The Latest: Israel Says It Killed a Senior Hezbollah Commander as More Rockets Are Fired

Global Conflicts

By Associated Press

Published 10 months ago on

October 8, 2024

Palestinians mourn a relative killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The Israeli military reported killing a senior Hezbollah commander in a Beirut strike, as Hezbollah vows continued attacks.
Heavy fighting in northern Gaza persists, with Israeli airstrikes targeting Jabaliya and ongoing evacuations amid harsh conditions.
International evacuations continue from Lebanon, with countries like Germany, China, and Brazil organizing flights amid escalating conflict.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Israeli military said Tuesday it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike on Beirut while the militant group’s acting leader promised more fighting against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and rocket fire into Israel.

The military said the strike killed Suhail Husseini, who it said was responsible for overseeing logistics, budget and management of the group. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Sheikh Naim Kassem, the acting leader of Hezbollah, said in a defiant televised statement that his group’s military capabilities are still intact. He said that Hezbollah has replaced all of its senior commanders after weeks of heavy Israeli airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon, including targeted strikes that killed much of its top command in a matter of days.

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets into Israel on Monday, the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, underscoring their resilience in the face of a devastating Israeli offensive in Gaza that has killed about 42,000 people, according to local medical officials.

A year ago, Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s security fence and stormed into army bases and farming communities, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. They are still holding about 100 captives inside Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, which began firing rockets at Israel on Oct. 8, 2023. On Monday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli strike in the country’s south, part of a wider bombardment, killed at least 10 firefighters. Hezbollah fired new barrages despite its recent losses.

–

Here is the latest:

German Air Force Organizes a Fourth Evacuation Flight From Lebanon

BERLIN – A German air force plane is flying another 89 German citizens out of Lebanon, the fourth such flight in the past 10 days.

The Foreign Ministry wrote on X that the military Airbus A321 flew 2 tons of medical aid for Lebanese civilians to Beirut.

Germany already organized three military flights out of Beirut last week, which took a total of 460 of the country’s nationals out of Lebanon.

Italian TV Crew Attacked by a Man While Filming in Southern Lebanon

MILAN — A man attacked and followed the crew of Italy’s Tg3 public broadcaster as they filmed in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, trying to break the video camera. The crew’s driver died of a heart attack suffered during the confrontation.

Lucia Goracci, an international correspondent for the state broadcaster RAI’s third channel, said the crew was filming in a village north of the coastal city of Sidon that had been bombed two days ago, having signaled their presence to the local Hezbollah authority, when a man tried to grab the camera.

“We were filming without problems. People were speaking with us,’’ Goracci said on a midday broadcast. When the man lunged for the camera, they quickly returned to the car. “Others arrived and starting pushing the car. The first man tried to throw a huge stone at us,’’ she said.

They drove away quickly, apparently unaware the man was still following them. When they stopped at a gas station, he grabbed at the car keys and tried to break the video camera through the open windows. “No one came to help us,’’ Goracci said.

The driver collapsed as he pled with the attacker to leave them alone, Goracci said. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Norway’s Security Service Raises Terror Threat Level in the Country

HELSINKI — Norway’s domestic security service said Tuesday that threats against Jewish and Israeli targets in the Scandinavian country have increased due to the escalation of the conflict.

That has prompted the Norwegian agency, known by its acronym PST, to raise its estimate of terror threat in Norway from moderate to high — standing now at level 4 on a scale from 1 to 5.

“There are several negative conditions that have increased the terrorist threat that are linked, among other things, to the ongoing escalation of the conflict in the Middle East,” PST spokesman Eirik Veum told the Norwegian news agency NTB.

“In Norway, it is primarily the threat to Jewish and Israeli targets that has further intensified,” he said.

He said the agency had no information about any concrete plans for attacks.

Brazil’s Second Repatriation Flights Lands in Sao Paulo

RIO DE JANEIRO — The second repatriation flight from Lebanon organized by the Brazilian government landed in Sao Paulo with 227 people, including 49 children, the Brazilian air force said.

On its journey to Lebanon, the plane chartered by the Brazilian air force took medical and hospital supplies donated by Brazil, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that more flights will follow.

About 21,000 Brazilians live in Lebanon, which is home to the largest community of Brazilians in the Middle East. Two Brazilian adolescents have been killed by Israeli bombardments in Lebanon.

Turkish Ministers Brief Lawmakers Over Erdogan’s Claim of Israeli Threats

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s foreign and defense ministers are briefing lawmakers in parliament about a claim made by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Israel would target Turkey after Gaza and Lebanon.

The country’s main opposition party has labeled the claim as implausible but nonetheless called for the meeting, which is being held behind closed doors. These discussions are classified as state secrets and will remain confidential for 10 years.

Last week, Erdogan asserted in a speech that “the place that Israel — which is acting with the delirium of the promised lands — will set its sights on after Palestine and Lebanon will be our homeland.”

Critics say it was an attempt by Erdogan to divert attention from the country’s cost of living crisis and to consolidate nationalist and Islamist votes following a significant setback in local elections earlier this year.

China Evacuates Over 200 Citizens From Lebanon

BEIJING — China has evacuated more than 200 citizens from Lebanon by ship and chartered flight, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

A total of 211 residents of mainland China, three Hong Kong residents and a Taiwan resident have been evacuated, according to ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

At the request of the Lebanese government, Beijing has agreed to provide Lebanon with emergency humanitarian medical supplies, Mao added.

Fighting Rages in Northern Gaza After Israel’s Evacuation Order

CAIRO — Palestinians say heavy fighting is underway in northern Gaza, where Israel has ordered another wholesale evacuation and launched a ground operation a year into the war with Hamas.

At least 15 people, including two women and four children, were killed Tuesday in the fighting in Jabaliya, the nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital said.

The Israeli military said it killed around 20 militants in airstrikes and ground fighting in Jabaliya. It said troops located a large quantity of weapons, including grenades and rifles.

The north, including Gaza City, was the first target of Israel’s ground offensive. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble and the region has been largely isolated by Israeli troops since last October, when Israel ordered everyone to leave.

Hundreds of thousands of people have remained there despite the harsh conditions, leading Israel to order another mass evacuation in recent days. Israel has prevented residents who left the north during the war from returning.

Israeli forces are battling Hamas militants in Jabaliya, home to a densely populated urban refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. Palestinian residents said Israeli warplanes and artillery were pounding Jabaliya as well as Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, towns near the border.

“The situation is extremely difficult. The bombing and explosions haven’t stopped,” said Mahmoud Abu Shehatah, a Jabaliya resident. “It’s like the first days of the war.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged “total victory” over Hamas, even as the war has expanded to include Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups across the region. Months of diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a cease-fire in Gaza appear to have fizzled out, with each side accusing the other of making unacceptable demands.

85 Rockets Launched From Lebanon Into Northern Israel, Military Says

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said 85 projectiles were launched Tuesday from Lebanon toward northern Israel in a significant burst of fire.

The military said most of the projectiles were intercepted. Hezbollah confirmed it fired the salvo Tuesday.

Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom said a 70-year-old woman was moderately wounded by shrapnel. Israeli media aired footage of what appeared to be minor damage to buildings near the coastal city of Haifa.

The military also said that it struck Hezbollah targets in the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, where the militant group has a strong presence.