Middle East latest: Iran fires missiles at Israel after Israeli ground raids into Lebanon

The Israeli military earlier warned several southern Lebanese communities near the border to leave their homes, shortly after starting what it called a limited ground operation against Hezbollah targets.

Hezbollah's acting leader, Naim Kassem, promised the group will fight on following the death of its long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah and several of the group's top commanders who have been assassinated in recent days. Kassem said the group's fighters are ready and the slain commanders have already been replaced.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire across the Lebanon border almost daily since Oct. 8, the day after Hamas sent fighters into Israel and sparked the war in Gaza. It's been almost a year since some 250 people were abducted from Israel, and friends and family are worried about their loved ones as attention turns away from hostages and north toward Lebanon.

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Here is the latest:

3 men fatally shot by Israeli forces in northern Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli forces have killed at least three people trying to return to their homes in the northern half of Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces stationed at the east-west Netzarim route that divides the Palestinian enclave opened fire on the men Tuesday, according to the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in the central town of Deir al-Bahah.

An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances taking people to the hospital, and counted the bodies.

The officials said the men were among a group of people trying to return to their homes.

The Israeli military has sealed off northern Gaza and is preventing displaced people from returning to their homes there.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias warn US against ‘hostile action’ in support of Israel

BEIRUT — Iran-backed Iraqi militias say if the U.S. takes part in “any hostile action” against Iran then American interests in the region will be under threat.

The statement Tuesday from the group calling itself the Coordination Committee for the Iraqi Resistance also warned Israel against using Iraqi airspace to retaliate against Iran for a missile barrage fired at Israel, saying “all American bases and interests in Iraq and the region will be our target.”

Iran-backed militias in Iraq regularly target bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria with drones, saying they are retaliating for Washington’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Police say 6 people killed in shooting in Tel Aviv

JERUSALEM — Israel police say six people have been killed in a shooting in Tel Aviv.

Police say two suspects opened fire Tuesday evening on a boulevard in Jaffa, a mixed Arab-Jewish neighborhood in southern Tel Aviv. Twelve people also were wounded in the shooting.

Police said the two suspects were killed.

The attack came moments before a massive barrage of rockets from Iran sent people into bomb shelters across Israel, including in Tel Aviv.

UN chief again calls for a cease-fire in the Middle East

UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned “the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation.”

Guterres' comments Tuesday came shortly after Iran said it fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel. The Israeli military said its army has crossed the border into Lebanon and is conducting “localized ground raids” on Hezbollah positions.

“This must stop,” the U.N. chief said in a statement Tuesday. “We absolutely need a cease-fire.”

Hezbollah says Israeli images from Lebanon are part of a ‘propaganda war’

BEIRUT — The Lebanese Hezbollah militant group says media published by the Israeli military showing its cross-border forays into Lebanon have nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.

The Israeli military says its army has been carrying out secretive ground operations to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanese villages close to the border for the past year and has released footage of what it said was Israeli soldiers uncovering tunnels and weapons in Lebanese villages.

Hezbollah said in a statement Tuesday that picture and videos that the Israeli military says show tunnels and houses entered by Israeli soldiers are “very old and have no relationship to any current military action on the Lebanese border.”

It says the images are part of a “psychological and propaganda war.”

The Israeli military has said its forces entered Lebanon overnight to begin a “limited” ground incursion. Hezbollah denies that any Israeli troops have crossed the border.

Israel closes airspace after Iranian missile attack

Israel’s airport authority says the country’s airspace has been closed and incoming flights are being diverted to airports outside the country.

The airspace closure Tuesday followed an Israeli military announcement that Iran had launched missiles at the country. It warned Israelis to take shelter as air raid sirens sounded, and explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem.

Iran said it launched dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.

Israeli military says it killed another senior Hezbollah operative

BEIRUT — Israel’s military says it killed a senior Hezbollah operative in an airstrike on an apartment building on the edge of Beirut.

The Israeli military says Mohammed Jaafar Qassir was killed in a strike Tuesday afternoon. It says Qassir was in charge of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400 that ships weapons from Iran to Lebanon and he supervised Hezbollah’s development of precision-guided missiles.

The Israeli military said Qassir also sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Hezbollah in recent years.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli claim.

Qassir’s brother Ahmad carried out a suicide attack in southern Israeli port city of Tyre in 1982 that killed dozens of Israeli soldiers. His death is marked annually as “Martyr's Day.”

Iran says it has launched dozens of missiles at Israel

Iran says it has launched dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel.

The claim came in a statement read aloud on state television Tuesday as air raid sirens sounded and explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem.

The statement warned that “if Israel responds militarily to this operation, it will face a harsher response.”

Iran referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. The statement also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July.

It warned this attack represented only a “first wave,” without elaborating.

Israeli military says Iran has fired missiles at Israel

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says Iran has fired missiles at Israel, and air raid sirens are sounding across the country.

Military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari released a video statement Tuesday saying “the air defense system is fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats wherever necessary, even at this moment.”

Soon after, a series of explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem. It was not immediately known if they were interceptions or incoming missiles landing. The explosions near Jerusalem were so loud that windows shook.

Residents were ordered to shelter in place and remain close to bomb shelters. The order was sent to mobile phones and announced on national television. TV stations reported sirens in parts of Jerusalem as well as central Israel.

Iranian media posted videos that appeared to show missile launches at several sites across the country, but the Iranian government did not immediately acknowledge what was happening.

The alerts were sounded after a day of rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon. Israeli authorities also warned that Iran might be preparing a missile attack.

Israel has warned there would be “repercussions” if Iran attacks.

Israeli military urges public to heed warnings about a possible Iranian strike

The Israeli military is urging the public to stay close to sheltered areas and says it takes seriously the possibility of an attack by Iran.

Military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Tuesday that Israelis must obey public safety guidelines issued by the military’s Home Front Command.

“The Iranian strike could be widespread. Following Home Front Command guidelines can save lives,” Hagari said.

US official warns that Iran could strike Israel within 12 hours

WASHINGTON — A U.S. official has said Iran may strike Israel within the next 12 hours, with an attack that could be as big as or bigger than strikes earlier this year.

However, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details on a sensitive matter, cautioned that Iran has been postured to conduct such an attack since August – in order to be able to strike on short notice – and that the U.S. has not seen significant changes in Iran’s posture in the last day or so.

Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but few of its projectiles reached their targets. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.

— By Tara Copp

UN secretary-general warns against further escalation in Lebanon

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief is appealing for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, warning that escalation to an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah militants must be avoided “at all costs.”

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, who delivered the message from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected.

Guterres spoke earlier Tuesday to Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati and told him the U.N. system is mobilized to assist those in need, Dujarric said. He also appealed to the international community to urgently support a $426 million humanitarian appeal to help the people of Lebanon.

Turkey develops plan to evacuate nationals from Lebanon

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has established a coordination center to assist citizens wishing to leave Lebanon, warning that the situation there could worsen.

Turkey has developed evacuation plans by sea and air, the ministry said. It did not elaborate.

Nearly 20 countries have requested Turkey’s assistance in evacuating their citizens, by using Turkish ports, airports and airspace, or by including their citizens in Turkey’s evacuation plans, the ministry said.

US orders diplomats and families in Israel and West Bank to shelter in place

WASHINGTON — The State Department has ordered all U.S. diplomats and their families based in Israel and the West Bank to shelter in place until further notice as the security situation becomes increasingly uncertain with Israel’s ground incursion in Lebanon and potential threats of an Iranian missile attack.

“As a result of the current security situation, the U.S. Embassy has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to shelter in place until further notice,” the embassy in Jerusalem said Tuesday in a notice to American citizens.

“This is provided for your information as you make your own security plans,” it said. “The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events.”

Blinken says the US is watching the situation in Lebanon ‘very closely’

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration is watching the situation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon “very closely” and “very carefully,” but is committed to Israel’s defense and security.

Speaking Tuesday before talks with the visiting foreign minister of Morocco, Blinken did not address the threat to Israel posed by a potential Iranian ballistic missile launch that was identified by the White House shortly before he spoke.

“The United States is committed to Israel’s defense,” he said. “We’re watching developments, as I said, very carefully at this moment.”

An airstrike hits a residential building near Beirut

BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike struck a residential building near the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, causing damage and blowing out windows in the area.

The strike appeared to hit an apartment in the building on the southern highway leading up to Beirut international airport, and about 100 meters (yards) from the Iranian Embassy.

The Israeli military said it carried out an attack in Beirut, without giving further details.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

Bulgaria evacuates citizens from Lebanon for a second day

SOFIA — A Bulgarian government jet left for Beirut for the second day to pick up the remaining Bulgarian citizens who wanted to be evacuated, the prime minister said Tuesday.

Dimitar Glavchev said 61 Bulgarians had asked to be evacuated on the second trip. A total of 89 people, mostly families with children, were evacuated from Lebanon on Monday.

Glavchev said that empty seats on Tuesday’s flight will be offered to citizens of other EU countries.

Iran preparing imminent missile attack on Israel, US warns

WASHINGTON — Iran is preparing to “imminently” launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel, according to a senior U.S. administration official, who warned Tuesday of “severe consequences” should it take place.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said the U.S. is actively supporting Israeli defensive preparations.

This comes after the Israeli military on Tuesday warned people to evacuate nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities hours after announcing what it said were limited ground operations against Hezbollah.

— By Aamer Madhani

3 dead including a TV anchor in Israeli airstrikes in Damascus

DAMASCUS — Syria’s Defense Ministry said that Israeli strikes targeted several areas in capital Damascus early Tuesday.

Air defenses shot down most of the missiles, but three civilians were killed and nine others injured, it said. Among those killed was a well-known television news anchor, Safaa Ahmad.

Israel frequently targets Syrian military sites and locations associated with Iran-backed groups, but strikes inside the city of Damascus are rare.

At least 19 dead in airstrikes in Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 19 people in the Gaza Strip, including five women and three children, Palestinian medical officials said Tuesday.

Israel has continued to strike what it says are militant targets across Gaza even as attention has shifted to Lebanon and the military’s rapidly accelerating campaign against Hezbollah.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital received the bodies of 11 people after a strike late Monday in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp. Survivors struggled to identify the remains.

Another eight people were killed in a strike that hit a vehicle in a tent camp in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to the nearby Nasser Hospital. Associated Press reporters counted the bodies at both hospitals.

Israeli military releases footage of previous ground operations in Lebanon

JERUSALEM — The Israeli army has been carrying out secretive ground operations to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanese villages close to the border for the past year, military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Tuesday.

He said that the current ground maneuvers in Lebanon are an expansion of the previous year’s operations.

The military released footage of what it said were Israeli soldiers uncovering tunnels and weapons in at least three Lebanese villages.

He said that troops destroyed more than more than 700 Hezbollah sites, including tunnels carved deep into the hillside. They included separate rooms for storing weapons and what seemed to be bedrooms outfitted with mattresses.

Hagari said that Hezbollah was preparing to carry out an Oct. 7-style attack against Israel, based on the placement of weapons slicks and maps uncovered during operations that refer to a plan called “Conquer the Galilee.”

Hezbollah says an airstrike hit the office of a religious TV station

BEIRUT — Hezbollah’s media office says an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb destroyed the building housing the offices of a religious TV station.

The media office said that there were no weapons stored in the building where Al-Sirat TV, a Shiite Muslim religious TV station, had its offices.

Prior to Tuesday’s strike, the Israeli military had warned people to evacuate several buildings south of Beirut late Monday, saying they were linked to Hezbollah interests. There was no word on casualties.

Israel limits public gatherings after Hezbollah rocket fire

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has announced new restrictions on public gatherings and closed beaches following Hezbollah rocket fire.

The announcement on Tuesday limits public gatherings to 30 people and includes Jerusalem. It also comes a day before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, when large crowds typically gather to pray at the Western Wall in the holy city.

The changes are in effect until Oct. 5. Their extension could affect memorial events planned to honor victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

While the official memorials will be filmed without an audience, possibly to minimize interruptions and protests, an alternative ceremony was expected to attract more than 40,000 people to a park in Tel Aviv.

School remains closed in northern Israel, and the new guidelines only allow classes to take place in the center if the school has adequate bomb shelters.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hezbollah fired a volley of missiles at central Israel, wounding one person.

Spain urges its citizens to leave Lebanon

MADRID — Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has urged 1,000 Spanish civilians currently in Lebanon to leave the country and for Israel to stop its assault.

Albares said there are still commercial flights available to leave, but that he is in contact with Spain’s defense ministry to prepare a possible evacuation.

“The land invasion of Lebanon must stop,” Albares said, while also demanding the end of Israeli operations in Gaza and the return of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Spain has 676 soldiers in Lebanon deployed under a United Nations peacekeeping mission.

Israeli military warns nearly two dozen Lebanese communities to evacuate north

The Israeli military has warned nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities to evacuate.

The warning on Tuesday came hours after Israel sent ground forces into southern Lebanon in what it described as a limited incursion against the Hezbollah militant group.

The evacuation warning was posted by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson on the social media platform X. It specified around two dozen communities in southern Lebanon and ordered people to evacuate north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (nearly 40 miles) from the border.

That is farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of a United Nations-declared zone that was intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after the 2006 war. The Litani River is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.

UN peacekeeping force urges de-escalation

BEIRUT — The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said in a statement Tuesday that the Israeli military notified it the day before of its “intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon” and described it as a “dangerous development.”

The statement did not say if Israeli forces were actually observed crossing the border. Peacekeepers were in position and “have contingency plans ready to activate if absolutely necessary,” it said.

“Any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of resolution 1701,” the statement said, referring to the 2006 U.N. resolution that put an end to a bruising monthlong war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. “We urge all actors to step back from such escalatory acts, which will only lead to more violence and more bloodshed.”

Israeli military conducting ‘localized ground raids’ on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says it is conducting “localized ground raids” on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, after troops crossed the border overnight in a long-anticipated ground operation.

The scope of the incursion was unclear and there were no immediate reports of clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters.

In a video statement released to media on Tuesday, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a military spokesperson, said troops were operating against Hezbollah to ensure that Israeli citizens could return to their homes in the north.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel shortly after the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes and the escalating conflict has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes on both sides.

Hagari said a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006 had not been enforced and that southern Lebanon was “swarming with Hezbollah terrorists and weapons.”

That resolution called for Hezbollah to withdraw from the area between the border and the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) to the north, and for the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers to patrol the region.

Both sides have accused the other of violating different terms of the U.N. resolution.

UN and Lebanon launch an appeal for $426 million in urgent aid

BEIRUT — The United Nations and the Lebanese government have launched a $426 million flash appeal for urgent humanitarian aid for civilians caught up in the ongoing conflict with Israel.

The appeal was launched in Beirut Tuesday by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza.

Mikati said that Lebanon is going through “one of the most dangerous moments in its history.” He said that 1 million people have been displaced as a result “of the destructive war launched by Israel on Lebanon.”

The flash appeal seeks to assist the displaced by addressing urgent needs in areas such as food, basic assistance, shelter, health care, water and municipal services, the U.N. said.

“Without sufficient resources, humanitarians risk leaving the population of an entire country without the support they urgently require,” Riza warned. He added that the no amount of aid can fully address the crisis if civilians continue to be targeted.

Lebanon’s army says it’s redeploying troops along the border with Israel

BEIRUT — The Lebanese army says it redeployed troops to observation points along the border with Israel.

The army did not give further details about the posts. It said the Lebanese military is coordinating with United Nations peacekeepers in the tense border area.

The army’s statement Tuesday denied local media reports that troops have moved several kilometers (miles) away from the border ahead of a possible Israel ground operation.

Thousands of Lebanese troops were deployed along the border with Israel following the 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.

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