Sept. 30: IDF launches limited ground raids of Hezbollah sites across Lebanon border

IDF says troops launched limited ground raids of Hezbollah sites across northern border

The IDF announces that several hours ago, its troops launched “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

The raids are targeting Lebanese villages close to the border, which have been used by Hezbollah to pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel, the IDF says.

The IDF announces that its forces launched a “targeted and limited” ground incursion into southern Lebanon several hours ago against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in a number of Lebanese villages along the border that pose an immediate threat to Israeli towns on the other side of the Blue Line.

The operation was approved by the political echelon and is based on plans drawn up by the IDF’s General Staff and Northern Command following months of preparation and training, the army says in a statement.

Ground troops currently operating inside Lebanon are being assisted by air and artillery forces, the IDF says.

The incursion is an extension of the IDF’s Operation Northern Arrows, which was launched earlier this month against Hezbollah, and continues at the same time as the fighting in Gaza and other arenas, the army adds.

“The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes,” the army says in its statement.

Israeli strikes killed 95 people in Lebanon on Monday — country’s health ministry

Lebanon’s health ministry says 95 people had been killed in Israeli strikes across the country on Monday.

“Israeli enemy strikes in the past 24 hours… killed 95 people and injured 172,” the ministry says in a statement, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Hezbollah claims it targeted Israeli troop movements near Lebanese border towns

Hezbollah issues a statement after midnight on Tuesday, saying it targeted Israeli troop movements across from Lebanese border towns.

There have been no confirmed reports, though, that Israel has launched its much-anticipated ground operation, and the IDF has yet to comment on the matter.

Three rockets fired from Lebanon toward Shtula, all land in open areas — report

Three rockets were launched from Lebanon toward Shtula a short while ago, setting off sirens in the border community, Hebrew media reports.

The rockets all landed in open areas, the reports add.

Security cabinet said to OK war’s next phase; ministers slam US leaks about ground op

Hebrew media reports say that the security cabinet has approved the next phase of the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, presumably the much-touted ground offensive.

The Ynet news site reports that during the discussion, some ministers decried leaks about the operation from American officials after they were updated by Israel.

After warning, Israeli strikes reported on Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh in Beirut

After the IDF warned civilians to flee three Hezbollah sites in Beirut’s southern suburb, known as Dahiyeh, Lebanese media report Israeli strikes in the area.

Huge consecutive blasts were heard across the Lebanese capital, Reuters witnesses say.

A massive smoke cloud can be seen in a Reuters live broadcast.

מאז שחיזבאללה הנחה את תושבי לבנון שלא לצלם יותר תקיפות ישראליות ופעילות של כוחותיו – כמעט ולא יוצאים תיעודים על תקיפות צה"ל.

כמעט, אבל עדיין יש מי שמצלמים בכל זאת. התקיפה בדאחייה לפני דקות אחדות: pic.twitter.com/AzpKEC2F6A

— Elior Levy • אליאור לוי (@eliorlevy) September 30, 2024

In light of reports, rumors about ground op, IDF spokesman asks not to publish troop movements

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari calls on Israelis not to publish troop movements, in light of growing indications, reports, claims, and rumors of an imminent Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

“In recent hours there have been many reports and rumors about IDF activity on the Lebanese border. We ask that no reports be circulated about the activities of the forces,” Hagari says on X, citing the need to protect the troops.

“Stick to the official reports only and do not spread irresponsible rumors,” he adds.

Some Israeli politicians have posted unsubtle hints on social media about the looming ground operation.

Security cabinet meeting ends; Netanyahu now consulting smaller forum — official

The security cabinet meeting has ended, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now consulting with a smaller forum in his office in the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

IDF orders civilians to move away from 3 Hezbollah buildings in Beirut

The IDF is calling on Lebanese civilians near several buildings in the southern suburb of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh, to evacuate immediately.

Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, publishes maps alongside the announcement, which call on civilians to distance themselves at least 500 meters from the three sites.

“You are in the vicinity of Hezbollah facilities and the IDF will act forcefully against them. For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate these buildings immediately and stay at least 500 meters away from them,” Adraee says.

#عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل إلى سكان الضاحية الجنوبية في بيروت

إلى جميع المتواجدين في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المحددة والمباني المجاورة لها في الأحياء التالية:
⭕️الليلكي
⭕️حارة حريك
⭕️برج البراجنة

أنتم متواجدون بالقرب من مصالح ومنشآت تابعة لحزب الله الإرهابي ولذلك سوف يعمل جيش… pic.twitter.com/N60UKlRxmV

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) September 30, 2024

As region awaits ground op announcement, various politicians post unsubtle hints

As people in Israel, Lebanon, and elsewhere await the beginning of Israel’s ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, several reports about it already having begun are disproved, while Israeli officials are dropping not-so-subtle hints about the looming operation.

Minister Amichay Eliyahu and coalition MK Michal Woldiger join Aryeh Deri in posting general war-related prayers and general phrases about victory and the need to return displaced northern residents to their homes.

Minister Amichai Chikli makes do with reposting a tweet that contains an Israeli flag.

MK Moshe Solomon posts a long tweet praising the alleged start of the ground incursion, only to delete it minutes later.

Subsequently, Hebrew media outlets report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has told ministers and MKs to not issue public comments at all on matters related to IDF activity in Lebanon.

As Israel officially mum about ground op, a top politician tweets prayer for IDF soldiers

Shas chair Aryeh Deri arrives at the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on June 14, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

In perhaps the closest an Israeli official has come to announcing Israel is launching a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shas party leader Aryeh Deri, who has been deeply involved in wartime decision-making, tweets the text of a Jewish prayer for IDF soldiers.

The traditional prayer pleads with God to safeguard the troops operating “from the border of Lebanon to the desert of Egypt,” to smite their enemies and grant them victory.

UK foreign minister repeats calls for ceasefire after talk with Blinken on Middle East

British foreign minister David Lammy repeats calls for an immediate ceasefire, given indications of an imminent Israeli ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, after discussing the matter with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the phone.

“We’ve both seen the reports in the media about a next phase for Israel in Lebanon,” Lammy tells Sky News.

“We both agreed the position that we had at the UN last week that the best way forward is an immediate ceasefire and to get back to a political solution.”

UN chief condemns Hamas for not allowing Red Cross visits to Gaza hostages

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns Hamas for not allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit the hostages in Gaza.

“I’d like to condemn the fact that the Red Cross is not even allowed to visit those hostages,” Guterres says, in a speech at an event raising awareness of hostage-taking worldwide. “This is something clear in international humanitarian law. Hostages… are entitled to receive Red Cross visits. I once again strongly plea for the ICRC to be allowed to visit these hostages.”

Guterres reiterates his call for the immediate release of the remaining 101 hostages being held in Gaza. He laments that efforts to broker a ceasefire have yet to bear fruit.

“I hope that the horrible events that we’re seeing will teach a lesson to the world for this [practice of hostage-taking] not to be possible anymore,” he adds.

The New York event is organized by Hostage Aid Worldwide, in partnership with the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights.

Heavy Israeli artillery shelling reported toward Lebanese border town

An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires a shell from northern Israel toward Lebanon, in a position near the Israel-Lebanon border, September 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Lebanese media reports heavy Israeli artillery shelling toward the border village of Wazzani, close to Ghajar.

The reports come amid growing indications of an imminent Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

Lebanese troops pull back 5 km from Lebanon’s border with Israel, sources say

Lebanese army soldiers stand guard as they face the Israeli town of Metula, background, in the southern border village of Kfar Kila, Lebanon, October 15, 2023. (AP Photo/ Bilal Hussein/ File)

Lebanese troops have pulled back from positions along Lebanon’s southern border with Israel to at least five kilometers (some three miles) north of the frontier, a Lebanese security source tells Reuters.

The pullback comes amid growing indications of an imminent Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

Similarly, a Lebanese military official tells AFP that Lebanon’s army is repositioning troops stationed on its southern border.

The Lebanese army is “repositioning and regrouping forces” at the southern border following threats of an Israeli incursion against Hezbollah targets, the official says, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

EU leaders caution against further military interventions between Israel and Hezbollah

European Union foreign ministers are calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and have expressed support for UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

“Arms should now be silenced, and the voice of diplomacy should speak and be heard by all,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tells reporters after chairing an emergency meeting.

“The sovereignty of both Israel and Lebanon has to be guaranteed,” Borrell says. “Any further military intervention would dramatically aggravate the situation and has to be avoided.”

Borrell says ministers of the 27-nation EU discussed the need for increased humanitarian aid and close coordination “to be prepared for any emergency situation.”

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, says he and his counterparts discussed possibly evacuating European nationals from Lebanon.

Both underline the importance of the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. “The safety and security of UN peacekeepers is paramount,” Borrell says.

Lebanese army seen withdrawing from positions on border with Israel — sources

The Lebanese Army has been seen withdrawing from several positions on the southern border with Israel, local residents and a security source tell Reuters.

A Lebanese army spokesperson does not confirm or deny the reports.

Police detain for questioning 2 guards involved in Tel Aviv mall shooting

The Israel Police says the shooting incident at Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Mall involved a dispute between two security guards and a visitor, adding that the two guards have been taken for questioning, with cops seizing their weapons.

Police say the incident is not terror-related and is criminal in nature.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says it has taken two men injured in the incident to the nearby Ichilov Hospital.

US: We haven’t released updated bridging proposal because Hamas refusing to engage

The US has not released a new bridging proposal for a hostage deal because Hamas has been unwilling to engage with the latest offer on the table, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says.

“Several weeks ago, we were quite public about the fact that we had presented a bridging proposal that tried to get both sides to ‘Yes.’ There were a number of implementing details that we needed to work out, but we were in a place where we were looking to present a further proposal that would bridge those remaining differences,” Miller explains.

“What’s happened over the past several weeks is that the mediators that discuss these issues with Hamas — Qatar and Egypt — have not been able to get them to engage at all,” Miller says.

“The reason you have not seen us put forward this [new bridging] proposal is we can’t get a clear answer from Hamas of what they’re willing to entertain and what they’re not willing to entertain,” he adds.

Miller clarifies that Israel has not fully accepted the ceasefire deal either and will have some difficult decisions to make, but the bigger issue is that Hamas “has been unwilling to engage, [whereas] the Israelis are [still] at the table.”

2 injured from gunfire in central Tel Aviv mall; incident apparently not terror-related

Two men are injured from gunfire in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Mall, Hebrew media reports, in an incident that doesn’t appear to be terror-related.

Reports and medical officials indicate a security guard was attacked and subsequently shot a 30-year-old who is moderately injured, and a 25-year-old who is in good condition.

IDF declares closed military zone in several communities near Lebanon border

This map released by the IDF on September 30, 2024, shows a closed military zone near the border with Lebanon. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF has imposed a closed military zone in the area of the northern border communities of Metula, Misgav Am, and Kfar Giladi.

The military says the move follows a fresh assessment. The order has been signed by the chief of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin.

“The IDF clarifies that entering this area is strictly prohibited,” it adds.

The development comes amid widespread reports and indications of an imminent Israeli ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Official: One of ground op’s goals will be to remove Hezbollah posts along the border

One of the goals of an IDF ground operation will be to remove Hezbollah positions along Israel’s border, an official with knowledge of the details tells The Times of Israel.

The security cabinet is discussing approval of a ground operation tonight at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, says the official.

US: Israel has shared plans for limited op on Hezbollah infrastructure near border

Israel has informed the US about a series of limited ground operations into Lebanon that it is planning, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says.

“We have been engaged in conversations with them about those operations, but the timing, purpose, tempo of those — I’ll let them speak to,” Miller says, during a press briefing.

“They have informed us about a number of operations. They have at this time, told us that those are limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border, but we’re in continuous conversations about it,” he adds.

The State Department spokesperson reiterates the administration’s somewhat contradictory stance that has expressed its approval of Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, while also calling on both sides not to take escalatory actions and agree to a ceasefire.

Miller also stresses that Israel has a right to defend itself against Hezbollah and that means going after the terror group’s infrastructure in Lebanon.

Miller is asked whether the US thinks it’s productive for Israel to be moving forward with plans for limited incursions into Lebanon while Washington is trying to broker a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

“We recognize that, at times, military pressure can enable diplomacy. That’s true. It is also true that military pressure can lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences,” he responds.

“What we’re going to continue to communicate to them is that while we support their right to defend themselves against terrorism, we support efforts to ensure that Israeli citizens can return to their homes, and ultimately, we believe a diplomatic resolution is the best way to accomplish that.”

Ground op said being limited at US demand, won’t aim to hold territory for long time

The White House is demanding from Israel that a potential ground incursion in Lebanon be limited and not see IDF troops hold territory for long stretches, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

Washington believes that even a limited group operation could spark a wider regional war, according to the report.

Kan adds that the offensive is aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit.

Channel 12 news reports that the scale of the intended ground operation has been reduced at the Americans’ request, and that the ground operation, unlike in the 2006 war, is designed to destroy military targets rather than to conquer territory.

Israel said to tell US planned ground op aims to enable long-term diplomatic arrangement

Reporting on an apparently imminent Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon, Channel 12 news says coordination with US President Joe Biden’s administration has been strained by the “major crisis” in relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including over the elimination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah that came as the US was attempting to negotiate a ceasefire.

The report claims that the Israeli defense establishment has been stressing to the Americans that, whatever the tensions with Netanyahu, there are 10 million Israeli citizens, the US has an alliance with Israel, and it needs “to stand with us and understand our goals.”

The message to the US has also been that the goal of Israel’s campaign in Lebanon is to facilitate the safe return of residents of the north and to create the conditions to enable the kind of long-term diplomatic arrangement that US envoy Amos Hochstein has been trying to achieve for the past year.

The report also says there is “intensive coordination” between Israel and the US as regards any potential Iranian attack on Israel.

Former Knesset speaker Dan Tichon dies at 87

Former Knesset speaker for the Likud party, Dan Tichon,on July 7, 2007. (Orel Cohen/Flash90)

Former Knesset speaker Dan Tichon has died at the age of 87, Hebrew media reports.

Tichon was a lawmaker for the Likud party from 1981 to 1999. In 1996-1999 he also served as Israel’s 14th parliament speaker.

He is survived by his wife, two children, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

His funeral will be held tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Great Leaders of the Nation’s Plot in Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl cemetery.

Turkey’s Erdogan urges UN to recommend force if Security Council doesn’t stop Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on September 4, 2024. (AP/ Francisco Seco)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan calls on the United Nations General Assembly to recommend the use of force, in line with a resolution it passed in 1950, if the UN Security Council fails to stop Israel’s strikes on Iran-backed terror groups in Gaza and Lebanon.

“The UN General Assembly should rapidly implement the authority to recommend the use of force, as it did with the 1950 Uniting for Peace resolution, if the Security Council can’t show the necessary will,” Erdogan says after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.

He also urges Muslim countries to take economic, diplomatic and political steps against Israel to pressure it into accepting a ceasefire, and repeats his claim that Israel will target them too if it is not stopped soon.

Salvo of 10 rockets targets Haifa Bay area, causing no injuries, IDF says

A barrage of 10 rockets was launched from Lebanon toward the Haifa Bay area a short while ago, the IDF says.

According to the military, some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses.

There are no reports of injuries.

Preparing for ‘next steps,’ IDF says Northern Command OK’d plans for possible ground op

The chief of the IDF Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, meets with officers in an image released by the military on September 30, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israeli military says it is “preparing for the next steps in the fighting” in a statement announcing that the chief of the Northern Command recently approved tactical battle plans with officers that would potentially be involved in a ground offensive in Lebanon.

The IDF says Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin met with the commanders of the 98th, 36th and 91st divisions, and approved plans with them in recent days.

The military says that in recent days, the 188th Armored Brigade carried out drills near the Lebanon border, and community defense units also carried out exercises simulating “various scenarios.”

The update comes days after IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi approved more general battle plans.

In UK, hostage relatives say ground op in Lebanon will delay return of loved ones

Stephen Brisley, whose sister Lianne Sharabi and nephews Noiya and Yahel Sharabi were murdered by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in Israel, and the brother-in-law of hostage Eli Sharabi, speaks at a press conference in London, September 30, 2024, ahead of the first anniversary of the kidnapping. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Relatives of some of the Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza say they fear Israel’s intention to launch a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon will further delay a deal that could lead to their loved ones’ release.

“It takes away from the hostages,” Sharone Lifschitz says, during a news conference in London.

She continues: “If there is a ground incursion, then they are telling us nothing will happen for two weeks or three weeks or five weeks.”

Lifschitz’s parents were kidnapped when Hamas-led terrorists raided southern Israel on October 7. Her mother, Yocheved, was freed in November but her father, Oded, is still being held captive.

Relatives of hostages with connections to the UK held a private meeting today with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy in hopes of increasing pressure for the hostages’ release.

Stephen Brisley’s sister Lianne Sharab and two nieces were killed by Hamas on October 7, and his brother-in-law Eli Sharabi is a hostage.

He says the Israeli government insists the hostages are its top priority, but “that’s not the impression I get at the moment.”

Yemen’s Houthi rebels shoot down another US-made MQ-9 Reaper drone

Yemen’s Houthi rebels say they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over the country, with videos purportedly showing a surface-to-air missile striking it.

Responding to queries from The Associated Press, the US military acknowledges an MQ-9 was “downed but we have nothing additional to provide.”

The attack comes as the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip approaches. The Houthis have targeted ships traveling through the Red Sea over the war as US-led airstrikes pound their positions in Yemen. That has imperiled a waterway that typically sees $1 trillion of trade pass through it, as well as crucial shipments of aid to war-torn Sudan and Yemen.

The Houthis also continue to launch missiles targeting Israel, drawing retaliatory airstrikes from Israel this weekend on the port city of Hodeida.

The Houthi-run broadcaster Al-Masirah claims shooting down the MQ-9, hours after video footage circulated online showing the purported missile striking the aircraft over Yemen’s Saada province. A single image online also appears to show the wreckage of the drone, with pieces resembling that of an MQ-9.

US official: Positioning of IDF troops suggests potential imminent Lebanon ground op

Israeli armored vehicles at a staging area near the border with Lebanon, September 30, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

The United States has observed positioning of Israeli troops that suggests that a ground incursion into Lebanon may be imminent, a US official tells Reuters.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declines to offer further details on the posture of IDF forces and declines further comment.

Security cabinet convenes as signs of looming ground offensive multiply

The security cabinet is slated to meet shortly at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convening the forum as signs indicate a limited ground incursion into Lebanon may begin soon.

IDF says it struck surface-to-air missiles Hezbollah stored 1.5 km from Beirut airport

The IDF says it destroyed a cache of surface-to-air missiles stored by Hezbollah near Beirut’s international airport in a recent airstrike.

According to the IDF, the warehouse where the anti-aircraft missiles were stored was located some 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from Beirut’s airport.

“The surface-to-air missiles are a threat to the international airspace for passenger planes and can hit any aircraft flying in the Lebanese airspace,” the military says.

The IDF says it has hit other facilities used by Hezbollah anti-air unit across Lebanon in recent days.

It releases footage of the strikes.

US sends a few thousand more troops to Middle East to boost security

The US is sending an additional “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary, the Pentagon says.

The increased presence will come from multiple fighter jet squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh tells reporters.

The additional personnel includes squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16, A-10 and F-22 fighter jets and the personnel needed to support them. The jets had ben supposed to rotate in and replace the squadrons already there. Instead, both the existing and new squadrons will remain in place to double the airpower on hand.

Yesterday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced that he was temporarily extending the stay of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and its associated squadrons in the region.

The jets are not there to assist in an evacuation, Singh says — “they are there for the protection of US forces.”

Yemen’s Houthis say they will escalate military operations in response to Israeli strikes

Yemen’s Houthis say they will escalate military operations against Israel in response to its strikes in the country, a day after an Israeli attack against Houthi targets that the Yemeni group’s spokesperson says left five killed and 57 injured.

Man accused of Trump assassination bid pleads not guilty

The 58-year-old man accused of plotting to kill Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course pleads not guilty.

Ryan Routh, who was arrested in Florida on September 15, pleads not guilty to the five federal charges facing him and requests a jury trial.

Body found after house fire in Herzliya

A body has been found inside a house in Herzliya following a fire there, rescue officials say.

Five Fire and Rescue Services teams are called in to put out the blaze in the residence. The Magen David Adom ambulance service says medics found the body with severe burns and no vital signs.

UNRWA chief claims he didn’t know suspended employee was Hamas commander in Lebanon

Hamas leader and UNRWA teacher Fateh Sherif abu el-Amin speaks at a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, on Mar. 27, 2024 after he was suspended, sparking protests. (Collin Mayfield/Sipa USA)

The chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants (UNRWA) denies knowing that its employee Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin was a Hamas commander in Lebanon, calling on states to push back against Israeli accusations against the agency.

The head of Hamas’s Lebanon branch, Abu el-Amin was killed along with family members in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the terror group said earlier today. He was suspended from his job at UNRWA in March following allegations concerning his politics, Philippe Lazzarini tells reporters in Geneva.

“I never heard the word commander before,” he says. “What’s obvious for you today, was not obvious yesterday.”

Pentagon: US, Israel in talks about best way forward; Israel gave notice but didn’t coordinate Yemen strike

The United States and Israel are still in discussions “about the best way forward,” the Pentagon says, as it refers reporters to Israel for questions about whether it is planning a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“We’re continuing to engage with them, trying to learn more. We continue discussions on the best way forward,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh tells a news briefing.

Singh also says Israel gave US notice but did not coordinate its strikes in Yemen yesterday with the United States.

Air France suspends flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut until Oct. 8

Air France is suspending flights between Paris and Tel Aviv, and between Paris and Beirut, until October 8 due to concerns over the regional security situation, says the airline.

Hezbollah claims to launch ‘Nour’ missile at northern town for 1st time

Hezbollah claims to have launched for the first time a “Nour” missile at the evacuated Israeli border community of Kfar Giladi a short while ago.

According to the IDF, one projectile launched from Lebanon struck an open area near the community, causing no injuries.

Hezbollah does not detail the specifications of the missile it claims to have launched.

Report: Israel told US its ground op in Lebanon may begin within hours

Israel could launch a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon within hours, CBS News reports, quoting an unnamed US official who says this is the message Washington has received from Jerusalem.

Like other American outlets, the report says the incursion will be limited.

Biden says he’d be ‘comfortable’ with Israel scrapping ground op reportedly planned in Lebanon

US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base, in Dover, Delaware, Septemer 29, 2024, to return to Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Asked by reporters if he’s comfortable with reports and remarks that indicate Israel is preparing to imminently launch a limited ground incursion into Lebanon, US President Joe Biden responds: “I’m more aware than you might know and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now.”

President Biden on #Israel on a question about #Israel planning an imminent ground operation in #Lebanon: “I am more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now” pic.twitter.com/tfxtcHobWL

— Middle East and North Africa Breaking News (@MENA_BRKNews) September 30, 2024

Note: A previous version of this report erroneously quoted Biden as saying, “I’m more worried than you might know.”

In Netanyahu call, India’s Modi says terror ‘has no place in our world,’ opposes escalation

Illustrative: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sign the guest book at the World War I Indian Army cemetery, in the Israeli coastal city of Haifa, Israel, July 6, 2017. (Jack Guez, Pool, via AP)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he has spoken to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu about recent developments in the Middle East and highlighted the need for de-escalation.

“Terrorism has no place in our world. It is crucial to prevent regional escalation and ensure the safe release of all hostages,” Modi posts on X.

Israeli soldier seriously injured in southern Gaza, likely from anti-tank fire

An IDF soldier with the Yiftah Brigade’s 8108th Battalion was seriously wounded earlier today during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, the military says.

According to an initial IDF probe, the soldier was hit by anti-tank fire.

He was taken to a hospital in Israel for treatment.

In Lebanon, top French diplomat again urges Israel not to launch ground offensive

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot again urges Israel not to undertake any ground invasion of Lebanon, adding France will step up its support for the Lebanese army.

“I… urge Israel to refrain from any ground incursion and to cease fire. I call on Hezbollah to do the same and to refrain from any action likely to lead to regional destabilization,” Barrot tells reporters while visiting Lebanon.

Rocket from Lebanon landed in open area near Haifa; no siren activated

A missile launched from Lebanon landed in an open area near Haifa a short while ago, the IDF says.

No sirens sounded, as the projectile was heading for an unpopulated area.

Gallant: ‘Next stage’ of war on Hezbollah to begin soon, will allow northerners to return home

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (sitting, third from left) meets with mayors of Israeli communities near the Lebanon border, September 30, 2024. (Ariel Heremoni/Defense Ministry)

Speaking with mayors of Israeli northern border communities, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says “the next phase of the war against Hezbollah will begin soon,” further indicating that Israel is expected to launch a ground offensive in Lebanon.

“The next phase in the war against Hezbollah will begin soon. It will be a significant factor in changing the security situation and will allow us to complete the important [mission] of returning the residents to their homes,” Gallant says.

“We will do this. And as I said here a month ago [that] we will shift the center of gravity [to the north], this is what I say now: We will change the situation and return the residents home,” he adds.

Israel said to inform US of plans for imminent limited ground op in Lebanon

Israeli soldiers work on tanks in northern Israel on Sept. 27, 2024. (AP/Baz Ratner)

Israel is planning a limited ground operation in Lebanon that may start imminently, Israel has told the United States, the Washington Post reports citing an unidentified US official.

The operation will be smaller than Israel’s 2006 war against Hezbollah and will focus on security for border communities, the official says.

Ministers vote to grant Sa’ar a spot in security cabinet

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) shakes hands with New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar after the latter announces his reentry into government, September 29, 2024. (Chaim Tzach/GPO)

The cabinet has voted to approve New Hope party chairman Gideon Sa’ar joining the high-level security cabinet, according to Sa’ar’s office.

The vote is a formality, as he was appointed to the powerful decision-making body by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who announced the move at yesterday’s press conference.

Netanyahu at cabinet meeting: Israel ‘in fateful days,’ fighting for ‘our very existence’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, September 30, 2024. (Screenshot: GPO)

Offering a Rosh Hashanah greeting at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel is still facing significant challenges despite recent military successes.

Israel is “in fateful days,” he says, as the IDF has been landing a series of heavy blows on the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.

“These are days of historic achievements,” Netanyahu continues, “but also days of great challenges that are still ahead of us.”

Netanyahu welcomes New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar, who is attending for the first time since rejoining the government yesterday.

Netanyahu recognizes IDF soldiers “who are incredible at striking our enemies and raising the morale of our people.” He offers his wishes to bereaved families, and the “dear families of the hostages.”

“We will not rest until we bring them all back,” he promises.

“We are at war for our very existence,” Netanyahu insists. “We will join forces, go hand in hand, and defeat our enemies.”

“May the year and its curses end,” he finishes, referring to the Jewish year, “and with God’s help — may the year and its blessings begin.”

IDF: 35 rockets fired at Western Galilee, no injuries; Hezbollah sites in Lebanon hit

Some 35 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel this afternoon, setting off sirens in the Western Galilee, the IDF says.

According to the military, some of the rockets were intercepted and others impacted in the Western Galilee. There are no reports of injuries.

Meanwhile, the IDF says that dozens of Hezbollah targets were struck in Lebanon today, including command rooms, weapon depots, cells of operatives, rocket launchers and other infrastructure.

It releases footage of the strikes.

החל משעות הבוקר, כלי טיס ומטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר, בהכוונת פיקוד הצפון, תקפו עשרות מטרות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה ברחבי לבנון, בהן מפקדות, מחסני אמצעי לחימה, חוליות מחבלים, משגרים, תשתיות ומבנים צבאיים>> pic.twitter.com/nn8f49Lmw6

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 30, 2024

Germany evacuates some staff, medically vulnerable nationals from Lebanon

Germany has evacuated some nonessential staff, families of embassy workers and German nationals who are medically vulnerable out of Lebanon and will continue to support others trying to leave the country, a statement says.

The German foreign ministry raised its crisis level for missions in Beirut, Ramallah and Tel Aviv again over the weekend, though the embassies there remain operational.

There are currently 1,800 registered German citizens in Lebanon, a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry says.

US to announce over $300 million in aid for Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank today

The United States will today announce nearly $336 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, according to a US Agency for International Development (USAID) statement seen by Reuters.

The funding will enable USAID’s partners to continue to provide humanitarian aid, including food assistance, healthcare, nutrition and other services, according to the statement.

The funding will also support emergency shelter assistance for displaced Gazans ahead of winter, the statement says.

“Over the last year, this conflict has cost the lives of innocent Palestinians and Israelis and has left Gaza and the West Bank in a state of humanitarian crisis and dire humanitarian need,” the statement says.

“The United States continues to call on all parties to agree to a ceasefire deal and an immediate release of hostages, and to allow for the immediate scale-up of humanitarian aid moving into and throughout Gaza.”

Shin Bet says it has foiled several Iranian assassination plots in Israel, some in very advanced stages

The Shin Bet security agency warns in a statement that Iran has increasingly been attempting to carry out assassinations in Israel.

Recently, several assassination plots were foiled, including some in very advanced stages, details of which have not yet been released to the public, the Shin Bet says.

“In recent weeks, the Shin Bet has detected a significant rise in Iran’s efforts to advance assassination attacks against targets in Israel,” the agency says.

The Shin Bet says that Iran has been attempting to recruit Israeli civilians to harm senior officials in the country.

It notes the recent arrest of Moti Maman, who was smuggled into Iran twice and was tasked with helping to assassinate the prime minister, defense minister, or head of the Shin Bet.

The agency says that Iran has also attempted to recruit Israelis online. The Iranian operatives locate Israeli targets on social media, including channels relating to cryptocurrency, finance, and job searching, the Shin Bet says.

The Iranian operatives would offer those Israelis a high salary for carrying out various tasks, including “placing money or phones in various areas in Israel, distributing flyers, painting graffiti, and even setting fire to cars and physically harming people,” according to the Shin Bet.

“The Shin Bet asks the public to pay increased attention and take extra caution in any case where suspicion arises… especially when the sums involved are large and are not suited to the nature of the requested tasks, or… if the requested tasks are unusual,” the agency says.

The Shin Bet calls on the public to report any suspicious activity.

Blinken: The world is safer without ‘brutal terrorist’ Nasrallah

The world is safer after Israel’s killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the top US diplomat says, describing the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group’s leader as a “brutal terrorist.”

“The region, the world are safer without him,” Antony Blinken says, even as he insists that “diplomacy remains the best and only path to achieving greater stability in the Middle East” and vows the United States will continue working “urgently” to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza.

IDF confirms it killed PFLP commander in Lebanon alongside at least 2 operatives

The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut overnight, killing the commander of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in Lebanon and at least two other operatives.

According to the military and Shin Bet, Nidal Abd al-Aal was involved in planning and advancing terror attacks in the West Bank.

The IDF and Shin Bet say al-Aal was behind a bombing attack on a bus in the settlement of Beitar Illit in March 2023, as well as a shooting attack in Huwara in the same month, the latter of which wounded two soldiers.

Alongside him, Imad Odeh, a PFLP military commander, and another operative, Abdelrahman Abd al-Aal, were killed in the strike.

Repeated rocket alerts sound in and around Nahariya

Several rounds of rocket alarms have sounded in the past hour in the northern coastal city of Nahariya and in surrounding communities.

There is no word from the IDF, as Hebrew media reports an impact in an open area, plus interceptions and projectiles landing in the sea.

IDF says chief of Hezbollah’s medium-range rocket unit killed in Saturday strike

The commander of Hezbollah’s medium-range rockets unit was killed in an airstrike on Saturday in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, the military announces.

Eid Hassan Nashar was a “veteran commander” in Hezbollah and was a “central source of knowledge in the field of rockets,” the IDF says.

He previously served as the head of the surface-to-surface missile unit, and the deputy of the Badr regional unit, according to the military.

Most of Hezbollah’s leadership, including the commander of its rocket and missile division, Ibrahim Qubaisi, have been killed by Israel in recent weeks. Other top commanders in the division have also been killed.

The IDF says it also struck caches of medium-range rockets, which can reach up to 200 kilometers, in recent airstrikes in Lebanon.

‘Israel stands with you,’ Netanyahu tells Iranian people, says Iran will be free ‘sooner than people think’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a video message to the Iranian people, September 30, 2024. (Screenshot: GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues a message directly addressing the Iranian people, saying Israel “stands with you.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a message to the Iranian people, September 30, 2024 (GPO)

“Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you, make fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza. Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war,” the premier says in an English-language video statement, going on to boast of Israel’s military might and recent assassinations of terror leaders.

“With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you — the noble Persian people — closer to the abyss,” he says. “The vast majority of Iranians know their regime doesn’t care a whit about them. If it did care, if it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on futile wars across the Middle East. It would start improving your lives. Imagine if all the vast money the regime wasted on nuclear weapons and foreign wars were invested in your children’s education, in improving your health care, in building your nation’s infrastructure, water, sewage, all the other things that you need. Imagine that.”

“When Iran is finally free — and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think – everything will be different,” he promises. “Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace. Our two countries, Israel and Iran, will be at peace.

“When that day comes, the terror network that the regime built in five continents will be bankrupt, dismantled. Iran will thrive as never before. Global investment. Massive tourism. Brilliant technological innovation based on the tremendous talents that exists inside Iran. Doesn’t that sound better than endless poverty, repression and war?”

Concludes Netanyahu: “Don’t let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams. You deserve better. Your children deserve better. The entire world deserves better. I know you don’t support the rapists and murderers of Hamas and Hezbollah, but your leaders do. You deserve more. The people of Iran should know – Israel stands with you. May we together know a future of prosperity and peace.”

Lebanese army says soldier killed in Israeli drone strike

A Lebanese soldier on a motorbike has been killed in an Israeli drone strike while passing through an army checkpoint in southern Lebanon’s Wazzani area, the country’s army says.

Rocket sirens sound in communities surrounding Sea of Galilee

Sirens sound in a number of communities on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in the Golan Heights, warning of incoming rocket fire.

High Court rejects petition demanding release of body of Arab-Israeli terror convict

An undated image of Palestinian security prisoner Walid Daqqa (Courtesy)

The High Court of Justice unanimously rejects a petition demanding that the government release the body of Walid Daqqa, an Arab-Israeli citizen who died in April this year in prison after being convicted for his role in the abduction and murder of Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984.

The ruling, issued by justices Isaac Amit, Ofer Grosskopf and Gila Kanfi Steinitz, determines that the decision of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, approved by the security cabinet, to keep hold of Daqqa’s body did not exceed the boundaries of the principles of reasonableness or proportionality, and that there was therefore no cause for judicial intervention.

Owing to Daqqa’s importance to the Palestinian national movement, the security cabinet decided to keep hold of Daqqa’s body in order to use it as leverage in negotiations with Hamas for the return of the hostages abducted by the terror organization on October 7.

In its decision, the High Court rules that alongside the value of respecting the dead and the right of family members to bury their dead, the goal of freeing captives is a foundational principle of the country and is expressed in the controversial nation-state law, one of Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Laws.

The court acknowledges that the case of Daqqa was exceptional, in that although Israel has in the past held on to bodies of Palestinian terrorists, it has not done so for Israeli citizens. It says however that the military commander has the right to hold on to bodies including those of Israeli citizens.

It also says that Daqqa was “adopted” as a symbol by Hamas which itself hold on to the bodies of Israelis for use in negotiations to release its Palestinian prisoners.

The court says that since it is the opinion of professionals within the security establishment that holding on to Daqqa’s body “is likely to advance in an effective manner” negotiations for the return of the bodies of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens, the decision is reasonable and proportionate.

“At the time of writing these lines, standing before my eyes are the hostages, the captives, and the missing, and the IDF soldiers, who have been in Gaza since October 7, and the families of those who have been there [Gaza] for many years — IDF soldiers Sgt. Hadar Goldin and Staff-Sgt Oron Shaul, and Israeli citizens Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed,” writes Amit.

“The voice of our brothers cries out from the tunnels in the Gaza Strip. May the prophecy of Jeremiah ‘and the children shall return to their borders’ be fulfilled for all of them speedily in our days.'”

The Adalah legal aid organization, which works to protect civil rights of Arab Israelis and Palestinians which petitioned the court to have Daqqa’s body released, condemns the decision, saying it was based on a “racist worldview.”

Said the organization, “Judge Yitzhak Amit justified the denial of the constitutional rights of the deceased and his family members to burial according to their faith by relying on the state’s duty to protect the members of the Jewish people in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law: Nation-State.”

It adds that anyone who believed that the contentious nation-state law was only declarative “can now clearly conclude that the High Court has validated anchoring the status of Arab citizens as an enemy population that has no protection for their fundamental rights.”

IDF soldier Moshe Tamam, who was murdered in 1984. (screen capture: YouTube)

UK: Support for Israel’s self-defense is ‘ironclad,’ but Lebanon ceasefire needed

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a media interview while attending the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations in New York, on September 25, 2024. (Leon Neal / POOL / AFP)

Britain says that all sides in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah should seek de-escalation and a ceasefire, reiterating that those involved in the conflict should step back from the brink.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that the UK’s support for Israel’s right to self-defense is “ironclad,” but that only a ceasefire can restore stability and security to the region.

Formally joining coalition, Sa’ar blasts former opposition colleagues, with personal attack on Labor MK

New Hope chair Gideon Sa'ar speaks at the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem on September 30, 2024 (Noam Moskowitz/Knesset Spokesperson's Unit)

New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar delivers his first speech in the Knesset plenum since he joined the government yesterday, blasting his former colleagues in the opposition, including a personal attack on a female Labor lawmaker.

Sa’ar makes the comments in a speech prior to a Knesset vote to confirm his party’s entry into the government, which passes 57-40.

“They say I came to pass the draft evasion law. You continued with this lie even when I said I had no coalition agreement,” Sa’ar says, according to Ynet.

“In all the issues you mentioned in the discussion, including the hostages and conscription, what do you give to the state? What do you add to the national resilience? What do you influence? Nothing and nothing,” Sa’ar says.

In a direct rebuke to Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, Sa’ar says: “You called for the ceasefire with Lebanon to be accepted. If they had accepted your position, Hassan Nasrallah would be alive, and with him, all of Hezbollah.”

Sa’ar also snipes at Labor MK Efrat Rayten: “You asked what they will remember me for? You will be remembered mainly from the children’s channel,” he says, referring to her earlier career before she retrained as a lawyer prior to her election.

Sa’ar says that he joined the government “after a series of long conversations with the PM and I feel that I have the possibility to make an impact.”

At the conclusion of his speech, he is welcomed by his new colleagues in the government with hugs.

אז כמה נמוך ירד סער כדי להשיב אש לחבריו לשעבר מהאופוזיציה?
לאפרת רייטן: שאלת מה יזכרו ממני. אותך יזכרו בעיקר מערוץ הילדים pic.twitter.com/O7ftVS0HNG

— דפנה ליאל (@DaphnaLiel) September 30, 2024

Lebanese PM says willing to deploy army south of Litani River, fully implement UN resolution

This handout picture provided by the Lebanese Prime Minister's press office shows Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati delivering a statement to the press in Beirut on September 29, 2024. (Lebanese Prime Minister's Press Office / AFP)

The Lebanese government is ready to fully implement a UN resolution that had aimed to end Hezbollah’s armed presence south of the Litani River, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati says.

Mikati says Lebanon is ready to fully implement the 2006 UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and deploy the Lebanese army south of the river, which lies about 30 km (around 20 miles) from Lebanon’s southern border.

Hezbollah is barred under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from maintaining a military presence south of the Litani, however the terror group has blatantly violated that resolution.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant strongly hinted today that the IDF was preparing to launch a ground offensive to remove the terror group from the border area and allow 60,000 displaced Israelis to return home in northern Israel.

Mikati also says he and House Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, had agreed that electing a new president to end a near two-year vacancy at the top post would only happen after a potential ceasefire takes hold. The comments were delivered after the pair met in Beirut.

Gallant strongly hints Israel readying to launch ground op against Hezbollah in Lebanon

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks with troops in northern Israel, September 30, 2024. (Ariel Hermoni/ Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant strongly hints that Israel is preparing to launch a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“The elimination of [Hezbollah terror chief Hassan] Nasrallah is a very important step, but it is not everything. We will use all the capabilities we have,” Gallant says to troops of the 188th Armored Brigade and Golani Infantry Brigade in northern Israel.

“If someone on the other side does not understand what these capabilities mean, it is all capabilities and you are part of this effort. We trust you to be able to accomplish anything,” he adds to the troops.

Germany: Israel’s killing of Nasrallah was act of self-defense

A man points to a television set displaying an image of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with a black stripe for mourning during a broadcast from the private Lebanese station NBN in Beirut on September 28, 2024. (JOSEPH EID / AFP)

Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a powerful airstrike in Beirut constituted a use of its right to defend itself, a German foreign ministry spokesperson says.

“Hezbollah is of course a terrorist organization and it was obviously a meeting of the top leadership of Hezbollah, from which one can assume, even from a distance, that they were planning their further operations,” the spokesperson says.

“So in this respect, there are also reasons to believe that the right to self-defense was exercised here,” he adds.

Asked about the civilian deaths in the incident, the spokesperson said, “Every civilian victim is one civilian victim too many.”

Kremlin, asked about Iranian use of Russian devices after pager blasts, says trade is growing

This video grab, shows a walkie-talkie that was detonated inside a house in an attack on Hezbollah members widely blamed on Israel, in Baalbek, east Lebanon, September 18, 2024. (AP Photo)

The Kremlin, commenting on a Reuters report that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were mostly using homemade or Russian- or Chinese-made communications devices, says Moscow’s trade links with Tehran were developing.

An Iranian security official told Reuters that Iran was concerned about infiltration by Israeli agents following deadly pager attacks on Hezbollah earlier this month. The Lebanon-based terror group is an Iranian proxy and Tehran’s envoy to Beirut was among the injured.

A large-scale operation to inspect all communication devices used by the Revolutionary Guards was underway, the official added.

IDF, Shin Bet confirm commander of Hamas in Lebanon killed in airstrike

The IDF and Shin Bet in a joint statement confirm that the commander of Hamas in Lebanon was killed in an airstrike overnight.

The statement describes Fateh Sherif as the “head of the Lebanon branch of the Hamas terror organization.”

According to the military, Sherif was responsible for coordinating Hamas’s activity in Lebanon with Hezbollah, as well as Hamas’s “force build-up efforts in Lebanon, in the field of recruiting operatives and procuring weapons.”

He “worked to advance the interests of Hamas in [Lebanon], both politically and militarily,” the statement says.

UNRWA confirmed that Sherif was employed by the agency for Palestinian refugees, but says he was being probed over his political activities.

According to Lebanese media, Sherif was killed in a strike on the al-Bass refugee camp in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre.

Hezbollah deputy leader vows terror group ready for potential IDF ground operation

Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, gives first speech since the killing of Hassan Nasrallah on September 30, 2024. (Screen grab/ Press TV)

In the first speech by a Hezbollah official since the killing of the terror group’s leader, Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem vows that the terror group is ready for any potential ground operation by Israeli troops.

“We will face any possibility and we are ready if the Israelis decide to enter by land and the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement,” he says.

“Despite the losses of its commanders, the attacks against civilians throughout Lebanon, and great sacrifices, we will not budge from our position,” says Qassem in a speech from an undisclosed location in Beirut. “We will continue to support Gaza and to defend Lebanon.”

Qassem says Hezbollah will continue in the footsteps of the terror group’s chief Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

He says the terror group is continuing its operations, working according to plans already laid out, and described its attacks on Israel thus far as the “minimum.”

He adds that while the battle could be long, Hezbollah is confident that Israel will not achieve its aims.

Qassem eulogizes Nasrallah for his leadership, and his popularity with the masses, and says that the Shiite group has already proven its determination to continue fighting, by firing rockets on Haifa and on the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim, an attack that Hezbollah has previously not claimed and that according to Qassem, sent a million people into bomb shelters.

Qassem also says that the terror group will elect a new secretary-general as soon as possible, using an internal process, highlighting that for every commander and every official, there are replacements.

UNRWA confirms Hamas leader in Lebanon was its employee

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees confirms that Fateh Sherif, named by Hamas as its leader in Lebanon, was employed by UNRWA, but notes that he was being probed over his political activities.

Sherif was killed today in an airstrike on the al-Bass refugee camp in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, along with his wife and children. Reports indicate he had been the principal of the UNRWA-run Deir Yassin Secondary School in al-Bass.

“Fateh Al Sharif was an UNRWA employee who was put on administrative leave without pay in March, and was undergoing an investigation following allegations that UNRWA received about his political activities,” UNRWA says in response to a Times of Israel query.

In March, UNRWA told Reuters that Sherif had been suspended for three months over allegations of involvement in activities “that are in violation of the Agency’s regulatory framework governing staff conduct.”

At the time, the suspension sparked widespread protests and strikes by teachers in Lebanon.

Syrian media: Air defenses engaged ‘hostile target,’ likely a drone, near Damascus

Syrian media report that air defenses are active on the outskirts of the capital Damascus.

“The sounds of explosions… are the army’s anti-aircraft fire dealing with a hostile target,” the pro-government Sham FM radio reports, adding that the target is likely a drone.

Reports of explosion in Damascus area

There are initial reports of an explosion heard in or near the Syrian capital Damascus.

No further details are immediately available.

Rocket sirens sound in Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi

Rocket sirens sound in Rosh Hanikra and Shlomi, shortly after the military said some 35 rockets were already fired at Israel from Lebanon this morning.

IDF says some 35 rockets fired at northern Israel in recent barrages from Lebanon

Some 35 rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel a short while ago, the IDF says.

According to the military, a barrage of 15 rockets was fired at the northern Golan Heights, followed by another barrage of 20 rockets at the southern Golan and Upper Galilee.

Some of the rockets were shot down by air defenses, while the rest struck open areas, the IDF says.

There are no reports of injuries or major damage.

Report: IDF special forces entered Hezbollah tunnels during Lebanon cross-border operations

View inside a Hezbollah tunnel that crosses from Lebanon to Israel, on the border between Israel and Lebanon in northern Israel, on February 14, 2023. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

The small raids made by Israeli special forces into Lebanon in recent months have included sending troops into Hezbollah tunnels along the border, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The report says the targeted raids are ahead of a possible wider ground operation that could come as soon as this week.

However, the outlet says the timing of the potential incursion could change, noting that Israel is under heavy pressure from the United States not to launch an operation.

The report says that that the IDF may carry out larger raids in Lebanon, rather than a ground offensive.

Hezbollah’s tunnel network is cumulatively several hundred kilometers long, Tal Beeri, an expert on underground warfare, told The Times of Israel in January.

Hezbollah has also tunneled directly into Israel, but those tactical tunnels were exposed and destroyed by the IDF in the January 2019 Operation Northern Shield, according to Beeri.

EU ministers to meet on intensified Israel-Hezbollah fighting

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference in Dubai on September 17, 2024. (Giuseppe Cacape/AFP)

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is convening an extraordinary informal meeting of EU foreign ministers today to discuss the bloc’s response to the escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, an EU spokesperson says.

Hezbollah deputy leader to give 1st speech since killing of Nasrallah

Hezbollah's deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The deputy leader of Hezbollah is set to give his first speech since the killing of the terror group’s chef Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut airstrike on Friday.

Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy leader of the Iran-backed terror group, will speak at 12 p.m.

Rocket sirens sound in Golan Heights communities

Rocket sirens are sounding in a number of towns in the Golan Heights.

Iran says it will not leave any of Israel’s ‘criminal acts’ unanswered

Iran will not leave any of “the criminal acts” of Israel unanswered, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani says in a weekly news conference, referring to the killing of Hezbollah’s chief and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

Abbas Nilforoushan, a top commander of the Quds Force, the IRGC’s foreign operations arm, was killed alongside Hezbollah terror leader Hasan Nasrallah.

Iranian officials have strongly condemned the killing of Nilforoushan, as well as Nasrallah, whose powerful Lebanese terror group has been armed and financed by the Islamic Republic for decades.

US official: Biden administration concerned Iran may strike Israel, preparations underway for joint defense

An image grab from a video taken early on April 14, 2024, shows the Dome of the Rock atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, with the lights of missile interceptions visible in the night sky, after Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel (AFP)

The Biden administration is concerned that Iran may strike Israel after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a US official tells CNN.

The official says that preparations for a joint defense are underway, and the outlet says this includes “changes in US military posture.”

No further details are given.

In April, a coalition including the US, UK, Gulf states, Egypt and Jordan helped Israel to almost completely thwart an unprecedented missile and drone attack by Tehran.

IDF releases footage of aerial refueling operations during yesterday’s Yemen strikes

An image grab taken from a UGC video posted on social media on September 29, 2024, shows smoke billowing above Yemen's Houthi-held Hodeidah port city following Israeli strikes. (AFP/UGC/Anonymous)

The IDF releases footage of aerial refueling operations amid yesterday’s airstrike against infrastructure in Yemen used by the Iran-backed Houthis.

According to the military, dozens of IAF aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers, and spy planes, participated in the strikes against the Houthis some 1,800 kilometers from Israel.

The strike was carried out in response to recent Houthi missile attacks on Israel.

בדרך לתקיפה בתימן, תיעוד מתוך מטוס התדלוק:
עשרות כלי טיס המריאו אתמול לתקיפת מטרות של שלטון הטרור החות׳י בתימן.
ביניהם, מטוסי ה"ראם" – מטוסי התדלוק של חיל-האוויר אשר פועלים במלחמה בכלל הגזרות, ומאפשרים למטוסי הקרב גמישות בתקיפות ופעילות בכל מרחב אווירי, בכל מרחק. pic.twitter.com/eC17IHaBpW

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) September 30, 2024

The footage shows an IAF Boeing 707 refueling an F-35 fighter jet amid the operation.

Drone intercepted over northern waters may have been heading for offshore Karish gas field

The IDF releases footage of the drone interception over the sea in northern Israel this morning by a Navy ship.

The military has not yet specified where the drone was launched from, but according to its initial assessments, it may have been heading for offshore infrastructure at the Karish gas field.

מצ״ב תיעוד כלי הטיס הבלתי מאוייש שחצה למרחב הימי בצפון הארץ מוקדם יותר היום, כלי הטיס יורט על ידי ספינת טילים של חיל הים pic.twitter.com/OIxiNwVa6K

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 30, 2024

Rocket sirens sound in Safed

Rocket sirens are sounding in the northern city of Safed.

Small protest calling for hostage deal held outside PM’s Jerusalem home

Israelis call for a hostage deal outside the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem, September 30, 2024 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A small protest calling for the release of the hostages held in Gaza is held outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Jerusalem.

The protesters carry posters of ministers under the slogan “Cabinet of death,” as well as images of some of the hostages.

It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.

IDF says drone intercepted over Israel’s territorial waters in north

A drone was shot down by air defenses over Israel’s territorial waters in the north of the country a short while ago, the IDF says.

No sirens sounded. The IDF does not specify where the drone was launched from.

Lebanese media reports Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Dahiyeh

Lebanese media report a fresh Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the alleged strike.

דיווחים על תקיפה ישראל בדאחייה בביירות@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/mTpbZ3kjZL

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) September 30, 2024

Report: Katz tells 25 FMs Israel won’t agree to ceasefire until disarmed Hezbollah moves away from border

Foreign Minister Israel Katz waits for the arrival of his British counterpart, David Lammy, and his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, August 16, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Foreign Minister Israel Katz has conveyed a message to over 25 of his counterparts that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon without a number of conditions, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

According to the outlet, countries that received the message include Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Canada.

Kan says that ministers involved in talks for a potential truce were also sent the same message.

Katz reportedly says that the only acceptable situation for a ceasefire would see Hezbollah pushed away from Israel’s border and remaining north of the Litani River, disarmed.

“Only the full implementation of all the resolutions of the UN Security Council regarding Lebanon will lead to a ceasefire,” Katz reportedly says. “For as long as this does not happen, Israel will continue its actions to ensure the security of its citizens, and the return of northern residents to their homes.”

Hamas says its leader in Lebanon was killed in Israeli airstrike

Palestinian terror group Hamas says that its leader in Lebanon, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, was killed in an Israeli strike in the south of the country.

The group says a number of his family members were also killed in the strike.

“Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, the leader of Hamas… in Lebanon and member of the movement’s leadership abroad” was killed in a strike on his “home in the Al-Bass camp in south Lebanon,” a Hamas statement says.

The official National News Agency reported an airstrike near the southern city of Tyre.

כלי תקשורת פלסטיניים מדווחים: מנהיג חמאס בלבנון אבו אל-אמין שימש גם כראש התאחדות מורי אונר"א במדינה@nurityohanan https://t.co/RqUVzg6Ckr pic.twitter.com/5J80SO43wj

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) September 30, 2024

PFLP says three of its leaders killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) says in a statement that three of its leaders were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted Beirut’s Kola district after midnight on Monday.

There had been earlier reports claiming that the strike targeted the leadership of another terror organization, al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group), which has issued a denial.

IDF says it hit dozens of Hezbollah sites in Beqaa Valley in overnight strikes

The IDF says its fighter jets have finished striking dozens of Hezbollah sites in the Beqaa Valley region of Lebanon over the past two hours.

Among the sites attacked were rocket launchers and buildings where Hezbollah was storing weapons, the army says.

The IDF also struck other sites in southern Lebanon being used by Hezbollah for terror operations against Israel, it adds.

Senior Democrats call for sanctioning settlement development group Amana

Amana CEO Ze'ev "Zambish" Hever addresses his settlement group's annual conference in Jerusalem on November 14, 2017. (Courtesy: Yesha Council)

Three senior Democratic senators are urging the Biden administration to sanction Amana, the development arm of the settler movement.

Amana is behind the establishment of settlements along with illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are often built on private Palestinian land.

Senior US officials have told The Times of Israel that Amana has already been considered a candidate for previous rounds of sanctions announced following an executive order signed by US President Joe Biden in February that targets extremist individuals and entities destabilizing the West Bank through violent attacks and land grabs.

Sanctioning Amana would likely have major implications on the settler movement whose leaders have been scrambling to try and prevent such a move, the US officials said.

In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Ben Cardin, Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence chair Mark Warner argue that the step against Amana should be taken.

“We urge you to “follow the money” and consider sanctions against other perpetrators and their supporters like the Amana organization,” the senators write.

“Amana has a long and well-documented history of supporting extremist settlers who expropriate Palestinian land and threaten Palestinian landholders, farmers, and shepherds. Amana has played a central role in forming and sustaining hill-top outposts illegal under Israeli law, often by granting loans to bankroll their start.

IDF says it intercepted suspicious aerial target that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon

IDF air defense fighters successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon a short while ago, the army says.

Rocket sirens were activated in the area of the northern border town Ramot Naftali due to falling fragments from the missile interceptor, the IDF adds.

Saudi Arabia calls for Lebanon’s sovereignty to be respected

Saudi Arabia expresses its “great concern” at the conflict in Lebanon, calling for the country’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity” to be respected.

A foreign ministry statement says, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the developments taking place in the Republic of Lebanon.”

“The Kingdom calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards protecting regional peace and security to spare the region and its people the dangers and tragedies of wars,” it adds.

Israel has carried out several days of deadly strikes on targets in Lebanon, killing the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group Hassan Nasrallah on Friday and other senior figures in the movement.

IDF says it hit Hamas terrorists operating from building previously used as school in north Gaza

Israeli fighter planes targeted Hamas terrorists operating a command center from a building that was previously used as a school in northern Gaza, the IDF says.

The army says it took many steps ahead of time to reduce harm to civilians in the strike, including choosing more precise weapons and conducting aerial observations of the site ahead of time.

“The Hamas terror group systematically violates international law, brutally exploiting civilian institutions and the population as a human shield for terror operations,” the IDF says in a statement.

Israeli drone strike in Beirut said to kill two members of Sunni terror group

Two people were killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut shortly after midnight on Monday, a Lebanese security source says, the first strike in a part of the city that wasn’t in the Dahiyeh Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs.

An Israeli drone targeted an apartment belonging to two members of the Lebanese terror group al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group), says the source.

Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, like Hamas, is a Sunni faction that forms part of the broader Muslim Brotherhood political network. The armed wing of the group, the al-Fajr Forces, has repeatedly targeted Israel from Lebanon in the current war, often working in conjunction with the Shi’ite Hezbollah.

The IDF has yet to comment on the strike, but does tweet that the army is targeting Hezbollah sites in the Bekaa Valley region of Lebanon.

Blast heard, smoke seen in southwest Beirut

An Israeli strike early Monday hit an upper floor of an apartment building in the Kola district of Beirut, Reuters witnesses say, in what would be the first Israeli strike within Beirut’s city limits since the escalating hostilities with Hezbollah began earlier this month.

Reuters witnesses heard a bang and saw smoke rise from a hole in the upper floor, which seemed to have been specifically targeted.

לילות ביירות pic.twitter.com/CuRndOKjbu

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) September 29, 2024

Jordanian FM: Arab world willing to guarantee Israel’s security if Palestinian state established

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi addresses reporters in New York at the United Nations on September 27, 2024. (Screen capture/X)

In a recent press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi insisted that Arab and Muslim countries will guarantee Israel’s security if Jerusalem agrees to allow the establishment of a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 lines, while blasting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to do so.

“The Israeli prime minister came here today and said that Israel is surrounded by those who want to destroy it,” Safadi said at a Friday press conference shortly after Netanyahu finished his speech at the UN General Assembly.

“We’re here — members of the Muslim-Arab committee, mandated by 57 Arab and Muslim countries — and I can tell you very unequivocally, all of us are willing to guarantee the security of Israel in the context of Israel ending the occupation and allowing for the emergence of a Palestinian state,” Safadi passionately argued.

Netanyahu “is creating that danger because he simply does not want the two-state solution. If he does not want the two-state solution, can you ask Israeli officials what is their end-game — other than just wars and wars and wars?”

“All of us in the Arab world here, want a peace in which Israel lives in peace and security, accepted, normalized with all Arab countries in the context of ending the occupation, withdrawing from Arab territory, allowing for the emergence of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lies with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Safadi continues.

“The amount of damage that this Israeli government has done — 30 years of efforts to convince people that peace is possible, this Israeli government killed it. The amount of dehumanization, hatred, bitterness, will take generations to navigate through,” the Jordanian foreign minister says. “We have no partner for peace in Israel, there is a partner for peace in the Arab world, and that’s why the international community needs to move.”