Israel vows Iran response, Hezbollah fights Israeli troops in Lebanon
- Hezbollah says it attacked and repulsed Israeli troops who infiltrated near the town of Odaisseh in southern Lebanon, and “inflicted losses and forced them to retreat”.
- Israel steps up bombardment of the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of people in separate attacks on shelters and schools, including an orphanage.
Dozens killed across Gaza: Medical sources
Overnight and early morning Israeli attacks have killed at least 79 people across the Gaza Strip, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
This includes at least 53 Palestinians killed in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, they said.
Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli soldiers
Hezbollah has issued a statement saying its fighters detonated an explosive device that killed and wounded members of the Israeli army trying to circumvent the village of Yaroun in southern Lebanon.
There was no immediate statement by the Israeli army.
Iran leader to discuss how to stop ‘Israeli crimes’ in the region
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says Israel would “face harsher reactions” if it doesn’t stop what he called “its crimes”.
Pezeshkian made the comments as he left for a scheduled trip to Qatar. He told state television the first goal in Doha is to discuss bilateral ties and sign agreements with the Qatari government. He will also attend a summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue.
“The second goal is to discuss how Asian countries can prevent Israeli crimes in the region … and prevent enemies from causing [an] uproar in the Middle East,” Pezeshkian said.
Can Israel root out Hezbollah?
Israel says its army has launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon to target Hezbollah.
It’s the latest escalation after more than a week of air strikes across the country, which have killed hundreds of Lebanese civilians and the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has voiced support for the Israeli military’s goals in Lebanon. So does Washington want to push Israel towards a diplomatic solution, or help it weaken Hezbollah?
Iran’s ambassador summoned in Germany
Germany has summoned the Iranian ambassador to condemn Tehran’s missile attack on Israel, a government spokesman said.
“We summoned the Iranian ambassador,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told reporters, adding that the ambassador was not in Berlin and that the charge d’affaires instead responded.
More on what countries are doing to get nationals out of Lebanon
Italy
Italy has cut diplomatic staff and added security personnel at its Beirut embassy. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has repeatedly urged nationals to leave the country and sought assurances from Israel over the safety of Italian peacekeepers in the area.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands will send a military plane to repatriate nationals from Lebanon with two flights on October 4 and 5, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
Poland
Poland will limit staff numbers at its Beirut embassy, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that Warsaw would organise transport for citizens wanting to leave Lebanon.
Portugal
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has advised against travel to Lebanon, which assisted in the evacuation of a small number of Portuguese citizens living there.
Spain
Spain plans to send two military aircraft to evacuate up to 350 citizens from Lebanon as early as Thursday.
Turkey
It is working with about 20 countries for a possible evacuation of foreign nationals via Turkey. About 14,000 Turkish citizens were registered at the consulate in Lebanon, but the number was not definitive.
United Kingdom
The UK has urged nationals to leave immediately. It has moved about 700 troops to Cyprus, bolstering its military assets, including two Royal Navy ships. The UK has chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand from Britons wishing to leave today and will fly them back to London.
United States
The US has ordered dozens of troops deployed to Cyprus to help prepare for scenarios such as an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon. It is working with airlines to add flights out of Lebanon, with more seats for Americans, the State Department said on Tuesday.
Lebanese army says soldier hurt in Israeli drone attack
The Lebanese army says one of its soldiers has been wounded in an Israeli drone attack.
In a statement, it said the soldier was injured as an army unit worked to open a road at the entrance to the southern Lebanese town of Kawkaba.
