Middle East latest: Number of Iranian soldiers killed in Israeli strikes 'expected to rise'; Tehran says it has right to defend itself (2024)

Key points
  • Israeli military says it targeted key Iranian missile sites
  • Explained:Why did Israel attack Iran?
  • Four Iranian soldiers killed in Israeli strikes - report
  • Iran says it is 'entitled and obligated' to defend itself
  • Joe Biden says he hopes Israeli attack is 'the end'|Arab nations condemn strikes
  • Watch: Explosions heard in Tehran
  • Starmer warns Iran not to respond
  • Dominic Waghorn: Prospect of all-out war now feels more distant
  • Deborah Haynes: Scale of damage will determine what happens next
  • Mark Stone: US pressure appears to have paid off - for now
  • Live reporting by Narbeh Minassian and (earlier)Katie Williams

18:21:01

WHO: Israeli raid of hospital in Gaza 'came at heavy cost' for facility

We reported earlier today that Israeli troops have withdrawn from a hospital they began raiding yesterday in northern Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry (see our 2.45pm post).

Kamal Adwan is one of three hospitals in northern Gaza left largely inaccessible by fighting.

Speaking earlier this afternoon, the head of the World Health Organization said many medics have been taken from the hospital, which has nearly 200 patients.

Tedros Ghebreyesus said in a post on social media: "The Health Ministry in Gaza informed us that the siege at Kamal Adwan Hospital has ended, but it came at a heavy cost.

"Following the detention of 44 male staff members, only female staff, the hospital director, and one male doctor are left to care for nearly 200 patients in desperate need of medical attention.

"Reports of the hospital facilities and medical supplies being damaged or destroyed during the siege are deplorable.

"The whole health system in Gaza has been under attack for over a year."

17:53:01

Watch: Beirut residents react to Israeli strikes on Iran

Israel's overnight strikes on Iran came amid worries of war spreading in the Middle East.

That attack was launched after Iran fired missiles at Israel earlier this month.

In Lebanon, where Israel says it is attacking Iran-backed Hezbollah targets, many residents are already facing war.

The capital Beirut has come under fire in recent days and weeks and some of the city's locals have given us their thoughts on Israel's attack on Iran.

17:31:01

More than 200 projectiles fired from Lebanon, Israel claims

At least 200 projectiles have been fired from Lebanon today, the Israeli military claims.

Israel said there have been no reports of any injuries in the attacks, which come after Israeli strikes in Iran overnight.

Fragments from about 30 rockets damaged several buildings and cars in the northern town of Nahariya, according to the Israeli military, while the fire service said its teams were tackling blazes sparked by rocket attacks at seven sites across the north.

The almost daily fire between Israel and Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah over the past year has escalated into war in recent weeks, with 19 people killed in the past day alone in Lebanon, according to the country's health ministry.

17:04:23

Hezbollah: Israeli attack won't affect Iran's support

Hezbollah has condemned Israel's attack on Iran, claiming such strikes won't impact Tehran's support for the militants.

The Lebanon-based group, which is backed by Iran and designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and UK, described the Israeli strikes as a "dangerous escalation".

They also accused the US of being responsible for "massacres, tragedies and sufferings".

"We believe that this blatant attack on Iranian national sovereignty and the dear Islamic Republic of Iran will never affect its firm and clear stance, nor its full support at all levels for both the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples," Hezbollah said in a statement.

Earlier, Iran-backed Hamas called Israel's attack "an escalation targeting the region's security".

16:52:01

Entire population in northern Gaza 'at risk of dying', warns UN official

The entire population in northern Gaza is "at risk of dying", a top UN official has warned.

Joyce Msuya said Israel's offensive in the "besieged" area must stop, as hospitals have been struck and shelters burned.

"Families have been separated and men and boys are being taken away by the truckload," she added in a statement.

She also accused Israeli forces of a "blatant disregard for humanity" as they continue to attack targets in the enclave, pursuing what they say are Hamas militants regrouping in the northern parts.

Israel has warned the population there to evacuate.

16:38:38

Biden hopes Israeli attack on Iran is 'the end'

US President Joe Biden has just said he hopes Israel's strikes on Iran overnight are "the end".

He also said it appears Israel only hit military targets in its strikes, which came in response to an Iranian attack earlier this month.

As we reported in the past couple of hours, four Iranian soldiers have been reported killed - see our 3.11pm post.

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has said the country has no limits when it comes to defending its interests, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

16:22:38

Nineteen killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon in past day - health ministry

At least 19 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon yesterday, the Lebanese health ministry has said.

It brings the total number of Lebanese people killed in a year of conflict to 2,653, according to the ministry.

Yesterday, early morning Israeli airstrikes on a guesthouse in southeast Lebanon killed three journalists working for news outlets considered to be aligned with Hezbollah.

The IDF did not issue a warning prior to the strike, which it says was targeting militant infrastructure, but later said it was being reviewed.

16:04:01

IDF releases photos of Iran strike preparations

The Israeli military has released photos of its air force troops preparing to launch attacks on Iran last night.

"This is how the air force planes took off to carry out precise and targeted strikes against military targets in Iran," said IDF Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee, in a post to X.

Israel said the strikes were in retaliation for "months of continuous attacks" from the Tehran and its proxies.

15:40:01

Iran playing down attack is good news, says analyst

The fact that Iran is downplaying Israel's strikes on the country is "good news," an analyst has told our US partner network NBC News.

Iran said earlier that the attacks caused only "limited damage in certain areas".

Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa programme, said that while the full extent of the damage is still unknown, the initial response opens the door to de-escalation.

"By them being dismissive about the damage, it gives them space to say 'that’s done, scores are settled'," he said.

Mr Mekelberg added that the end of any direct conflict with Iran, alongside the killings of leaders in the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups, could open a path to move from military action "to the diplomatic, political sphere".

"Whether Israel and Iran will think like this is a different matter," he added.

15:11:14

Number of Iranian soldiers killed in strikes rises to four - report

The number of Iranian soldiers killed in Israel's overnight attack on Iran has risen to four and is "expected to rise further", Iranian news agency Tasnim News is reporting.

It reports that the conditions of others who are wounded is "critical".

The IDF is still yet to comment on the reports of deaths in its strikes.

Middle East latest: Number of Iranian soldiers killed in Israeli strikes 'expected to rise'; Tehran says it has right to defend itself (2024)
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