Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu have discussed a potential Israeli response to Iran’s missile attack in a 30-minute phone call.
The “direct and very productive” conversation on Wednesday came after the Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, reiterated to his country’s media plans for a “deadly, precise and above all surprising” strike against Iran.
Iran launched a missile attack last week following an escalation of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has since vowed retaliation, with some analysts predicting Israel is most likely to respond by targeting Iranian military installations.
Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with vast destruction, raising fears of a wider war in the oil-producing region that could draw in the United States.
Also in Wednesday’s phone call, Biden urged Netanyahu to minimise civilian casualties in Lebanon, where the government health minister says more than 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks.
Speaking to reporters about the call, the White House press secretary acknowledged that the two leaders have disagreements and are open about them.
Key Points
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Israeli soldiers demand hostage deal
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Biden and Netanyahu to discuss Israeli plans to strike Iran
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Israel hits 185 Hezbollah targets in 24 hours, military claims
Turkey begins evacuation of its citizens from Beirut
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Over 2,000 Turkish citizens and some foreign nationals started boarding a Turkish military ship that brought in aid last night and will take them out of Lebanon.
Zehra Cibbin, an ethnic Arab from the southeastern Turkish city of Mardin who lives in Beirut with her Lebanese husband, got off a bus packed with the other evacuees, her two children in tow and luggage in hand.
“It’s indescribable. They bombed the street below our house. From that moment on, it was over for me, I said I didn’t want to stay in Beirut anymore,” Ms Cibbin, 46, told the Associated Press.
Apart from the Turkish citizens, people from Bulgaria, Romania and Kazakhstan were among those who applied to evacuate on the ships.
Officials did not provide numbers.“Israel’s aggression has severely impacted Lebanon and our brothers here,” said Ali Baris Ulusoy, the Turkish ambassador to Lebanon.
UK facing heightened threat of ‘plot after plot’ from Iran, warns MI5 chief
05:00 , Alexander Butler
MI5: UK facing threat of ‘plot after plot’ from Iran, Russia and Isis
Dozens killed as Israeli troops pound central and northern Gaza
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israeli airstrikes have killed about 40 people in Jabaliya and another 14 from farther north between Sunday and Tuesday, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said yesterday.
The toll is likely higher as there are bodies buried under the rubble and in areas that can’t be accessed, it said.
Israel’s military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that Israeli troops were operating in Jabaliya to prevent Hamas from regrouping and had killed about 100 militants, without providing evidence.
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, the health ministry said.
Israeli soldier urges UK to be Churchill not Chamberlain against Iran
04:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A wounded Israeli soldier urged the UK not to forget the mistake of Neville Chamberlain by being more like Churchill and standing up against “the evil of Iran”.
Barak Deri, an Israeli Defence Force reservist, has been hailed as a hero in his country and is visiting London this week as part of a mission to win support for Israel’s struggle in the ongoing war on multiple fronts in the Middle East.
The 32-year-old, who was wounded and is likely to be disabled for the rest of his life, arrived in the UK with a simple warning that “Israel’s war is the West’s war” and the demand: “We cannot be quiet, we must send a clear message that another Holocaust is not an option.”
David Maddox reports.
Israeli soldier urges UK to be Churchill not Chamberlain in standing against Iran
Hamas, Fatah leaders to hold Palestinian unity talks in Cairo
04:00 , Alexander Butler
Leaders from the Islamist group Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement will hold further unity talks in Cairo on Wednesday, a Hamas official said.
The media adviser of the Hamas political chief, the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, according to reports.
It was led by Khalil Al-Hayya, the group’s chief negotiator and Hamas’ second-in-command, currently based in Qatar.
“The meeting will discuss the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the challenges facing the Palestinian cause,” Hamas officials said.
Two people killed in northern Israel by Hezbollah rocket fire, medics say
03:00 , Alexander Butler
Two people were killed in a town in northern Israel that was hit by rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday, Israeli authorities said.
Israel’s ambulance service said that a man and a woman had been killed in the town of Kirya Shmona. The military said about 20 projectiles had been launched from Lebanon in the barrage.
Underground weapons store destroyed in southern Lebanon, Israeli military says
02:00 , Alexander Butler
The Israeli military said it had destroyed an underground weapons store found seven metres below a residential building in southern Lebanon.
“The soldiers located hundreds of weapons, including an underground weapons storage facility approximately seven metres under a home within the village where the troops are operating,” it said.
“Within the weapons storage facility, the troops discovered sniper rifles and numerous weapons.”
Pictured: Damage in Beirut following Israeli airstrikes
01:00 , Alexander Butler
Biden and Netanyahu discuss Israel’s response to Iran missile strike
Wednesday 9 October 2024 23:25 , Athena Stavrou
Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday about a potential Israeli response to Iran’s missile strike last week.
Biden and Netanyahu talked about Israel’s plans in a call that lasted 30 minutes, the White House said.
The discussion was “direct and very productive,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, while acknowledging the two leaders have disagreements and are open about them.
Relations between Biden and Netanyahu have been tense over the Israeli leader’s handling of Gaza and Lebanon. The US has tried to prevent hostilities from escalating and has unsuccessfully sought to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel has promised that arch-foe Iran will pay for its missile attack, which caused little damage, while Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with vast destruction, raising fears of a wider war in the oil-producing region that could draw in the United States.
Biden last week made comments discouraging Israel from striking Iranian oil fields and said he would not support Israel striking Iranian nuclear sites.
Some analysts say Israel is most likely to respond to Iran’s Oct. 1 attack by targeting Iranian military installations, especially those that produce ballistic missiles like those used in the attack. It could also seek to destroy Iranian air defence systems and missile-launching facilities.
Pictured: Hezbollah rockets over northern Israel
Wednesday 9 October 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler
Israeli soldiers demand hostage deal
Wednesday 9 October 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler
Over 100 Israeli soldiers have threatened to stop fighting if Netanyahu’s government does not secure a hostage release deal.
In a letter addressed to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant, 130 soldiers said: “If the government does not change course immediately and work towards securing a deal to bring the hostages home, we will not be able to continue serving.
“For some of us, the red line has already been crossed, and for others, it is rapidly approaching: the day when, with broken hearts, we will stop reporting for service.”
The group includes both reserve and regular soldiers, some of whom have served in Gaza and on Israel’s northern border since last year’s 7 October Hamas attacks.
185 Hezbollah targets hit in 24 hours, Israel claims
Wednesday 9 October 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler
The Israeli military says it has hit around 185 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in the past day. Soldiers had “dismantled” launch pads that “posed a threat” to northern Israel and located weapons, it added.
Hezbollah militants had also been killed in “close quarter encounters” and aerial strikes. In Gaza, the military said its operation against Hamas was still taking place, with “dozens” of fighters killed in the past 24 hours.
Weapons, including grenades and AK-47 rifles, had been destroyed, along with “infrastructure sites” and rocket launchers, it added.
Israel carries out new strikes in Gaza
Wednesday 9 October 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler
At least 18 people were killed in overnight military strikes on Gaza as Israeli forces pressed on with a raid on the Jabalia refugee camp in the enclave’s north.
The Israeli military says the raid, now in its fifth day, is intended to stop Hamas fighters staging further attacks from Jabalia and to prevent them regrouping.
It has repeatedly issued evacuation orders to residents of Jabalia and nearby areas, but Palestinian and UN officials say there are no safe places to flee to in the Gaza Strip.
“At least 400,000 people are trapped in the area,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Palestinian refugee Agency (UNRWA), posted on X on Wednesday.
“Recent evacuation orders from the Israeli Authorities are forcing people to flee again & again, especially from Jabalia Camp. Many are refusing because they know too well that no place anywhere in Gaza is safe.”
Northern #Gaza: no end to hell.
At least 400,000 people are trapped in the area.Recent evacuation orders from the Israeli Authorities are forcing people to flee again & again, especially from Jabalia Camp.
Many are refusing because they know too well that no place anywhere…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) October 9, 2024
Hezbollah claims to push back advancing Israeli troops in border clashes
Wednesday 9 October 2024 19:22 , Andy Gregory
Hezbollah claims its fighters have managed to push Israeli troops back near the border village of Labbouneh, having fired several rocket salvoes.
Further east, the Lebanese militant group said it had attacked Israeli soldiers in the village of Maroun el-Ras and unleashed missile barrages at Israeli forces advancing towards the twin border villages of Mays al-Jabal and Mouhaybib.
Video footage posted on social media and geolocated by Reuters had shown three Israeli soldiers raising their country’s flag in Maroun el-Ras, marking the first time for decades they are known to have done so on Lebanese territory Israel occupied from 1982-2000.
US says it made clear Israel’ is ‘fully expected’ to abide by humanitarian law in Gaza
Wednesday 9 October 2024 19:19 , Andy Gregory
The United States is incredibly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the State Department has said.
“It has been the subject of some very urgent discussions between our two governments,” spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
“We have been making clear to the government of Israel that they have an obligation under international humanitarian law to allow food and water and other needed humanitarian assistance to make it into all parts of Gaza, and we fully expect them to comply with those obligations.”
Israeli strike on Iran ‘would be lethal, precise and surprising’, says Gallant
Wednesday 9 October 2024 19:18 , Andy Gregory
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has warned that a strike on Iran in response to its recent missile attack would be “lethal” and “surprising”.
His office said in a statement: “Our strike will be lethal, precise and above all, surprising. They won’t understand what happened and how. They will see the results.”
“Whoever strikes us will be harmed and pay a price,” he added.
Pictured: Displaced Lebanese spend another night on the streets
Wednesday 9 October 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler
Israel expands ground invasion of southern Lebanon and says assassinated Hezbollah leader’s successor killed
Wednesday 9 October 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler
Israel expands ground invasion of southern Lebanon
Taliban profit as flights diverted around Middle East crisis fill up Afghan airspace
Wednesday 9 October 2024 17:45 , Alexander Butler
How Taliban is profiting off the Middle East crisis
Israeli troops move away from Irish forces in Lebanon
Wednesday 9 October 2024 17:30 , Alexander Butler
Israel’s armed forces have moved away from their positions near Irish troops in Lebanon, the Irish Defence Forces have confirmed.
It comes after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed concern about the Israeli Defence Forces’ (IDF) proximity to an outpost where a number of Irish peacekeepers are stationed.
Irish officials said there are now no Israeli military personnel or vehicles nearby, “having moved north of the post” on Tuesday evening.
Keeping a watchful eye on the enemies of our state
Wednesday 9 October 2024 17:15 , Alexander Butler
Keeping a watchful eye on the enemies of our state
On the ground: Gaza hostage families blast air raid siren outside Netanyahu’s home as wake up call to agree release deal
Wednesday 9 October 2024 17:00 , Alexander Butler
Hostage families blast air raid siren outside Netanyahu’s home as wake up call
Harris to join Biden call with Israel’s Netanyahu, source says
Wednesday 9 October 2024 16:45 , Alexander Butler
US Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to join President Joe Biden for his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.
The talks are expected to include discussion of Israeli plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran.
The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel’s response to a missile attack from Iran last week that Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon.
The Iranian attack ultimately killed no one in Israel and Washington called it ineffective.
400,000 trapped in hell of northern Gaza, UN says, as death toll passes 42,000
Wednesday 9 October 2024 16:30 , Alexander Butler
400,000 trapped in hell of northern Gaza, UN says, as death toll passes 42,000
Netanyahu speaking with Biden over the phone
Wednesday 9 October 2024 16:09 , Alexander Butler
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking to US president Joe Biden over the phone, according his office.
Biden is said to want to “shape the limitations” of Israel’s retaliation to ensure targets hit across Iran are “significant” without being disproportionate, White House officials said.
Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to respond to Iran’s attack last Tuesday, which saw almost 200 ballistic missiles fired at Israel.
On the ground: NHS medics volunteering in Gaza warn of catastrophic collapse of healthcare system
Wednesday 9 October 2024 16:00 , Alexander Butler
NHS medics volunteering in Gaza warn of catastrophic collapse of healthcare system
Hezbollah has fired 12,000 weapons at Israel in past year, Israeli military says
Wednesday 9 October 2024 15:11 , Alexander Butler
Hezbollah has fired more than 12,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel in the past year, the Israeli military said.
At least 60,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes and hundreds of thousands to take cover in bomb shelters on a daily basis, spokesperson Daniel Hagari said.
“Hezbollah is storing their weapons under the cover of Lebanese civilians,” he added.
“The IDF is operating against Hezbollah with the clear goal to remove the threat to Israeli civilians and enable all residents to return to their home in Israel in safety and security.”
Spanish PM calls Israeli strikes in Lebanon an ‘invasion’
Wednesday 9 October 2024 14:42 , Alexander Butler
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described Israel’s military offensives in Lebanon as an “invasion” on Wednesday.
“It is clear that there has been an invasion by a third country of a sovereign state such as Lebanon, and therefore the international community cannot remain indifferent,” the Socialist premier told parliament.
“We denounced (this situation) in Ukraine, we also denounce it in Gaza and now we are also denouncing the invasion of Lebanon,” he added.
NHS medics volunteering in Gaza warn of catastrophic collapse of healthcare system
Wednesday 9 October 2024 14:00 , Alexander Butler
NHS medics volunteering in Gaza warn of catastrophic collapse of healthcare system
Keir Starmer takes aim at ‘malign’ Iran and vows never to ban all arms sales to Israel
Wednesday 9 October 2024 13:45 , Alexander Butler
Starmer takes aim at ‘malign’ Iran and vows never to ban all arms sales to Israel
Comment: It’s time to get tough on Iran – and help the people overthrow their despotic leaders
Wednesday 9 October 2024 13:30 , Alexander Butler
It’s time to get tough on Iran – and help the people overthrow their despotic leaders
Two people killed in northern Israel by Hezbollah rocket fire, medics say
Wednesday 9 October 2024 13:15 , Alexander Butler
Two people were killed in a town in northern Israel that was hit by rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday, Israeli authorities said.
Israel’s ambulance service said that a man and a woman had been killed in the town of Kirya Shmona. The military said about 20 projectiles had been launched from Lebanon in the barrage.
Underground weapons store destroyed in southern Lebanon, Israeli military says
Wednesday 9 October 2024 13:00 , Alexander Butler
The Israeli military said it had destroyed an underground weapons store found seven metres below a residential building in southern Lebanon.
“The soldiers located hundreds of weapons, including an underground weapons storage facility approximately seven metres under a home within the village where the troops are operating,” it said.
“Within the weapons storage facility, the troops discovered sniper rifles and numerous weapons.”
What are Israel and Iran’s attack and defence capabilities?
Wednesday 9 October 2024 12:37 , Alexander Butler
What are Israel and Iran’s attack and defence capabilities?
Pictured: Displaced Lebanese spend another night on the streets
Wednesday 9 October 2024 12:01 , Alexander Butler
Six wounded in stabbing attack in Israel, police say
Wednesday 9 October 2024 11:40 , Alexander Butler
At least six people were wounded, two of them seriously, in a stabbing attack in the Israeli city of Hadera on Wednesday, Israeli authorities said.
“The terrorist has been neutralized,” police said in a statement. “Four separate locations have been identified, resulting in six victims with stab wounds.”
The police did not immediately provide other details, but issued a brief video of the suspected attacker being apprehended.
Of the six people rushed to the hospital, at least two were in serious condition, according to medical officials.
Pictured: Hezbollah rockets over northern Israel
Wednesday 9 October 2024 11:30 , Alexander Butler
Pictured: Smoke rises above Lebanese town
Wednesday 9 October 2024 11:22 , Alexander Butler
Hamas, Fatah leaders to hold Palestinian unity talks in Cairo
Wednesday 9 October 2024 11:10 , Alexander Butler
Leaders from the Islamist group Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement will hold further unity talks in Cairo on Wednesday, a Hamas official said.
The media adviser of the Hamas political chief, the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, according to reports.
It was led by Khalil Al-Hayya, the group’s chief negotiator and Hamas’ second-in-command, currently based in Qatar.
“The meeting will discuss the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the challenges facing the Palestinian cause,” Hamas officials said.
Over 42,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, health ministry says
Wednesday 9 October 2024 10:44 , Alexander Butler
More than 42,010 Palestinians have been killed and 97,720 injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October 2023, Gaza’s health ministry said.
Israeli soldiers demand hostage deal
Wednesday 9 October 2024 10:39 , Alexander Butler
Over 100 Israeli soldiers have threatened to stop fighting if Netanyahu’s government does not secure a hostage release deal.
In a letter addressed to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant, 130 soldiers said: “If the government does not change course immediately and work towards securing a deal to bring the hostages home, we will not be able to continue serving.
“For some of us, the red line has already been crossed, and for others, it is rapidly approaching: the day when, with broken hearts, we will stop reporting for service.”
The group includes both reserve and regular soldiers, some of whom have served in Gaza and on Israel’s northern border since last year’s 7 October Hamas attacks.
Pictured: Damage in Beirut following Israeli airstrikes
Wednesday 9 October 2024 10:29 , Alexander Butler
185 Hezbollah targets hit in 24 hours, Israel claims
Wednesday 9 October 2024 09:45 , Alexander Butler
The Israeli military says it has hit around 185 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in the past day. Soldiers had “dismantled” launch pads that “posed a threat” to northern Israel and located weapons, it added.
Hezbollah militants had also been killed in “close quarter encounters” and aerial strikes. In Gaza, the military said its operation against Hamas was still taking place, with “dozens” of fighters killed in the past 24 hours.
Weapons, including grenades and AK-47 rifles, had been destroyed, along with “infrastructure sites” and rocket launchers, it added.
Israel carries out new strikes in Gaza
Wednesday 9 October 2024 09:30 , Alexander Butler
At least 18 people were killed in overnight military strikes on Gaza as Israeli forces pressed on with a raid on the Jabalia refugee camp in the enclave’s north.
The Israeli military says the raid, now in its fifth day, is intended to stop Hamas fighters staging further attacks from Jabalia and to prevent them regrouping.
It has repeatedly issued evacuation orders to residents of Jabalia and nearby areas, but Palestinian and UN officials say there are no safe places to flee to in the Gaza Strip.
“At least 400,000 people are trapped in the area,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Palestinian refugee Agency (UNRWA), posted on X on Wednesday.
“Recent evacuation orders from the Israeli Authorities are forcing people to flee again & again, especially from Jabalia Camp. Many are refusing because they know too well that no place anywhere in Gaza is safe.”
Northern #Gaza: no end to hell.
At least 400,000 people are trapped in the area.Recent evacuation orders from the Israeli Authorities are forcing people to flee again & again, especially from Jabalia Camp.
Many are refusing because they know too well that no place anywhere…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) October 9, 2024
Israeli strikes kill 12 Palestinians in Gaza as hospitals ordered to evacuate patients and staff
Wednesday 9 October 2024 09:00 , Alexander Butler
Israeli strikes this morning killed at least 12 Palestinians, including nine members of the same family, in northern and central Gaza, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA reported.
The nine family members were killed in a strike targeting their apartment in the Shejaia neighbourhood in northern Gaza, it added.
The health ministry in the Hamas-run Strip said the Israeli military called for three hospitals in northern Gaza — Kamal Adwan, Awda and the Indonesian Hospital — to evacuate patients and medical staff.
“The military contacted me directly and said in a threatening way, ‘tomorrow all the patients and staff in Kamal Adwan must be removed or they will be exposed to danger.’ Clearly, it’s a clear threat,” said the hospital’s director, Hossam Abu Safiya.
“We have told all sides that the north is still crowded with people … and we have the right to provide them services,” Abu Safiya said.
“We are staying firm and will continue to provide services no matter what the cost.”
Earlier, Kamal Adwan Hospital said at least 15 people, including two women, four children and four people trying to retrieve bodies, were killed yesterday in the fighting in Jabaliya.
“The situation is extremely difficult. The bombing and explosions haven’t stopped,” said Jabaliya resident Mahmoud Abu Shehatah. “It’s like the first days of the war.”
Iran warns Gulf states against use of airspace for attacks
Wednesday 9 October 2024 08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran has urged Gulf states to not allow their airspace or military bases to be used against Tehran, warning that any such move would draw a response.
The remarks come amid growing concern over possible Israeli retaliation for last week’s Iranian missile attack, as Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi headed to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states for talks today.
“Iran made it clear that any action by a Persian Gulf country against Tehran, whether through the use of airspace or military bases, will be regarded by Tehran as an action taken by the entire group, and Tehran will respond accordingly,” the senior Iranian official told Reuters.
“The message emphasised the need for regional unity against Israel and the importance of securing stability,” he said.
Biden and Netanyahu to discuss Israeli plans to strike Iran
Wednesday 9 October 2024 08:21 , Alexander Butler
US president Joe Biden is set to speak with Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s plans to strike Iran in response to a massive missile barrage launched at Israel by Tehran last week.
Biden is said to want to “shape the limitations” of Israel’s retaliation to ensure targets hit across Iran are “significant” without being disproportionate, White House officials said.
Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to respond to Iran’s attack last Tuesday, which saw almost 200 ballistic missiles fired at Israel.
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