Middle East crisis live: Israeli military launches more airstrikes on Hezbollah targets after rejecting ceasefire calls

8.17pm BST

A large group of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered in front of New York Public Library.

Many protesters in the crowd of at least 100 people, are holding Palestinian flags, wearing keffiyehs and holding signs reading “end all US aid to Israel” and “stop the war machine,” among other statements

The group are chanting “free free Palestine” and are standing on the stairs of the public library

8.08pm BST

An 87-year-old French woman was killed after her home collapsed following a “strong explosion” in southern Lebanon, the French foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday:

We are sorry to announce the death on Monday of an 87-year-old fellow countrywoman in a village near the city of Tyre. The building where she lived collapsed following a large explosion nearby.

It added that it was not aware of any other French victims of the conflict.

Updated at 8.09pm BST

8.01pm BST

Here are some of the latest images from the Gaza Strip, where at least 13 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

An Israeli airstrike hit a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza on Thursday, the territory’s health ministry said.

The Israeli military confirmed it had struck the school in the Jabalia refugee camp , saying it had been targeting Hamas militants inside who were planning attacks on Israeli troops. Among those wounded or killed in the strike were women and children, Gaza’s health ministry said.

More than 41,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza, and more than 96,000 people have been injured, according to the latest figures released on Thursday by Gaza’s health ministry.

More than half the dead have been women and children, including about 1,300 children under the age of two, according to AP.

Updated at 8.11pm BST

7.42pm BST

Israeli military launches more airstrikes on Hezbollah targets after rejecting ceasefire calls

The Israeli military said it had launched new airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon on Thursday evening, after top officials flatly rejected a US-backed call for a 21-day ceasefire.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) issued a statement saying:

The IDF is currently striking Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon.

This comes as Benjamin Netanyahu has made a defiant trip to New York to address the United Nations general assembly tomorrow, so far rejecting international calls to de-escalate in Lebanon and agree to ceasefires with Hezbollah there and with Hamas in Gaza.

Updated at 8.12pm BST

7.29pm BST

Protests in New York before Netanyahu's UN speech on Friday

A group of around 40 people protesting against Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s war in Gaza are gathered in Manhattan on 47th Street and First Avenue, a few blocks from the United Nations headquarters, where the Israeli prime minister will speak tomorrow.

Protesters are carrying Israeli flags and signs that read “bring the hostages home”, “end the war” and “send Netanyahu to the Hague”.

That last slogan refers to the international criminal court (ICC), based in the Netherlands. In May, the ICC’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, requested the court issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant , over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. A panel of judges is still considering the request which, if granted, would oblige countries that are signatories to the ICC to detain Netanyahu if he were to visit. The US, however, is not a signatory to the ICC and is not bound by its actions.

Israel last week challenged Khan’s request.

When Netanyahu’s name is mentioned in a speech by protesters at the rally today, the crowd chants “shame, shame, shame”.

“Netanyahu will lie to the world, like he lies to us Israelis,” one speaker said to the crowd, referring to his scheduled speech tomorrow to the UN.

“Stop killing children, end the war, sign the deal, bring the hostages home,” the speaker continued. “There is no military solution.”

Updated at 8.14pm BST

6.59pm BST

White House says US 'coordinated' with Israel on ceasefire statement Israelis now reject

The White House insisted this afternoon that a US-led international call for a ceasefire in Lebanon had been “coordinated” with Israel, despite Israel later rejecting the truce and vowing to keep fighting Hezbollah.

“The statement was indeed coordinated with the Israeli side,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, told reporters at the daily media briefing in the west wing at the White House in Washington DC, moments ago, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Jean-Pierre said talks were continuing at the United Nations general assembly in New York.

Elsewhere at the White House, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy , has just arrived before a planned bilateral meeting with Joe Biden at which he intends to present a “victory plan” to the US president, expected to include a request to use long-range US missiles to strike deeper into Russia – which has the US nervous of being dragged into direct conflict with Russia. Zelenskyy will then meet separately with Kamala Harris , the US vice-president, who is the Democratic party’s nominee for president in this November’s election. There’s more on this in our US politics blog , which is following that news as it happens.

Updated at 8.17pm BST

6.40pm BST

Summary of the day so far

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

• Two people were killed and 15 others wounded, including a woman in critical condition, after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Thursday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, taking the death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon overnight and during the day on Thursday to 28. Israel said it carried out a strike which it said killed one of the heads of the Hezbollah air force unit, Mohammad Surur.

• Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his country is striking Hezbollah “with full force” and will not stop until its goals are achieved. Netanyahu spoke to reporters as he landed in New York on Thursday to attend the UN general assembly, where protesters were arrested after calling for the Israeli leader to be arrested and for an end to US support for Israel.

• The chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, said the Israeli military will continue striking Hezbollah. Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said he had approved the “continued IDF offensive activity” against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The head of the Israeli air force, Tomer Bar, said its top priority now is to prevent all weapons transfers from Iran to Hezbollah.

• More than 1,500 people have been killed in almost a year of cross-border violence between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, according to figures by the Lebanese government on Thursday. In addition to the Beirut strike that authorities said killed two people, Israeli attacks in the Tyre district of Lebanon killed three people and wounded 17 others on Thursday, according to authorities. At least 23 people, all of them Syrian and most of them women or children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a three-storey building in the Lebanese town of Younine late on Wednesday, according to the mayor.

• The US and France called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to make way for broader negotiations. A joint statement calling for “a diplomatic settlement” of the crisis was also endorsed by the UK, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

• But Israeli ministers rejected the proposal for a ceasefire and demanded that the fight against Hezbollah continue. Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, ruled out Israel accepting the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying: “There will be no ceasefire in the north.” Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich insisted that continuing the war against Hezbollah was the only way forward. Interior security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened that his party would quit Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government if a permanent ceasefire was agreed.

• The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, warned that a full scale war between Israel and Hezbollah “could be devastating for both parties”. Austin urged both sides to accept proposals for a 21 day ceasefire, while on a trip to London to meet his British and Australian counterparts, John Healey and Richard Marles . The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said countries around the world were united in wanting a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israeli officials in New York on Thursday.

• Israel said it secured a $8.7bn (£6.5bn) aid package from the US to support its ongoing military efforts and to maintain a qualitative military edge in the region. The announcement came after talks between Israel’s ministry of defense director general, Eyal Zamir, and the US acting under secretary for defence for policy, Amanda Dory, according to Israel’s defence ministry.

• Qatar’s foreign ministry said there is no direct link between Gaza truce talks and calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said his government had received “horrific reports” from Lebanon about Israel “targeting whole families in a way that is similar to the atrocities in Gaza”.

• Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, warned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could spark a “regional conflagration”. Scholz met on Thursday with the Israeli opposition politician, Benny Gantz, who quit Israel’s war cabinet in June, citing a lack of a postwar plan for Gaza. Germany was among the group of nations that called “for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border”.

• Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas urged world leaders to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, saying Israel had almost entirely destroyed the Palestinian territory and it was no longer fit for life. Abbas, speaking at the UN general assembly on Thursday, urged leaders to “stop sending weapons to Israel”, adding that the Palestinian people “will not leave … Palestine is our homeland.”

• At least 13 people were killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Six people were killed when a missile struck a house in Khan Younis, and a further seven people were killed and others were injured in the bombing of Al-Faluja school in Jabalia, it said.

• Gaza’s health ministry has accused the Israeli army of treating exhumed Palestinian bodies in an “inhumane” manner. It said the Israeli army deposited a container containing 88 dead Palestinians “without any data or information that could help identify” them. Israel rejected the accusation, saying that it treated the bodies of the deceased “with dignity and respect”.

• An Israeli strike on Thursday hit the Syrian end of a small bridge that provides a crossing into Lebanon, according to Lebanese transport minister Ali Hamieh. Israel’s military said it targeted “infrastructure along the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.” It said the weapons had been used by Hezbollah against Israeli civilians.

• Norway’s police issued an international search request for a man linked to the sale of pages to Hezbollah that exploded across Lebanon last week. Rinson Jose, a Norwegian-Indian man, disappeared while on a work trip to the US last week. Jose, 39, is a founder of a Bulgarian company that was reportedly part of the pager supply chain.

6.14pm BST

Lebanon says more than 1,500 killed in cross-border violence with Israel

More than 1,500 people have been killed in almost a year of cross-border violence between Hezbollah and the Israel i army, according to figures by the Lebanese government.

Figures released by Lebanon’s disaster management unit and reported by AFP show that 1,540 people have been killed, 60 of them in the past 24 hours. In addition, 5,410 have been wounded, it said.

6.10pm BST

The head of the Israeli air force said its top priority now is to prevent all weapons transfers from Iran to Hezbollah.

Maj Gen Tomer Bar, at a meeting with officers reported by the Times of Israel, said:

We in Lebanon are now going to prevent any possibility of weapon transfers from Iran, in the face of what we have taken away so far from Hezbollah.

6.07pm BST

Gaza’s health ministry has accused the Israeli army of treating exhumed Palestinian bodies in an “inhumane” manner.

It said the Israeli army deposited a container containing 88 dead Palestinians “without any data or information that could help identify” them, AFP reported.

The ministry accused Israel of “exhuming graves and stealing bodies”, saying it held Israel “fully responsible for the inhumane and unethical treatment of the bodies”.

The Israeli army rejected the accusation, saying that it treated the bodies of the deceased “with dignity and respect”.

A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was not involved in the transfer of the bodies to Khan Younis in southern Gaza because they did not have proper documentation. They said:

The Red Cross declined to participate in the reception of the bodies because it did not comply with the applicable protocols. There are no data, lists, or evidence identifying these bodies, and we have no information about them whatsoever. We emphasise the right of all families to receive information about their relatives and loved ones and to carry out burial ceremonies in a manner that respects human dignity.

5.51pm BST

Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has warned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could spark a “regional conflagration”.

“All parties have a responsibility to find a diplomatic solution,” Scholz said in a post to X after meeting with the Israeli opposition politician, Benny Gantz, who quit Israel’s war cabinet in June, citing a lack of a postwar plan for Gaza.

During a visit to Berlin, Gantz also met with Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and other officials to discuss Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Germany has joined a group of nations that called “for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border”.

5.40pm BST

Norway ’s police have issued an international search request for a man linked to the sale of pages to Hezbollah that exploded across Lebanon last week.

Rinson Jose, a Norwegian-Indian man, disappeared while on a work trip to the US last week, Reuters reported. Jose, 39, is a founder of a Bulgarian company that was reportedly part of the pager supply chain.

“A missing persons case has been opened and we have issued an international search for the person,” Oslo police confirmed to news agencies.

Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies detonated across Lebanon last week, killing at least 37 people and wounding nearly 3,000 in an attack widely blamed on Israel.

Bulgarian authorities opened an investigation after reports that a Bulgarian-registered company open by a Norwegian – Norta Global -had imported the devices and then delivered them to Hezbollah.

Norta Global was founded by 2022 by Jose, according to Bulgaria’s corporate registry.

5.29pm BST

Lloyd Austin , the US secretary of defence, warned that a full scale war between Israel and Hezbollah “could be devastating for both parties” as he urged both sides to accept proposals for a 21 day ceasefire, on a trip to London to meet his British and Australian counterparts.

But the senior administration official declined an opportunity to say that there would be limits to US military support for Israel if it embarked on a ground invasion of Lebanon, focusing instead on emphasising the possible costs of full scale fighting to Jerusalem.

“A full-scale war between LH [Lebanese Hezbollah] and Israel could be devastating for both parties and it could lead to a larger conflict throughout the region,” Austin said at a press conference in Greenwich, south London. “That’s not in the best interests of anyone.”

Austin said he spoke to Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, frequently and was urging him to pursue “diplomacy in every step”. But when pressed if the US would consider withholding military support if Israel refused to agree to a truce and press ahead with a ground invasion, Austin demurred.

The defence secretary said the US had been “committed from the very beginning” to helping provide Israel with “things that are necessary for them to be able to protect their sovereign territory - and that hasn’t changed and won’t change”.

5.17pm BST

Israel says it secures $8.7bn US military aid package

Israel said it has secured a $8.7bn (£6.5bn) aid package from the US to support its ongoing military efforts and to maintain a qualitative military edge in the region.

The package includes $3.5bn (£2.6bn) for essential wartime procurement, which has already been received and earmarked for critical military purchases, and $5.2bn (£3.9bn) designated for air defense systems including the Iron Dome anti-missile system, David’s Sling and an advanced laser system, according to Reuters.

The announcement came after talks between Israel’s ministry of defense director general, Eyal Zamir, and the US acting under secretary for defence for policy, Amanda Dory, according to Israel’s defence ministry. A statement from the Israeli ministry reads:

This substantial investment will significantly strengthen critical systems such as Iron Dome and David’s Sling while supporting the continued development of an advanced high-powered laser defense system currently in its later stages of development.

The ministry said the deal underscores the “strong and enduring strategic partnership between Israel and the United States and the ironclad commitment to Israel’s security”, particularly in addressing regional security threats from Iran and Iranian-backed militias.

Updated at 5.21pm BST

5.04pm BST

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said countries around the world were united in wanting a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Blinken, in an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, pushed the US proposal for an immediate 21-day ceasefire, saying it would help bring about a longer-lasting diplomatic resolution. The US secretary said:

The world is speaking clearly for virtually all of the key countries in Europe and in the region on the need for the ceasefire.

He added that he would be meeting with Israeli officials in New York later today. Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israel’s minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer.

4.56pm BST

We reported earlier that Qatar ’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, held a press conference where he said there is no direct link between Gaza truce talks and calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Qatar is receiving “horrific reports” from Lebanon about Israel “targeting whole families in a way that is similar to the atrocities in Gaza,” al-Ansari also told reporters on Thursday.

He added that the Qatari government is seeing “no discrimination between civilian and militant in these attacks”.

4.48pm BST

Two killed in Israeli strike on Beirut, says health ministry

Here are some of the latest images from Beirut, after Israel carried out a strike which it said killed one of the heads of the Hezbollah air force unit, Mohammad Surur.

Two people were killed and 15 others wounded, including a woman in critical condition, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

The latest figure takes he death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon overnight and during the day on Thursday to 28.

Updated at 4.52pm BST

4.39pm BST

A member of Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s entourage said Israel “won’t go to a ceasefire now” amid an escalation with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The subject did not come up in the cabinet meetings on Wednesday, the official told the Times of Israel, adding:

We are continuing the plan for the war that was approved by the prime minister.

4.32pm BST

The chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi , said the Israeli military will continue striking Hezbollah , after the IDF said it killed the head of one of the militant group’s air force units.

The Times of Israel’s Emanuel Fabian quoted Halevi saying:

We need to continue attacking Hezbollah, we have been waiting for this opportunity for years.

He added:

We are constantly working to achieve achievements, to eliminate more senior officials, to thwart the transfer of weapons, to [destroy] Hezbollah’s firepower [capabilities, and to attack it in all of Lebanon.

4.16pm BST

Israel to keep striking Hezbollah 'with full force until we reach all our goals', says Netanyahu

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke as he landed in New York on Thursday to attend the UN general assembly meeting.

Netanyahu told reporters that Israel is striking Hezbollah “with full force” and will not stop until its goals are achieved, according to Associated Press.

Israel’s “policy is clear. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force. And we will not stop until we reach all our goals, chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes,” he said.

4.10pm BST

'We now face the risk of an all-out war' that could be 'devastating' for Israel and Lebanon, warns US defence secretary

The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, warned there was a risk of all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel but said a diplomatic solution was still viable.

Austin, speaking at a joint press conference with his UK and Australian counterparts, John Healey and Richard Marles, said:

We now face the risk of an all-out war. Another full-scale war (could) be devastating for both Israel and Lebanon.

He added:

Let me be clear, Israel and Lebanon can choose a different path, despite the sharp escalation in recent days, a diplomatic solution is still viable.

From my colleague Dan Sabbagh:

Updated at 4.11pm BST

4.01pm BST

Abbas says he acknowledges the American people marching in the streets and in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and he says he is “grateful” to them.

The Palestinian Authority president presents his proposal for the day after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip.

He says first of all, there needs to be a “comprehensive and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza and “an end to the military aggressions” in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Second, humanitarian aid must be delivered urgently, Abbas says, “because there is nothing in Gaza”.

Third, a “full Israeli withdrawal on the Gaza Strip”, he says, rejecting the establishment of buffer zones or the taking of any part of Gaza.

We will not allow the displacement of any Palestinians and eviction of the Palestinians from their lands.

Fourth, the protection of the UN refugees for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) and humanitarian organisations from Israel’s actions, Abbas says.

Fifth, he says he demands international protection for the Palestinians on the lands of their occupied land. “We are not fighting Israel. We cannot fight Israel, and we don’t want to fight, but we want protection.”

Sixth, he calls for the state of Palestine to shoulder its responsibilities in Gaza and impose its full mandate and jurisdiction on it.

3.50pm BST

Abbas says the Israeli government launched an “all-out war of genocide” against Gaza, and that now the Lebanese people are being subjected to a “war of genocide”.

Israel must stop the war in Lebanon and Palestine. We condemn this aggression, and we demand that it stops immediately.

The Palestinian Authority president says the international community must immediately impose sanctions on Israel.

He says it is a “regret” that the US obstructed three times the draft resolution of the UN security council demanding Israel to observe a ceasefire.

This is the United States, the very country that was the only member in the security council that voted against granting the state of Palestine for membership in the UN. We don’t deserve membership in the eyes of America, so they use a veto against it.

Abbas says Israel, “which refuses to implement United Nations resolutions, does not deserve to be a member” of the UN. “This country does not deserve to be a member in this organisation.”

3.46pm BST

Abbas urges world leaders to 'stop sending weapons to Israel'

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas says he is not here at the UN general assembly in New York to respond to the “lies” of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu , who is also scheduled to address world leaders later this week. Abbas says:

Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue. The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank.

Abbas says that following the Hamas attacks on 7 October, he condemned the killing of civilians on both sides, and stressed the need to immediately to stop the war.

Instead of heeding the voice of reason, the Israeli government took advantage of what happened to launch an all-out war of genocide against Gaza.

3.40pm BST

'We will not leave’: Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas addresses UN leaders

The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is addressing the UN general assembly in New York.

“We will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave,” he begins his speech by saying, to the applause of the chamber.

Palestine is our homeland. It is the land of our fathers, our grandfathers. It will remain ours. And if anyone were to leave, it would be occupying usurpers.

Abbas says that the Palestinian people have been subjected to “one of the most heinous crimes of our era” for almost a year now. It is a “crime of a full-scale war of genocide” that Israel is perpetuating, he says.

Updated at 3.43pm BST

3.32pm BST

We reported just now that the Israel Defense Forces said the commander of the Hezbollah’s air force unit, Mohammad Surur, was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut on Thursday.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu , approved the airstrike from his plane en route to New York, his office said.

3.29pm BST

The UK defence secretary, John Healey, is holding a press conference alongside his US and Australian counterparts, Lloyd Austin and Richard Marles, following trilateral talks in London.

Healey says the recent Aukus discussions have been held “under a cloud of growing global insecurity”, and that defence ministers “reinforced the need to stand together against Russian aggression, towards peace in the Middle East, and steadfast behind Ukraine.”

3.19pm BST

Israel says it killed top Hezbollah air force commander in Beirut strike

The head of one of Hezbollah ’s air force units, Mohammad Surur, was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut ’s southern suburbs on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing security sources.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement posted to X that fighter jets attacked in Beirut and killed Surur.

Updated at 3.30pm BST

2.55pm BST

Jacob Magid , who is US bureau chief for the Times of Israel, has just posted this report to social media, saying Israel had been making positive noises about a ceasefire in private before a series of ministers and the prime minister’s office came out today with statements dismissive of the proposal.

He wrote:

Israel and Lebanon privately gave mediators their support for a 21-day ceasefire on the Blue Line before it was announced in a joint statement led by the US and France last night, a senior western diplomat tells the Times of Israel.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly distanced himself from the proposal after it was announced, saying Israel has yet to formally respond and that the IDF would continue striking Hezbollah with full force.

The western diplomat says Netanyahu’s conduct is extension of how he handled the Gaza hostage talks where he has privately agreed to show flexibility only to make public statement immediately afterward aimed at calming his political base but that risked thwarting progress.

During the course of today Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz has said there would be “no ceasefire in the north” and interior security minister Itamer Ben-Gvir has threatened to collapse Netanyahu’s coalition government if a permanent ceasefire with Hezbollah is agreed.

2.49pm BST

The IDF has said that in the last hour “approximately 40 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory” in the Upper Galilee area. There are no reports of any casualties.

2.39pm BST

A group of Jewish and Palestinian protesters are being arrested after blocking a street near the UN in New York City where the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address the general assembly.

At least 25 people from Jewish Voice for Peace and the Palestinian Youth Movement have been arrested so far.

This is the first of several actions planned today, with protesters calling for Netanyahu to be arrested and for an end of US support – military, fuel and diplomatic – for Israel as the death toll in Gaza and Lebanon continues to rise.

2.37pm BST

Israel approves 'continued IDF offensive activity' against Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant has approved “the continued IDF offensive activity” against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to a statement from his office.

Gallant, who continued presence in the role has been the subject of some recent sepuculation, met with Israel’s chief of staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi to approve the plans alongside other senior military figures.

The Times of Israel reports that during the meeting they observed this afternoon’s Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, which is believed to have targeted a senior Hezbollah commander.

Gallant posted to social media:

By approving the following offensive operations on the northern front, together with the chief of staff, the head of the intelligence division and the head of the operations division in the IDF we are continuing the sequence of operations to eliminate Hezbollah terrorists, to dismantle their offensive formations, and to destroy their missiles and rockets. We have additional tasks to complete to enable the return of the residents of the north [of Israel] to their homes. We will continue to throw Hezbollah off balance and deepen its plight.

2.22pm BST

This is the latest picture sent over the news wire of the scene in Beirut where Israel has claimed to carry out a precise strike, which Israeli media has been briefed was targeted at a senior Hezbollah commander.

2.17pm BST

US, UK, EU, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others issue further joint statement calling for immediate Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire

The US, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, and Qatar have issued a joint statement calling for “a diplomatic settlement” of the crisis between Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah and an immediate ceasefire.

It called on the parties in the conflict to respect previous UN security council resolutions regarding Lebanon and Gaza.

The statement reads :

The situation between Lebanon and Israel since 8 October 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation. This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon.

It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety. Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.

Thus we call for an immediate 21 day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701 , and the implementation of UNSCR 2735 regarding a ceasefire in Gaza

We call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately consistent with UNSCR 1701 during this period, and to give a real chance to a diplomatic settlement.

We are then prepared to fully support all diplomatic efforts to conclude an agreement between Lebanon and Israel within this period, building on efforts over the last months, that ends this crisis altogether.

It was published just after Israel had announced it had carried out a “precise” strike on Beirut, which Israeli media has been briefed was aimed at a senior Hezbollah commander. Israel’s military has been carrying out exercises in the north of the country to prepare for a ground incursion into Lebanon.

For its part, Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets into Israel, and in an earlier statement said it had struck at defence industry targets near Haifa.

Over 600 people have been killed and thousands more wounded in Lebanon since Israel launched its intense aerial bombardment on Monday. It claims to be targeting infrastructure used by Hezbollah, including striking a bridge that marked a crossing point between Syria and Lebanon.

2.06pm BST

Haaretz reports that western diplomats from countries supporting the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire proposal, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said comments by Israeli ministers today look to be an attempt to damage negotiations, and risk bringing all-out war to the region.

Haaretz quoted one official saying a message by foreign minister Israel Katz that there would be no ceasefire in the north “looks like a deliberate attempt to damage the negotiations”.

Another official told the Israeli news outlet “Our interest right now is to prevent an all-out war that could cause thousands of deaths. These statements don’t help.”

1.59pm BST

Zeina Khodr of Al Jazeera has published this video on social media of what appears to be an Israeli strike in the suburbs of Beirut . She writes:

Fourth strike in southern suburbs in less than a week. Ambulances at the scene. Area near strike cordoned off. Apartment targeted.

1.55pm BST

Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that at least 13 more people have been killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s military campaign has continued for nearly a year.

It reported that six people were killed when a missile struck a house in Khan Younis , and a further seven people were killed and others were injured in the bombing of Al-Faluja school in Jabalia .

The IDF has claimed in a message on its official Telegram channel that it carried out a strike on “terrorists [who] were operating inside a command and control centre embedded inside a compound that previously served as the al-Faluja school.”

The claims have not been independently verified.

Al Jazeera reports:

Footage of the attack’s aftermath, verified by Al Jazeera, shows frantic scenes in the school’s vicinity, with rescuers carrying dead bodies and maimed victims on stretchers away from the rubble.

Al Jazeera has been banned from operating in Israel by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, and Israeli security forces have also raided and shut down the news network’s office in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Hamas-led health ministry in Gaza has claimed Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 41,534 Palestinians and wounded 96,092 since 7 October.

Over the same time period Israel’s military has said 346 of its service personnel have been killed during the Gaza ground offensive, which was launched after the 7 October attack inside southern Israel by Hamas, which killed nearly 1,200 people and during which over 250 people were taken hostage. Israeli authorities believe 101 people are still being held captive in Gaza, nearly a year after being abducted.

It has not been possible for journalists to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict.

1.37pm BST

Israeli media is being briefed that the target of an Israeli strike in the suburbs of Beirut is “the head of Hezbollah’s aerial forces”.

Itay Blumental, military correspondent for Israel’s Channel 11, has published a short video which purports to be from the scene. The Guardian has not independently verified the source of the video.

1.32pm BST

The IDF has announced on its official Telegram channel that on Thursday morning it conducted exercises in northern Israel simulating “combat in thicketed, mountainous terrain”.

It said in the statement “During the exercise, the troops enhanced their operational and logistical readiness for various combat scenarios in enemy territory on the northern front.”

1.29pm BST

Security minister Ben-Gvir says his party will quit Netanyahu's coalition if permanent ceasefire with Hezbollah agreed

Israeli media reports that Israel’s interior security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said his party Otzma Yehudit will vote against a temporary ceasefire with Hezbollah, and his party will quit Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government if a permanent ceasefire is agreed.

More details soon …

1.19pm BST

Reuters reports that “a large blast was heard in Beirut ’s southern suburbs on Thursday afternoon, and a thick cloud of smoke emanated from the area.”

1.17pm BST

IDF announces it is carrying out 'strikes in Beirut'

Israel’s military has announced “The IDF is currently carrying out precise strikes in Beirut.”

Israel’s army radio has published two images which claim to be from the scene. The Guardian has not independently verified the images.

12.16pm BST

57 rockets have been fired from Lebanon toward Israel since the morning, the Israeli military has said, Haaretz reported .

12.10pm BST

Israel’s air force said it is continuing to hit targets with the aim of damaging and destroying Hezbollah’s capabilities and infrastructure.

12.01pm BST

Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that Israeli attacks in the Tyre district of Lebanon have killed three people and wounded 17 others. It cited the health ministry for the figures.

12.00pm BST

In a statement posted to its official Telegram channel, Israel’s military has claimed that it has targeted “infrastructure along the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which the terrorist organization used against Israeli civilians.”

Lebanese transport minister Ali Hamieh earlier told the Reuters news agency that an Israeli strike on Thursday hit the Syrian end of a small bridge that provides a crossing into Lebanon. He said he did not immediately know whether the crossing was still usable.

11.42am BST

Zeina Khodr, reporting for Al Jazeera from Beirut writes that the situation there is “a massive displacement crisis”.

She reports:

We have heard the minister of interior say that shelters are accommodating more than 70,000 people. Some of the displaced are having to rent apartments, and some are staying with friends and relatives, but no doubt this is a crisis for a near-bankrupt state. Lebanon is a country that has been living off international aid for years now and does not have enough funds to help people in need. This is not going to be easy and it seems that we’re just at the beginning.

11.32am BST

An Israeli strike on Thursday hit the Syrian end of a small bridge that provides a crossing into Lebanon, Lebanese transport minister Ali Hamieh told Reuters.

Hamieh said he did not immediately know whether the crossing was still usable.

Israel has repeatedly claimed it is attacking what it describes as “Hezbollah terror targets” in its operation in Lebanon.

To date over 600 people have been killed and thousands more injured, with tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes in southern Lebanon after three days of intense aerial attacks from Israel.

In the same time period, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel, and targeted as far south as Tel Aviv with a longer-range missile that was intercepted.

11.09am BST

AFP quotes Qatar ’s foreign ministry spokesperson saying there is no direct link between Gaza truce talks and calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

“I’m not aware of a direct link, but obviously both mediations are hugely overlapping when you are talking about the same parties, for the most part, that are taking part,” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told reporters.

Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli figures have ruled out a 21-day ceasefire with Hezbollah which had been proposed by US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron, and endorsed by several other countries in Europe and the Middle East.

10.55am BST

Reuters reports that Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ’s faction are due to hold an emergency meeting today. Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government has become increasingly fractious over recent months.

10.35am BST

Hezbollah has claimed it again launched rockets at Israeli defence industry targets near Haifa

AFP reports that in a statement the Iran-backed group said “Defending Lebanon and its people [we] bombed the Rafael military industry complexes … with salvoes of rockets.”

10.28am BST

Israel’s military has announced it has launched further attacks on Lebanon . It says it is “striking Hezbollah terror targets”.

10.24am BST

Israel's foreign minister rules out US-French ceasefire proposal saying 'There will be no ceasefire in the north'

Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz has ruled out Israel accepting a US-French proposed 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying: “There will be no ceasefire in the north.”

In a message posted to social media, Katz said: “There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the terrorist organization Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also appeared dismissive of the proposal, saying “The news about a ceasefire – not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.”

Netanyahu’s office said, instead, that “the prime minister instructed the IDF to continue the fighting with full force”. Over 600 people have been killed and thousands wounded in Lebanon since Israel began an intense bombing campaign on Monday.

About 60,000 Israelis have fled their homes in northern Israel due to continual fighting between Israel, Hezbollah and other anti-Israeli forces based in Lebanon. On the Lebanese side of the UN-drawn blue line that separates the two countries, tens of thousands of Lebanese have also been internally displaced.

Earlier Israel’s hardline far-right finance minister, who has previously described it as his life’s mission to thwart the creation of a Palestinian state, also rejected the idea of a ceasefire. Bezalel Smotrich said “The campaign in the north should end in one scenario – crushing Hezbollah.”

Israel’s military claimed that overnight it struck “approximately 75 terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation” in Beqaa and in southern Lebanon. Authorities in Lebanon reported at least four more people killed this morning, and that 23 Syrians, mostly women and children, were killed by an Israeli strike on Younine in Lebanon during the night.

The US and France had called for a temporary ceasefire to make way for broader negotiations. The joint statement issued by US president Joe Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron said: “It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes. The exchange of fire since October 7th, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”

The Jerusalem Post earlier reported that community leaders of northern Israel are unhappy with the prospect of a ceasefire, with one regional council’s chairman saying “There is a time for negotiations, this is not the time. This is a time for war.”

Updated at 11.53am BST

9.59am BST

Here from our video team are the clips of Najib Mikati , the caretaker prime minister of Lebanon, and Danny Danon , Israel’s UN envoy speaking at the UN security council.

Mikati told the council that Israel was violating his country’s sovereignty “by sending its war planes and drones to our skies, by killing our civilians, including youth, women and children, destroying homes and forcing families to flee”.

Danon said Israel did not seek a full-scale war. Yesterday, Israel’s top general said the country is preparing for a possible ground operation into Lebanon . The death toll after three days of Israeli bombardment of Lebanon this week has passed 600, with thousands more injured.

9.53am BST

Patrick Wintour is the Guardian’s diplomatic editor

The former UK ambassador to Lebanon, Tom Fletcher , who remains closely in touch with diplomats at the UN, said the joint statement backing a 21 day ceasefire in Lebanon signed by the US, France, the UK, the EU and three other countries, including three Gulf States, has to be used to bring about change on the ground.

If that happens, he said it could represent a watershed in the crisis and even a moment when diplomacy fought back. He also praised the UK’s foreign secretary David Lammy for “coming out impressively early and hard” in favour of an immediate ceasefire in the way a Labour government failed to do in the 2006 Lebanese crisis

He said “we have got to use this scaffolding so it turns into something that matters on the ground and not just to pause it for 21 days”.

He set out three headline priorities

• “Get all sides to step back from escalation. There are signs that Israel is holding back from hitting Beirut and there are signs of Hezbollah holding back from hitting Tel Aviv at scale. Maybe this shows the mutual recognition of the dangers of escalation.”

• “Get the official Lebanese army on the ground on the Israel Lebanon border – not Hezbollah not Iran – get state authority back into the south Lebanon border.”

• Return to persuading both sides – Hamas and Israel – to re-engage with the Gaza ceasefire agreement. “It is that agreement that gets th- e hostages out, the aid in and in the end potentially opens the conditions for the two state solution”.

In the message diplomats will be relaying to Benjamin Netanyahu when he reaches New York, Fletcher suggested Hezbollah, already degraded and its popularity reduced, would only be strengthened if a ground invasion goes ahead

“Hezbollah has lost a lot of support but the second those tanks cross that border into Lebanon. Hezbollah starts to redraw confidence and rebuild support in the population”, he said.

Updated at 9.53am BST

9.24am BST

Israel’s air force has stated that after “warnings that were activated in the western Galilee area, about 45 launches were detected that crossed the territory of Lebanon.”

It said “some of them were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas.”

9.13am BST

23 Syrians killed, most of them women or children, in Israeli strike on Younine in Lebanon - mayor

At least 23 people, all of them Syrian and most of them women or children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a three-storey building in the Lebanese town of Younine late on Wednesday, mayor Ali Qusas has told Reuters. Qusas said another eight people were wounded.

The UN estimates there are about 750,000 Syrian refugees inside Lebanon. Israel claimed overnight it struck “approximately 75” Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon.

9.06am BST

The Israeli military reports that warning sirens are sounding again in Upper Galilee .

8.50am BST

Finance minister Smotrich rejects ceasefire proposal, says 'crushing' Hezbollah is only option

Israel’s hardline finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has rejected appeals for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, saying the only option for the north of Israel is for Hezbollah to be crushed.

In a post to social media, Smotrich, part of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, said:

The campaign in the north should end in one scenario – crushing Hezbollah and denying its ability to harm the residents of the north. The enemy must not be given time to recover from the heavy blows it received and to reorganize for the continuation of the war after 21 days. Surrender of Hezbollah or war, that’s the only way we will return the residents and security to the north and the country.

The far-right finance minister has previously described in explicit terms his active effort to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank permanently to Israel , and has said “My life’s mission is to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

8.44am BST

Lebanon ’s National News Agency reports that trade unions in the country have called on people to show solidarity, and for “the owners of food establishments, bakeries, gas stations and pharmacies to keep their establishments open, and facilitate everything necessary for our people.”

In a statement the trade unions also called on “merchants not to raise prices and not to exploit people.”

8.21am BST

Northern Israel community leaders reject ceasefire plan, saying 'this is a time for war'

The Jerusalem Post reports that community leaders of northern Israel are unhappy with the prospect of a ceasefire with Hezbollah, claiming that a deal would lead to another 7 October style attack in the future, but from Hezbollah in the north.

It quotes the Upper Galilee regional council’s chairman, Amir Sofer , who said “There is a time for negotiations, this is not the time. This is a time for war. We must not be misled by international pressure.”

Metula regional council chairman David Azulai said the government would be responsible for the next 7 October if it did a deal. The Jerusalem Post quotes him saying :

They want to do exactly what Hamas did in the south. Remember, we have been in this situation for a whole year. In the past week, the army has fought as it should, as we expect, to bring us back home. It seems we are again taking two steps back.

8.10am BST

In an operational update on its official Telegram channel, Israel’s military claims that overnight it struck “approximately 75 terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation” in Beqaa and in southern Lebanon.

It claimed the targets included “weapons storage facilities, ready-to-fire launchers, terrorists, and terrorist infrastructure,” citing

Lebanese authorities have reported four people killed. The claims have not been independently verified.

7.56am BST

Emanuel Fabian, military correspondent at the Times of Israel, reports that rockets appear to have been fired from inside the Gaza Strip aimed at Israel this morning, and he reports that “according to the IDF, several rockets were launched at troops inside the Gaza Strip”. He said there were no reports of injuries, and none of the rockets crossed into Israel.

7.45am BST

Israel’s opposition leader has called for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to accept the US-French proposal of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, but says his country should only do so for a period of seven days.

In a post to social media , Yair Lapid said:

The state of Israel should announce this morning that it accepts the Biden-Macron ceasefire proposal, but only for seven days in order not to allow Hezbollah to restore its command and control systems. We will not accept any proposal that does not include removing Hezbollah from our northern border.

Any proposal that is put forward must allow the residents of the north to immediately return safely to their homes and lead to the renewal of negotiations for the kidnapping deal. Any violation – even the slightest – of the cease fire, will lead to Israel attacking again with its full force and in all areas of Lebanon.

Updated at 7.52am BST

7.30am BST

Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that in an Israeli raid on Al-Ain camp , west of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, one Palestinian has been shot and then detained by Israeli security forces. Three others, including a woman, have also been detained.

7.29am BST

Authorities in Lebanon have reported four people dead on Thursday after Israeli airstrikes on the south of the country continued. The state National News Agency reports that a Syrian national was killed in Qana , and three people were killed in an Israeli air raid on Aita al-Shaab .

7.27am BST

Israeli media reports that a planned rally by the family and friends of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza for Saturday is to be postponed due to “security and safety concerns”. It was scheduled to take place at the Begin Gate in Tel Aviv . Israeli authorities believe that about 101 hostages are still in captivity in Gaza, having been held there for nearly a year.

7.25am BST

France and US push for 21-day Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire in Lebanon

Patrick Wintour and Andrew Roth report for the Guardian in New York

The US and France have called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to make way for broader negotiations, as the UN secretary general, António Guterres, told a UN security council meeting that “hell is breaking loose” in Lebanon.

The joint statement issued by US president Joe Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron said: “It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes. The exchange of fire since October 7th, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”

The two leaders, who met on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York, said they had worked on a temporary ceasefire “to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border”.

They urged Israel and Lebanon to back the move, which was also endorsed by the UK, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

A senior US administration official said on Wednesday night that both Israel and Lebanon, which was understood to be representing Hezbollah in the negotiations, were expected to respond to the call “in the coming hours”.

Read more from Patrick Wintour and Andrew Roth in New York here: France and US push for 21-day Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire in Lebanon as UN chief warns ‘hell is breaking loose’

Related: France and US push for 21-day Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire in Lebanon as UN chief warns ‘hell is breaking loose’

7.24am BST

Opening summary

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Middle East crisis.

The US and France have called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to make way for broader negotiations.

A senior US administration official said on Wednesday night that both Israel and Lebanon, which was understood to be representing Hezbollah in the negotiations, were expected to respond to the call “in the coming hours.”

The US officials said that the 21-day period was chosen in order to provide space in order to negotiate a more comprehensive agreement between the two sides to allow residents to return to their homes along the Israel-Lebanon border without fear of further violence or an “7 October-like attack in the future”.

More on that in a moment, first here’s a summary of the day’s other main events.

• At least 72 people were killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Wednesday and hundreds were wounded, according to figures by the Lebanese health ministry. The geographic scope of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah has widened, after Israel targeted the mountains north of Beirut for the first time in the war, and Hezbollah aimed a long-range missile at Tel Aviv, drawing an Israeli warning that it was preparing a major response. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it hit more than 2,000 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in the past three days.

• Israel’s top general has said the country is preparing for a possible ground operation into Lebanon . As an intense bombing campaign inside Lebanon stretched in to a third day, Maj Gen Herzi Halevi said the airstrikes aimed to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure and prepare for the possibility of Israeli troops crossing the border. “We are preparing the process of a manoeuvre,” he told troops during a visit to Israel’s north on Wednesday.

• However the Pentagon said an Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon did not appear “imminent”. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US was making “a full-court press” for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. She referred reporters to Israel for questions about its operations and plans.

• France’s foreign minister has told the UN security council that his country and the United States are working to hammer out a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel to allow time for broader negotiations . “A diplomatic solution is indeed possible. In recent days, we’ve worked with our American partners on a temporary ceasefire platform of 21 days to allow for negotiations,” Jean-Noël Barrot told the 15-member UN security council.

• Najib Mikati, the caretaker prime minister of Lebanon, has told the UN security council that Israel is violating his country’s sovereignty “by sending its war planes and drones to our skies, by killing our civilians, including youth, women and children, destroying homes and forcing families to flee”. Mikati says hospitals are overwhelmed and unable to accept any more victims.

• Danny Danon, Israel’s UN envoy, has said that his country does not seek a full-scale war. Danon has accused Iran of being the “driving force” behind the instability sweeping the Middle East. Danon also said that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to arrive in the US on Thursday to address the UN general assembly.