Israel that the premier was “very pointed” in the phone call.

The official says that Netanyahu criticized France’s vote last week in favor of a UN resolution demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and East Jerusalem within a year and Paris’s support for the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s call for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The official adds that in recent days Netanyahu also spoke with the Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“The world leaders point out that they are under media and internal pressure to go against Israel,” says the official, to which Netanyahu responds that Israel was not about to “commit suicide” for positive coverage.

UK finance minister Reeves interrupted by anti-Israel protester during party conference speech

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves speaks on the second day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, north-west England, on September 23, 2024. (Paul ELLIS / AFP)

British finance minister Rachel Reeves is interrupted by an anti-Israel protester as she gives a speech at the Labour conference in Liverpool.

TV footage shows the protester being removed from the conference hall by security after shouting: “We are still selling arms to Israel. I thought we were voting for change, Rachel.”

Reeves resumed her speech after a short pause and received a standing ovation from Labour delegates.

Britain suspended 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel earlier this month, saying there was a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.

'We are still selling arms to Israel'

Heckler bundled out of @RachelReevesMP's speech at @UKLabour conference after interrupting to protest about Israel pic.twitter.com/3v9Q7QFhlJ

— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) September 23, 2024

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran FM says ready to start nuclear talks at UN ‘if other parties willing,’ but won’t hold direct discussions with US

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Tehran, Iran, August 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran is ready to start nuclear negotiations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York if “other parties are willing,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says in a video published on his Telegram channel.

The US, under then-president Donald Trump, withdrew in 2018 from a nuclear accord signed in 2015 by Iran and six world powers under which Tehran was expected to curb its disputed nuclear program in return for a lifting of international sanctions.

Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran to revive the deal have stalled. Iran is still formally part of the deal but has scaled back commitments to honor it due to US sanctions reimposed on the Islamic Republic.

“I will stay in New York for a few more days than the [Iranian] president and will have more meetings with various foreign ministers. We will focus our efforts on starting a new round of talks regarding the nuclear pact,” Araqchi says.

He adds that messages have been exchanged via Switzerland and a “general declaration of readiness” issued, but cautioned that “current international conditions make the resumption of talks more complicated and difficult than before.”

Araqchi says he will not meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “I do not believe it would be expedient to hold such a dialogue. There were such meetings before but there is currently no suitable ground for that. We are still a long way from holding direct talks.”

Since the renewal of US sanctions during the Trump administration, Tehran has refused to directly negotiate with Washington and worked mainly through European or Arab intermediaries.

Israel has vowed it will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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

Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari gives a press conference on September 23, 2024. (Screen grab)

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari issues a warning to civilians in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, calling on them to flee from homes where Hezbollah has been storing weapons.

“We are preparing to strike terror targets in the Beqaa Valley in the near future. Hezbollah stores strategic weapons there, in civilian buildings, and uses the population as a human shield and knowingly puts it in danger,” he says in a press conference.

“I am warning the Lebanese residents in the villages in the Beqaa Valley. This is a specific warning to the residents of the Beqaa Valley. Residents who are near buildings or inside homes where missiles and weapons are stored, distance yourselves from them immediately!” Hagari says.

He says the residents of the Beqaa Valley can “see the action we are taking in southern Lebanon” today. “Hezbollah intends to launch these weapons toward Israeli territory, and we will not allow it,” Hagari says.

On the strikes in southern Lebanon, which have so far targeted some 300 sites used by Hezbollah, Hagari says “every home” hit by the Israeli Air Force today was used by Hezbollah to store weapons.

“The sights that are now seen in southern Lebanon are Hezbollah’s weapons exploding inside houses. Every home we struck, there are rockets, drones, missiles, which were intended to kill Israeli civilians,” he says.

In an Arabic message to residents of Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, says civilians have two hours to leave before the military launches its airstrikes there.

“If you are inside or near a house containing Hezbollah weapons, you must leave… within two hours to a distance of no less than 1,000 meters outside the village, or go to the central school near you and do not return until further notice,” Adraee says on X.

#عاجل ‼️ تحذير عاجل لسكان قرى منطقة البقاع في لبنان

⭕️عمليات حزب الله تجبر جيش الدفاع الإسرائيلي للعمل ضد البنى التحتية الإرهابية في قراكم.

⭕️جيش الدفاع غير معني بالمساس بكم، فاذا تواجدتم داخل أو بالقرب من منزل يحتوي على أسلحة لحزب الله – عليكم الخروج منه والابتعاد عنه خلال… pic.twitter.com/4f3PRAqcjB

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) September 23, 2024

Man whose home was hit by Hezbollah rocket: ‘We were 30 seconds and 3 centimeters from death’

Dudi Yitzhaki, whose home in Givat Avni was hit by a Hezbollah rocket on September 23, 2024 (Screen grab via Channel 12 used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A man whose home was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon today says that he and his family were “30 seconds and three centimeters” from death, and were only saved because they ran to their reinforced room and shut the door when the sirens sounded.

“It was a matter of 30 seconds and three centimeters, that’s the only reason we are alive,” Dudi Yitzhaki, whose home in Givat Avni in the Galilee was hit, tells Channel 12.

“I was in the middle of a phone call for work outside when the siren started. I entered the house and went into the reinforced room,” he says.

“It was a matter of 30 seconds and then we heard an unbelievable explosion. I immediately realized it had hit the house,” he says.

Yitzhaki says he believes they were saved because they followed the Home Front Command instructions of not only entering a protected area when the sirens began, but also securely shutting the door.

He says the rocket hit very close to the entrance to their protected room.

“This is the message I want to send. The instructions save lives,” he says. “If the door had been open, we would be dead.”

פגיעה ישירה בתוך בית בגבעת אבני. אין נפגעים.@guyvaron pic.twitter.com/R5Rb6v6ixC

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) September 23, 2024

Rocket sirens sound in northern communities

Rocket sirens sound in a number of communities close to the northern border, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The IDF later says it was a false alarm.

Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 100 killed, 400 wounded in IDF strikes targeting Hezbollah today

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in villages in the Nabatiyeh district, seen from the southern town of Marjayoun, Lebanon, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 100 people have been killed and more than 400 injured in Israeli strikes today on Hezbollah targets.

The figures do not differentiate between members of the terror group and civilians.

Earlier today, the IDF warned civilians to leave homes used by the Iran-backed terror group to store weapons as the Israeli military widened airstrikes.

Jordan: 2 citizens arrested by Israel after Allenby Bridge terror attack were returned home

Israeli security forces gather at the scene of a deadly terror attack near the Allenby Crossing between the West Bank and Jordan on September 8, 2024. (AP Photo/ Mahmoud Illean)

Jordan says that two citizens arrested by Israel after the September 8 shooting attack at the Allenby Bridge were returned to Jordan.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry names the men as Musleh Al-Awdat and Hussein Al-Naimat. It also says they “are in good health and are now heading to their families.”

Three Israeli men were killed in the terrorist attack, which was carried out by a Jordanian truck driver who had arrived from Jordan. The attacker was shot dead at the scene.

Report: Unnamed officials believe recent messages attributed to Sinwar were written by someone else

Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar speaks during a rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, in Gaza City, April 14, 2023. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)

Unnamed intelligence officials tell Army Radio they believe that recent messages attributed to Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar were written by someone other than the terror leader.

In recent weeks Sinwar was said to have sent congratulatory messages to Algeria’s incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune after he was declared the winner of an election, and to the Houthis after a missile attack on Israel.

The Army Radio report says that some believe that Sinwar did not write the messages and that they were instead written by another official in Sinwar’s name.

The report comes after Hebrew-language media outlets said yesterday that Sinwar has been incommunicado for a relatively long time, and Israel is investigating the possibility — currently unlikely speculation not backed by any hard evidence — that he is dead.

Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 50 killed, 300 wounded in IDF strikes targeting Hezbollah

A blast from an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, on September 23, 2024 (X video screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 50 people were killed and more than 300 wounded, including children, women and medics, in Israeli strikes that targeted Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

Earlier today the IDF warned civilians to distance themselves from sites used by the Hezbollah terror group to store weapons.

Hezbollah takes responsibility for rocket fire at northern Israel

The Hezbollah terror group takes responsibility for the rocket fire on northern Israel in the past hour.

In a statement, Hezbollah says it launched dozens of rockets at army bases near Safed, as well as a facility belonging to the Rafael defense firm near Haifa.

According to the IDF, some 35 rockets were launched in the attacks.

IDF: At least 10 rockets fired from Lebanon toward Lower Galilee in earlier barrage

A barrage of at least 10 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Lower Galilee, according to the IDF.

Several impacts were identified, it says.

A man was lightly wounded by shrapnel at the Golani Junction amid the barrage.

Video on social media shows Lebanese fleeing areas hit by Israel in strikes against Hezbollah

Video circulating on social media appears to show Lebanese residents fleeing areas in the south of the country that are being hit by Israel as part of widening airstrikes against the Hezbollah terror group.

Earlier today the IDF warned civilians to distance themselves from sites used by Hezbollah to store weapons.

לבנונים עוזבים את נבטיה בדרום לבנון בעקבות התקיפות האינטנסיביות של חיל האוויר pic.twitter.com/ZCE7TN3aLn

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) September 23, 2024

Israeli lightly injured by shrapnel amid rocket barrage fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon

An Israeli man in his 50s was lightly wounded by shrapnel amid Hezbollah’s rocket barrage on the Lower Galilee, medics say.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says the man was hit by shrapnel in the lower extremities.

He is fully conscious, listed in good condition, and being taken to Poriya Medical Center near Tiberias for treatment, MDA adds.

IDF: 25 rockets fired at Safed area in earlier barrage

A barrage of some 25 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Safed area, the IDF says.

According to the military, several rockets were shot down by air defenses, while others impacted open areas and close to the community of Ami’ad.

Separately, one projectile fired from Lebanon at the Elkosh area in the Upper Galilee struck an open area, the IDF says.

No immediate details are available on the sirens that sounded in the Lower Galilee a short while ago.

Footage circulating on social media shows a barrage of rockets launched from Lebanon impacting next to a highway in northern Israel, close to several motorists. pic.twitter.com/IvWsDkd56O

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 23, 2024

Lebanon PM denounces Israel’s ‘destructive plan’ amid IDF strikes on Hezbollah

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrives to meet Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (not pictured) in Beirut on June 25, 2024. (Anwar AMRO / AFP)

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati denounces intense Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in east and south Lebanon as a “destructive plan.”

“The continuing Israeli aggression on Lebanon is a war of extermination in every sense of the word and a destructive plan that aims to destroy Lebanese villages and towns,” Mikati tells a cabinet meeting.

He urges “the United Nations and the General Assembly and influential countries… to deter the [Israeli] aggression.”

Lebanon health ministry tells hospitals in south, east to scrap all non-urgent surgeries

Lebanon’s health ministry tells hospitals in the south and east to halt all non-urgent surgery in order to handle the wounded from widening Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah terror group.

The ministry “asks all hospitals” in south and east Lebanon districts “to stop all non-essential surgery in order to make space to treat the wounded due to the expanding Israeli aggression on Lebanon,” a statement says.

Yesterday, Israel’s Health Ministry ordered all hospitals in the north of the country to move patient care to reinforced areas, with non-urgent procedures postponed.

Rocket sirens sound in the Galilee

Rocket sirens sound in central and Lower Galilee areas, warning of incoming rocket fire from Lebanon.

A short time ago, the Safed area was targeted in a rocket barrage.

IDF says it hit over 300 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since this morning

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (second from left) approves plans for strikes in Lebanon, alongside head of the Operations Division, Brig. Gen. Yisrael Shomer (left), head of the Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk (second from right) and the head of the Intelligence Directorate's research division, Brig. Gen. Ofir Mizrahi Rosen (right), at the IDF's underground command room at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, September 23, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Since this morning, the Israeli Air Force has struck more than 300 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the IDF says.

Alongside the update, the army publishes an image of Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi approving the wave of airstrikes from the military’s underground command room at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Some 10 rockets fired in barrage from Lebanon toward Safed, Sea of Galilee – report

According to Channel 12 news, some 10 rockets were fired toward Safed and the Sea of Galilee area a few minutes ago, triggering sirens.

Earlier today, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said success in the new stage of war against Hezbollah in Lebanon would depend on Israeli citizens obeying Home Front Command instructions and remaining calm.

Rocket sirens sound in Safed, Sea of Galilee area

Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in the northern city of Safed and nearby communities, amid what appears to be the first rocket fire from Lebanon today.

Alerts are also heard close to the Sea of Galilee.

Sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration sound separately in the Upper Galilee.

Herzog: ‘Israel does not seek war. But we have the right and the duty to defend our people’

President Isaac Herzog at the inauguration ceremony for the new monument in memory of Jerusalem residents who were murdered on October 7 or killed in the subsequent war, in Jerusalem, September 22, 2024 (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

President Isaac Herzog says that Israel is not seeking war with Hezbollah, but is defending its citizens from attack by the Lebanon-based terror group.

“I repeat and reiterate: Israel does not seek war. But we have the right and the duty to defend our people,” Herzog says.

“Hezbollah stores and launches missiles in civilian areas and homes. Thousands and thousands of long-range rockets are kept in houses, living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens, and then launched with the sole intention of killing our people,” Herzog says.

“Would you accept this in your or your neighbor’s home?” the president asks. “What nation would accept its citizens living under such a threat from its neighbors?”

IDF: Rocket sirens in northern towns were false alarms

Rocket sirens that sounded a short while ago in communities near the Lebanon border were false alarms, the IDF says.

The alarms were activated in Jish, Kerem Ben Zimra, Kadita, and the Ramat Dalton Industrial Zone due to a “false identification” as a result of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, according to the military.

Rocket sirens sound in communities close to northern border as IDF widens Lebanon strikes

Sirens sound in a number of communities close to the northern border with Lebanon, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The alerts come shortly after the IDF launched widespread strikes on Hezbollah targets after warning Lebanese civilians to distance themselves from homes used to store weapons.

Mother says no more than 30-35 hostages still alive, day after Netanyahu put the number at about 50

Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan has been held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, speaks to Channel 12 News on August 12, 2024. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, contradicts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reported assessment yesterday that some 50 of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are still alive, telling Army Radio that the number is actually 30-35 at most.

“The prime minister is lying,” Zangauker says. “We know, the families, that the number is far smaller than the number cited by the prime minister.”

She says all the families receive information on the status of their loved ones, including signs of life. On the basis of that information, she says, “in my opinion, there are no more than 30 to 35 hostages” still alive.

What’s at stake, she says, “is not redeeming hostages; it is truly saving lives.”

She says she does not anticipate a possible deal for the next three to four months, citing both the escalation of hostilities in the north and the approaching US elections. “There are no [substantive] contacts between the Israeli [negotiating] team and the mediators,” and “Hamas is not involved in any stage” of the efforts at present. “That’s the reality.” Zangauker says the US mediators, who have been trying hard to finalize a deal, have largely “given up” on their efforts at present.

FILE — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) speaks at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, June 3, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)

She accuses Netanyahu — “who through his decisions is murdering my Matan” — of putting his political future ahead of the future of the hostages. There was a clear opportunity for a deal several months ago, she says, but “he chose escalation.”

IDF launches fresh airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon

An Israeli fighter jet is seen from Haifa, northern Israel, on Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

The IDF says it has launched a new wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese media also report heavy strikes in several areas in the south of the country.

The strikes come after the IDF warned it would target Hezbollah weapons stored in civilian homes, and said that it had identified Hezbollah operatives preparing to carry out rocket attacks on Israel.

المشهد من بلدة أنصار pic.twitter.com/2H8jeMPTJG

— Lebanon Trend (@LebanonTrend_) September 23, 2024

IDF in Arabic message to Lebanese civilians: Strikes on homes in which Hezbollah stores weapons are ‘imminent’

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee says strikes on houses in Lebanon in which Hezbollah is hiding weapons are “imminent.”

“Hezbollah is lying to you and sacrificing you,” Adraee says in an Arabic message to Lebanese civilians. “Its missiles and drones are more valuable and important to it than you are.”

Lebanese civilians have been warned to immediately distance themselves from sites used by the Iran-backed terror group to store weapons. The IDF has sent text messages to residents, as well as phoning them from a Lebanese phone number.

#عاجل ‼️ سكان القرى اللبنانية: الغارات ستبدأ على المدى الزمني الوشيك – اخلوا البيوت التي اخبئ فيها #حزب_الله الأسلحة فورًا! حزب الله يكذب عليكم ويضحي فيكم. حزب الله يقول إنكم بيئته وأنكم جمهوره لكن يبدو أن صواريخه ومسيراته أغلى وأهم بالنسبة له منكم. pic.twitter.com/mzw3oEjB9y

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) September 23, 2024

South Lebanon residents get calls from Lebanese number warning them to move away from Hezbollah sites

Residents of southern Lebanon are receiving calls from a Lebanese number ordering them to immediately distance themselves 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) from any post used by Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, a Reuters reporter says.

The Reuters reporter received the call.

In his televised statement earlier, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari issued a similar warning and said it was being “distributed in Arabic on all networks and platforms in Lebanon.”

There have been reports of Arabic-language text messages being sent to phones of residents in south Lebanon as the IDF widens its strikes on the Iran-backed terror group.

Gallant: Success in new stage of war against Hezbollah will also depend on home front

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at an assessment on the home front's readiness, September 23, 2024 (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attends an assessment on the readiness of the home front amid widening fighting against the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.

“In this new stage that we have entered in the war, our success also depends on the proper conduct of the home front. There are days ahead of us when the public will have to show composure,” he says.

“The resilience of the home front is the key that allows the IDF to fight, to gain achievements and to harm the enemy, and this has been going on for about a year and has been done in a very impressive way,” he says.

“We are deepening our attacks in Lebanon, the sequence of operations continues, and will continue until we achieve our goal of returning the residents of the north safely to their homes,” he says.

“Ahead of us are days when the public will have to show composure, discipline and full obedience to the directives of the Home Front Command,” he says. “The difference between success and failure will depend on citizens entering protected rooms and other areas in accordance with the instructions we gave them. This saves lives.”

IDF: Contractor tried to stab troops at Lachish training base, was shot by soldier

According to the IDF, a contractor at the Lachish training base near Beit Guvrin attempted to carry out a stabbing attack against soldiers.

A noncommissioned officer shot the assailant, the military adds.

No soldiers were hurt in the incident.

Far-right, anti-migrant activist Sheffi Paz jailed for 45 days for vandalizing EU mission in Tel Aviv

Far-right anti-migrant activist Sheffi Paz speaks during an election campaign event of Itamar Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party in Holon, on March 20, 2021 (Gili Yaari/Flash90)

Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court sentences far-right anti-migrant activist Sheffi Paz to 45 days in prison for vandalizing the European Union diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv in 2020.

Paz, 72, who has for years campaigned against asylum seekers and migrants in her south Tel Aviv neighborhood, expressed no remorse for her actions when being sentenced.

Far right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir slams the judicial system over Paz’s sentencing.

The court “stiffens the penalty when it comes to right-wing activists and eases the penalty when it comes to left-wing activists,” Ben Gvir charges in a statement. “I support Sheffi Paz in her fight to expel the illegal infiltrators who terrorize the neighborhoods of south Tel Aviv. Sheffi’s struggle is all of ours.”

In 2020, Paz broke into a preschool for children of asylum seekers in south Tel Aviv during the school day and the following year was banned from the Knesset after she called for the execution of a lawmaker who backed offering asylum to Afghan refugees.

She has also been detained over instances of graffiti against senior figures in the justice system.

Last month, Ben Gvir called for the deportation of Eritrean asylum seekers following a deadly brawl in south Tel Aviv.

Graffiti reading ‘German money kills Jews’ and ‘EU get out’ is seen on the entrance to the European Union’s diplomatic mission in Ramat Gan, on September 15, 2019. (Twitter)

Suspected attack at IDF base near Beit Guvrin; no troops reported injured; suspect shot

A suspect was shot by soldiers at an army base near Kibbutz Beit Guvrin, east of the southern city of Kiryat Gat.

No other injuries are reported.

The IDF describes the incident as a suspected attack.

It says further details are under investigation.

Lebanese media: At least one killed in IDF strikes

Smoke billows from the sites of Israeli airstrikes in Aramti, near the Lebanon-Israel border, on September 23, 2024 (Rabih DAHER / AFP)

At least one person was killed in Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, according to Lebanese media, as the IDF warned civilians to move away from buildings used by the terror group.

The official National News Agency (NNA) says “enemy warplanes launched… more than 80 airstrikes in half an hour,” targeting south Lebanon’s Nabatiyeh district. It also reported strikes in the Tyre area.

At the same time, the NNA reports “intense raids in the Bekaa” Valley in the east, deep inside Lebanon near the Syrian border, including in the vicinity of Baalbek and the outskirts of Hermel.

The NNA says the strikes in the east killed a “civilian,” a shepherd, “and wounded two members of his family” and four others.

Alerts sound in towns near Lebanon border, warning of suspected drone attack

Sirens sound in a number of communities close to the northern border with Lebanon, warning of a suspected drone attack.

The warnings come as the IDF carries out widespread strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

The IDF later says the siren was a false alert.

IDF says it hit over 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon this morning

Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on a target in Khiam village, as seen from Marjayoun town, south Lebanon, September 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Since this morning, the Israeli Air Force has struck more than 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the IDF says.

According to the military, dozens of fighter jets from all of the IAF’s squadrons participated in the strikes.

The strikes were launched after the IDF said it identified Hezbollah preparations to carry out major rocket attacks on Israel.

Gallant briefs Austin on IDF ops ‘to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to attack Israeli civilians’

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant outside the Pentagon on March 26, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says he spoke with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and discussed the developing situation on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

In a statement, Gallant says he “provided the Secretary with a situation assessment of Hezbollah threats and briefed him on IDF operations to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks against Israeli civilians.”

“We also discussed the wider regional situation and the threats posed by Iran and its proxies,” Gallant says.

There is no immediate readout from the US on the call.

IDF sends text messages to residents in south Lebanon, Beqaa: Stay away from Hezbollah buildings

People in south Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley are receiving text messages warning them to stay away from buildings used by Hezbollah to store weapons, Hebrew-language media reports.

“If you are in a building that has Hezbollah weapons, stay away from it until further notice,” the text messages read, echoing an earlier message from IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

הודעות שמקבלים תושבים בדרום לבנון ובבקעת הלבנון: "אם אתה נמצא במבנה שיש בו אמצעי לחימה של חיזבאללה, התרחק ממנו עד להודעה חדשה" pic.twitter.com/zGMwDE9tzB

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) September 23, 2024

Iran’s IRGC orders members to stop using all communication devices after Lebanon blasts

This handout photo provided by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official website via SEPAH News shows Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers taking part in a military drill near the island of Abu Musa, off the coast of the southern Iranian city of Bandar Lengeh (SEPAH NEWS / AFP)

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has ordered all members to stop using any type of communication devices after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon blew up in deadly attacks last week, two senior Iranian security officials tell Reuters.

One of the security officials says a large-scale operation is underway by the IRGC to inspect all devices, not just communication equipment. He says most of these devices were either homemade or imported from China and Russia.

Iran is concerned about infiltration by Israeli agents, including Iranians on Israel’s payroll, and a thorough investigation of personnel has already begun, targeting mid and high-ranking members of the IRGC, adds the official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

“This includes scrutiny of their bank accounts both in Iran and abroad, as well as their travel history and that of their families,” the security official says.

Iran’s Foreign, Defense and Interior ministries were not immediately available to respond to the comments made by the security officials to Reuters.

Man shot and killed in Umm al-Fahm

Police at the scene of a shooting in Umm al-Fahm, September 23, 2024 (Israel Police)

A man in his 40s was shot and killed in the northern city Umm al-Fahm, police say. Two others were injured in the shooting.

Police say a preliminary investigation found the shooting had a criminal motive rather than terror.

According to the Abraham Initiatives watchdog, the death brings the total number of Arabs killed in 2024 to 174, with 144 of the victims killed in shootings.

Sirens warn of suspected drone attack on northern border towns

Sirens sound in a number of communities close to the northern border with Lebanon, warning of a suspected drone attack.

The IDF later says the alert was a false alarm.

Lapid welcomes widespread IDF strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon: ‘The time has come’

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid addresses a meeting of his Yesh Atid faction in the Knesset, September 9, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid welcomes the IDF’s widespread strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, declaring that “the time has come.”

In a statement he says he he gives his support to the military and calls on Israel’s forces to “be strong and courageous and do not fear or worry until all the residents of the north return home safely.”

Hagari says IDF continuously assessing Home Front guidelines, warns Hezbollah will try to spread rumors

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military is carrying out continuous assessments with regard to guidelines for the Israeli home front, as fighting with Hezbollah escalates.

“If necessary, we will update on any change immediately,” he says.

Hagari also warns that Hezbollah will “attempt in the coming hours to spread rumors and psychological terror.” He asks the public to not spread rumors, and follow only official updates.

The spokesman’s update comes as the IDF carries out widespread strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after the military says it identified plans by the terror group to launch rockets at Israel.

IDF warns Lebanese civilians to immediately move away from homes used by Hezbollah to store weapons

Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari gives a press conference on September 23, 2024. (Screen grab)

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari issues a message to Lebanese civilians in border villages, warning them against Hezbollah’s use of their homes to store weaponry.

“To all the residents of the villages in Lebanon, in the near future we will strike terror targets in Lebanon. We call on everyone who is near properties or inside homes where Hezbollah is hiding weapons, we call on you to distance yourselves from them immediately. This is for your safety and protection,” he says.

Hagari shows previously unreleased footage of Hezbollah operatives preparing to launch a cruise missile from within a civilian home in a southern Lebanon village. The building was targeted in an airstrike.

“Hezbollah puts you and your families in danger. Hezbollah is planning to launch these weapons toward Israel, stay away from them immediately for your own protection,” he says.

Meanwhile, Hagari says that the ongoing widespread strikes in Lebanon come after the military identified Hezbollah preparations to launch rockets at Israel.

He says the strikes will continue to “remove the threats.”

Large airstrikes reported in Beqaa Valley, south Lebanon

Large Israeli airstrikes are reported by Lebanese media in southern Lebanon as well as deep within the country in the Beqaa Valley.

The IDF has said it is carrying out extensive strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and will provide further details later.

سلسلة غارات إسرائيلية عنيفة تستـ هدف منطقة بعلبك https://t.co/uVpdnG7E5K pic.twitter.com/WKCJavdvCB

— Ali Bk (@Bk_Hanas) September 23, 2024

غارات إسرائيلية على #النبطية الفوقا pic.twitter.com/iD27863GfY

— Annahar (@Annahar) September 23, 2024

IDF says it is conducting ‘widespread’ strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

The IDF announces that it has launched “widespread” strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

It says further details will be provided later.

Meanwhile, incoming rocket alerts have sounded in the border towns of Sasa and Netu’a in the Galilee.

IDF says it downed drone fired from Iraq via Syria; no casualties

The IDF confirms that a drone was fired overnight from Iraq toward Israel via Syria, adding that it was successfully intercepted by Air Force warplanes.

The military says alerts sounded in several Golan communities in accordance with standard protocol, and that there are no casualties.

Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims it again targeted Israeli base with drones

Following several overnight suspected aerial infiltration alerts in the Golan Heights, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq says they targeted with drones the Israeli Golani observation base in the “occupied Palestinian territories.”

The IDF has said the “incident is over,” without elaborating.

The Islamic Resistance yesterday claimed to have launched five similar drone attacks during the day. At least some were apparently intercepted, and none appear to have hit their target.

IDF on suspected drone infiltration in Golan: Incident ‘is over’

Following a series of suspected drone infiltration alerts in the southern Golan Heights, the IDF Home Front Command says “the incident is over.”

It does not provide further details.

Suspected drone infiltration alerts sound in 3 communities in southern Golan Heights

Suspected drone infiltration alarms have sounded in three communities in the southern Golan Heights.

Sirens blare in Ramat Magshimim, minutes later in Meitsar, and minutes later in Hamat Gader.

There are no immediate further details.

Report: Hamas flatly rejected a new US draft for a hostage-ceasefire deal; Israel expressed reservations

Determinedly seeking a hostage-ceasefire deal, Biden Administration officials in the past few days sent the draft text of a new proposal to Israel and, via Qatari and Egyptian mediators, to Hamas, Channel 12 news reported earlier tonight, citing an Israeli and an American source.

Israel expressed reservations, including over clauses relating to the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border and the Netzarim Corridor that runs between northern and southern Gaza, the report says.

Hamas, however, flatly rejected the draft text, and said it would not accept any deal that differs from the proposal presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May.

Biden’s presentation was, in fact, based on an Israeli proposal, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed that, in its response to that proposal, Hamas sought to make 29 changes. For his part, Netanyahu has in recent months repeatedly invoked a series of nonnegotiable conditions for a deal that are not specified in the May proposal.

Channel 12’s report suggests that Hamas’s firmly negative response to the latest US ideas may have something to do with White House National Security spokesman John Kirby’s comments earlier Sunday blaming Hamas for the stalling of talks on a deal.

Irish leader claims without evidence that Israel leaked his friendly letter to Iranian president

Irish President Michael Higgins speaks at a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, October 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Irish President Michael Higgins accuses Israel of leaking the full text of a letter he sent to Iran’s new president as he was sworn in in July, an allegation rejected and denounced by the Israeli embassy.

The July 11 letter congratulating Masoud Pezeshkian — whose existence was made public on July 26 by Ireland’s Foreign Ministry but whose full text was then published online on July 29 — drew backlash for its friendly nature; its claim that Iran will play a “crucial role” in achieving Middle East stability, cooperation and “peaceful resolving of disputes”; and its omission of Tehran’s major role in malign activity and violence against its own people and across the region.

It was slammed by officials including Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and by Israel’s embassy in Dublin. Ambassador Dana Erlich was recalled in May as Jerusalem protested Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state.

During a visit to the UN headquarters in New York, Higgins is asked by reporters Sunday about the issue, defending the letter as “standard” and saying it stressed the need for peace and diplomacy.

He then claims that it was the Israeli embassy itself that leaked the letter, without providing evidence and while acknowledging he doesn’t know how the letter was allegedly obtained by the Jewish state.

“Why don’t you ask where it came from?… Where the criticism came from and how the letter was circulated and by whom and for what purpose?” Higgins is quoted as saying by The Independent, then adding: “It was circulated from the Israeli embassy.”

The embassy reacts by saying on X that since the war began with Hamas’s October 7 massacres, “Israel has been subjected to a high level of malicious statements and accusations that have often manifested as incitement to hatred.”

Regarding Higgins’ remarks, the mission says: “This baseless accusation is highly inflammatory and potentially slanderous and the embassy rejects it completely.

“The fact remains that the letter was written and therefore it is the burden of the author to defend its content, which did not mention the threat Iran poses in the region, that it calls for Israel’s destruction, that it arms and funds terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah, not to mention the violations of human rights against its own citizens.”

Read the full statement from the Embassy pic.twitter.com/HTGadp4oBN

— Israel in Ireland (@IsraelinIreland) September 22, 2024

IDF says it struck Hamas command center embedded in former school in central Gaza

The IDF says its helicopters struck Hamas terrorists operating from a command center in a former school in central Gaza a short while ago.

The military says it conducted the localized airstrike following intelligence that pointed to the compound of the Khalid ibn al-Walid school being used by the terror group to plan and carry out attacks against the IDF and the State of Israel.

The IDF says it took “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.

“The Hamas terror organization systematically violates international law, brutally exploiting civilian institutions and the population as a human shield for terror activity,” the military adds.

In recent months, dozens of airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF.

Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.

High school strike ends as teachers’ union says it struck deal with government

Education Minister Yoav Kisch, left, and Teachers Union head Ran Erez, right (both photos Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Secondary School Teachers Association is ending its strike action affecting high schools across the country and has signed an agreement with the Finance Ministry and the Education Ministry, according to Hebrew media reports citing a statement by the teachers union.

The deal hopefully ends years of bad blood between the union and the government, which caused a strike at the start of the current school year from September 1 to September 9, when the strike was suspended but localized strikes continued and grades were not submitted.

The union reportedly says that among the agreements is that teachers’ salaries won’t be harmed by participation in the recent strike, that their monthly wages will be increased by NIS 1,200 ($320) starting in September, that teachers will get a one-time grant of NIS 9,600 ($2,500) for 2023, and that a plan to shorten the procedure for firing a teacher will be scrapped.

And, notably, the treasury has agreed to back down from its demand for individual contracts for teachers. This had been the main sticking point, with the government saying this would allow for more hiring flexibility and provide wages based on results or ability, instead of seniority.

The union has remained steadfast against this move, saying that individual agreements will make teachers into “contract workers” without the benefits or job security that teachers enjoy, allow for the hiring of unqualified teachers, and lead to lower wages, increased staff turnover and reduced quality of education.

Union chief Ran Erez is quoted as thanking the teachers for their “steadfastness” in the struggle for better conditions.

There is no immediate reaction by the education or finance ministries on what they have achieved in the apparent deal.

Gavriel Fiske contributed to this report.

Biden tells press he’s worried about rising Middle East tensions, ‘doing everything’ to prevent all-out war

US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters on the South Lawn as he returns to the White House in Washington, DC, on September 22, 2024. (Drew Angerer/AFP)

US President Joe Biden tells querying journalists he is worried about rising tensions in the Middle East but that his administration is working to prevent them from boiling over.

“We’re going to do everything we can to keep a wider war from breaking out. And we’re still pushing hard,” he says.