Displaced communities “live in overcrowded shelters and lack cleaning supplies, hygiene kits and diapers, as well as clothes and infant formula for babies.” Stephane Dujarric
Nearly 90 percent of coordinated humanitarian aid movements between northern and southern Gaza have been either denied or impeded this month by Israel, according to the United Nations.
“Humanitarian aid movements in Gaza continue to face significant access constraints,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a press briefing on Friday. “Nearly 90 percent of coordinated humanitarian response movements between northern and southern Gaza so far in September have been either denied or impeded.”
He said displaced Palestinians continue to live “in abysmal conditions,” which are expected to further deteriorate in the forthcoming cold and rainy winter weather.
“That would be the second winter that civilians in Gaza have to face” in those conditions, Dujarric noted.
Assessments recently conducted in two collective shelters in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis found that at both sites, displaced communities “live in overcrowded shelters and lack cleaning supplies, hygiene kits and diapers, as well as clothes and infant formula for babies.”
West Bank
He also highlighted the situation in the occupied West Bank, saying that the number of “internal movement obstacles” deployed by Israeli forces has increased by more than 20 percent since June of last year.
“The cumulative impact of obstruction to movement has been devastating, further entrenching the fragmentation in the West Bank, disrupting access to livelihoods and services for thousands of Palestinians, which is aggravating the already difficult conditions in which many live,” Dujarric emphasized.
Israeli occupation forces target journalist and emergency medical workers with teargas during the weekly anti-occupation protest in the town of Beita, the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/tfRx9vM4Lq
In just one week — between 17 and 23 September — 11 Palestinians were killed, including two children, he said, adding that these “included exchanges of fire and an airstrike.”
Meanwhile, health facilities in the West Bank are also impacted by Israel’s actions.
Citing the WHO (World Health Organization), Dujarric said that from October 7 of last year to July 30 of this year, 527 attacks — including obstruction of access, use of force, detention and militarized searches — were reported on healthcare facilities in the region.
“These have impacted 54 healthcare facilities, including 20 mobile clinics, in addition to 365 ambulances,” said the spokesperson.
Lebanon
On the Lebanese front, Dujarric said the “recent escalation in the country is nothing short of catastrophic, with the surge in violence extending to previously unaffected areas.”
This has led to “the widespread destruction” of homes and infrastructure across Lebanon.
He pointed out that in less than a week, “at least 700 human lives have been lost, thousands have been injured, and nearly 120,000 people have been displaced, with these numbers continuing to rise as we speak,” due to Israel’s attacks on the country.
He said the main needs of those affected “include safe shelters, core relief items, healthcare, cash assistance and protection services.”
In total, since October of 2023, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed in Lebanon and 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to Dujarric.
Injured as a result of the occupation bombing of a house belonging to the Qashlan family in the new camp in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip.
Israeli warplanes bomb a house in the new camp in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip.
Sirens sound again in large areas in Eilat and its surroundings.
ISLAMIC RESISTANCE IN IRAQ: We attacked with drones a vital target in um al-Rashrash “Eilat” in our occupied territories.
AL-MAYADEEN: Very violent Israeli raids on the city of Baalbek and its surroundings in eastern Lebanon.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two Palestinians were killed and injured in an Israeli airstrike tonight on a house in the vicinity of Salah al-Din School, west of Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/ycbavibiIZ
Clash with the occupation forces in the eastern area of Nablus city in the West Bank.
Three killed and six injured in Israeli shelling targeting an apartment in the vicinity of Al-Shaabiya junction in the center of Gaza City.
AL-AQSA MARTYERS BRIGADES: We confront the enemy forces in Balata camp and engage in violent clashes with them and target them with a heavy hail of bullets.
AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We are engaged in clashes with the enemy forces storming Balata camp and targeting them with a heavy hail of bullets.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two killed with Israeli forces targeted a house in the Al-Alami area of Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
AL-JAZEERA: Three explosions occurred early Sunday in the Albukamal area on the Iraqi-Syrian border. pic.twitter.com/WLeFrJnSO6
AL-MAYADEEN: The American base in the Conoco factory in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor was subjected to intense shelling with missiles and drones.
AL-JAZEERA: Three explosions occurred early Sunday in the Albukamal area on the Iraqi-Syrian border.
AL-AQSA TV: Israeli occupation forces blew up residential buildings in the southern neighborhoods of Gaza City tonight.
AL-JAZEERA: Three explosions occurred early Sunday in the Albukamal area on the Iraqi-Syrian border. pic.twitter.com/WLeFrJnSO6
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Two Palestinians were killed and injured in an Israeli airstrike tonight on a house in the vicinity of Salah al-Din School, west of Gaza City.
AL-MAYADEEN: An Israeli raid targeted the town of Jebchit in the Nabatieh district
Sunday, September 29, 12:30 am (GMT+2)
AL-MAYADEEN: Lebanon: Occupation warplanes launch a raid on the southern suburb.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Power outage in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem after a rocket fired from Lebanon.
JORDANIAN MILITARY SOURCE: A Grad rocket fell in an uninhabited desert area in Muwaqqar, south of Amman.
SYRIAN MEDIA: a violent attack by suicide drones targeted a US forces base in the Conoco factory and field in Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria, last night.
Sunday, September 29, 12:00 am (GMT+2)
BIDEN: It is time for a ceasefire now.
CNN (citing US official): There are no indications yet that Iran is preparing for a major, sustained response.
SYRIAN MEDIA: Explosions occurred at the Conoco base, where US forces are stationed, in the Deir Ezzor countryside.
A rocket fired from Lebanon has caused power outages in several Jewish settlements east of occupied Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/0mxvHKGxOa
ISLAMIC RESISTANCE IN IRAQ: We attacked the Eilat area in “our occupied territories” with drones.
IRANIAN INTELLIGENCE MINISTER: “The axis of resistance will take revenge for Hassan Nasrallah by liberating Jerusalem and destroying the Zionist entity.”
CHANNEL 12: “The axis of resistance will take revenge for Hassan Nasrallah by liberating Jerusalem and destroying the Zionist entity.”
Saturday, September 28, 11:30 pm (GMT+2)
ISRAELI MEDIA: Israeli media: Initial reports of missiles and drones being launched from Yemen and Iraq towards Israel.
REUTERS (citing Lebanese Health Ministry): 33 people were killed and 195 injured in Israeli raids on Lebanon on Saturday.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Loud explosions were heard in the Israeli city of Eilat, in southern Israel, with no sirens activated. pic.twitter.com/VyLaexGpG0
US OFFICIALS: Israel would find it difficult to destroy Hezbollah if it launched a ground invasion of its stronghold in southern Lebanon.
NYT (citing Israeli officials): Hezbollah is capable of firing hundreds of rockets at once.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Sirens sounded in Nahariya, Ras al-Naqoura and Shlomi to warn of a drone infiltration.
Saturday, September 28, 11:00 pm (GMT+2)
ISRAELI MEDIA: Four large fires break out in four settlements east of Jerusalem due to rockets fired from Lebanon
AL-MAYADEEN: Some Israeli reports indicate that the rocket hit an Israeli army base in Ma’ale Adumim and that fires broke out in the area.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Explosions heard in Eilat in the south without activating sirens
Saturday, September 28, 10:30 pm (GMT+2)
QNN: A large fire broke out in the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Mikhmas, east of occupied Jerusalem, due to rockets fired from Lebanon.
BREAKING: A large fire broke out in the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Mikhmas, east of occupied Jerusalem, due to rockets fired from Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/Wftq74hzau
CHANNEL 13: Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert admitted for the first time that Israel was responsible for the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus in 2008.
CNN (citing Israeli military spokesman): The option of a ground operation in Lebanon is on the table.
Saturday, September 28, 9:00 pm (GMT+2)
IRANIAN FM: The United States is a confirmed partner of Israel in its crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.
FRENCH FM: We call for an immediate cessation of Israeli strikes in Lebanon, and condemn any indiscriminate action against civilians.
ABC citing US official): Israel is not responding to President Joe Biden’s repeated calls for a political solution. Israel prepares for limited ground attack in Lebanon.
AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli raid targeted the southern suburb of Beirut, near Rafik Hariri International Airport. pic.twitter.com/jxGW76TjAJ
RUSSIAN FM: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he discussed at the United Nations “the escalation in the Middle East and attempts to drag Iran into a full-scale war.”
AL-HOUTHI: The enemy will not achieve its security by assassinating resistance leaders.
KAN: Israel has asked Washington to send additional forces to the region in preparation for a possible Iranian response.
AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli raid took place a short while ago on the southern suburb of Beirut, near Rafik Hariri International Airport.
AXIOS (citing US officials): Israel has asked Washington to take steps to deter Iran from attacking it, in response to the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah. Biden administration supports Nasrallah’s killing, but is frustrated by Israel’s lack of transparency.
Saturday, September 28, 8:00 pm (GMT+2)
LEBANESE PM: What is happening in the southern suburbs and many Lebanese regions is the best evidence of what the enemy is planning.
BIDEN:
Nasrallah’s killing brings justice to his victims, including thousands of American, Israeli, and Lebanese civilians.
I have directed the Secretary of Defense to strengthen the defensive posture of our forces in the region.
US STATE DEPARTMENT: We urge our nationals to leave Lebanon due to the increased volatility following the raids on Beirut and the security situation.
TOP HAMAS OFFICIAL AL-HAYYA: The assassination of Nasrallah and his brothers is a treacherous terrorist act, a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, and an expansion of the circle of aggression.
Hamas leader, Khalil Al-Hayya:
– We mourn to the Palestinian people and the nation Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his Mujahideen brothers.
– Nasrallah lived his life resisting and was martyred in his den despite the cruelty of the aggression. pic.twitter.com/mtkhyvkG0r
POLITICO: Washington’s initial response to Nasrallah’s assassination was positive, despite efforts to persuade Israel to stop its attacks.
SYRIAN FM: The assassination of Sayyed Nasrallah is a disregard for all international standards and laws
Saturday, September 28, 7:00 pm (GMT+2)
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with a Yassin 105 shell in the Tannour neighborhood east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
LEBANESE MEDIA: Israeli raids targeted the towns of Abbasiyeh, Tayr Debba and Al-Malikiyah in southern Lebanon, while other raids targeted the towns of Shamshtar and Beit Shama in the Bekaa, east of the country.
KHAMENEI: We declare five days of mourning in Iran. The blood of the martyr Abbas al-Moussawi was not in vain, and the blood of the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will not be in vain either.
ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR TO UN: We are closely monitoring Iran’s threats to respond.
IRANIAN CHIEF OF STAFF: “The path of Hassan Nasrallah will continue and the resistance will determine the future of the region and Palestine soon.”
CUBAN PRESIDENT: We condemn the cowardly assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, as a result of the Israeli attack on residential buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
ISREALI MEDIA: Sirens sounded at Ben Gurion Airport while Netanyahu was there.
Saturday, September 28, 6:00 pm (GMT+2)
ISRAELI MEDIA: Explosions were heard in the Sharon area north of Tel Aviv.
ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESMAN: A Yemeni missile was launched towards the central region.
RUSSIAN FM: Moscow strongly condemns the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General and warns of its repercussions on Lebanon and the entire Middle East.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Sirens sound again in Western Galilee.
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: The terrorist enemy leadership, which is experiencing temporary euphoria and intensifying its criminal actions, will realize after a while that it is walking towards its demise.
AL-JAZEERA: Israeli raids targeted the city of Tyre and the towns of Ghazieh and Khiyam in southern Lebanon.
LEBANESE HEALTH MINISTRY: The death toll since October 8 has risen to 1,640 dead and 8,408 wounded.
CNN (citing Israeli officials): Hezbollah is capable of regrouping and replacing its leaders and is likely to do so.
Saturday, September 28, 5:00 pm (GMT+2)
SAAD HARIRI: “Nasrallah’s assassination has plunged Lebanon and the region into a new phase of violence. It is a cowardly act that we condemn in its entirety.”
IRANIAN PRESIDENT: The world will not forget that the decision to carry out the terrorist attack was issued from New York.
UNRWA: More than 50,000 Lebanese and Syrians in Lebanon crossed into Syria.
Tel Aviv now. The Israeli army reported that the sirens were activated by a missile launched from #Yemen
CNN (citing US officials): Israel’s assassination of Nasrallah in Beirut fuels fears of all-out war in the region..
Saturday, September 28, 4:30 pm (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY: Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi completed a security assessment session and approved the plans in the Northern Command.
HEZBOLLAH: Our fighters bombed the settlement of Katzrin with a salvo of rockets.
MEHR NEWS AGENCY: Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan, the head of the Lebanon file in the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, was killed in the attack in the suburb yesterday, Friday.
MAARIV: The Israeli army has monitored increased activity by Hamas in areas north of the Gaza Strip.
IRAN AIR: Iran Air said it had suspended flights to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri Airport “until further notice.”
PFLP: The banner of resistance will not be broken after Nasrallah’s martyrdom.
ISLAMIC JIHAD: “It is a great honor for His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to be martyred facing the enemy, not turning his back, in a position of support and advocacy for our Palestinian people.”
Spontaneous protests erupted in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, following the announcement of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by the Israeli occupation. pic.twitter.com/UIHfCuGyPf
ANSARALLAH: We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Sayyed Nasrallah, to Hezbollah and its Mujahideen, to the Lebanese people and to the Islamic nation.
ISRAELI ARMY: We carried out two assassination operations in Beirut a short while ago.
NYT: Hezbollah members found and identified the body of Hassan Nasrallah at dawn on Saturday.
IRANIAN FM: ANSARALLAH: We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Sayyed Nasrallah, to Hezbollah and its Mujahideen, to the Lebanese people and to the Islamic nation.
ISRAELI ARMY: We carried out two assassination operations in Beirut a short while ago.
NYT: Hezbollah members found and identified the body of Hassan Nasrallah at dawn on Saturday.
HEZBOLLAH: Hezbollah announces the martyrdom of its Secretary-General, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who led the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon since 1992.
Saturday, September 28, 2:00 pm (GMT+2)
AL-MAYADEEN: Israeli artillery shelling targeted areas in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Sirens are now sounding in the settlements of Safed, Beria, Kerem Ben Zumra, Kadita, Amiad and Tsab’un.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Sirens are now sounding in the settlements of Safed, Beria, Kerem Ben Zumra, Kadita, Amiad and Tsab'un.
? The Israeli Iron Dome attempted to intercept rockets over northeastern Akka in northern Israel.
IRANIAN GUARDIAN COUNCIL: World countries, especially Western countries, must stop arming the evil entity immediately.
HEZBOLLAH:
We bombed the settlement of Rosh Pina with a salvo of rockets
We bombed the Sa’ar settlement with a salvo of rockets
We targeted a movement of Israeli enemy soldiers at the Al-Sadah site with artillery shells.
AL-MAYADEEN: An Israeli drone targets a car on the Dahr al-Baidar road.
Saturday, September 28, 12:00 pm (GMT+2)
IRAN: Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee holds emergency meeting to discuss regional developments and Beirut suburb aggression
ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Estimates indicate that Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine was not killed in the attack that targeted the southern suburb of Beirut yesterday, Friday.
QNN: Israeli occupation aircraft bombard areas in the north of Hamad city, northwest of Khan Yunis.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 41,586 Palestinians have been killed, and 96,210 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
AL-JAZEERA: A Palestinian was killed and others were injured in an Israeli bombardment that targeted a house north of the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Saturday, September 28, 11:30 am (GMT+2)
AL-JAZEERA: Loud explosions were heard in Ramallah in the West Bank.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 41,586 Palestinians have been killed, and 96,210 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Saturday, September 28, 11:00 am (GMT+2)
ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army announced that it killed the commander of the southern front in Hezbollah, Ali Karaki, and a number of other leaders.
WASHINGTON POST: The army has deployed two reserve brigades, meaning a ground invasion is a possible option.
AL-MAYADEEN: Lebanon: Medium-range missiles were fired from Lebanon towards northern occupied Palestine.
AL-MAYADEEN: Lebanon: Medium-range missiles were fired from Lebanon towards northern occupied Palestine.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Sirens sound in Acre and the central Galilee region.
AL-MAYADEEN:
An Israeli raid targeted the town of Breiqa in the Nabatieh district.
A 6-storey building collapsed in the Hadath area as a result of the Israeli aggression.
A guided missile was launched from Lebanon towards an Israeli military target in the vicinity of “Shalomi”.
REUTERS (citing Israeli official): It is too early to say that Nasrallah has been killed.
CHANNEL 13: The Israeli army called up 3 reserve battalions after assessing the security situation for fear of escalation in the West Bank during the Jewish holidays.
AL-MAYADEEN: An Israeli raid targeted the town of Al-Zarariyeh, Sidon district.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Intense gunfire from occupation vehicles east of the town of Abasan al-Jadida, east of Khan Yunis.
Saturday, September 28, 10:00 am (GMT+2)
ISRAELI MEDIA: Sirens sounded in several locations. A heavy rocket barrage was launched towards the north.
AL-MAYADEEN: Continuing work to remove rubble from the building targeted by the occupation in the town of Shamshtar.
AL-MAYADEEN: Civil defense crews are working to remove rubble from the building targeted by the occupation in the town of Shamshtar.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the Ramat David base and airport with a salvo of “Fadi 3” missiles.
IRANIAN VICE PRESIDENT: “Our government will be with the Lebanese people and the axis of resistance. Our government will pursue the Zionists’ crime in international forums.”
HEZBOLLAH: We bombed the Ramat David base and airport with a batch of Fadi 3 missiles.
AL-AWDA HOSPITAL: Three Palestinians were killed and 11 others injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house and a gathering of citizens in central Gaza.
Saturday, September 28, 09:00 am (GMT+2)
ISRAELI MEDIA: Explosions were reported in Tel Aviv and other areas in central Israel.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A Palestinian was killed in Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the northeastern areas of Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.
AL-MAYADEEN: Israeli raids targeted the towns of Karak, Hazrata and Rayak in the Bekaa Valley, east of Lebanon.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Sirens sounded in dozens of locations in the Upper Galilee, Central Galilee, northern Golan Heights, Haifa Bay and settlements in the northern West Bank.
A civilian cries for help beneath the rubble of a building struck by an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut. pic.twitter.com/PXtZwEYXx1
The Israeli army launched a massive airstrike targeting a residential area in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, claiming that it hit Hezbollah’s main military headquarters.
According to Israeli media reports, the target of the strike was Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah.
Al-Jazeera cited the Israeli army radio as saying that initial indications are not sufficient to confirm or deny the killing of Hezbollah’s leader.
According to various sources, however, there are early indications that Israel may have failed to reach the Lebanese leader.
For its part, the Iranian Tasnim news agency confirmed that Nasrallah is in a safe area and that he is unarmed.
According to the Lebanese news network Al-Mayadeen, at least six buildings were destroyed in the attack, which was reportedly carried out with US-made 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, but no official death toll has been released as of yet. The Lebanese Civil Defense said in a statement that hundreds of people are still missing.
LEBANESE CIVIL DEFENSE: Hundreds are missing under the rubble following the use of 2,000-pound American bunker-busting bombs by Israeli aircraft in this attack. pic.twitter.com/K280WQYOYi
Some estimations, based on a visual assessment of the destruction, suggest that this is maybe the largest attack on Lebanon since the war in 2006.
Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed in a press conference that the strikes were aimed at Hezbollah’s command center, which, as he claimed, had been deliberately constructed “under residential buildings in Beirut to use civilians as human shields.”
Al-Mayadeen correspondent, however, said that the targeted area hosted several charities, whose sole responsibility is to look after the welfare of thousands of poor Lebanese in the area.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left a meeting with journalists in New York after learning of the attack.
Following the strikes, Tel Aviv Municipality announced the opening of public shelters across the city, according to Israeli media.
? 10 buildings have collapsed as a result of the Israeli unprecedented bombing in Beirut, using multiple 2,000-pound bombs on residential areas crowded with people. pic.twitter.com/flQqv3b6wP
“For a few days, US officials and media have focused on a supposed acceptance by Netanyahu of a proposed ceasefire, suggesting that the extremist Israeli leader is ready to bring the conflict in Lebanon to an end,” Palestinian journalist and editor of the Palestine Chronicle Dr. Ramzy Baroud said.
“Later, it was reported that Netanyahu had changed his mind, supposedly under pressure from two extremist ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich,” Baroud added.
“The massive attack on Beirut, the assassination attempt of Hezbollah’s leader, and their timing indicate that all of this was a ploy and that Netanyahu had planned to kill Nasrallah even prior to his visit to the US,” according to Baroud.
?Massive destruction was caused by the Israeli occupation bombardment of the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
According to Israeli media reports, 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs were used in the bombing of the southern suburbs. pic.twitter.com/C8ihVRUJOF
“Netanyahu was hoping that he would make the announcement of Nasrallah’s death during or following his UN General Assembly speech about the so-called Axis of Evil. He wanted to be in the US to take the victory lap and to present himself as the savior of the Middle East and the world.”
“If it is confirmed that Nasrallah is safe, what is intended to be a decisive blow to the group will eventually prove to be a nightmare scenario for Israel, thus the panic throughout the country, especially in the central region of Tel Aviv,” Baroud concluded.
“We are mandated – we are required by statute to guarantee that … Israel has a qualitative military edge over rivals in the region.”
US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, has stressed that the American administration continues “to be committed to the defense of Israel,” adding that it was “a statutory requirement.”
“We are mandated – we are required by statute to guarantee that … Israel has a qualitative military edge over rivals in the region. It’s not a discretionary question. It is a statutory requirement, and it is one that we are committed to,” he told journalists at the department’s last press briefing on September 19.
Miller was responding to a question about criticism that the US calling for calm while continuing to arm Israel was not a successful strategy for reducing tensions in the Middle East.
“We continue to be committed to the defence of Israel. It is a statutory requirement.”
US State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller, reaffirmed the US’s staunch commitment to supporting Israel as it wages a deadly war on Palestine’s Gaza, adding that it was a “statutory… pic.twitter.com/DdJWmPlI7q
“We continue to be committed to the defense of Israel,” he said, adding that Israel faces a “security situation” with Hezbollah “on their northern border” and “a terrorist group in Gaza” that is “committed to the destruction of Israel,” as well as “terrorists groups that operate in the West Bank that are committed to the destruction of Israel.”
“Iran, of course, is committed to the destruction of Israel,” he continued, “So of course we are committed to Israel’s security.”
Miller said there was “also an important deterrent effect to the United States continuing to send a message to Israel’s adversaries that if they attack Israel, we will defend it. And that’s a message that we will continue to send loud and clear.”
‘Security Assistance’
Since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the US “has provided Israel with over $130 billion in bilateral assistance focused on addressing new and complex security threats, bridging Israel’s capability gaps through security assistance and cooperation, increasing interoperability through joint exercises, and helping Israel maintain its Qualitative Military Edge (QME),” according to the State Department’s website.
“Consistent with statutory requirements, it is the policy of the United States to help Israel preserve its QME, or its ability to counter and defeat any credible conventional military threat from any individual state or possible coalition of states or from non-state actors, while sustaining minimal damages and casualties,” the Department states.
This requires “a quadrennial report to Congress, for arms transfers that are required to be Congressionally notified, and a determination that individual arms transfers to the region will not adversely affect Israel’s QME.”
$8.7 Billion in Military Aid
Israel announced on Thursday it was ready to collect $8.7 billion in military aid from the United States.
The US military aid package to Israel comes amidst a genocide in Gaza and the fifth day of an unprecedented Israeli escalation on Lebanon.
According to a statement by Israel’s Defense Ministry cited by The Times of Israel, Tel Aviv has secured the package “to support its ongoing military efforts and to maintain a qualitative military edge in the region.”
“The package comprises $3.5 billion for essential wartime procurement, which has already been transferred to the IMoD (Israeli Ministry of Defense), and $5.2 billion designated for air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and an advanced laser system.”
Despite recent polls, indicating that more than half of Americans stand in favor of halting military aid to Israel, the US administration remains committed to providing substantial military aid to Israel.
Ongoing Genocide
Israel continues to defy a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, more than 700 people have been killed, and scores more injured, in Lebanon this week due to Israeli attacks.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,534 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 96,092 wounded.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Famine and Displacement
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
Benjamin Netanyahu “is continuing the war in which Israel cannot win against the Arab world.”
Retired Israeli Major General Itzhak Brik has once again warned that if the war of attrition in Gaza continues for another year and the conflict expands into a regional war, Israel will collapse, according to a report by the Middle East Monitor (MEMO).
“Israel cannot survive for long without the enlightened Western world, which is distancing itself from us,” Brik told Israeli Radio 103FM on Wednesday, the report said.
He said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to continue fighting in Gaza, and if this “war of attrition” which recently expanded with Hezbollah, continues for another year, there is a high probability Israel may not survive.
Regional War
He said the explosions in Lebanon greatly reinforced the emphasis on the continuation of this war with the real danger of expanding it into a regional war on multiple fronts in which Iran may also participate, adding that this shift will accelerate the deterioration of Israel, the report added.
Brik described the explosion of “pagers and communication devices” as “an amazing tactical event in all respects” and said it “indicates very high-level intelligence and technological capabilities.”
“Israel did not bear responsibility for this, but Hezbollah accuses it and vows to respond very harshly,” he added.
The former military official said he met with Netanyahu six times over the past year and that “Netanyahu’s motives are not rational, but rather stem from his desire to survive at any cost.”
“He is continuing the war in which Israel cannot win against the Arab world. Terrorism has begun to take control of Jordan with the support of Iran and Hezbollah,” he claimed.
Brik said Netanyahu must stop the futile fighting against Hamas and not decide to fight against the entire Arab world, the report added.
Previous Criticism
This is not the first time Brick expresses his criticism of Netanyahu’s actions.
In an article published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on August 22, he stated that Israel could face collapse within a year if the ongoing war of attrition against Hamas and Hezbollah continues.
“Israel is sinking deeper into the Gazan mud, losing more and more soldiers as they get killed or wounded, without any chance of achieving the war’s main goal: bringing down Hamas.”
The former Israeli general further warned that all current political and military strategies are leading Israel towards disaster.
“The country really is galloping towards the edge of an abyss. If the war of attrition against Hamas and Hezbollah continues, Israel will collapse within no more than a year,” he warned.
Over 41,000 Killed
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,534 Palestinians have been killed, and 96,092 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Famine and Displacement
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. (Photo: President of Ukraine, via Wikimedia Commons)
“We commend the countries that have recently recognized Palestine, and we call on all nations to show courage and take the same step.”
Saudi Arabia has announced the formation of an international alliance aimed at establishing a Palestinian state and implementing a two-state solution.
“Today, on behalf of the Arab and Islamic nations, along with our European partners, we announce the launch of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution. We invite you to join this initiative,” Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan reportedly told a ministerial meeting on the Palestinian issue and efforts for peace on Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, he did not give further details on the alliance.
#NewYork | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan participates in the Ministerial Meeting on #AHLC for Coordinating International Assistance to Palestinians on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week. #SaudiArabiaAtUN ???? pic.twitter.com/CBqvL8xji3
Bin Farhan condemned the “catastrophic humanitarian crisis” caused by Israel’s war on Gaza and the “severe violations committed by Israeli occupying forces in the West Bank,” according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), cited by the Anadolu news agency.
He described these actions as part of a “broader policy of occupation and violent extremism.”
“The right to self-defense cannot justify the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, systematic destruction, forced displacement, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, incitement to hatred, dehumanization, or the use of systematic torture, including sexual violence and other documented crimes according to United Nations reports,” the Foreign Minister said.
Potential Wider Conflict
Bin Farhan warned of a potential wider conflict in the region with Israel’s attack on Lebanon which has already killed over 700 people.
“We are witnessing a dangerous regional escalation that affects our brotherly nation of Lebanon and threatens to ignite a regional war that endangers our region and the entire world,” he stressed.
Bin Farhan urged “an immediate halt to the ongoing war and all violations of international law.”
He also questioned the credibility of the international system, saying: “We must ask ourselves what remains of the credibility and legitimacy of the global order when we stand powerless to stop the war machine, while some insist on selectively applying international law in blatant violation of the most basic standards of equality, freedom, and human rights.”
‘New Reality’
The Saudi diplomat reiterated that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is a fundamental right and the foundation for peace, not merely an outcome to be negotiated in a distant political process.
“We commend the countries that have recently recognized Palestine, and we call on all nations to show courage and take the same step, joining the international consensus represented by the 149 countries that have already recognized Palestine,” he said.
The Foreign Minister also reportedly said that ”Implementing the two-state solution is the best solution to break the cycle of conflict and suffering, and enforce a new reality in which the entire region, including Israel, enjoys security and co-existence.”
Last Wednesday, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is created.
Addressing the Shura Council, bin Salman said “The kingdom will not stop its tireless work to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the Kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.”
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi (L), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)
Overall, the results show Netanyahu’s opposition bloc winning 57 seats, while his support bloc would garner 53 seats in the event of elections today.
The ongoing Israeli offensive on Lebanon, which has killed hundreds this week, has significantly boosted the popularity of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, increasing its projected number of seats in the parliament, according to a new poll published on Friday.
According to the survey, if elections were held today, Likud would lead with 25 seats in the Knesset, compared to 19 for its main rival, the opposition National Unity party led by Benny Gantz, the Anadolu news agency reported.
The survey, conducted by Israeli daily Maariv, highlighted that “on the backdrop of a series of harsh blows dealt to Hezbollah and the escalating fighting in the north, Likud has strengthened this week.”
This is the first time since Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza began last October that Likud has gained such an advantage, the report stated.
At the 79th UN General Assembly meeting on Monday, several world leaders called for the need to end Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon through a ceasefire deal that would elevate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and prevent further escalation in Lebanon.
Elections Delay
Opposition leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, meanwhile, would gain 15 seats.
Then it is Avigdor Lieberman’s right-wing opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party with 14 seats.
Overall, the results show Netanyahu’s opposition bloc winning 57 seats, while his support bloc would garner 53 seats in the event of elections today. Arab parties are projected to hold 10 seats.
The report added that a majority of at least 61 members are required to form a government in Israel.
Imminent elections are not expected as Netanyahu has refused to call for a vote while the war is ongoing in Gaza.
Over 41,000 Killed
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 41,534 Palestinians have been killed, and 96,092 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
Famine and Displacement
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
Yahya Saree confirmed that both operations successfully hit their intended targets, describing them as a response to Israeli aggression.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the military spokesman of the Yemeni Armed Forces, affiliated with the Ansarallah group reported in a video statement on Friday the details of two significant military operations targeting Israel.
In the first operation, a hypersonic ballistic missile, Palestine-2, struck a military installation in Tel Aviv, according to Saree.
The second attack, using a Jaffa drone, reportedly hit a critical target in the Ashkelon area.
Saree confirmed that both operations successfully hit their intended targets, describing them as a response to Israeli aggression and in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements.
He emphasized that further military actions against Israel would continue until the attacks on Gaza and Lebanon cease.
SAREE: The Yemeni Armed Forces will carry out more military operations against the Israeli enemy in victory for the blood of our brothers in Palestine and Lebanon.
Yemeni sources revealed to the Lebanese news network Al-Mayadeen that new targets have been identified in the ongoing operations, underscoring that Yemen remains committed to supporting Palestine.
The sources stressed that Yemeni missiles, capable of traveling over 2,000 kilometers, will continue to strike sensitive and strategic locations within Israel, warning that the fifth stage of operations would be especially difficult for Israel.
The same sources also highlighted that Israel’s defense systems, including its satellite and interception technologies, have proven ineffective against Yemeni weapons.
Tel Aviv Operation
Earlier on Thursday night, Israeli forces reported the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen towards Tel Aviv, leading to the injury of more than 17 Israelis.
Sirens were sounded across Tel Aviv and nearby regions, and Ben Gurion Airport temporarily suspended operations due to the missile strike.
According to Israeli media, over two million Israelis fled to shelters, including opposition leader Benny Gantz.
The operation came after Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Ansarallah movement, said in a speech on Thursday that the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Aden are now restricted areas for Israel and the United States.
He also declared that Ansarallah forces launched 39 missiles and drones in support of Gaza and Lebanon, warning that military support will continue as long as aggression in the region persists.
Al-Houthi praised the introduction of the Palestine-2 missile, describing it as a critical component of the fifth phase of escalation in the ongoing war.
Reuters said that the Norwegian man refused to comment on the issue of the pagers when he was reached via phone on September 18 and “hung up when asked about the Bulgarian business.”
The Norwegian police announced on Thursday that it issued an international search request for a Norwegian-Indian man by the name of Rinson Jose who is reportedly linked to the sale of pagers, which exploded last week across Lebanon claiming the lives of scores of Lebanese and injuring thousands of others, Reuters news agency reported.
“Yesterday, Sept. 25, the Oslo police district received a missing person report in connection with the pager case,” the Norwegian police reportedly said in an email in answer to a question by Reuters.
“A missing persons case has been opened, and we have sent out an international warrant for the person,” the police added, according to Reuters.
Rinson Jose is a 39-year-old man who reportedly disappeared last week while on a trip to the United States.
He is the founder of a Bulgarian company that was “reportedly part of the pager supply chain,” Reuters said, adding that Jose established the Sofia-based company under the name of Norta Global Ltd, per the Bulgarian corporate registry.
Reuters said that the Norwegian man refused to comment on the issue of the pagers when he was reached via phone on September 18 and “hung up when asked about the Bulgarian business.”
“He did not return repeated calls and text messages,” Reuters added.
Norwegian DN Media Group, which employs Jose at the company’s sales department, confirmed that the man traveled for a Boston conference on September 17 and it has not been able to touch basis with him since September 18.
According to Reuters, the security police in Norway opened last week an initial probe “into reports that a Norwegian-owned company was linked to the sale of the pagers.”
Hungary’s Investigation
For their part, Hungarian intelligence services have interrogated Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, CEO of Budapest-based BAC Consulting, regarding the pagers that recently exploded in Lebanon, according to a government statement released on Saturday.
Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese pager manufacturer, stated on September 18 that the devices involved in the lethal explosions were produced by BAC Consulting under its brand name.
However, Gold Apollo clarified that they had only licensed their trademark to the company and were not involved in the production of the devices themselves.
Arcidiacono, the Italian-Hungarian owner and CEO of BAC Consulting, told NBC News that her company did not manufacture the pagers, describing herself as merely an “intermediary.”
The Hungarian government’s international press office, citing the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, reported that intelligence services have been investigating the case since September 18 and have questioned Arcidiacono multiple times.
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution confirmed an earlier government statement, asserting that the pagers used in the explosions had never been in Hungary.
Israel’s Cyber-Terror Attacks
Several wireless communication devices exploded on September 17 and 18 across various areas of Lebanon.
Reuters news agency reported, citing both a security source and an eyewitness, that the devices involved in the explosions were portable radios, unlike the pagers that were attacked the previous day.
Al-Mayadeen reported that the devices, apparently ICOM V82s, detonated, and “due to the devices containing highly flammable lithium batteries, the explosions were severe.”
“The explosions caused massive fires in cars, motorcycles, apartments, and stores all over Lebanon,” the report added.
A day earlier, thousands of Lebanese citizens were injured when their portable pager communication devices unexpectedly detonated.
Wang told the meeting that over 100 countries have extended their support to China’s position opposing the politicization of human rights during the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi questioned on Wednesday the United States’ alleged concern over the human rights of Muslims when it continues to “provoke or support wars” in the Middle East region, MEMO reported.
“If the United States cares so much about the human rights of Muslims, why does it continue to provoke or support wars in the Middle East and other regions, causing large numbers of innocent Muslim casualties?”, Wang was quoted asking by MEMO.
The Chinese foreign minister was attending a meeting along with multiple other foreign ministers, on the sideline of the 79th UN General Assembly session in New York, and addressed the question to the United Nations Human Rights chief, Volker Turk.
The Chinese foreign minister criticized the US’ double standards on human rights issues in the world.
He reportedly inquired why the US turns a “blind eye to the historical injustices the Arab people have faced and (does) not support Palestine becoming a full member of the United Nations?”.
Wang criticized the political manipulation of human rights issues by certain countries including the US stressing that it is becoming increasingly unpopular across the world.
The head of Chinese diplomacy inquired why Washington fails “to play its due role in achieving a permanent ceasefire and full military withdrawal from Gaza?” MEMO quoted him as saying.
According to China Daily, Wang told the meeting that over 100 countries have extended their support to China’s position opposing the politicization of human rights during the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) held in Geneva on Tuesday.
Around 80 countries – Muslim countries included – issued a statement in support of China’s stance on the issue while 20 others voiced their support in other ways “when a few countries, including the United States, used Xinjiang-related issues to attack and smear China’s human rights situation,” China Daily reported.
“The vast majority of Muslim countries have long seen through the tricks of the United States and understand that it is merely using human rights as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of China and other developing countries,” Wang was quoted as saying by the Chinese media outlet.
No External Interference
A few days earlier, the Chinese Foreign Minister said in a meeting with the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sideline of the UNGA session that “the fate of the region should be determined by its countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran,” expressing his country’s opposition to “external interference in, as well as sanctions on, Iran,” Anadolu news agency reported.
Wang told the newly-elected Iranian president that China supports “Iran and other regional countries such as Saudi Arabia to continue to improve relations, solve regional security issues through unity and cooperation, and take the destiny of the Middle East into their own hands,” Anadolu also reported.
The Chinese foreign minister confirmed to Pezeshkian that China backs “Arab and Islamic countries to unite and make a stronger voice to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East at an early date.”
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Displaced Palestinians fetch water in Rafah. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle) 
An Israeli airstrike targeted a residential area in southern Beirut. (Photo: via AlMayadeen)
Israel attempted to assassinate Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah. (Design: Palestine Chronicle) 
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. (Design: Palestine Chronicle) 
Israeli Major General Itzhak Brick and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Image: Palestine Chronicle) 
Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. (Photo: President of Ukraine, via Wikimedia Commons) 
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi (L), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. (Design: Palestine Chronicle) 
Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for Yemen’s Ansarallah. (Photo: video grab) 
Thousands of Lebanese citizens were injured, and scores were killed in Israeli cyber terror attacks. (Photo: via social media) 
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Photo: Kremlin, via Wikimedia Commons) 
