Israel Hezbollah War Highlights: Israel strikes fuel tanks, other targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday said that Israel would strike at enemies no matter the distance, after the military targeted Huthi rebels in Yemen. "Our message is clear -- for us, no place is too far," Gallant said in a statement.

Lebanon said 24 people had been killed Sunday in an Israeli strike near the main southern city of Sidon, the latest in a week of intensified bombardment.
"The Israeli enemy's attack on Ain al-Delb killed, in a preliminary toll, 24 people and injured 29," the ministry said in a statement.

Pope Francis, when asked about Israel's targeted killing of Hassan Nasrallah, suggested that Israel's attacks in Gaza and Lebanon have been "immoral" and disproportionate. He further said that its military domination has gone beyond the rules of war.

"When there is something disproportionate, there is a dominating tendency that goes beyond morality. A country that does these things - and I'm talking about any country - in a superlative way, these are immoral actions," said Pope Francis.

The Israeli military said that multiple airstrikes were launched at Yemen's Hodeidah port on Sunday, with targets including fuel tanks in response to recent attack on Israel.

The Houthis launched a ballistic missile attack on Ben Gurion airport on Saturday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arriving from US.

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, one of the world’s most feared terror leaders and the figure who had loomed large over Lebanon for decades, was killed in an Israeli airstrike after intelligence reportedly tipped off Israeli forces just hours before the attack.

The chilling operation, which took place in the dense southern suburbs of Beirut, was a direct result of a covert tip-off from an Iranian mole embedded deep within Hezbollah’s ranks, according to a report.

As per Le Parisien, the intelligence was precise, leaving Israel with a rare opportunity to eliminate the man at the top of the Shiite militant group.

Israeli strike on Lebanon's Bekaa valley kills senior leader Jama'a Islamiya Mohammad Dahrouj, according to news agency Reuters citing two sources.

The Israeli military said on Sunday the strike that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah this week in Beirut also "eliminated" more than 20 other members of the Lebanese armed group.

"More than 20 other terrorists of varying ranks, who were present at the underground headquarters in Beirut located beneath civilian buildings, and were managing Hezbollah's terrorist operations against the state of Israel, were also eliminated," the military said in a statement

French foreign ministry said Jean-Noel Barrot will travel to Lebanon on Sunday evening. "Jean-Noel Barrot will take off from Paris shortly, to land in Lebanon on Sunday evening to "exchange with the local authorities and bring French support, especially humanitarian", the foreign ministry said in a statement

Earlier, the Israeli military said it was carrying out fresh strikes Sunday targeting Hezbollah's weapons storage facilities and infrastructure sites in Lebanon.

"Over the last few hours, IDF (military) fighter jets struck Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including launchers directed toward Israeli territory, weapons storage facilities, and terrorist infrastructure sites," the military said in a statement.

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 11 Palestinians, health officials in the enclave said on Sunday, as Israeli planes bombarded several northern, central and southern areas.

A school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip was among buildings hit, killing four people and wounded several others, Gaza medics said.

Hezbollah confirmed on Sunday that its senior leader Ali Karaki was killed in an Israeli strike that targeted some of the group's other senior figures including its chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.

The body of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been recovered from the site of an Israeli air attack on Beirut's southern suburbs and is intact, a medical source and a security source told Reuters on Sunday.

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday said that the killing in Lebanon of a senior Revolutionary Guards general in an Israeli strike, alongside Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, "will not go unanswered."

"This horrible crime of the aggressor Zionist regime will not go unanswered, and the diplomatic apparatus will also use all its political, diplomatic, legal and international capacities to pursue the criminals and their supporters," he said, according to a foreign ministry statement.

A day after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel has killed another high-ranking Hezbollah commander, Nabil Kaouk, in an airstrike. Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was eliminated on Saturday, according to the Israeli military.

Hezbollah has not yet commented on the attack. Nabil Kaouk was a veteran of Hezbollah, having joined the organisation in the 1980s.The United States had imposed sanctions on him in 2020 for his involvement in Hezbollah’s military operations in southern Lebanon.

During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Ziad Makary, Lebanon's Information Minister, announced that efforts were being made through diplomatic channels to establish a ceasefire with Israel.

Makary stated, "It is certain that the Lebanese government wants a ceasefire, and everyone knows that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu went to New York based on the premise of a ceasefire, but the decision was made to assassinate Nasrallah."

"Diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire are ongoing. The Prime Minister is not falling short, but the matter is not that easy," Makary emphasized, highlighting the complexity of the situation and the challenges faced in reaching a resolution.

According to the Israeli military, Nabil Kaouk, a top-ranking Hezbollah official, was killed in an airstrike on Saturday. Kaouk held the position of deputy head of Hezbollah's Central Council. Hezbollah has not yet released a statement regarding the incident. This news follows the deaths of other high-ranking Hezbollah commanders in recent Israeli airstrikes, including the group's overall leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in Beirut on Friday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Sunday that they had targeted and eliminated Nabil Kaouk, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah, as part of the ongoing cross-border attacks between Israel and the Lebanese militant group.

Although Hezbollah has not officially confirmed Kaouk's death, since Saturday, the organization's supporters have been sharing condolence messages on social media platforms, Reuters reported.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Sunday the initiation of an emergency operation to provide meals for one million individuals impacted by the intensifying conflict in Lebanon. The agency, headquartered in Rome, emphasized the necessity for an immediate humanitarian response following a further escalation of the conflict over the weekend. WFP is currently distributing ready-to-eat food rations, bread, hot meals, and food parcels to shelters throughout the country.

Israel reported on Sunday that it was conducting new air strikes targeting numerous Hezbollah locations in Lebanon, following the killing of the Iran-backed group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in bombing raids outside Beirut two days prior. Nasrallah's death signified a significant escalation in the nearly year-long exchange of cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, which began after Hezbollah's Palestinian ally Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to the WFP, the bombing in Lebanon is "compounding the fragility of a population burdened by accumulated crises." Matthew Hollingworth, the programme's country director for Lebanon, stated in the statement, "In just a few days, WFP assistance has reached thousands of newly displaced people." He further added, "As the crisis deepens, we are preparing to assist up to one million people through a mix of cash and food support," and called upon the international community to mobilize $105 million to fund the operation until the end of the year.

Lebanon's top Christian cleric has said that the killing of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has opened "a wound in the hearts of the Lebanese." He also called on the need for the international community to take action to halt the "cycle of war, killing, and destruction." The patriarch called for diplomacy, saying that war leads to losses for all sides involved.

At least six individuals were killed in the south of the country, with an additional nine fatalities in the Bekaa Valley – a Hezbollah stronghold in north-eastern Lebanon, BBC reported quoting local media. The Arabic newspaper An-Nahar reports that three people were killed in the southern town of Anquon, with another three killed in various locations across the southern Nabatieh region.

On Sunday, China stated its opposition to any infringement on Lebanon's sovereignty following Israel's airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as reported on the Chinese foreign ministry's website.

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, commenting on the killing of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said on Sunday that what Iran terms resistance groups will continue to confront Israel with the help of Iran, according to Iranian state media.

China said that it is "deeply concerned" and "closely monitoring" the rising tensions in the Middle East following Israel's strikes that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon. The Chinese foreign ministry stated, "We are closely following this incident and are alarmed by the escalation of tensions in the region," calling on "all parties, especially Israel, to take immediate measures to de-escalate the situation."

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, remarked on Sunday that the groups Iran refers to as resistance movements will persist in their opposition to Israel, supported by Iran, following the killing of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Reuters reported quoting Iranian state media.

Israel said on Sunday it was carrying out new air raids against "dozens" of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, after killing the Iran-backed group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that its leader Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike a day earlier on Beirut's southern suburbs, dealing a massive blow to the group he had led for decades.

His killing marks a sharp escalation in nearly a year of tit-for-tat cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel, and risks plunging the whole region into a wider war.

Israel continued to pound Lebanon on Sunday, with the military saying it "attacked dozens of terrorist targets in the territory of Lebanon in the last few hours".

The strikes targeted "buildings where weapons and military structures of the organisation were stored".

The military has attacked hundreds of Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon since Saturday, it said, as it seeks to disable the group's military operations and infrastructure.

Hezbollah began low-intensity cross-border strikes on Israeli troops a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, triggering war in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, President Joe Biden described the demise of Nasrallah as "a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese civilians". He emphasized the United States' commitment to Israel's self-defense against terrorist organizations backed by Iran. Furthermore, Biden stated that the US military presence in the region would be strengthened.

Vice President Kamala Harris labeled Nasrallah as "a terrorist with American blood on his hands". She reaffirmed her unwavering support for Israel's right to protect itself against Iran and its affiliated terrorist groups, specifically naming Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

Prominent Republican members of the House of Representatives expressed their approval of the end of Nasrallah's "reign of bloodshed, oppression, and terror". They characterized him as one of the world's most ruthless terrorists, highlighting the significance of his demise for regional stability and security.

The Israel Defense Forces "attacked dozens of terrorist targets in the territory of Lebanon in the last few hours," the army said in a statement on Telegram.

The statement said the strikes targeted "buildings where weapons and military structures of the organisation were stored".

On Sunday, the Israeli military reported that it had carried out strikes against "dozens" of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, just two days after an airstrike killed the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The Israel Defense Forces stated in a Telegram message that they had "attacked numerous terrorist targets in Lebanon over the past few hours."

The Israeli military announced early Sunday that it had targeted dozens of Hezbollah "terror" sites in Lebanon over the past twelve hours, including launchers directed at Israel.

China and Russia took their turns at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, but, as is typical, their top leaders did not speak. Instead, the countries were represented by their foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov.

Wang’s speech followed a familiar script for China at the UN, focusing on national sovereignty — a regular theme for Beijing — and reiterating that Taiwan belongs to China. He also cautioned world leaders about the “expansion of the battlefield” in Russia’s war with Ukraine, reaffirming China’s commitment to diplomacy to help resolve the conflict. Wang further warned against nations “throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains,” a veiled reference to the United States.

Lavrov, on the other hand, touched on the issue of nuclear weapons, just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at changes to the country's nuclear policy. “I’m not going to discuss the senselessness and danger of trying to fight and win against a nuclear power like Russia,” he remarked.

Later, in a news conference, Lavrov accused the United States of attempting to maintain its global dominance. He criticised Nato’s strengthening ties with New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, and Japan, as well as the US’s involvement in the Quad, which includes India, Australia, and Japan.

Israeli leaders had been aware of Hassan Nasrallah’s location for several months but chose to target him this past week, believing they had a limited window before he relocated, according to three senior Israeli defence officials. The officials, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, revealed that more than 80 bombs were dropped within a few minutes to kill Nasrallah, though they did not disclose the specific weight or type of the bombs used.

According to intelligence from within Lebanon, Hezbollah operatives reportedly found and identified the bodies of Nasrallah and Ali Karaki, a senior Hezbollah military commander, early on Saturday. Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah's death in the Israeli strikes later that day.

Twelve pro-Iranian fighters were killed in airstrikes of unknown origin in eastern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The strikes targeted positions in Deir Ezzor, the Boukamal region near the Iraqi border, and military positions near Deir Ezzor airport. While the strikes have not been claimed, both Israel and the US have previously targeted pro-Iranian groups in the region. Israel has been intensifying its airstrikes against Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon and has repeatedly targeted arms supply routes along the Syrian-Lebanese border, fueling concerns of a wider regional conflict.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday called Hassan Nasrallah “a terrorist with American blood on his hands,” while urging a diplomatic solution to stem the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The White House sees the death of Nasrallah as a huge blow to the militant group. At the same time, the administration has sought to tread carefully as it has tried to contain Israel ’s war with Hamas, which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran.

“President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war,” Harris said in a statement reacting to confirmation of Nasrallah’s killing in an Israeli airstrike. She added: “Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region.”

In two separate conversations on Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the ongoing developments in Lebanon, as reported by the Pentagon on Saturday.

During the talks, Austin affirmed Israel's right to protect itself against groups supported by Iran. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, stated, "Secretary Austin stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict."

The US Defense Secretary emphasised the United States' commitment to thwarting any attempts by Iran or its affiliated groups to take advantage of the current circumstances or escalate the conflict further.

Protesters numbering in the hundreds attempted to breach the heavily guarded Green Zone in Baghdad on Saturday, where the United States Embassy is situated.
The demonstrators, who support Shiite factions allied with Iran, congregated near the entry point to the zone at the Tigris River suspension bridge. Their aim was to force their way into the Green Zone and attack the embassy, fueled by anger over the killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs.

In protest against Washington's backing of Israel in its conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iraqi militias supported by Iran have sporadically carried out drone strikes on bases that house UStroops.

As a security measure, Iraqi authorities restricted access to the Green Zone by closing one of its fortified gates to normal traffic, allowing entry only to those possessing Green Zone ID badges.

Iran has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address Israel's recent actions in Lebanon and the broader region, according to a letter sent by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani to the 15-member body. The request comes in the wake of Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

In the letter, Iravani emphasised Iran's strong warning against any attack on its diplomatic premises and representatives, stating, "The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly warns against any attack on its diplomatic premises and representatives in violation of the foundational principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and reiterates that it will not tolerate any repeat of such aggression."

Furthermore, the Iranian ambassador asserted that Iran is prepared to take all necessary measures to defend its vital national and security interests, as permitted under international law. "Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent rights under international law to take every measure in defense of its vital national and security interests," Iravani stated in the letter.

Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, addressed the UN General Assembly and later spoke at a news conference, where he discussed the recent assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel. Lavrov described the killing as "not simply a political assassination. It's very cynical as an act."

According to Lavrov, many people believe that Israel's motive behind the assassination was to provoke Iran and the United States "to unleash a full-blown war in the entire region."

Lavrov said, "I think — well not even I think but a lot of people say — that Israel wants to create the grounds to drag the US directly into this, and so to create these grounds is trying to provoke Iran." He also praised the Iranian leadership for their responsible behavior in response to the situation, saying, "The Iran leadership, I think, are behaving extremely responsibly. And this is necessary. This is something that we should take due note of."