Live: Israel ramps up strikes on Gaza after Iran attack

Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed at least 16 Palestinians on Thursday.  

Ground reports list some of the casualties from today:

• Five people were killed in Khan Younis
• Seven bodies were recovered in Rafah, along with one body in Nuseirat and another in Khan Younis
• A child's body was discovered in Sheikh Radwan, north of Gaza City
• One wounded individual succumbed to severe bleeding at al-Aqsa Hospital

The Israeli Air Force claimed that it struck 75 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight, targeting munitions warehouses, launchers, military infrastructure, and fighters. The claim could not be verified. 

Israeli Channel 12 has reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has allegedly directed the army to scale back attacks in Lebanon amid ongoing ceasefire discussions.

Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office has given the “greenlight for a ceasefire” with Hezbollah.

Far-right Israeli politicians and coalition partners are urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject any proposal for a 21-day truce in Lebanon. 

Israel's military chief, Herzi Halevi, has instructed troops along the border to be ready for a “possible” ground invasion of Lebanon

The United States, France, Canada, Australia, Japan, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have all expressed support for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon.

In need to divert public discourse from freeing Israeli captives and the open-ended war on Gaza, a war on Lebanon was the ideal move for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The escalation, which began with the explosion of pagers and radio devices across Lebanon last week, has, in this regard, been a success so far. 

The issue of the captives has been removed from the public agenda in Israel, although it is unclear how this escalation will contribute to their return - or that of the north’s residents back to their homes. Additionally, the military’s heavy bombardment of Lebanon has brought Netanyahu closer to the army. 

Israeli defence philosophy has been based on “deterrence” for decades. This was the philosophy behind Israel’s policy versus Hamas over the past 15 years: to hit the Palestinian movement hard every time it breaks the status quo, as determined by Israel. 

Read more: Israel seeks to isolate Gaza from Lebanon, but it’s easier said than done

Far-right Israeli politicians and coalition partners are urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject any proposal for a 21-day truce in Lebanon which they say would give Hezbollah time to recover from recent setbacks.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on X that “the campaign in the north should end in one scenario—crushing Hezbollah and denying its ability to harm the residents of the north.” He warned against giving the enemy time to “recover from the heavy blows it received and to reorganise for the continuation of the war after 21 days,” insisting that only the group’s surrender should halt the conflict in the north.

An imminent ceasefire is being reported based on a single report from Britain’s Sky News, citing unnamed US administration officials who “expect” a three-week pause to be implemented “in the coming hours”. However, Israeli officials have been quoted saying that the likelihood of a ceasefire is very slim.

Three people were killed in an Israeli air raid on Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry.

In a separate attack, one Syrian national was killed and another wounded in the town of Qana.

At least three Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded in an Israeli air strike on a house east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Earlier, at least one person was confirmed dead in a separate attack on the center of Khan Younis, while the casualty count from the eastern strike was still being determined. 

Senator Bernie Sanders, alongside Democratic senators Peter Welch and Jeff Merkley, has formally introduced legislation to halt over $20 billion in US arms sales to Israel.

Sanders accused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's government of waging "all-out war against the Palestinian people," resulting in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths and 95,000 injuries, including a high proportion of women, children, and elderly people.

Sanders argued that Israel's use of US weapons in Gaza violates the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act, citing extensive evidence of illegal use. He called the continued supply of arms both "immoral" and "illegal."

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati accused Israel of "spreading terror and fear among Lebanese citizens" during an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

He condemned Israel for violating Lebanese sovereignty with air and drone strikes, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and overwhelming hospitals.

Mikati warned that Lebanon is facing electronic, air, and maritime aggression that could escalate into a ground invasion and potentially ignite a regional war. He urged the UNSC's 15 members to take a clear stance to end the aggression and uphold Lebanon’s sovereignty and safety.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on the United Nations Security Council to demand "an immediate ceasefire on all fronts" from Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon defended the ongoing strikes against Hezbollah, claiming they have been carried out with precision.

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates from the Israeli wars in Gaza and Lebanon: 

• At least 72 people were killed and nearly 400 wounded in Israeli attacks across Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry

• Israel's military chief, Herzi Halevi, has instructed troops along the border to be ready for a “possible” ground invasion against Hezbollah

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the Middle East is on the brink of a “full-scale catastrophe” and pledged Tehran’s support for Lebanon “by all means” if Israel intensifies the conflict

• During an emergency United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised that Lebanon must not “become another Gaza” and urged an immediate ceasefire.

• Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, informed the UNSC that France and the US are working on a proposal for a 21-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah

• Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli forces continued to strike various parts of the enclave, resulting in the deaths of 29 people, including women and children, according to Gaza’s civil defense authorities

Hello Middle East Eye readers. On Wednesday, western leaders have been scrambling to put together a proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, as the conflict between the two draws closer to a full-blown war.

The US and France are working on a proposal for a 21-day temporary truce, officials tell MEE, which could be used as an offramp against such a regional war.

At the UN, Iran called for the Security Council to restore peace but said that in the case a war does break out in Lebanon, Tehran will not remain indifferent.

The UN Security Council is meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss the situation in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops have been amassing at the country's border with Lebanon. Israeli General Herzi Halevi warned troops to be on alert about a possible ground incursion into Lebanon. The Pentagon said that it doesn't believe such a ground invasion is imminent.

Amid the ongoing threat of a larger Israeli war on Lebanon, a senior Hamas official released a statement reiterating that Hamas and Hezbollah are in "full coordination" and have been since the war on Gaza began last October.

Here's what else you need to know from today's developments:

• Israeli air strikes on Lebanon killed at least 72 people on Wednesday and injured nearly 400 others.

• Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said that Israel would use all the means at its disposal in Lebanon if a diplomatic solution were to fail.

• Russia's deputy foreign minister called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.

• The Pentagon said that the US is not providing any intelligence or other support to Israel in its recent attacks on Lebanon.

• The Islamic Resistance, an Iraq-based umbrella group of militias, launched a drone attack on Israel's Red Sea port of Eilat, which caused a major explosion in the city and injured two people.

• The Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, released video footage showing a group of fighters ambushing a convoy of Israeli armed vehicles with rocket fire in Gaza's southern city of Rafah.

• The US has sent dozens of troops to Cyprus amid the ongoing escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The troops are there to prepare for a range of possibilities, including the evacuation of Americans from Lebanon.

Lebanon's National News Agency is reporting that at least nine people were killed and 11 others wounded in an Israeli air strike on Younine, a town in Lebanon’s Baalbek governorate.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that Israel has crossed "all red lines" in both its war on Gaza and now recent escalation in Lebanon.

Araqchi warned that Iran would not remain indifferent in case a full-blown war breaks out in Lebanon, calling on the UN Security Council to intervene and restore peace.