Israel-Hamas war latest: IDF launches strikes in Lebanon after Hezbollah fires scores of rockets at Israel - amid fears of escalation (2024)

Key points
  • IDF launches strikes on southern Lebanon
  • Hezbollah fires scores of rockets at Israel amid fears of escalation
  • Houthis launch 'drone boat' attack in Red Sea
  • Hamas changes to ceasefire plan to include all Israeli troops leaving
  • Alistair Bunkall analysis:Without compromise, there might be no deal to be done
  • Gaza population facing 'catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions'
  • Labour manifesto includes pledge on Palestine
  • Live reporting by Mark Wyatt and, earlier, Bhvishya Patel

20:00:01

We're pausing our coverage

That brings our live coverage to an end for this evening.

Scroll back through the blog to catch up on the day's events.

19:30:01

Watch: IDF appears to fire flaming objects into Lebanon

Videos posted online in recent days appear to show Israeli soldiers firing flaming objects into Lebanon using a trebuchet and a bow and arrow.

Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militia group backed by Iran, have frequently clashed with IDF forces on the Israel-Lebanon border since the most recent conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas on 7 October.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously warned thatBeirut would be turned "into Gaza" if Hezbollah started anall-out war.

Sky News has approached the IDF for comment on the videos.

19:00:01

Biden 'not confident' ceasefire will happen soon - and says 'Hamas has to move'

US President Joe Biden has said he is not confident that a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza will happen soon.

Mr Biden attended today's G7 leaders' summit in Italy, where he confirmed to reporters that a ceasefire plan was discussed.

When asked whether he was confident a ceasefire would happen soon, the president replied "no".

He said that he hadn't lost hope but added that "Hamas has to move."

Mr Biden's three-phase ceasefire plan was accepted by the UN Security Council this week.

The proposal was reported to include the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and would involve Hamas handing over all of its hostages.

However, as we reported this morning, a senior leader of Hamas told Reuters that the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza was a change to the deal that they had requested.

18:30:01

Colombia says it will take in wounded Palestinian children for treatment

The Colombian government has announced it will receive injured Palestinian children and provide them with medical care.

Elizabeth Taylor Jay, Colombia's deputy minister of multilateral affairs, was speaking in Stockholm where she was on a state visit with Colombian president Gustavo Petro.

"We have taken the decision to provide humanitarian support to Palestinian children who will travel with their families to Colombia for rehabilitation," she said.

Ms Taylor Jay does not say how many children will be taken in by Colombia, nor how they would be transported from Gaza.

President Petro has been one of the most vocal critics on the world stage of Israel's conduct in Gaza following the attack by Hamas on 7 October.

Colombia broke diplomatic ties with Israel in May.

Earlier this month, Mr Petro announced via a post on X that his country would suspend coal exports to Israel "until the genocide is stopped."

Colombia is Israel's largest supplier of coal, according to the American Journal for Transportation.

Coal shipments there generate about $165m (£129.4m) a year in taxes, royalties and other contributions.

17:45:01

Chaka Khan releases Gaza statement after 2012 performance resurfaces

Chaka Khan has released a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after it was revealed that she had performed at a fundraiser organised by the Friends of the Israel Defence Forces (FIDF) in 2012.

Khan is due to perform at Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre this weekend.

Collectives due to perform at the festival, including Queer Soundsystem operator Gideon, who is part of Chakha’s programme, threatened to pull out over Khan's performance at the FIDF event.

That appears to have prompted a statement from the singer.

"I understand that a performance I undertook at a fundraiser organised by the FIDF 12 years ago in 2012 may have led some to misinterpret my appearance as an endorsem*nt of the organisation's initiatives," she wrote.

"To clarify, I do not support any actions that perpetuate violence, inequality, or human rights violations anywhere in the world. I am against war in all its forms and stand with all artists calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

"Music has the power to unite us, to heal, and to help us see the love in one another. It is a universal language that speaks directly to our hearts. As a musician and human being, I feel a deep responsibility to use my platform to promote peace, understanding, and unity."

Friends of the Israel Defence Forces is an organisation established in 1981 dedicated to the men and women serving in the Israel Defence Forces, wounded veterans, and the families of fallen soldiers.

17:00:01

Israel stands behind ceasefire proposal, says US national security adviser

Israel still has support for the three-phase ceasefire plan outlined by Joe Biden in May, says US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The proposal was reported to include the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and would involve Hamas handing over all of its hostages.

However, as we reported this morning, a senior leader of Hamas told Reuters that the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza was a change to the deal that they had requested.

Israel is yet to publicly back the plan, but the US says it has accepted the terms of the deal.

Speaking at the G7 leaders' summit in Italy, Mr Sullivan said: "Israel has supplied this proposal. It has been sitting on the table for some time. Israel has not contradicted or walked that back.

"To this day, they stand behind the proposal. I don’t think that there is a contradiction in the Israeli position."

Mr Sullivan reiterated that Hamas had responded by offering a new proposal.

"The goal is to try to bring this to a conclusion as rapidly as possible," he added.

16:15:01

IDF launches strikes on southern Lebanon

The Israel Defence Forces says it has struck Hezbollah infrastructure targets in southern Lebanon in retaliation for attacks by the group earlier today.

The IDF shared footage that it says shows Israeli Air Force fighter jets striking targets in the Deir Seryan area. Pillars of smoke can be seen rising from the targets.

It comes after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group claimed responsibility for firing around 40 rockets into northern Israel earlier today.

The IDF said several of those launches were successfully intercepted by Israel's air defence.

15:40:27

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take over US university building

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators took over a building at California State University in Los Angeles yesterday.

University spokesperson Erik Frost Hollins said a group of 50-100 people barricaded exits on the first floor and blocked paths around the building.

The university posted a "protest action alert" on its website announcing that all main campus classes and operations would be remote until further notice and asking people not to go to the main campus.

Images from the scene showed graffiti on the building, furniture blocking doorways and overturned golf carts, picnic tables and umbrellas barricading the plaza out front.

15:00:01

Ship hit in suspected Houthi attack

A ship was hit by a missile in a suspected Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden today, authorities have said.

The ship was en route from Malaysia to Venice and caught fire, according to the British military's UK Maritime Trade Operations.

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack, but it typically takes the rebels hours or even days to claim them.

The attack follows the Houthis launching a boat-borne bomb attack against a commercial ship in the Red Sea yesterday.

Who are the Houthis?

The Houthis are part of an Iran-aligned regional alliance, which also includes Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The group governs swathes of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, more than 1,000 miles from Israel.

It has blamed Israel for instability in the Middle East, saying the "circle of conflict" in the region was driven by its "continued crimes".

The Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthis say they are targeting any and all ships they believe are linked, operated, owned, flagged or travelling to or from Israel.

US and British destroyers are among an international naval taskforce set up to combat the Houthi attacks in the area.

14:30:01

In pictures: Israel repels Hezbollah rockets as firefighters tackle blazes

Earlier today we brought you news that Hezbollah had launched some 40 rockets into northern Israel.

The IDF says several of these launches were successfully intercepted by Israel's air defence.

State broadcaster Kan aired footage of numerous mid-air interceptions of rockets above Israeli towns, including in Safed, some 12 km (7.5 miles) from the border.

Israel-Hamas war latest: IDF launches strikes in Lebanon after Hezbollah fires scores of rockets at Israel - amid fears of escalation (2024)

FAQs

What part of Israel is under attack? ›

An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place chiefly in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. Clashes have also occurred in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and with Hezbollah along the borders with Lebanon and Syria.

Who started the war between Israel and Palestine? ›

Following the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948, the Arab League decided to intervene on behalf of Palestinian Arabs, marching their forces into former British Palestine, beginning the main phase of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

Why did Israel and Hamas go to war in July 2014? ›

Following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank by Hamas-affiliated Palestinian militants, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated Operation Brother's Keeper, in which it killed 10 Palestinians, injured 130 and imprisoned more than 600.

How many hostages does Hamas have? ›

Holding hostages:

63 hostages were reportedly killed on October 7 or in Hamas captivity according to Israel. As of 8 June 2024, 120 hostages remained in captivity in the Gaza Strip, 116 of whom had been abducted on 7 October 2023; the other four hostages having been captured earlier.

Which 5 countries attacked Israel? ›

The first war, in 1948–49, began when Israel declared itself an independent state following the United Nations' partition of Palestine and five Arab countries—Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria—attacked Israel.

What is the enemy State of Israel? ›

Iran. Iran covers much of the Persian empire mentioned in the Bible. It has been a polarizing Islamic state since 1979. By the 2000s, Iran became a major enemy of Israel, and Iranian leaders have consistently denied Israel's right to exist.

Why does the US support Israel? ›

Bilateral relations have evolved from an initial American policy of sympathy and support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948, to a partnership that links a small but powerful state with a superpower attempting to balance influence against competing interests in the region, namely Russia and its allies.

Why did Jews leave Israel? ›

During the Crisis of the Third Century, economic disruption and high taxation due to civil wars in the Roman Empire caused many Jews to migrate from the Land of Israel to Babylon under the more tolerant Persian Sassanid Empire, where an autonomous Jewish community existed in the area of Babylon.

Is Hamas still fighting? ›

JERUSALEM (AP) — Diminished but not deterred, Hamas is still putting up a fight after seven brutal months of war with Israel, regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities.

Which country does Palestine belong to? ›

Historical Palestine is made up of the current Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank—referred to as the State of Palestine—and the country of Israel. Both of these territories were captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. In these areas combined, there are around 7 million Palestinians.

Who owns the Gaza Strip? ›

Since 2006, the Gaza Strip has been controlled by Hamas, an armed group and political party that was founded during the first Palestinian “intifada,” or uprising, against Israeli rule in 1987–93. (The name Hamas is an acronym for “The Islamic Resistance Movement” in Arabic.)

What religion is Hamas? ›

Hamas is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement. It has called on members of the other two Abrahamic faiths—Judaism and Christianity—to accept Islamic rule in the Middle East.

How many Americans are being held by Hamas? ›

The American families whose sons, fathers, husbands, and mother have been held hostage by Hamas since the October 7 terrorist attack wear silver dog tags engraved with their one and only wish in two languages.

Do Hamas Recognise Israel? ›

Hamas, in contrast, does not recognize Israel as a legitimate government. Furthermore, Hamas denies the legitimacy of the Oslo I Accord.

Has Hamas bomb Israel? ›

The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks is estimated at 1,139 with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.

What areas are under Israel control? ›

The Palestinian territories are the two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, namely the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip.

Why is Israel attacking Gaza? ›

The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when 200,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes, settling in the Gaza Strip as refugees. Since then, Israel has fought 15 wars against the Gaza Strip.

Was Israel attacked by Iran? ›

On 19 April, Israel launched a series of retaliatory missile strikes on Iranian military sites, including one near Isfahan.

What is actually happening in Gaza? ›

Gaza has been under a violent blockade for 16 years.

More than 50% of the population are unemployed. Hospitals have consistently been out of up to 40% of needed supplies and medicine. Approximately 96% of water in Gaza is undrinkable. Electricity is only available sporadically.

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