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What we know
- Hezbollah has confirmed that its powerful leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike yesterday in a dramatic blow to the Iran-linked Lebanese militant and political group.
- The Israeli military has continued intensive strikes across Lebanon today, including pre-dawn strikes in Beirut, issuing evacuation orders for neighborhoods in the city's southern suburbs.
- The attack targeting Nasrallah killed at least 11 people and injured 108, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The damage is extensive and the official death toll is likely to rise.
- Iran, Hezbollah's ally, has condemned the strike as a "blatant war crime" crossing its red lines and called for plans to send troops to Lebanon.
- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned early from U.N. General Assembly after Netanyahu delivered a hawkish speech defending Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon while rallying opposition to Iran.
- The U.S. said it had no prior knowledge of Israel's strike and sought to prevent further escalation, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging Israel to accept a 21-day cease-fire proposal from the U.S., E.U. and Arab countries, which Netanyahu has so far rejected.
Netanyahu, not Biden, is setting the agenda in the Middle East
Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s longtime leader has driven home how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set the agenda in the Middle East in recent months, with a frustrated Biden White House unable to shape events or defuse a spreading conflict in the region.
Officials in the Biden administration felt blindsided by the Israeli air strikes Friday in southern Beirut that killed Hassan Nasrallah, and other senior Hezbollah figures, current and former officials say.
In the days before the Israeli attack, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had intensively shuttled between delegations in New York during the U.N. General Assembly session, trying to forge a 21-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Biden administration was so confident in the proposal’s success that a senior administration official briefing reporters after its public debut suggested both parties’ agreement was a foregone conclusion.
American and European officials believed they were moving closer to a possible deal, but then came the television images of a massive plume of smoke rising over southern Beirut.
State Department offers help to U.S. citizens looking to leave Lebanon
The State Department tonight offered assistance to U.S. citizens looking to leave Lebanon, warning that citizens who remain in the country should be ready to shelter in place for an extended period of time.
The department on its website said it "strongly encourages" Americans in southern Lebanon, near the borders with Syria or in refugee settlements to leave immediately.
"We continue to advise that U.S. citizens depart Lebanon due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hizballah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut," a State Department advisory read.
Commercial flights are currently available, though at reduced capacity, the department said. It said it is currently only able to help U.S. citizens and their immediate family (spouses, children under 21 years old and parents) who have valid travel documents "for onward travel from Turkey or Cyprus."
An online form allows citizens to request help with a U.S. government loan to buy a commercial plane ticket, or for help with a U.S. passport or visa for an accompanying spouse or minor child.
"You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Lebanon. Only attempt to depart Lebanon or travel within Lebanon if you believe it is safe for you to do so," the State Department said. "The U.S. Embassy may not be able to assist U.S. citizens who choose to remain."
Iran calls for emergency U.N. Security Council meeting
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations today called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss what he called Israel's "terrorist aggression" in Lebanon.
In a letter to the U.N. secretary-general and the Security Council's president, Amir Saeid Iravani warned that Israel's actions threaten to thrust the region into a full-scale war and "an all-out catastrophe."
"For a year now, Israel has been committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Gaza with complete impunity, while the UN Security Council has remained paralyzed due to the United States’ obstruction of an effective decision by that body," Iravani wrote. "This rogue regime is now extending its brutal aggressive war to Lebanon."
He called on the Security Council to condemn Israel's actions, compel it to immediately halt its attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, and address the country's "terrorist aggression and the continuous atrocities perpetrated by the warmongering Israeli regime in Lebanon and across the region."
Iravani also warned that Iran has the right under international law to defend its national and security interests, and that it would not hesitate to "take every measure" to do so.
Israel ‘will fail to defeat Hezbollah:’ Senior Middle East diplomat
Despite the killing of one of Hezbollah’s top leaders, Israel will fail to defeat the Lebanese militant group, a senior Middle East diplomat said today.
“Despite all the suffering and the horror, the fact remains: Israel has failed to defeat Hamas and will fail to defeat Hezbollah," the diplomat said, referencing Israel's ongoing efforts to destroy Hamas in Gaza.
The declaration came after the death of Hassan Nasrallah, under whom Hezbollah became the most powerful Iran-backed paramilitary group in the Middle East.
U.N. Secretary-General concerned about escalation in Beirut, says 'cycle of violence must stop now'
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement today that he's "gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours."
"This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink," his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement on his behalf. "The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war."
Guterres urged the parties involved to recommit to Security Council resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 to call for an end of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. He also reiterated his call for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.
'It's time for a cease-fire,' Biden says
President Joe Biden made a quick comment about the need for a cease-fire as he left church today in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Asked whether a ground incursion into Lebanon is inevitable, Biden responded, "It's time for a cease-fire."
The U.S. and allies have proposed a 21 day-cease fire to allow for talks between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to insist that Israel “will not stop” its fight against the group, and has told the military to keep “fighting with full force.”
Pentagon is looking at options for more troops in the Middle East, officials say
The Pentagon is looking at options for increasing the number of troops and equipment in the Middle East after the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, according to two U.S. officials.
This morning, military officials presented Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin with options for additional military support to the region, and he in turn discussed the current military posture and some options on the call with President Joe Biden and other national security leaders. No decisions were made on the White House call, the officials said, but Austin does have the authority to send forces to the region.
The U.S. has about 40,000 troops in the region right now — that’s more than the U.S. had in place when Iran retaliated against Israel in April. As of now, the U.S. officials say the Pentagon is confident in their posture but could extend some current deployments even after replacements arrive (thereby increasing the total number) or make a few adjustments in air defense and other capabilities given the probability of retaliation from Iran or Hezbollah.
The U.S. has troops and assets in the region now to support a military-assisted departure of civilians should one be necessary, but the officials said the airport is operating and there are still a couple of commercial flights leaving.
They added there are not many requests for help from Americans to leave right now. So, while there is planning and they are ready, there is still no decision to order a non-combatant evacuation, or NEO. However, the officials pointed out, that could change quickly if the situation deteriorates.
There is still a chance that the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group is re-routed from Europe to the Middle East, but as of now there is no indication that is happening. It arrives in the European theater in about a week but could quickly be re-assigned to U.S. Central Command.
Israeli attacks killed at least 33 in Lebanon today
At least 33 people have been killed in Lebanon today as a result of Israeli attacks on the country, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Over 190 people have been injured, the ministry said.
Biden and Harris held call with national security team
The White House said today that Biden convened a call with Harris and his national security team for "an update on the situation in the Middle East."
On the call, Biden, Harris and their team also reviewed the status of U.S. military units in the region and "continued diplomatic efforts to coordinate with allies and partners," the White House added.
Houthis say they fired missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport upon Netanyahu’s arrival
The Houthis said they fired a missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport upon Netanyahu’s arrival today.
The missile the Houthis launched was a “Palestine 2 ballistic missile,” according to a statement from the group. It's not clear at this time if this was the same missile that set off sirens in central Israel and was intercepted by the IDF earlier today.
The Houthis said this was done "in support for the oppressed Palestinian people and in response to the crimes of the Zionist enemy in Gaza and Lebanon," and that these action "will not stop until the aggression against Gaza and Lebanon ceases."
"The Yemeni Armed Forces, along with all the honorable and free people of the nation, will continue to respond to the crimes of the Israeli enemy and will not hesitate to raise the level of escalation in response to the requirements of the stage and to participate in the defense of Gaza and Lebanon," the group said.
In a message on its website, Ben Gurion Airport said the airport "is working as planned including departures and landings."
