Israel strikes southern Beirut as dozens killed in Gaza

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the war on Gaza concludes for today. Join us again at 0800 GMT for updates from the besieged Palestinian enclave.
 

Jonathan Whittall, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that "aid is being weaponised through its denial" due to Israel’s nearly two-month-long blockade of Gaza.

In a voice message shared by OCHA on social media, Whittall said, "There is an assault on people’s dignity in Gaza today."

He added that people in Gaza have told him they feel as though it is the "deliberate dismantling of Palestinian life in plain sight" and described the situation as endless suffering under a total and complete blockade.

Al Jazeera Arabic reports that seven Palestinians were killed in as-Sudaniya, northwestern Gaza City, while two others were killed in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Both Israeli strikes targeted residential homes.

Israel's Shin Bet head Ronen Bar has responded to a sworn statement submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Israel’s High Court on Friday concerning Bar’s dismissal, as reported by Haaretz.

While Netanyahu accused him of lying, Bar maintained that every detail in his own affidavit was "the absolute truth".

He added that his account was "supported by numerous documents, which I, as the head of a state institution, chose to submit solely to the court."

The Houthi-aligned Al Masirah TV has reported that US air strikes in the Bani al-Harith district, north of Sanaa, targeted three homes and killed eight people, including children.

The Gaza Government Media Office has accused Israel of systematically targeting civilians in Gaza as part of what it describes as a "war of extermination" against Palestinians.

It reported that Israeli attacks have killed 18,000 children, 12,400 women, 1,400 medics, 212 journalists, and 750 security officers who were responsible for protecting aid convoys.

The United States has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Huthi rebel fighters, including members of the group's leadership, the US military said Sunday.

Washington's forces have hammered the Houthis with near-daily air strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider," seeking to end the threat they pose to vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and reestablish US regional "deterrence."

"Since the start of Operation Rough Rider, USCENTCOM has struck over 800 targets. These strikes have killed hundreds of Huthi fighters and numerous Huthi leaders," the military command responsible for the Middle East said in a statement.

"The strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations," CENTCOM said.

CENTCOM said that "while the Huthis have continued to attack our vessels, our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks. Ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69 percent. Additionally, attacks from one-way attack drones have decreased by 55 percent."

"Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Huthis. The Huthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime," the military command said.

"We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region," it added.

The US military said on Sunday it will not reveal specific details about its military strikes in Yemen, citing what it called the need "to preserve operational security" while also saying the strikes had "lethal effects" against Yemen's Houthi rebels. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah held significant sway over Iran and its network of regional allies.

"I would say he manipulated Iran far more than Iran manipulated him. He influenced Iran much more than Iran influenced him," Netanyahu said of Nasrallah. "He was the axis of the axis, and by removing him, the axis would collapse."

Netanyahu stated that he authorised Nasrallah’s assassination in September last year while travelling to the United States to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly.

He added that he was against informing US allies in advance about the operation, although he chaired a virtual cabinet meeting from a New York hotel to finalise the assassination's "logistics".

The following day, Israeli warplanes launched a major strike on southern Beirut, killing Nasrallah and several aides in an underground bunker.

Netanyahu said that after his UN address, an aide handed him a note bearing the word “done” in Hebrew.

"The elimination of Nasrallah truly shattered the axis. It was a devastating blow. Some figures are simply irreplaceable, and so far, he remains irreplaceable," Netanyahu said.

The Houthi-run Saba News Agency has reported that two air strikes struck the Harf Sufyan district in the northern governorate of Amran.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Sunday for the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear programme, insisting that any deal with Tehran must also address its ballistic missiles capabilities.

"You have to dismantle their nuclear infrastructure and that means ... they will not have the capacity to enrich uranium," he said in a speech in Jerusalem, adding that any deal should also "bring in the prevention of ballistic missiles".

Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah store of "precision-guided missiles" in a south Beirut air strike on Sunday that prompted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to call for French and US intervention.

"Under the instruction of Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, the (military) has strongly attacked infrastructure in Beirut where Hezbollah's precision-guided missiles were stored," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

In a separate statement, the military said it hit the site in Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

"The storage of missiles in this infrastructure site constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians," the military said.

Netanyahu's office said Israel "will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and create any threat against it -- anywhere in Lebanon".

"The Dahiyeh neighbourhood in Beirut will not serve as a safe haven for the terrorist organisation Hezbollah.

"The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats," it added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court on Sunday, described as a "liar" the country's internal security chief, whom the government is trying to fire.

Netanyahu's response came almost a week after Shin Bet head Ronen Bar himself made a sworn statement to the court.

It accused the prime minister of demanding personal loyalty and ordering him to spy on anti-government protesters.

Bar's dismissal, announced by the government last month but frozen by the country's top court, triggered mass protests.

The unprecedented move to fire the head of the Shin Bet security agency has been contested by the attorney general and the opposition, which appealed Bar's firing to the Supreme Court.

"The accusation according to which I allegedly demanded action against innocent civilians, or against a non-violent and legitimate protest during the protests of 2023, is an absolute lie," Netanyahu said in his court statement.

In his own affidavit, Bar had said "it was clear" that in the event of a potential constitutional crisis, Netanyahu would expect Bar to obey the prime minister and not the courts.

Netanyahu countered: "There is no proof supporting these remarks."

Joseph Aoun has condemned the Israeli attack on Beirut and urged the US and France to "assume their responsibility" as the sponsors of the ceasefire agreement and compel Israel to halt strikes.  

The Lebanese president said Israel is undermining stability in Lebanon and escalating tensions, posing "real dangers to the security" of the country.

In shared footage, smoke could be seen rising from the Beirut suburbs of Dahiyeh after the Israeli airstrike.

A building in southern Beirut was struck on Sunday, live footage showed, almost an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the area.

Israeli forces assaulted a young Palestinian man on Sunday evening during a military raid in the town of Turmus Aya, northeast of Ramallah, local sources told Wafa news agency. 

According to witnesses, Israeli soldiers intercepted a vehicle driven by the youth and physically attacked him. The forces later withdrew without making any arrests.

Earlier reports of smoke rising from a Beirut neighbourhood appear to stem from a warning strike by an Israeli drone, according to multiple Lebanese media sources.

The strike was not the anticipated main attack, which was expected to be more severe. Local news footage showed congested traffic and residents evacuating the area.

An Israeli drone was observed flying over the Dahiyeh suburbs of Beirut, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

In response, gunfire was reported in the air in the Hadath area as a precaution, with authorities urging residents to avoid a specific building that the Israeli military has reportedly marked as a potential target.

The Syrian presidency rejected on Sunday a Kurdish call for a decentralised state, warning against attempts at separatism or federalism by the minority group.

"We reject clearly any attempt to impose a separatist reality or to create separate entities under the cover of federalism... without a national consensus," the presidency said in a statement in which it also condemned "the recent activities and declarations" of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that "call for federalism".

The Israeli military on Sunday told residents of Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate the area, warning of an imminent strike near "Hezbollah facilities" in the area.

"An urgent warning for those in the southern suburbs of Beirut, especially in the Hadath neighbourhood: Anyone present in the building marked in red on the attached map as well as the surrounding buildings, is near Hezbollah facilities," said military spokesman Avichay Adraee on X, adding: "You must evacuate".

The Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah militant in a strike in southern Lebanon's Halta area, in the latest attack despite a ceasefire that ended a war between Israel and the Lebanese armed group.

"Earlier today, forces struck in the area of Halta in southern Lebanon and eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist who advanced Hezbollah's attempts to re-establish itself in the Halta area," the military said.

Israeli settlers attacked guards and workers at a waste disposal site in Beit Anan, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, on Sunday, injuring several and seizing work equipment, according to local sources cited by Wafa news agency.

Witnesses said the settlers assaulted employees while they were on duty, causing serious injuries and fractures. The attackers also opened fire at a garbage truck and its crew; no injuries from the gunfire were reported. 

During the raid, settlers forcibly took an excavator used for waste management and a motorcycle belonging to a guard. The Governorate of Jerusalem condemned the attack, describing it as part of an ongoing campaign of settler violence aimed at consolidating control over Palestinian land. 

Officials said settlers recently set up an outpost between Beit Anan and Al-Tira, establishing a cow farm believed to be part of a broader plan to expand settlement presence in the area. 

A protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza was held Saturday in Vasteras, Sweden’s fifth-largest city.  

Organised by local activists, the march featured participants carrying small blood-stained shrouds symbolising children killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza.  

Most demonstrators walked in silence, while some used megaphones to chant slogans. A lone drummer led the procession through the city centre.  

Protesters held banners in Swedish reading "Sweden stop selling weapons" and in English claiming: "Not war, it’s genocide."

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza today have resulted in the deaths of at least 16 Palestinians, according to reports from the ground. In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, civil defence teams have recovered at least seven bodies following an attack on a makeshift tent.

Israeli settlers have looted a school east of ad-Dhahiriya, south of Hebron, according to local sources cited by Wafa.

Fayez al-Tal, head of the Zanouta Village Council, reported that settlers stole iron doors, wooden panels, and classroom dividers before vandalising the school.

He also said that settlers have repeatedly attacked the village, destroyed homes, and displaced residents through violence. These settlers are Israeli citizens living illegally on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday that talks with Palestinian militant group Hamas in recent days had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel.

On April 19, Fidan and Turkey's intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, held talks with Hamas officials in Ankara to discuss the latest efforts for a ceasefire and the situation in Gaza.

Speaking in Doha, Fidan said those talks showed Hamas would be more willing to sign a deal that also addresses the issue of occupied Palestinian territories and other issues, adding that the crisis could be turned into an opportunity to implement the two-state solution.

Gaza mediator Qatar said Sunday there was some progress in talks in Doha this week aimed at securing a new truce in the Israel-Hamas war.

Speaking at a news conference, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani reported "a bit of progress", in response to questions about reports of a Thursday meeting in Doha Between Israel's Mossad spy agency chief David Barnea and the Qatari prime minster.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett launched a fierce attack on Saturday on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, accusing it of sacrificing Israel’s military capacity for political survival as the Israeli assault on Gaza grinds on.

In a post on X, Bennett condemned Netanyahu’s policy of shielding ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men from military conscription, describing the current government as "cowardly and disgraceful" for prioritising its coalition's stability over what he called "the country's needs".

He blamed the government's refusal to recruit Haredim for the Israeli army's failure to achieve its goals in Gaza, where Israel's military campaign has devastated civilian areas, destroyed hospitals, and displaced nearly the entire population.

Read the full story here 

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, has urged an immediate end to weapons transfers to Israel.

In a post on X, she wrote: "Seriously, how many children, along with their parents and grandparents, must we watch being starved, burned alive, or gathered into plastic bags after being shattered by Western-manufactured bombs?”

Several Western nations continue to provide lethal arms to Israel despite the staggering human toll of its war on Gaza. The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has supplied the majority of weaponry, including 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs.

"Israel must be stopped, and so must the states supplying it with weapons," Albanese said.

Gaza is descending into one of the gravest humanitarian catastrophes in its history, as food supplies run out, famine spreads, and desperate families are left digging through rubbish for survival.

The ongoing Israeli siege, now entering its eighth week without aid deliveries, has shattered any remaining lifelines for Gaza's 2.4 million residents. According to Gaza's Government Media Office, "famine today is no longer a threat but a bitter reality".

Read the full report here.

The Health Ministry in Gaza has issued its latest daily update on casualties from Israel’s ongoing war.

In a statement, it reported that 51 bodies were brought to hospitals across Gaza over the past 24 hours, while 115 others were wounded during the same period.

The new figures bring the total number of Palestinians killed since October 7, 2023, to at least 52,423, with 117,639 wounded.

An Israeli strike targeting a house in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City has killed three Palestinians. 

According to Al Jazeera, the bodies of the victims have been pulled from the rubble. 

A group of pro-Palestinian activists from the Youth Demand group have jumped the barriers at Tower Bridge and sat down in front of the men's elite race at the London Marathon, wearing 'Stop Arming Israel' t-shirts

The group said on X: "At 10:30am, Willow and Cristy jumped the barriers at Tower Bridge and sat down in front of the men's elite race at the London Marathon, wearing 'Stop Arming Israel' t-shirts."

A Palestinian man has died after collapsing during a chase by Israeli forces near the town of Al-Ram, close to occupied East Jerusalem, according to the Wafa news agency.

The man, identified as Arafat Qadous, was later pronounced dead.

Wafa reported that such incidents are frequent, stating: "Almost every day, Israeli occupation forces harass and pursue Palestinian workers attempting to access jobs within Israel. Thousands are often prevented from reaching their workplaces, with many facing detention or physical harm."

Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli drone strike Sunday on a border town killed one person, the latest attack despite a November ceasefire that ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The health ministry reported in a statement "one martyr" from "the drone strike launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Halta", in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces detained 13 Palestinians overnight in raids across the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

Nine were arrested during a raid in Hebron city, while two more were taken from the nearby town of ash-Shuyukh and another two from ad-Dhahiriya.

In the central West Bank, two Palestinians were detained during a raid on the Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah.

Hamish Falconer, the UK’s minister for the Middle East and North Africa, has condemned Israel’s blockade of Gaza following the WFP’s announcement that its food reserves in the Strip have run out.

"Israel’s devastating aid block is putting civilians, including one million children, at risk of starvation," he wrote on X.

The Israeli military announced that it successfully intercepted a missile fired from Yemen. The missile was shot down before it could enter Israeli airspace, following the activation of rocket sirens in the Arava and Dead Sea regions, according to a post on X.

Hamas has confirmed that its delegation has concluded its visit to Cairo, where discussions with mediators focused on reaching a ceasefire agreement.

Led by Mujahid Muhammad Darwish, the Palestinian group presented a deal that would include a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, humanitarian relief, and reconstruction. According to the group’s statement, all parties agreed to continue diplomatic efforts and maintain open lines of communication.

Israeli airstrikes have targeted tents housing displaced Palestinians in southern Khan Younis, as well as a residential building in central Gaza, injuring several people.

Israeli forces are demolishing more homes in Rafah, a city now surrounded and cut off from the rest of Gaza. Meanwhile, raids have been carried out in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) in Gaza, has issued a stark warning about the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the territory. Speaking from Gaza City, Whittall said Israel’s ongoing blockade,  now in its second month, is inflicting immense suffering on civilians.

"The coming days in Gaza are going to be critical," he told reporters. "People are not surviving here. Those not killed by bombs and bullets are slowly dying from deprivation."

Whittall criticised the obstruction of aid, calling it a form of weaponisation. "There is no justification for denying humanitarian assistance," he said. He confirmed that food supplies from the World Food Programme (WFP) are completely depleted and that no significant food distributions are currently taking place in Gaza.

He added that Gaza is teetering on the brink of famine, and OCHA is working with partner agencies to assess whether conditions meet the formal criteria for declaring one.