Death toll from the Israeli strike on central Beirut rises to 9
At least nine people have now been killed in the Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut overnight, Lebanon’s health ministry said today.
The death toll was updated from six, and the ministry said another 14 people were injured in the airstrike on the neighborhood of Bachoura, which is within walking distance of the prime minister’s headquarters, as well as many foreign embassies, including those of the United Kingdom and Australia.
The CIA is soliciting secret tips from informants in Iran and elsewhere
The CIA is releasing instructions in Farsi, Mandarin and Korean to allow people to share information with the agency without running afoul of authoritarian regimes.
“People are trying to reach out to us from around the world and we are offering them instructions for how to do that safely,” the CIA said in a statement on Wednesday. “The security of those willing to reach out to us around the world is of paramount importance to us, and we want them to do so as safely as possible.”
Farsi is spoken by more than 100 million people in Iran and nearby countries, while Mandarin, with more than 1 billion speakers, is the majority language in China.
More than 1.4 million people did not receive food in Gaza last month, U.N. says
More than 1.4 million people in the besieged Gaza Strip did not receive their food rations in September, up from 1 million people the month before, Philippe Lazzarini, chief of U.N.’s agency in Gaza, UNRWA said in a post on X yesterday.
“Again & again hunger is spreading in Gaza,” he said, adding nearly 70 percent of crop field have been destroyed in the enclave. “An entire population is forced to exclusively rely on humanitarian aid.”
Lazzarini said that over 110,000 tons of food supplies are stranded outside of Gaza due to access restrictions and damaged roads.
“Restrictions and delays in aid deliveries only worsen an already dire situation for displaced families,” he said.
IDF says it killed head of Hamas government in Gaza
The Israeli military said it killed the head of Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, Rawhi Mushtaha, and two other Hamas leaders in a strike approximately three months ago.
The three Hamas leaders were “hiding in a fortified and equipped underground compound in the northern Gaza Strip,” the IDF said today in a statement.
The IDF said Mushtaha was one of “Hamas’ most senior operatives” and served as the right-hand man of Hamas’ leader, Yahya Sinwar. The IDF has vowed to hunt down Sinwar for orchestrating the Oct. 7 attacks.
Along with Mushtaha, two security leaders Sameh al-Siraj and Samih Oudeh were killed in the strike, the IDF said. Hamas has not announced the deaths.
Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted Tel Aviv with drones
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said today they launched a number of drones toward Tel Aviv.
“The operation successfully achieved its goals, with the drones reaching their targets without the enemy being able to intercept or down them,” the Iran-backed militia group said in a statement.
Photos show destruction following airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs
Photos show the aftermath of an overnight Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Moawwad in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Israel warns southern Lebanon residents against returning
Israel has warned residents of Lebanese villages in the south to not return to their homes, saying Israeli military raids were still continuing.
“For your safety and the safety of your families — do not return home until further notice,” IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X today.
The IDF had yesterday announced evacuation orders for 21 villages in southern Lebanon.
Harris says U.S. forces will ‘absolutely not’ go into combat to support Israel
Vice President Kamala Harris said she does not foresee the need for American troops to enter into combat in Israel.
“I will be unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s ability to defend itself and to take seriously the need to deal with Iran in terms of the threat that it poses to U.S. interests, to our allies and to stability in the region,” she said in an interview with KDKA, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh.
Asked whether U.S. forces might be drawn into the escalating conflict, Harris said, “No, absolutely not.”
Satellite photos appear to show damage at Israeli air base after Iran attack
Satellite photos appear to show damage at an Israeli military air base after Iran’s ballistic missile attack.
Images of the Nevatim air base in the country’s south, taken yesterday, seemingly show a hole in the roof of an aircraft hangar, according to the Associated Press news agency. Large pieces of debris can be seen spread around the building, it adds.
It was not clear exactly what caused the damage and Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP about the satellite images.
Israel strikes the heart of Beirut, killing at least six, local officials say
Israeli strikes in the heart of the Lebanese capital killed at least six people and wounded seven overnight, health officials said.
The strikes hit Beirut’s central neighborhood of Bachoura, which is within walking distance of the prime minister’s headquarters, as well as many foreign embassies, including those of the United Kingdom and Australia.
Three people were killed immediately while three more died due to their severe injuries afterward, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
Oil prices climb amid escalating tensions in Middle East
Oil prices jumped today as tensions escalate in the Middle East, which drives concerns that crude oil supplies might be disrupted.
One possible target for an Israeli retaliatory attack on Iran is the country’s oil facilities, analysts have said.
Brent crude futures were up 92 cents, or 1.24%, to $74.82 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 95 cents, or 1.36%, to $71.05.
Hezbollah fires at northern Israel
Hezbollah said it targeted northern Israel early today, claiming to have hit Israeli soldiers.
The Iran-backed militant group said it targeted two Israeli forces at Hanita and Misgav Am respectively.
The Israeli military said this morning that “two UAVs were identified crossing from Lebanon. The IAF intercepted a UAV off the coast of Nahariya and a fallen projectile was identified in an open area. No injuries were reported. No sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol.”
It also said that “following the sirens that sounded in the Upper Galilee area, approximately 25 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon. Some of the projectiles were intercepted and fallen projectiles were identified.”
Israel prepares for response to Iranian missile attack, officials say
Reporting from Tyre, Lebanon
Israel is preparing for its response to Iran’s missile attack, Israeli and U.S. officials say. President Biden said he supports Israel’s right to respond. Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
