Israel-Iran LIVE: Beirut strikes target rumoured new Hezbollah chief as Brits flee Lebanon

It comes as the Israeli military told the residents of more than 20 more southern towns in Lebanon to evacuate immediately - while a huge explosion went off near Beirut airport

Israel has launched intense strikes on Beirut targeting Hezbollah's potential new leader as he met with other senior militants.

An Israeli official told NBC News that the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is still assessing whether Hashem Safieddine was killed in the latest round of strikes on the Lebanese capital. Hezbollah has not announced a new leader following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah last week, but it is widely believed Safieddine, a senior leader in the group, would take over the role.

Israeli air strikes in the Lebanese capital are intensifying, with massive blasts reported in the south of the city - including a strike just outside the city's international airport close to the suburb of Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold. However, the airport still appears to be operating.

An Israeli airstrike has cut a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Friday. The airstrike led to the closure of a road near the Masnaa Border Crossing, from where tens of thousands of people fleeing war crossed into Syria over the past two weeks.

On Tuesday, Israel began a ground incursion into Lebanon against the Hezbollah militant group while also conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. The Israeli military said nine soldiers have died in the conflict in southern Lebanon.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday urged UK nationals in Lebanon to come forward to be evacuated in a renewed plea. Speaking to reporters, the PM said: "I repeat importantly to UK nationals in Lebanon that now is the time to leave, now is the time to take up that evacuation plan. That is a really important message... to everybody listening who may be in that position. Now is the time to leave, we have got the plans in place. So please come forward and we can make sure that they are evacuated."

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00:12Zahra Khaliq

Explosions heard in Beirut following evacuation order

Explosions have been heard in Beirut this evening following an evacuation order from the IDF, which told residents near a building in the Burj al Barajneh neighbourhood, in Lebanon's southern suburbs, to leave.

The message said: "For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building and the neighbouring buildings immediately and stay away from them for a distance of at least 500 metres."

00:09Zahra Khaliq

Biden 'doesn't know' if Netanyahu is trying to influence US election

US President Joe Biden was asked in a press conference this evening if he felt Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to influence the US election, to which he replied “I don’t know”.

A reporter said to him: "This week Senator Chris Murphy said it is certainly a possibility that the Israeli government is not going to sign any diplomatic agreement prior to the election, which is what you have been calling for for so long, potentially to try to influence the result."

The reporter then asked: "Do you have any worries that Netanyahu may be trying to influence the election and that's why he has not agreed to a diplomatic solution?"

Biden said the Israeli PM "should remember" that "no administration" has helped Israel more than his, adding: "Whether he is trying to influence the election I don't know, but I'm not counting on that."

23:21Zahra Khaliq

IDF tells certain areas of Beirut to evacuate 'immediately'

Israel's Defence Forces have sent out an alert to residents in Beirut's southern suburbs, telling them to evacuate immediately.

The "new urgent warning" was sent specifically to those in a building in the Burj al Barajneh neighbourhood.

The IDF said: "You are located near facilities and interests belonging to Hezbollah where the Defence Forces will work against them in the near future. For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building and the neighbouring buildings immediately and stay away from them for a distance of at least 500 metres."

22:50Zahra Khaliq

Former Israeli ambassador to US blames Netanyahu for Hamas

The former Israeli ambassador to the US says Netanyahu was "chiefly responsible" for the October 7 attacks, as he accused the leader of strengthening Hamas by sending millions of dollars to them through Qatar.

Danny Ayalon says Netanyahu spent years actively boosting Hamas in Gaza to deliberately raise tensions and keep the territory divided.

Speaking on the October 7 attack, Ayalon told Sky News: "He oversees the defence and everything around that, so of course he is chiefly responsible. He is the one who oversaw or devised the strategy of strengthening Hamas, trying to basically keep the Palestinian territory divided between the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria and Hamas in Gaza.

"He's the one who allowed millions of dollars to go into Hamas from Qatar in cash in suitcases, which basically built Hamas and its formidable military infrastructure. He thought of containment and kicking the can down the road, and it blew up in his face. He is certainly responsible and will have to answer many questions for that."

21:30Zahra Khaliq

Hamas confirms death of commander in West Bank

Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam Brigades confirmed that one of its commanders, named as Zahi Yaser Oufi, died in an Israeli strike on the West Bank city of Tulkarm along with seven other fighters.

20:48Zahra Khaliq

Funeral held for Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on refugee camp

Images show Palestinians in the West Bank attending the funeral of at least 18 killed in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp.

19:55Zahra Khaliq

US considers imposing sanctions on Iran

In a press conference this evening, Biden said the US is considering imposing sanctions on Iran.

Asked how the US can stop an all-out war, he says "there's a lot we are doing".

"The main thing we can do is try to rally the rest of the world and our allies into participating, like the French are, and Lebanon and other places, to tamp this down. But when you have proxies as irrational as Hezbollah and the Houthis, it's a hard thing to determine."

19:24Zahra Khaliq

Israel has to be 'more careful about civilian casualties', Biden says

In a news conference currently being held by US Presdient Biden, he said that while Israel has "every right to respond" to attacks on them from Iranians and others like Hezbollah, they "have to be very much more careful about dealing with civilian casualties."

He said Israel is yet to decide what it is going to in response to Iran's missile strike on Monday night. Asked what Israel should do, Biden replied it is between Israel and himself.

He added Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu "should remember" that "no administration" has supported Israel more than his.

18:59KEY EVENT

Death toll in Lebanon surpasses 2,000

More than 2,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since October 8 last year, Lebanon's government has said.

Among those dead are 127 children.

Another 9,384 have been injured.

18:08Zahra Khaliq

Hezbollah is 'suffering', Israel defence minister says

Israel's defence minister, Yoav Gallant, says Hezbollah is struggling after taking blow after blow.

The IDF previously claimed to have attacked Hezbollah's "launch capabilities", its assets and contributed to the elimination of its leaders.

Gallant told soldiers of the Israeli 36th Division: "We will continue our action until the threat is removed and the residents of the north are returned to their homes safely."

17:23Zahra Khaliq

Israel kills entire family in West Bank airstrike

An Israeli strike on a refugee camp in the West Bank killed at least 18 Palestinians last night, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The strike, which hit the Tulkarem refugee camp, reportedly left many others injured, with footage showing people being evacuated from the area via ambulance. Officials confirmed that the Israeli air force carried out the operation, but declined to offer further details.

Israel claimed it killed the head of Hamas's network as well as other fighters in the strike that hit a three-storey building. But The Associated Press reports that a family of four was among those killed, including two young children.

Mustafa abu Zahra, a relative of the family, told AP that his brother, bakery worker Muhammad abu Zahra, his wife Saja and their two children - eight-year-old Sham and Karam, six, lived above the cafe, and were killed in the strike.

16:07Zahra Khaliq

Reports of airstrikes in Yemeni cities

Aitsrtikes have been reported in areas of Yemen, including an industrial area in Sana'a, and the area of the Al-Hodeidah airport.

It is not clear at this stage where the strikes have come from.

15:53KEY EVENT

Hospitals in south Lebanon ceasing activities due to lack of fuel, medicine and electricity

Lebanese media says an Israeli airstrike on first responders in south Lebanon has killed four paramedics and that two hospitals are ceasing operations due to the intensity of attacks.

The agency says the four Islamic Health Society paramedics were killed in a drone strike near the Marjayoun Governmental Hospital. It lists the names of the victims without giving further details.

It reports that the staff of the hospital in Marjayoun were evacuated leaving the medical center out of service. A state-run hospital in the border village of Mais al-Jabal has also said it is ceasing activities, after staff were evacuated and because of a lack of fuel, medicine and electricity.

14:59Joseph Gamp

Dutch military transport plane lands in Beirut - and may also be able to take citizens of other nations home

A Dutch military transport plane landed in Beirut early Friday afternoon to pick up citizens of the Netherlands fleeing Lebanon amid fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.

Scores of people are expected to board the A330 plane in what the Dutch foreign ministry called a repatriation flight. The defence ministry says that if there were spare seats on the plane, it could also take citizens of other countries out of Beirut.v Meanwhile Japan's foreign ministry announced that 11 Japanese and 4 French nationals were evacuated from Lebanon and arrived in Jordan Friday.

14:43KEY EVENT

Third UK Government chartered flight for British evacuees has left Lebanon

A third Government chartered flight for British evacuees has left Lebanon, David Lammy has said.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, the Foreign Secretary said: "A third UK Government charter flight has left Lebanon to help British nationals leave.

"The situation is volatile. Flights are limited but seats are available. British nationals who want to leave should register their presence now to receive details on how to request a seat."

13:43KEY EVENT

Iran issues warning to Israel: 'Our retaliation will be stronger than the previous one'

Iran's foreign minister warned Israel that if it carries out an attack on Iran, Tehran will retaliate in a harsh way.

Abbas Araghchi was in Beirut for meetings with Lebanese officials. His visit came three days after Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, the latest in a series of rapidly escalating attacks that threaten to push the Middle East closer to a regionwide war.

"If the Israeli entity takes any step or measure against us, our retaliation will be stronger than the previous one," Araghchi said after meeting Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

13:15Joseph Gamp

'Human cost of conflict in Lebanon is clear for all to see'

More than 150 British nationals and dependants left Beirut on the first Government-chartered flight on Wednesday, with another plane touching down in Birmingham on Thursday, as concerns mount over how long the capital’s airport can remain open.

Around 700 troops and Foreign Office and Home Office staff, including Border Force officers, have been deployed to Cyprus in case an emergency evacuation is needed.

Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds said: “The human cost of the conflict in Lebanon is clear for all to see. This additional funding from the UK will help to address the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, providing relief for people displaced by the continuing violence. This lifesaving aid is vital, but not a long-term solution. The only way to truly address the growing humanitarian crisis is an immediate ceasefire adhered to by both sides.”

12:49Joseph Gamp

Majority of Lebanon's displacement shelters are 'full', says UN

A UN refugee agency official says most of Lebanon's 900 refuges are now full - with people fleeing Israeli airstrikes being forced to sleep outdoors.

According to Lebanese authorities, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israeli attacks. UNHCR's Rula Amin said in Geneva: "Most of the nearly 900 government-established collective shelters in Lebanon have no more capacity.

"With the onset of winter, UNHCR is concerned that conditions for those affected by the escalating conflict... will only worsen."

11:36KEY EVENT

Keir Starmer urges Brits in Lebanon to come forward for evacuation

UK nationals in Lebanon must come forward to be evacuated, Sir Keir Starmer said.

During a visit to a glassmaker in Cheshire, the Prime Minister told reporters: "I repeat importantly to UK nationals in Lebanon that now is the time to leave, now is the time to take up that evacuation plan.

"That is a really important message... to everybody listening who may be in that position. Now is the time to leave, we have got the plans in place. So please come forward and we can make sure that they are evacuated."

Sir Keir said he believed the situation in the Middle East was "on the brink" and called for de-escalation by combatant nations.

10:54Chris Hughes

'Iran is on the back foot - and Israel has key dominance as Middle East barrels toward war'

Israel is taking full advantage of the momentum of its attack on Lebanon - whilst behind the scenes preparing a devastating attack on Hezbollah’s Iranian paymasters.

That assault - in reaction to Iran’s Tuesday missile onslaught - will be a key moment in hostilities between the two deadly Middle Eastern enemies and it may be decisive. Plans for the attack may already have been agreed upon and may include an attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities, in the belief that now is the moment to do it.

Hezbollah, Iran’s main military extension on Israel’s border is on the backfoot, crippled with the deaths of its commanders and many of its fighters in Lebanon. There can now be no doubt that Israeli has massively penetrated Iran and therefore Hezbollah’s secretive networks- an advantage that may not last forever.

Read more: 'Iran is on the back foot - and Israel has key dominance as Middle East barrels toward war'

10:51Joseph Gamp

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei seen with rifle at sermon

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has hailed the country's "brilliant operation" against Israel as he delivered a rare sermon in Tehran - armed with a rifle by his side.

Ali Khamenei led a prayer service to commemorate Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah who was killed last week.

He also defended other attacks against Israel, including Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attacks and Hezbollah's conflict with Israeli forces, saying "every nation has the right to defend its country and territory against aggressors."

He added Iran would continue to "fulfill any duty it has in this regard with strength and determination. We will neither delay nor act impulsively in carrying out our responsibilities."

10:12Joseph Gamp

Lebanon's military calls for calm during 'dangerous and delicate stage'

In its first statement since the recent escalation with Israel and following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon's military called for calm "at this dangerous and delicate stage."

Government officials fear that the country's deep political divisions at a time of war could rekindle sectarian strife and violence in the small Mediterranean country.

"The Israeli enemy is working to implement its destructive plans and spread division among the Lebanese," the military said.

Military vehicles have been deployed in different parts of the capital as thousands of displaced people continue moving from the south to Beirut.

09:31Joseph Gamp

Airstrike destroys main highway linking Lebanon with Syria

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency says an Israeli airstrike has cut a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria.

The agency gave no further details about Friday's airstrike that led to the closure of a road near the Masnaa Border Crossing, from where tens of thousands of people fleeing war in Lebanon have crossed into Syria over the past two weeks. It's the first time this major border crossing has been cut off since the beginning of the war.

Lebanese General Security recorded more than 250,000 Syrian citizens and over 80,000 Lebanese citizens crossing into Syrian territory during the last week of September, after Israel launched a heavy bombardment of southern and eastern Lebanon.

Dama Post, a pro-government Syrian media outlet, said Israeli warplanes fired two missiles and damaged the road between Masnaa Border Crossing in Lebanon and the Syrian crossing point of Jdeidet Yabous.

09:25KEY EVENT

UK to provide further £10m in humanitarian support for Lebanon

The UK Government said it will provide a further £10 million humanitarian support package for Lebanon amid the spiralling Middle East conflict.

Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds said: "The human cost of the conflict in Lebanon is clear for all to see. This additional funding from the UK will help to address the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, providing relief for people displaced by the continuing violence.

"This lifesaving aid is vital, but not a long-term solution. The only way to truly address the growing humanitarian crisis is an immediate ceasefire adhered to by both sides. We continue to urge British nationals in Lebanon to leave immediately."

09:22Joseph Gamp

Iran's foreign minister lands in Beirut

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Beirut, and is expected to discuss the war between Israel and Hezbollah with Lebanese officials.

Araghchi's visit to Beirut came three days after Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, the latest in a series of rapidly escalating attacks between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies that threatens to push the Middle East closer to a regionwide war.

Iran is Hezbollah's main backer and over the years has sent weapons and billions of dollars to the group.

The blasts overnight rocked Beirut's southern suburbs, sending huge plumes of smoke and flames into the night sky and shaking buildings kilometers (miles) away in the Lebanese capital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on what the intended target was, and there was no information immediately available on casualties.

08:53Joseph Gamp

Brit will be stranded in Israel 'for weeks' due to lack of commercial flights home

A British man has said he will be stranded in Israel for weeks because of a lack of commercial flights out of the country to the UK.

Keith Ottaway, 46, originally planned to return to the UK on September 24 after visiting his partner in Israel, but successive flights were cancelled. He said the next available ticket with Israeli flag carrier airline El Al is not until October 21.

Mr Ottaway, whose partner Odin lives in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, said it is “very unsettling” and he wants to return earlier to see his two teenage daughters in the UK.

He said: “I’m not able to work from here, so I’m using my leave. But more to the point, I’ve got two teenage daughters back home. I want to get back and see them. I’m in touch with them and they know I’m safe, but it’s a bit stressful.”

Mr Ottaway, who works for a local authority, said he understands why the UK Government is focusing its flight efforts on Beirut in Lebanon, as it is “under much more constant bombardment from Israel”.

08:49Joseph Gamp

Pictured: Gutted apartment block stands after wave of overnight Israeli airstrikes

A fire burns in a damaged building at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes on the Chiah neighbourhood in Beirut's southern suburbs.

It comes as Israel launched a new wave of strikes on the Lebanese capital, with a Hezbollah source saying the IDF conducted 11 consectuive strikes across the group's southern stronghold.

08:46Joseph Gamp

G7 repeats calls for calm amid 'dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation'

G7 leaders have renewed calls for a cessation of hostilities in the region, warning of a "dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation" leading to "uncontrollable" escalation and bolstered their condemnation of Iran.

"We, the leaders of the G7, express deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and condemn in the strongest terms Iran's direct military attack against Israel, which constitutes a serious threat to regional stability," a joint statement released on Thursday said.

"We unequivocally reiterate our commitment to the security of Israel. Iran's seriously destabilising actions throughout the Middle East through terrorist proxies and armed groups - including the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas - as well as Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, must stop."

But it urged all regional players to act with "responsibility and restraint", adding: "We encourage all parties to engage constructively to de-escalate the current tensions. International humanitarian law must be respected."

08:45KEY EVENT

Latest flight from Lebanon lands in the UK amid spiralling Middle East conflict

Another flight carrying Britons from Lebanon has arrived in the UK amid the spiralling Middle East conflict as G7 leaders urged regional players to act with "restraint".

The plane touched down in Birmingham on Thursday, a day after more than 150 British nationals and dependants left Beirut on the first Government-chartered flight as concerns mount over how long the capital's airport can remain open.

The Foreign Office said a "limited number" of additional flights had been chartered, including the one which set off on Thursday heading for Britain.

08:43Joseph Gamp

Pictured: Scale of destruction in Beirut after overnight Israeli strikes

In the following image, a resident stares at the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike on the neighbourhood of Mreijeh in Beirut's southern suburbs this morning.

A source close to Hezbollah said Israel had conducted 11 consecutive strikes on the group's south Beirut stronghold late October 3.