At least 37 people were killed and over 150 injured in Israeli strikes on Lebanon over the past 24 hours. This is one of the most intense attacks since Israel stepped up its offensive against Hezbollah. The Dahiye area, which is home to Hezbollah's headquarters in southern Beirut, was heavily bombed—an even bigger attack than the one that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week. Some of the strikes also hit near Beirut’s international airport.
Reports say that Thursday night’s strikes targeted Hashem Safieddine, the likely new leader of Hezbollah, while he was meeting with other officials in an underground bunker. His current status is unknown.
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
1. Sirens sounded across northern Israel today after Hezbollah launched a series of rockets from southern Lebanon. The attack reportedly followed a speech by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Dozens of rockets were fired, but no casualties have been reported so far, according to The Times of Israel.
2. An Israeli strike destroyed a major border road in Lebanon used by thousands of people fleeing to Syria amid the ongoing conflict. Lebanon’s Transport Minister Ali Hamieh stated that the bombing created a 12-foot-wide crater, making the road unusable. The Israeli army claimed that Hezbollah was using the road to transport military supplies into Lebanon.
3. An Israeli airstrike in Beirut targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, who is considered the likely successor to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. While neither Israel nor Hezbollah has commented, Israel’s Channel 13 reported that military sources believe the attack was successful. Israel’s military confirmed it targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut.
4. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a Friday sermon today, declaring that Hezbollah and Hamas will not back down and that Israel will not defeat them. This was his first Friday sermon in five years.
5. A symbolic funeral for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27, will be held on Friday. Ayatollah Khamenei will lead the prayers from Iran. Nasrallah is expected to be buried in the city of Karbala, near Imam Hussein’s shrine in southern Baghdad.
6. U.S. President Joe Biden said he does not believe there will be an "all-out war" in the Middle East. He stressed the importance of doing more to prevent such a conflict.
7. Israel is preparing to respond to Iran for the rocket attack on its territory two days ago. Israel has not revealed its plan yet, but its ambassador to the UN said the country has "a lot of options" for retaliation and will show its strength to Tehran soon.
8. The Israeli military has urged residents in southern Lebanon, outside a UN-declared buffer zone, to evacuate, suggesting a possible expansion of ground operations. Nearly 1.2 million people have already been displaced due to the fighting in Lebanon. Israeli forces claim they have hit around 200 Hezbollah targets.
9. Gulf Arab countries, meeting in Qatar, expressed concern over a possible Iranian attack on their oil facilities. They assured Iran of their neutrality in the conflict and urged Tehran to de-escalate tensions. Iran had warned that any "Israeli supporters" who intervene directly could become targets.
10. Israel continued its attacks in Palestine. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that 18 people were killed in a recent Israeli strike on the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank. Israel stated that the strike killed the head of Hamas’ network in Tulkarem, Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi.
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