Benjamin Netanyahu says attack on Lebanon is ‘not the end of the story’Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel’s action against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon “is not the end of the story”.Israel’s prime minister said its air defences had intercepted all rockets and drones launched against the country, Reuters reports.He also said that the leaders of Hezbollah and Iran should know that the response was “another step towards changing the situation in the north and returning our residents safely to their homes”.ShareUpdated at 14.56 CESTKey eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureHezbollah official says response to top commander’s killing was ‘delayed by political considerations’A Hezbollah official has said the group’s rocket and drone attack against Israel on Sunday in retaliation for a top commander’s killing last month had been delayed by “political considerations”, Reuters reported. The official said the group had “worked” to make sure its response to the killing of Fuad Shukr on 30 July would not trigger a full-scale war.The main “ political consideration” was the ongoing talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal for the Gaza Strip. Negotiators discussed new compromise proposals in Cairo on Saturday, seeking to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas, but there was no indication of progress after hours of talks. There was no sign of any breakthrough on key sticking points, including Israel’s insistence that it must retain control of the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, on the border between Gaza and Egypt.Talks continue this week and American officials still believe that a deal is within reach, despite rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon.ShareBritish Airways suspends flights between London and Tel AvivBritish Airways has suspended its flights between London and Tel Aviv following an overnight escalation of hostilities in the Middle East.A spokesperson for the airline said on Sunday: “We’ve been continually monitoring the situation in the Middle East and have taken the operational decision to suspend our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Wednesday, 28 August.“Safety is always our top priority, and we’re contacting customers to advise them of their travel options.”ShareBenjamin Netanyahu says attack on Lebanon is ‘not the end of the story’Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel’s action against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon “is not the end of the story”.Israel’s prime minister said its air defences had intercepted all rockets and drones launched against the country, Reuters reports.He also said that the leaders of Hezbollah and Iran should know that the response was “another step towards changing the situation in the north and returning our residents safely to their homes”.ShareUpdated at 14.56 CESTAt least 35 Palestinians have been detained in the past two days across the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said in a statement.Since October, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society has said thousands of Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli forces there.Human rights groups and international organisations have alleged widespread abuse of inmates detained by Israel in raids in the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state along with Gaza.ShareJulian BorgerNeither side seem prepared for the realities of land warfare, but a small mistake may have deadly consequences, writes Julian Borger
Both sides have compelling reasons not to go to war now. Israel does not have the stamina for another front while it has not yet managed to eliminate Hamas completely in Gaza and with the West Bank being driven to the brink of a wider explosion of violence by hardline settlers and their backers inside the Israeli state.
For its part, Hezbollah’s leadership has assets to protect in Lebanon, political and economic, that would be devastated in a war with Israel. The group’s regional patron, Iran, is clearly not ready for a conflict either and has deferred for now its own threatened response to Israel’s killing of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
Hezbollah and Iran do not share the apocalyptic self-destructive impulses of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas commander in Gaza, who launched his surprise 7 October attack on Israel based on the mistaken assumption his allies in Beirut and Tehran would join the battle.
ShareWe reported earlier that Air France said it was suspending Beirut flights scheduled for Sunday and Monday (see key event at 11.18).Royal Jordanian Airlines announced the suspension of Beirut flights “due to the current situation”, and the UAE’s Etihad Airways said it had also cancelled its services to and from the Lebanese capital.Most flights at Beirut airport have been cancelled and some have been diverted to Amman in Jordan, according to reports.Flights out of the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv were temporarily suspended this morning but resumed at about 7am local time.ShareHere is the moment an explosion occurred after an airstrike in the Lebanese city of Zibqin:Moment of strike in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah exchange heavy fire – videoShareSummary of the day so far…

Israel carried out airstrikes in Lebanon on Sunday in what it described as a pre-emptive action before a planned large-scale Hezbollah attack, and Hezbollah launched a drone and rocket salvo against northern Israel.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese group, said it had fired 320 Katyusha rockets towards Israel and hit 11 military targets in what it called the first phase of its retaliation for Israel’s assassination of Fuad Shukr, a senior commander, last month.

Hezbollah later indicated it was not planning further strikes yet. Israel’s foreign minister said the country did not seek a full-scale war.

Three deaths were confirmed in Lebanon and none in Israel.

Israel’s security cabinet met at 7am (0400 GMT) and the full cabinet is meeting on Sunday afternoon. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will speak on television later on Sunday, the group said. This is expected to take place about 16:00 GMT.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels praised attacks by Hezbollah on Israel and renewed threats to launch their own assault in response to Israeli strikes on a port in Yemen last month.

The White House said the US president, Joe Biden, was monitoring events, adding that Israel had the right to self-defence but that the US would “keep working for regional stability”.

Air France cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until Monday at least. Flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport were temporarily suspended this morning but have since been reinstated.

At least 40,405 Palestinian people have been killed and 93,468 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday. In the last 24-hours alone, 71 Palestinians were killed and 112 were injured in what the enclave’s health ministry called three “massacres” by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
You can read our full report on the Israeli strikes on Lebanon here.ShareIn the last 24-hours alone, 71 Palestinians were killed and 112 were injured in what the enclave’s health ministry called three “massacres” by Israel in the Gaza Strip.Emergency services are unable to reach many casualties trapped under the rubble, as Israeli forces continue to obstruct the movement of ambulance and civil defence crews, Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, has been told by sources on the ground.ShareDeath toll in Gaza reaches 40,405, says health ministryAt least 40,405 Palestinian people have been killed and 93,468 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.The ministry has said thousands of other dead people are most likely lost in the rubble of the enclave.ShareWe have some more details on the emergency meeting Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati convened earlier today.According to the state-run National News Agency, Mikati stressed during the meeting that he is “holding a series of contacts with Lebanon’s friends to stop the escalation”.He also emphasised “Lebanon’s position in support of international efforts that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza”.Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati attends an interview at the government headquarters in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on 29 February, 2024. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/ReutersShareUpdated at 12.53 CESTIsrael’s president, Isaac Herzog, has said the Israeli army’s strikes against Hezbollah this morning were launched because of Israel’s “right and duty to defend itself and its citizens”.Israel’s military said it conducted what it described as pre-emptive air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after detecting plans for a significant attack against its territory.Praising those serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, Herzog said in a post on X:
The decisive action we witnessed early this morning epitomizes Israel’s right and duty to defend itself and its citizens against the threat of terrorism.
This is once again an opportunity to express our gratitude and support for our daughters and sons in the Israel Defense Forces, as well as in the security, emergency, and rescue services, for their relentless efforts across all battlefronts.
The decisive action we witnessed early this morning epitomizes Israel’s right and duty to defend itself and its citizens against the threat of terrorism.This is once again an opportunity to express our gratitude and support for our daughters and sons in the Israel Defense…— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) August 25, 2024

The Israeli president’s comments come after the US reaffirmed that Joe Biden will “keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself” (see earlier post at 09.10 for more details).Share