Israel’s war on Gaza, Lebanon live: Israeli ground troops enter Lebanon
- Israel sends ground troops into southern Lebanon defying global calls for de-escalation.
- Prime Minister Najib Mikati says Lebanon faces “one of the most dangerous phases of its history”.
TV channel HQs in south Beirut destroyed in Israeli attack
Israeli fighter jets have attacked a television channel headquarters in Beirut, in what is is described as the first targeting of a Lebanese media institution during the conflict.
The attack late on Monday levelled the building of pro-Hezbollah Al-Sirat TV channel in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Shortly before the attack, the Israeli army ordered staffers to leave, claiming the site was being used for producing “combat means”,, according to Anadolu news agency.
Hezbollah denied storing weapons inside civilian buildings, including the Al-Sirat TV offices.
No casualties were reported in the attack.
How will Iran respond to Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon?
Beirut-based analyst Sami Nader with the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs says there are “two unknowns” when it comes to Israel’s ground offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
“The first is how much Hezbollah is keeping in terms of capability. Today, missiles have hit Tel Aviv so that means it still has capability,” he told Al Jazeera. “The other is unknown is if Iran will get directly involved in this. Will they send troops, will they send equipment? Up until now, Iran has kept a distance.”
Nader said Iran’s own strategic interests involve “opening up to the West” with an end to sanctions while protecting its nuclear programme. “Any military adventure in the region would be a detriment to these priorities, and would be a major gift to Donald Trump in the US election.”
Analysis finds Israel killed more children, women than any other recent conflict in a single year
A new analysis by Oxfam has found that the Israeli army has killed more children and women in the besieged and bombarded Gaza Strip over the past 12 months than the equivalent period of any other war in the last two decades.
In a statement, the charity said that conservative figures put the number of children and women killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza to more than 11,000 and 6,000, respectively.
Estimated figures from 2004-2021 on direct conflict deaths from the Small Arms Survey show that the highest number of women killed in a single year was more than 2,600 in Iraq in 2016, Oxfam said.
It added that a report by Every Casualty Counts examined information on more than 11,000 children killed across the first 30 months of the Syrian war, an average of more than 4,700 deaths a year. UN reports on Children and Armed Conflict over the past 18 years show that no other conflicts killed a higher number of children in 12 months, Oxfam said.
“These staggering figures are both appalling and heartbreaking,” said Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam’s Middle East and North Africa director.
“Influential actors in the international community have not only failed to hold Israel to account, they are also complicit in the atrocities by continuing to unconditionally supply it with arms. It will take generations to recover from the devastating impacts of this war and there is still no ceasefire in sight.”
Turkey slams Israeli ground offensive in south Lebanon
The Turkish Foreign Ministry says Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon violates the country’s territorial sovereignty.
The move is an illegal occupation attempt by Israel, a statement said, adding the operation must immediately end with Israeli forces withdrawing from Lebanon.
The UN Security Council must “do what is necessary” in line with international law, it said.
It condemned Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon as an “unlawful invasion attempt”.
“This attack must end as soon as possible and Israeli soldiers must withdraw from Lebanese territory,” the statement said.
Hezbollah confirms rocket attacks on Israel
The Lebanese group says it launched a salvo of “Fadi-4” rockets at the Glilot base in Tel Aviv, the headquarters of the Israeli military Intelligence – Unit 8200.
A statement on Telegram said the group also carried out an attack on the Mossad headquarters located in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.
The Israeli military announced the strikes earlier, adding that it intercepted some of the rockets launched.
Swiss Air extends suspension of flights to Beirut, Tel Aviv
Swiss Air says it has extended its suspension of flights to Beirut and Tel Aviv.
Following the example of its parent company, German airline group Lufthansa, Swiss Air said it would suspend flights to and from Beirut through November 30 and to and from Tel Aviv through October 31.
This move “is intended to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews”, it said.
