Iran preparing to launch missile attack on Israel, says US, as Israel invades Lebanon
Read the latest on Israel's attack on Lebanon
Here's what you need to know:
- The Israeli military has launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, while airstrikes continue across the country
- Before the ground assault, Israel's escalating strikes on Lebanon reportedly killed more than 1,000 people in just two weeks
- The violence has also forced up to a million people to flee their homes
- The head of Hezbollah's media office, Mohammad Afif, claimed that no Israeli troops have entered Lebanese territory
- In a call with his Israeli counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that Iran would face "serious consequences" if it launched a direct military attack against Israel
8:15pm
Hezbollah launches strike on air base near Tel Aviv
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Hezbollah said it has launched missiles towards an Israeli air base, reports BBC.
In a post on Telegram, it says it has targeted the Sde Dov air base on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
8:00pm
US has indications Iran preparing imminent missile attack on Israel: White House official
A senior White House official has told Al Jazeera that the United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, reports Al Jazeera.
"We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack," the official said.
"A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran."
Iran has promised to avenge the killing of Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforoushan, a top commander of its Quds Force, who was killed alongside the Hezbollah leader on Friday.
7:50pm
Israel army says launches strike on Beirut
The Israeli military said it launched a fresh strike on Beirut on Tuesday, the latest in a flurry of attacks targeting Hezbollah in the Lebanese capital, reports AFP.
"The IDF (Israeli military) conducted a precise strike in Beirut," the statement said, without offering details.
7:20pm
Israel says calling up four more reserve brigades for northern operation
The Israeli army mobilised four additional brigades to be deployed in missions along the northern border, the military said on Tuesday, after launching ground operations targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon overnight, reports AFP.
"This will enable the continuation of operational activity against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and the achievement of operational goals, including the safe return of the residents of northern Israel to their homes," the army said in a statement.
6:50pm
Israeli forces have carried out raids in Lebanon for months, military says
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari says forces have been carrying out raids into southern Lebanon for months, uncovering Hezbollah tunnels and weapon caches under homes and uncovering invasion plans by the group, reports Al Jazeera.
Hagari said the details were being declassified, hours after Israel announced a ground operation against the Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has denied that Israel had started a ground operation.
Hagari said that the findings and evidence discovered under homes in villages in southern Lebanon during the raids will be presented to the international community.
6:20pm
UN Warns Against 'Large-scale Ground Invasion' In Lebanon
The United Nations warned Israel on Tuesday against a "large-scale ground invasion" of Lebanon, after the Israeli military began a ground assault, reports AFP.
"With armed violence between Israel and Hezbollah boiling over, the consequences for civilians have already been terrible," Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN rights office, told reporters in Geneva.
"We fear a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering," she warned.
5:45pm
Lebanon army source says force has observed no Israeli ground incursion
A Lebanese army source said Tuesday that the force had seen no Israeli ground incursion, after Israel said it had launched ground raids in south Lebanon, reports AFP.
"We have not observed any penetration by Israeli enemy forces into Lebanese territory," the Lebanese army source told AFP, requesting anonymity, after United Nations peacekeepers and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah also denied any ground incursion had begun.
5:15pm
Israel defence minister briefs Pentagon chief on Lebanon assault
Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he spoke overnight with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on its ground offensive in southern Lebanon, reports Al Jazeera.
"We agreed on the importance of dismantling attack infrastructure along the northern border to prevent attacks by Hezbollah against Israeli citizens. I briefed the Secretary on the localized and targeted raids … against Hezbollah targets," said Gallant.
"We also discussed ongoing threats posed by Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Yemen and Syria. Emphasized the importance of US force posture and the interoperability of US and Israeli defensive capabilities."
4:50pm
Rockets fired at Mossad HQ, says Hezbollah
Hezbollah said it launched "Fadi-4" rockets at the headquarters of Mossad and Unit 8200, which are in the Tel Aviv area, reports BBC.
Mossad is the international arm of Israel's intelligence service, and Unit 8200 is the Israeli military's central intelligence gathering body.
There have been no reports of damage to the headquarters.
4:41 PM
Israeli military: Hezbollah is firing missiles into Israel
The Israeli military said a missile fired by Hezbollah fell directly on Kfar Qassem, an Arab village in central Israel.
Early Tuesday afternoon local time it said around 15 projectiles "were identified crossing from Lebanon, which fell in open areas in the Upper Galilee area".
4:06 PM
Hezbollah denies Israeli troops have entered Lebanon
The head of Hezbollah's media office, Mohammad Afif, said that no Israeli troops have entered Lebanese territory, and warned that the group's strikes on Tel Aviv hours earlier were "only the beginning".
In a written statement to Reuters, Afif said Hezbollah had not engaged in "direct ground clashes" with Israeli troops, but that it would be ready to do so.
3:47 PM
Israel's ground incursion in Lebanon must stop: Spain's foreign minister
Israel should cease conducting ground raids in southern Lebanon to avoid an escalation of the conflict enveloping the region, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters on Tuesday.
Since February 2022, Spain has commanded the United Nations' Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and deployed 650 troops along the southern Lebanese border with Israel.
3:34 PM
Israeli strikes kill at least 21 in Gaza
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people in Gaza on Tuesday, local medics said.
Palestinian health officials said at least 13 people, including women and children, were killed in two Israeli strikes on two houses in Nuseirat, one of the enclave's eight historic refugee camps.
There has been no immediate comment by the Israeli army on the two strikes.
Another strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City killed at least seven people, medics added.
One person was also killed in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said in a statement the air strike targeted Hamas militants operating from a command centre embedded in a compound that had previously served as Al-Shejaia School.
3:20 PM
Israeli raids will target Hezbollah strongholds along border, military says
Israel's ground offensive in southern Lebanon will target Hezbollah bases along the border that threaten Israel, and is not a war against the Lebanese people, Israel's military says.
"These localised ground raids will target Hezbollah strongholds that threaten Israeli towns, kibbutzim and communities along our border," army spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
"Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases ready for an attack on Israel."
![Israeli army spokesman Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari [Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP]](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2024/10/01/hagari.png)
2:56 PM
Israeli army says it intercepted rockets fired from Lebanon: Al Jazeera
The Israeli military says "a number of" rockets that crossed into the territory of Israel from Lebanon have been detected and some of them have been intercepted.
The army statement said hostile aircraft alerts were activated in the areas of Gush Dan, Sharon, Yarkon and Samaria in Israel.
The details of the incident are under review, it added.
2:55 PM
Israeli forces 'deliberately targeted' medics in Balata refugee camp: Al Jazeera
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says three emergency medical technicians (EMTs) were wounded by live ammunition in the occupied West Bank after being "deliberately targeted" by Israeli soldiers.
The attack occurred despite prior coordination through the International Committee of the Red Cross as they tried to evacuate casualties in Balata refugee camp in Nablus, PRCS said on X.
"[Israeli] forces are blocking ambulances from entering the camp to evacuate our injured teams, and we remain unable to evacuate the wounded EMTs."
![Members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society carry the bodies of two fellow paramedics killed in an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza, in May [File: Hatem Khaled/Reuters]](https://www.tbsnews.net/sites/default/files/styles/infograph/public/images/2024/10/01/red_crescent.png)
2:40 PM
Lebanon stares down 'one of its most dangerous phases of its history': PM
Lebanon's prime minister says his country faces "one of the most dangerous phases of its history", urging the United Nations to provide aid for one million people displaced by Israeli air strikes.
"Around a million of our people have been displaced because of the devastating war that Israel is waging on Lebanon," the National News Agency quoted Najib Mikati as saying.
"We urgently call for more aid to reinforce our ongoing efforts to provide basic support to displaced civilians," he said in a meeting with UN representatives.
2:38 PM
More on Houthi drone attacks on Israel: Al Jazeera
A statement by Houthi fighters said its "unmanned air force" struck a military target of the Israeli army in the Jaffa area in Tel Aviv. It also said also four drones attacked military targets in the city of Eilat, says Al Jazeera.
The Houthi statement said the two operations achieved their goals, without giving further details.
"The Yemeni armed forces salute all the steadfast [fighters] in Palestine and Lebanon for their defence of the nation and for confronting the Israeli-American aggression and their plans to subjugate all countries and peoples," it said.
2:15 PM
One killed, another critically wounded by Israeli troops in Nablus: Al Jazeera
The Palestinian Health Ministry says a 25-year-old man died of injuries after he was shot by soldiers in the abdomen and thigh in the Balata refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank.
Another Palestinian, critically wounded after being shot in Balata, arrived at Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, according to a statement on Telegram.
2:05 PM
Houthi drones target Israeli military positions in Tel Aviv, Eilat
Yemen's Houthi movement has targeted Israeli army bases in Tel Aviv and Eilat with drones, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree says in a televised speech.
2:00 PM
Elite Israeli units enter Lebanon but ground war plays to Hezbollah 'home strengths'
According to reports, Israel has sent in their elite paratrooper division, the 98th, which has seen extensive action in Gaza. So they are battle-hardened, albeit exhausted by now, after a year of conflict.
They have also sent in the 7th armoured brigade, which is the cream of their armoured units, as well. They are very well trained, very well backed up. The division is about 12,000 to 14,000 elite troops and it will be backed up by dozens of tanks and, of course, artillery as well, says Al Jazeera.
The issue is that they are playing to Hezbollah's home strengths as well, because now Hezbollah can fight back.
Hezbollah has a special forces unit called the Radwan Force that focuses especially on fighting in the south and they train solely in that location.
1:30 PM
Vessel hit by sea drone off Yemen's Hodeidah: Al Jazeera
A vessel has reported being hit by an "uncrewed surface vessel" about 64 nautical miles (120km) northwest of Yemen's Hodeidah city.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the ship reported seeing four "splashes" close by indicating missile strikes. All crew members are safe and it is proceeding to its next port of call.
1:05PM
Israel military says commandos, paratroopers part of ground offensive
The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said elements of Israel's 98th Division, including the commando, paratrooper and armoured brigades, have begun "targeted and specific activities in the South Lebanon area".
12:35 PM
Hezbollah fires artillery at Israeli troops in Metula
Hezbollah stated that it targeted Israeli forces in Metula with artillery fire but did not address Israel's announcement of launching a ground incursion into Lebanon.
Hezbollah attacked "a movement of enemy soldiers in Metula with artillery shells", it said in a statement. In another, it said it targeted a "gathering of enemy soldiers" in the same area with rockets.
The Israeli army said on X that five rockets were fired this morning from Lebanon towards Metula. Some were intercepted while the rest fell into an open area.
12:20 PM
Israeli military carries out raids, arrests across the West Bank
The Israeli military has carried out a series of raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports. Incidents include:
- Ten people were arrested in the town of al-Khader, south of Bethlehem.
- Four men were arrested in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.
- One man was arrested in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron.
- The Dheisheh refugee camp, the city of Beit Jala, and the village of Artas have been stormed.
- The village of Baqat al-Hatab, east of Qalqilya, has been stormed.
12:08PM
Difficult for Israel to halt all rocket fire for safe return of citizens: Al Jazeera
According to Al Jazeera, Rodger Shanahan, a former liaison officer with the Australian military during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, says the Israeli army has "learned lessons" from the last conflict and has been "degrading" Hezbollah for the past year.
"It's much more planned than it was in 2006, much more preparatory work, and Hezbollah has been degraded to a point they weren't in 2006," the Middle East security analyst told Al Jazeera.
With around 30,000 troops positioned along the southern Lebanon border, Shanahan stated that the next military actions will be determined by the level of resistance encountered from Hezbollah.
"The problem is the political aim of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the return of 60,000 Israelis to the north. If you're Hezbollah, it doesn't take many rockets to be fired into the north to make that too dangerous for the Israeli citizens to return," said Shanahan.
"It's very difficult for the military to achieve the political aim. Whether you can make sure the north of Israel is going to be safe for everybody to return is another issue – and that's a political issue as much as it is a military issue."
12:05PM
US officials says Netanyahu 'talked down' from full invasion of Lebanon
The official line is that the US supports this operation, reports Al Jazeera.
According to reports, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was talked into not launching a full-out invasion, and managed to talk him down to this "limited" incursion.
The other official aspect of this is that the US supports Israel and it supports its right to defend itself.
11:50 AM
British maritime security agency reports attack in Red Sea
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident occurring 64 nautical miles (188 km) off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen.
UKMTO said that "four splashes [were] sighted in close proximity to the vessel", but added that "all crew are safe and the vessel is proceeding". It advised vessels to transit with caution in the area.
The Yemen-based Houthis have vowed to continue targeting Israeli cities and vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until Israel ceases its military actions in Lebanon and Gaza.
10:45AM
Israeli military bombs home in Lebanese town of al-Dawoudiya, killing 10
The Israeli military bombed a home in the southern Lebanese town of Daoudiya, killing at least 10 people and wounding five others, the Lebanese National News Agency reports.
All of those killed belong to the Diab family, according to the NNA.
We will bring you more information on this attack when we have it.
10:00AM - US defence chief says Iran will face 'serious consequences' if it attacks Israel
In a call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Washington supported Israel in the "necessity of dismantling [Hezbollah] attack infrastructure along the border" with Lebanon in order to prevent "October 7-style attacks on Israel's northern communities".
Austin also warned Iran of the consequences should it choose to fight with Washington's key ally.
"I reiterated the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel," he said.
Austin also said the US military is "well-postured" to defend "US personnel, partners, and allies" in the region in the "face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organisations".
9:16AM - Israeli strike targets Fatah commander
An Israeli strike in Lebanon early on Tuesday targeted Mounir Maqdah, a commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, according to two Palestinian security officials.
His fate was unknown.
The strike hit a building in the crowded Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon, the sources said.
It marked the first strike on the camp which is Lebanon's largest of several Palestinian camps since cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel broke out nearly a year ago.
Fatah is the mainstream Palestinian nationalist movement founded in 1965 by late leader Yasser Arafat. It is a secular party and the largest of the various factions that make up the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Hamas is not in the PLO.
9:15AM - Palestinian leader survives Israeli assassination attempt in Lebanon, son killed: Report
Munir al-Maqdah has reportedly survived an Israeli military attack on his home in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in the Lebanese city of Sidon earlier tonight, the Al Mayadeen news outlet reports, citing a Palestinian source.
Al-Maqdah's son, Hassan al-Maqdah, is reported to have been killed in the bombing, which has taken the lives of at least five people and injured several more.
Al-Maqdah is a brigadier general with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Lebanon, a
coalition of Fatah-aligned Palestinian armed groups, according to reports.
8:48AM - US Secretary of Defense spoke with Israel's defense minister: Pentagon
Lloyd Austin in his talk with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border, according to the US Department of Defense.
"They agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel's northern communities," the department said in a statement.
8:40AM - At least 5 people confirmed dead following Israeli attack in Sidon
At least five people are now confirmed dead following the Israeli military strike on the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in the coastal city in southern Lebanon, the Al Mayadeen news outlet reports.
Earlier, we reported that the Israeli air attack hit the home of Munir al-Maqdah, a brigadier general with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Lebanon – a coalition of Palestinian armed groups aligned with the Fatah movement.
The attack marks the first Israeli air attack on the overcrowded refugee camp – Lebanon's largest of several Palestinian camps – since fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began in October last year.
7:03 AM - Iraq: US forces accounted for after reported rocket attack in Baghdad, official says
Multiple Katyusha rockets were fired near Baghdad International Airport, two Iraqi military officials told Reuters early on Tuesday.
Iraq, a rare regional partner of both the United States and Iran, hosts 2,500 US troops and also has Iran-backed armed factions linked to its security forces.
But a US official disputed reports that US military forces were targeted in the incident.
"All military personnel are accounted for and military forces were not targeted as had been reported," the US defense official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The incident was a reminder of the soaring tensions in the Middle East, as speculation swirled about whether Iran and Iran-backed groups would make good on threats to retaliate after a series of Israeli major blows against Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Two Iraqi security sources said an initial investigation showed three rockets were fired, including one that landed near buildings used by Iraqi counter-terrorism forces, causing damage and fire to some vehicles but no casualties.
The sources had previously said at least two Katyusha rockets were also fired at a military base hosting US force and that air defenses intercepted the rockets.
6:47AM - Israel strikes Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon
Israel launched a strike on a building in Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian camp near south Lebanon's Sidon early on Tuesday, a Palestinian source and Lebanese media said.
It marked the first strike on the overcrowded camp, Lebanon's largest of several Palestinian camps, since cross-border hostilities broke out nearly a year ago.
Palestinian security officials said the Israelis targeted Mounir Maqdah, commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Maqdah's fate was unknown.
The United Natiions refugee agency UNRWA provides services to nearly 50,000 refugees in the crowded camp.
Sidon is about 50 miles north of the border with Israel.
UNRWA says the refugees mostly came from coastal towns in pre-1948 Palestine, but that in more recent years it also housed Syrians who had fled their country's civil war.
6:46AM - Syrian TV presenter killed in strike on Damascus: state media
A Syrian state television presenter was killed in an Israeli strike on the country's capital Damascus, Syrian state television reported early on Tuesday without providing further details.
Syrian air defences intercepted "hostile targets" over the vicinity of Damascus three times in a row in one night, following explosions that were heard in the capital, state media added.
When asked about the reported attack, the Israeli military said it does not comment on foreign media reports.
5:48AM - Israel's invasion begins with 'limited' Hezbollah raids on south Lebanon
Israel's military said its troops began limited ground raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area of southern Lebanon early on Tuesday, as a ground invasion by its troops appeared to be getting under way.
Calling the campaign Operation Northern Arrows, the military said in a statement that the targets were in villages close to the border and posed "an immediate threat" to communities in northern Israel. It said the air force and artillery were supporting ground forces with "precise strikes."
Local residents in the Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab reported heavy shelling and the sound of helicopters and drones in the sky. Flares were repeatedly launched over the Lebanese border town of Rmeish, lighting up the night sky.
The White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem said on Monday that "the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement."
The Israeli attacks in Lebanon are part of a conflict stretching from the occupied Palestinian territories to Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Iraq. The escalation has raised fears the United States and Iran will be drawn in.
5:27AM - Israel says its soldiers have trained for months for 'Operation Northern Arrows' in Lebanon
In announcing targeted ground raids in southern Lebanon, Israel said that the campaign, called Operation Northern Arrows, would continue according to its assessment of the situation and "in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas."
The Israeli military said it was operating under a "methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months."
"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," it said.
4:59AM - Israeli ground forces begin targeted raids against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon: Israel
The Israeli military said ground forces had begun limited, localized and targeted raids against Hezbollah in the border area of southern Lebanon.
In a statement, it said the targets were located in villages near the border and posed an immediate threat to communities in northern Israel.
The Israeli air force and artillery were supporting ground forces with precise strikes on military targets, the statement said.
The operations were approved and carried out in line with decisions of the country's political authorities, it said.
3:59AM - What we know so far: Beirut comes under new aerial attack as Israeli ground invasion looms
Huge blasts were heard in Lebanon's capital early on Tuesday, and a US official said a ground invasion by Israel looked imminent as it battles armed group Hezbollah.
The Israeli military carried out strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, security sources said, and a massive smoke cloud and flames could be seen in a Reuters live broadcast.
A US official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters the positioning of Israeli troops suggested a ground incursion of Lebanon could be near.
Hezbollah issued a statement after midnight saying it was targeting Israeli troop movements over the Lebanese border in Israel.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the next phase of the war would begin soon. Israel aims to return home Israelis who have fled Hezbollah rockets during nearly a year of border warfare.
Lebanese troops pulled back about 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Israel late on Monday. Lebanon's army has historically stayed on the sidelines of major conflicts with Israel, and in the last year of hostilities has not fired on the Israeli military.
At least 95 people were killed and 172 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon's southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut in the past 24 hours, Lebanon's health ministry said.
3:32 AM - Lebanon says Israeli strikes kill at least 95 people over past day
A total of at least 95 people were killed and 172 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon's southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut in the past 24 hours, Lebanon's health ministry said early on Tuesday.
The vast majority were killed in the south, with 23 killed in the east and four in Beirut.
As of Monday at 6 p.m., 1,745 people have been killed and 8,767 wounded since cross-border fighting began nearly a year ago, according to Lebanese government daily figures.
