World

Israel says drone launched at Netanyahu’s house – as dozens reportedly killed in strikes on Gaza

Published

9 months ago

October 19, 2024

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A drone was launched towards the house of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his spokesman has said.

It comes as more than 50 people have been reportedly killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours.

Shockwaves from the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar continue to reverberate in the region, and speculation persists Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Follow latest: ‘Drone launched at Netanyahu’s house’

At least 21 people, including children, were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Saturday, according to hospital officials.

This includes a strike on the Maghazi refugee camp that killed 11 members of the same family, and another 10 who died when a house in the town of Zawayda was hit, according to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

It comes after a reported 33 people were killed in a strike on the Jabalia refugee camp late last night, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency.

If the reported figures are confirmed, it would mean at least 54 people have been killed in strikes on Gaza in the last 24 hours.

At least 42,519 Palestinians have been killed and 99,637 others wounded during Israel’s offensive in Gaza since 7 October 2023, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The health ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its reporting of the figures.

Drone launched at Netanyahu’s house

In Israel, sirens warned of incoming fire from Lebanon, with a drone launched towards a house owned by Prime Minister Netanyahu in Caesarea, the Israeli government said.

Neither Mr Netanyahu nor his wife were home at the time and there were no casualties, according to the Israeli leader’s spokesperson.

The IDF said 55 projectiles were fired at northern Israel from Lebanon on Saturday morning, with some intercepted on route.

Deputy commander of Hezbollah killed

Israel also said on Saturday it killed Nasser Rashid in the town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon.

The deputy commander of Hezbollah supervised attacks against Israel, the army said.

Lebanon’s health ministry said an airstrike on Saturday hit a vehicle on a main highway north of Beirut, killing two people. It was unclear who was in the car.

Israel’s conflict with the militant group has intensified in recent weeks as fallout from the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah continues.

Khamenei: Hamas will live on

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the death of Hamas leader Sinwar will not halt the so-called “Axis of Resistance” and that Hamas would live on.

“His loss is undoubtedly painful for the Axis of Resistance, but this front did not cease advancing with the martyrdom of prominent figures,” he said in a statement.

“Hamas is alive and will remain alive.”

Leaflets dropped over southern Gaza

Israeli planes dropped leaflets over southern Gaza on Saturday, showing a picture of the recently assassinated Hamas chief Sinwar.

They carried the message: “Hamas will no longer rule Gaza”, echoing language used elsewhere by Israel’s most senior politicians.

Meanwhile, two people were killed as they travelled along one of Lebanon’s main roads near the Christian-majority town of Jounieh in the first such attack on the area.

A spokesperson for Israel’s military said it was looking into it.

Another strike killed at least four people in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, health authorities said.

As the UN warned that almost half of “humanitarian movements” for Gaza were being denied access by Israel, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the world “will not tolerate any more excuses” from Israel on getting vital aid into the enclave.

Then in London, several thousand people turned out for another demonstration against the war in the Middle East.

World

Donald Trump sending ‘top of the line’ weapons to support NATO in Ukraine war

Published

12 hours ago

July 15, 2025

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Donald Trump sending 'top of the line' weapons to support NATO in Ukraine war

Donald Trump has agreed to send “top of the line weapons” to NATO to support Ukraine – and threatened Russia with “severe” tariffs if it doesn’t agree to end the war.

Speaking with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte during a meeting at the White House, the US president said: “We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them.

“This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment which is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO, and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield.”

Follow the latest here

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “very good conversation” with Mr Trump late on Monday. He thanked him for the “willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings”.

Weapons being sent from to Ukraine include surface-to-air Patriot missile systems and batteries, which the country has asked for to defend itself from Russian air strikes.

Mr Trump also said he was “very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened “severe tariffs” of “about 100%” if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days.

The White House added that the US would put “secondary sanctions” on countries that buy oil from Russia if an agreement was not reached.

Mr Zelenskyy previously criticised Vladimir Putin’s “desire to drag [the war] out”, and said Kyiv was “working on major defence agreements with America”.

It comes after weeks of frustration from Mr Trump over Mr Putin’s refusal to agree to an end to the conflict, with the Russian leader telling the US president he would “not back down” from Moscow’s goals in Ukraine at the start of the month.

During the briefing on Monday, Mr Trump said he had held calls with Mr Putin where he would think “that was a nice phone call”, but then “missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city, and that happens three or four times”.

“I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” he added.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump told Mr Zelenskyy “you’re gambling with World War Three” in a fiery White House meeting, and suggested Ukraine started the war against Russia as he sought to negotiate an end to the conflict.

After Mr Trump’s briefing, Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev said on Telegram: “If this is all that Trump had in mind to say about Ukraine today, then all the steam has gone out.”

Meanwhile, Mr Zelenskyy met with US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv, where they “discussed the path to peace” by “strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe”.

He thanked both the envoy for the visit and Mr Trump “for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries”.

World

Trump announces weapons deal with NATO to help Ukraine – as he gives Putin 50-day ultimatum

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2025

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Trump announces weapons deal with NATO to help Ukraine - as he gives Putin 50-day ultimatum

Donald Trump has agreed to send “top of the line weapons” to NATO to support Ukraine – and threatened Russia with “severe” tariffs if it doesn’t agree to end the war.

Speaking with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte during a meeting at the White House, the US president said: “We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them.

“This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment which is going to be purchased from the United States,” he added, “going to NATO, and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield.”

Follow the latest here

Weapons being sent include surface-to-air Patriot missile systems and batteries, which Ukraine has asked for to defend itself from Russian air strikes.

Mr Trump also said he was “very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened “severe tariffs” of “about 100%” if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days.

The White House added that the US would put “secondary sanctions” on countries that buy oil from Russia if an agreement was not reached.

It comes after weeks of frustration from Mr Trump against Vladimir Putin’s refusal to agree to an end to the conflict, with the Russian leader telling the US president he would “not back down” from Moscow’s goals in Ukraine at the start of the month.

During the briefing on Monday, Mr Trump said he had held calls with Mr Putin where he would think “that was a nice phone call,” but then “missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city, and that happens three or four times”.

“I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” he added.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump told Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy “you’re gambling with World War Three” in a fiery White House meeting, and suggested Ukraine started the war against Russia as he sought to negotiate an end to the conflict.

After Mr Trump’s briefing, Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev said on Telegram: “If this is all that Trump had in mind to say about Ukraine today, then all the steam has gone out.”

He thanked both the envoy for the visit and Mr Trump “for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries”.

World

At least 30 dead and 100 injured as armed groups clash in Syria, officials say

Published

2 days ago

July 14, 2025

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At least 30 dead and 100 injured as armed groups clash in Syria, officials say

At least 30 people have been killed in the Syrian city of Sweida in clashes between local military groups and tribes, according to Syria’s interior ministry.

Officials say initial figures suggest around 100 people have also been injured in the city, where the Druze faith is one of the major religious groups.

The interior ministry said its forces will directly intervene to resolve the conflict, which the Reuters news agency said involved fighting between Druze gunmen and Bedouin Sunni tribes.

It marks the latest episode of sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minority groups have increased since Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces.

The violence reportedly erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida.

Last April, Sunni militia clashed with armed Druze residents of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, and fighting later spread to another district near the capital.

But this is the first time the fighting has been reported inside the city of Sweida itself, the provincial capital of the mostly Druze province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports the fighting was centred in the Maqwas neighbourhood east of Sweida and villages on the western and northern outskirts of the city.

It adds that Syria’s Ministry of Defence has deployed military convoys to the area.

Western nations, including the US and UK, have been increasingly moving towards normalising relations with Syria.

Concerns among minority groups have intensified following the killing of hundreds of Alawites in March, in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack carried out by Assad loyalists.

That was the deadliest sectarian flare-up in years in Syria, where a 14-year civil war ended with Assad fleeing to Russia after his government was overthrown by rebel forces.

The city of Sweida is in southern Syria, about 24 miles (38km) north of the border with Jordan.