Israel vows to accelerate attacks on Hezbollah after 558, including 50 children, killed in Lebanon
Israel has vowed it will not cease its attacks on Hezbollah – and that strikes will only be accelerated.
Lebanon’s health ministry has said Israeli airstrikes in the country since early on Monday have killed 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women.
Health minister Firass Abiad told reporters on Tuesday that 1,835 people were wounded during the same period and were taken to 54 hospitals around Lebanon.
Mr Abiad added that four paramedics were among those killed, and 16 paramedics and firefighters were among the wounded.
Israel ‘airdropping leaflets with dangerous barcode’ – follow live
The recent escalation comes on the back of pager and radio explosions targeting Hezbollah, which have largely been attributed to Israel.
Israel’s military chief Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday that Hezbollah must not be given a break, and attacks on the Iran-backed group must be stepped up.
“The situation requires continued, intense action in all arenas,” he added.
Israel’s military released footage said to show airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Cars sit in traffic as they flee the southern villages, in Sidon, Lebanon, this week. Pic: AP
In other major developments:
• 50 children are among the dead after Israeli strikes on Lebanon this week
• Diplomatic efforts continue in the UN general assembly amid fears of all-out war in the region
• British Defence Secretary John Healey is set to chair a COBRA meeting in light of escalating tensions
• British nationals have been advised to leave Lebanon while they still can
• The streets of southern Lebanon were gridlocked as thousands sought to flee further Israeli strikes
• Hezbollah claims to have conducted retaliatory strikes on Israel
• In Israel’s latest attacks on Beirut, reports claim that Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Qubaisi was killed
Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system fires to intercept rockets launched from Lebanon. Pic: AP
Rockets launched at each other
Many fear the two are edging towards all-out war as this week has seen much-intensified hostilities in the region.
Rocket sirens blared in northern Israel on Tuesday as volleys of attacks were launched from Lebanon, and Israel’s Iron Dome defence system was activated.
Rocket sirens blared throughout the morning in Israel’s north. Video circulating on Israeli media showed explosions on a main road, with drivers pulling over and lying on the ground next to their vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said that it struck more than 1,500 Hezbollah targets on Monday and Tuesday, destroying missiles, rockets and drones – including weapons stored in private homes.
Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on the Mahmoudieh mountain, as seen from Marjayoun town, south Lebanon. Pic: AP
This map shows data from NASA picking up thermal activity in Lebanon when Israel stepped up missile attacks this week
The initial rounds of Israeli attacks sent thousands of families fleeing from their homes in south Lebanon, amid fears of further strikes.
Photos showed gridlocked roads heading north, in what is said to be the biggest exodus since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
The government has ordered schools and universities to close across the country and began preparing shelters for the displaced.
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Sky’s Alex Crawford witnesses new airstrikes
Diplomatic efforts continue
The UN general assembly is taking place in the shadow cast by escalating tensions in the Middle East and conflicts elsewhere.
Leading powers will be working to take steps away from the escalating clashes.
The US has insisted it still thinks de-escalation on Israel’s northern border is possible and it can find a path to a ceasefire in Gaza as well.
However, recent days are a far cry from apparent optimism in the Biden administration last month when the president said they were “closer than we’ve ever been” to a ceasefire.
World
Arrest warrants issued for Israeli PM Netanyahu and former defence secretary Gallant and senior Hamas commander over alleged war crimes
Arrest warrants have been issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence secretary Yoav Gallant and a senior Hamas commander by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The warrants against the senior Israeli figures are for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza that Israel launched following the 7 October attacks by Hamas.
The prime minister’s office said the warrants against him and Gallant were “anti-semitic” and said Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions”.
Another warrant was issued for the arrest of Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Al Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, was the mastermind behind the 7 October attacks. It is unclear if he is still alive, following an airstrike that Israel claimed killed him earlier this year.
Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC. Israel has rejected the court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
US President Joe Biden described the warrants against Israeli leaders as “outrageous”, adding “whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas”.
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were a “mark of shame” for the ICC.
The court originally said it was seeking arrest warrants for the three men in May for the alleged crimes and today announced that it had rejected challenges by Israel and issued warrants of arrest.
The new UK Labour government said in the summer it would not oppose the ICC’s right to issue the warrants.
Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the UN general assembly. Pic: Reuters
Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
In its update, the ICC said it found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for alleged crimes.
These, the court said, include “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”.
Netanyahu previously spoke of his “disgust” at the suggestion the ICC would seek an arrest warrant for him.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the ICC’s decision sent a “terrible message”.
“The court has minimised how Hamas fights – deliberately from within civilian infrastructure and cruelly using Palestinian civilians as human shields, tragically leading to many casualties,” the board said.
“Democratic governments, and people around the world, should consider how they would have responded to an October 7th perpetrated against their country, involving mass murder, rape, and hostage-taking.
“We should all be focused on defeating the Hamas terrorists, liberating the hostages, ensuring that civilians in Gaza receive all necessary aid and working towards a sustainable peace for Israelis and Palestinians to prevent these horrible conflicts in the future.
“The decision of the ICC is counter-productive in all these respects.”
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A video released by Hamas in 2005 shows a man identified as Mohammed Deif. Pic: AP
Warrant for Hamas leader
The ICC also said it has issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Al Masri, saying it has “reasonable grounds to believe” that he is responsible for crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, torture, rape, as well as war crimes including taking hostages.
Discussing the 7 October attacks, the court said: “In light of the coordinated killings of members of civilians at several separate locations, the Chamber also found that the conduct took place as part of a mass killing of members of the civilian population, and it therefore concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the crime against humanity of extermination was committed.”
In its statement, the ICC said the prosecution was not in a position to determine whether Al Masri is dead or alive, so was issuing the arrest warrant.
The court previously said it was seeking an arrest warrant for Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas who was subsequently killed in July.
The home secretary has refused to say if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he landed on British soil after an international arrest warrant was issued for him.
On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence secretary Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza.
But Yvette Cooper said the ICC, which the UK is a member of, is independent and while the government respects that, it “wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment” on the processes involved.
She told Sky News: “We’ve always respected the importance of international law, but in the majority of the cases that they pursue, they don’t become part of the British legal process.
“What I can say is that obviously, the UK government’s position remains that we believe the focus should be on getting a ceasefire in Gaza.”
However, Emily Thornberry, Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee in parliament, told Sky News: “If Netanyahu comes to Britain, our obligation under the Rome Convention would be to arrest him under the warrant from the ICC.
“Not really a question of should, we are required to because we are members of the ICC.”
The government said after winning July’s election it would not oppose the ICC’s right to issue the warrants.
An ICC arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri, the mastermind behind the 7 October attacks in Israel, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel claims Al Masri was killed earlier this year but the ICC said that has not been confirmed, so it was issuing the arrest warrant.
Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant (right) have arrest warrants against them. File pic: Reuters
Netanyahu’s office said the warrants against him and Gallant were “anti-semitic” and said Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions”.
Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC. Israel has rejected the court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
US President Joe Biden described the warrants against Israeli leaders as “outrageous”, adding: “Whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas.”
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were a “mark of shame” for the ICC.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the ICC’s decision sent a “terrible message”.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Netanyahu to visit Hungary and he would guarantee the arrest warrant would “not be observed”.
However, both France and Italy signalled they would arrest Netanyahu if he came to their countries.
Read more:
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Why have arrest warrants been issued?
The ICC originally said it was seeking arrest warrants for the three men in May for the alleged crimes and on Thursday announced that it had rejected challenges by Israel and issued warrants of arrest.
In its update, the ICC said it found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for alleged crimes.
These, the court said, include “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”.
It is the first time a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice.
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