West Jerusalem announced the start of cross-border ground raids in the early hours of Tuesday

Israeli soldiers work on tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APC) in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. ©  AP Photo/Leo Correa

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the beginning of “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon on Tuesday. The move comes after two weeks of bombing by the Jewish state that killed over one thousand people and displaced one million more.

During the bombing campaign, the IDF killed several senior Hezbollah members, including the group’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah. A rumored Israeli operation to simultaneously explode communications devices belonging to members of the militant group also reportedly killed children as well as its intended targets. 

The goal of the IDF ‘incursion’ is to ensure the safety of citizens living in the northern part of Israel. West Jerusalem has claimed. Hezbollah has been launching barrages of rockets into Israel in what it had said was an act of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

The IDF occupied parts of southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000 in what became known as the First Lebanon War in Israel.

Israel invaded Lebanon again in 2006, which resulted in a 34-day conflict with Hezbollah.

01 October 2024

06:30 GMT

Five rockets have been fired from Lebanon at the communities of Metula and Avivim in northern Israel, the IDF has announced. Some of the projectiles were intercepted by air defenses, while the others landed in open areas, it said. There have been no reports of casualties or damage.

06:12 GMT

At least ten people have been killed and five wounded in an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) has reported. A bomb hit a home in the town of Daoudiya, the NNA said, adding that all the victims are believed to be members of one family.

05:55 GMT

The Israel Defense Forces has published a video on X (formerly Twitter), showing its troops preparing for what it called “limited, localized, targeted operations” inside Lebanon.

The IDF said it will “continue fighting to achieve all goals of the war including dismantling Hamas, bringing our hostages back home and restoring security in northern Israel.”

 

 

05:49 GMT

The United Arab Emirates has expressed “deep concern” over the Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon, calling it a “dangerous situation” that may have an “impact on regional stability.”

“The UAE reaffirmed its unwavering position towards the unity of Lebanon, national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry called for “concerted international endeavors” to prevent further escalation between Israel and Lebanon. The UAE will deliver an “urgent” $100 million relief package to the Lebanese people, it added.

04:52 GMT

A series of blasts could be heard during the live broadcast of RT’s Middle East bureau chief Maria Finoshina who reported from Haifa, some 30 km from the Lebanese border.

 

 

 

04:36 GMT

Israeli forces entered the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday morning, raiding homes, firing live bullets and setting off explosive devices, the Palestinian news agency Wafa has reported.

One Palestinian man sustained a gunshot wound, according to the outlet. The IDF also reportedly detained a Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance crew as they tried to treat the injured man. The IDF has not commented on the report.

04:20 GMT

Video posted online purportedly shows Israeli airstrikes pummeling Lebanon suburbs adjacent to the Beirut International Airport.

The IDF said earlier that it was targeting a Hezbollah missile facility located near the airport.

 

 

03:55 GMT

A video circulating on social media reportedly shows that thousands have gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for prayer shortly after the start of the IDF ground incursion in Lebanon was announced.

 

 

03:02 GMT

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has spoken with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant over the phone.

According to the Pentagon, Austin reaffirmed US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran, as well as Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and “other Iran-backed terrorist organizations.” Austin and Gallant “agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hizballah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” the statement read.

At the same time, Austin pointed out that “a diplomatic resolution” would eventually be required to ensure that Israeli civilians could safely return to their homes in the northern part of the country, which borders Lebanon.

Austin also “made clear” that the US would defend its personnel, partners and allies against threats coming from Iran and allied groups in the region.

02:50 GMT

Canada has reserved 800 seats on commercial flights to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon as many airlines have started to suspend flights to the country amid Israel’s ground operation.

”The security situation in Lebanon is becoming increasingly dangerous and volatile,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly wrote on X, calling on all Canadians to leave the Middle Eastern country as soon as possible.

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