Compilation of news reports – IAK staff 

Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip killed at least 28 people on Monday.

• A mother, husband, and two children were killed and several people injured when warplanes hit a house in the central city of Beir al-Balah, a medical source said.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed at least 95 people Monday, Lebanon’s health ministry said.

• Five children were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Sidon in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media on Monday.

Israel begins ground operation in southern Lebanon

Axios reports:

Israel launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon early on Tuesday local time, the IDF said in a statement, adding that they will conduct “limited, localized and targeted raids” in areas of southern Lebanon where Hezbollah allegedly “pose[s] an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart defense minister Yoav Gallant on Monday. They reportedly “agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border,” and “discussed the importance of ultimately pivoting from military operations to a diplomatic pathway.”

The source said that the White House believes it has influence on the Israeli military planning  [this in spite of the fact that Netanyahu has consistently defied Biden throughout the war].

White House officials told their Israeli counterparts they’re concerned that — as in previous wars in Lebanon — what starts as a time-limited and geographically limited operation could slip into something larger and longer-term, the source said.

Press release from Oxfam:

More women and children have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military over the past year than the equivalent period of any other conflict over the past two decades, new Oxfam analysis has found. 

As hostilities and tragic loss of life spread in Lebanon and the West Bank – including East Jerusalem – the regional escalation underscores the urgent need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

Conservative figures show that more than 6,000 women and 11,000 children were killed in Gaza by the Israeli military over the last 12 months. Data from 2004-2021 on direct conflict deaths from the Small Arms Survey, estimates that the highest number of women killed in a single year was over 2,600 in Iraq in 2016.

Israeli explosive weapons hit civilian infrastructure in Gaza once every three hours

Also from Oxfam:

Data from Action on Armed Violence up to 23 September shows that Israel hit civilian infrastructure across Gaza with explosive weapons once every three hours on average since the war began. Other than the six-day humanitarian pause last November, there were just two days in the entire year without bombardment.  

Records – which are not comprehensive – show that Israeli explosive weapons hit on average:

• Homes every four hours
• Tents and temporary shelters every 17 hours
• Schools and hospitals every four days
• Aid distribution points and warehouses every 15 days

Throughout the last year, Israel has committed serious violations of IHL at a level which may rise to the level of crimes against humanity. This includes a level of destruction observed which is indicative of Israel’s use of disproportionate force in relation to military objectives and a failure to discriminate between military targets and the civilian population. Israeli military has relentlessly targeted infrastructure indispensable to civilian survival.

Civilians have been forcibly displaced dozens of times to so-called ‘safe zones’ that fail to meet humanitarian obligations and have also been regularly bombed or attacked. 

(Read more here.)

Humanitarian situation in Gaza grows more dire

OCHA, the UN humanitarian group for Palestinian refugees, reports:

• Addressing the critical needs of over 2.1 million people during the rainy season cannot happen without unimpeded humanitarian access into and across Gaza.
• Many of the 215 temporary learning spaces serving nearly 34,000 children now risk being severely affected by upcoming floodings, the Education Cluster warns.
• Humanitarian organizations are providing about 600,000 daily meals across Gaza, but over 1.4 million people did not receive their food rations in September, due to dwindling supplies, the Food Security Sector reports.
• Only four out of 37 olive presses remain functional throughout the Strip and more than one million olive trees have been uprooted since October 2023, according to the Food Security Sector.
• Close to 100 per cent of Gaza’s population now live in poverty, compared with 64 per cent before the onset of escalated hostilities, according to the World Bank.

(Read the details of the report here.)

174th journalist killed in Israeli strike in Gaza since Oct. 7

Anadolu Agency reports:

Another Palestinian journalist was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total death toll since last Oct. 7 to 174, the government media office said on Monday.

In a statement, the media office identified the new victim as Wafa Aludaini, without giving any details about the circumstances of her death.

It said Aludaini had worked “with several English-speaking media outlets,” calling on the international community to hold the Israeli government accountable for its “crimes against journalists.”

RECOMMENDED READING: Palestine Chronicle’s Star Contributor Killed in Gaza – Remembering Wafa Aludaini

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Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Tel Aviv will only accept a cease-fire in Lebanon when Hezbollah is pushed away from the border to the north of the Litani River and disarmed, according to Israeli media on Monday.

“The only acceptable way for Israel to agree to a cease-fire is to move Hezbollah north of the Litani River and disarm it,” Katz said in a message to foreign ministers from 25 nations as cited by the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

He claimed that the full implementation of all UN Security Council resolutions regarding Lebanon “will lead to a cease-fire.”

“For as long as this does not happen, Israel will continue its actions to ensure the security of its citizens and the return of northern residents to their homes,” he added.

There was no comment from Hezbollah on Katz’s statements.

RECOMMENDED READING: Drunk with power, Israel’s ‘victory’ opens the gates for war without end

Four people were killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut on Monday, three of them leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The dead include Mohammed Abdel Aal, a political bureau member and head of the military and security division; Imad Ouda, the military commander in Lebanon, and Abdel Rahman Abdel Aal, whose position was not disclosed.

An Israeli military statement announced Monday that Eid Hassan Nashar, another Hezbollah commander, was killed in a strike on Saturday, calling him the head of Hezbollah’s medium-range rockets unit.

Hamas says its leader in Lebanon, Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine, has been killed in an air attack a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp.

An Israeli strike in Lebanon early on Tuesday targeted Mounir Maqdah, commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, according to two Palestinian security officials. Maqdah was not a member of Hamas, but its rival, Fatah.

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian group that really has not been involved in the cross-border violence that began 11 months ago.

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Unleashed ‘monster’ must be stopped, Qatari minister says

A tweet:

Lolwah Alkhater, Qatar’s minister for international cooperation, has sharply criticized Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.

“A monster has been unleashed in our region. A monster that uses prohibited weapons and methods that target civilians indiscriminately,” she wrote on X, referring to Israel.

She added that the “monster … didn’t adhere to a single decision by the Security Council” and violates international law daily.

“And yet, it continues to receive not only the blessings of some international actors, but also their weapons and taxpayers money. The Israeli Occupation EXCEPTIONALISM above international law MUST STOP,” she wrote.

“Unless we stand united to stop it, this military and political bullying will destroy the entire region.”

US Sending a ‘Few Thousand’ Troops to Middle East To Defend Israel

AntiWar reports:

The Pentagon reportedly said Monday that the US is sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and prepare to defend Israel if needed.

The deployment will include squadrons of F-15, F-16, F-22, and A-10 fighter jets and the personnel needed to support them. The squadrons were initially set to deploy to the Middle East so that other fighter jets could rotate out, but now they will all stay to increase US air power.

On Sunday, President Biden was asked if he would be sending more troops to the Middle East and replied, “No.”

Also on Sunday, the Pentagon announced Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered an aircraft carrier strike group and an amphibious assault group to stay in the region.

The Pentagon also issued a warning to Iran on Sunday, saying Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people.”

Israel’s supposed needs trump America’s actual needs

Tennessee Department of the Military reports:

More than 700 Soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment are departing Saturday, September 28, on the first leg of a year-long deployment to the Middle East.

The Task Force, comprised primarily of Soldiers from the 278th’s 2nd Squadron, will initially deploy to Fort Bliss, Texas, for a few weeks of additional deployment training before flying to Kuwait.

“Our servicemembers have spent the last year conducting rigorous training and preparing to deploy in support of Operation Spartan Shield,” said Lt. Col. Jason Tomberlin, commander of the Task Force. “As an extremely formidable force of deterrence in the Middle East, we will accomplish our mission with dignity and honor, and look forward to returning home when our job is complete.”

At the same time, Hurricane Helene has caused severe damage in Tennessee – a natural fit for the Tennessee National Guard to pitch in.

If Americans in Lebanon want to get out, they are on their own: State Dept.

Various agencies report:

From Ha’aretz: On September 22, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut issued a travel advisory “urging U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon via commercial options while they are still available.” It updated the advisory six days later to reflect the mandated departure of some embassy employees and their spouses.

While acknowledging that most airlines have suspended or canceled flights out of Lebanon, the embassy announced on Sunday morning that it would not be organizing evacuation flights for U.S. citizens.

From ABC This Week (Sept. 29): Martha Raddatz questioned State Department spokesperson John Kirby about evacuation plans for Americans in Lebanon, as Israel threatens more attacks.

Kirby responded, “Right now, the State Department does not feel a need for that. There are still commercial operations, commercial air traffic that is getting out of Beirut and are still available to those Americans that want to leave.”

He reiterated, “We again urge Americans, if you’re in Lebanon and you want to go, go now while these options are available to you.”

DEPT OF DEFENSE SPOKESPERSON SABRINA SINGH ADDS IN A PRESS BRIEFING: Over the weekend, the DOD has taken steps to further enhance the defense posture of US forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.

These augmented forces include F-16, F-15e, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel. The Secretary also increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies.

Q: And they’re there to assist with the potential evacuation?

MS. SINGH: They are there for the protection of US forces, and they are there, should they be needed, for the defense of Israel. But we’re talking about air defense capabilities, so no, these would not be used for an evacuation.

Meanwhile, the U.K. government is chartering a flight to help British nationals who want to leave Lebanon, the U.K.’s foreign ministry announced.

NOTE: Following October 7th, the US made every effort to evacuate Americans from Israel, but failed to do so for Americans in Gaza.

Win Without War indicates that in June – eight months after October 7 attacks – nearly one thousand (known) American citizens, legal permanent residents, and family members of Americans remained trapped in the Gaza Strip with no clear avenue for escape.

Their report captures how the Biden administration and Members of Congress have systematically failed to coordinate evacuations for U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, and their loved ones from the Gaza Strip after October 7. 

It is unclear whether their situation has changed since the report.

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U.S. announces $336 million humanitarian aid package for Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank

The State Department announcement:

The U.S. announced Monday $336 million in humanitarian assistance to support Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank:

This assistance provides life-saving humanitarian aid, including expanded support in emergency health care, food, nutrition, psychosocial services, and increased access to safe drinking water, hygiene products, and sanitation services for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank affected by the ongoing conflict.

It also supports logistics and emergency shelter assistance to displaced Gazans to help them prepare for the upcoming winter months.

Today’s funding announcement reportedly brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance announced for Palestinians to more than $1 billion since October 2023.

NOTE: This announcement does not explain how aid items will reach the Palestinians in Gaza, given that Israel has blocked the vast majority of humanitarian aid – including American aid – from entering the enclave for months.

RELATED READING: Israel Deliberately Blocked Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, Two Government Bodies Concluded. Antony Blinken Rejected Them.

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Veterans for Peace Demands Probe Into Blinken’s Enabling of Israel’s Genocide

Common Dreams reports:

An organization representing anti-war U.S. veterans urged the Justice Department on Monday to immediately impanel a grand jury to investigate — and, if necessary, indict — Secretary of State Antony Blinken for lying to Congress, unlawfully refusing to cut off American military aid to Israel, and “conspiring to cause genocide of Palestinians.”

The call from Veterans for Peace (VFP) comes days after the investigative outlet ProPublica published a detailed account of how the U.S. State Department submitted a report to Congress that contradicted the findings of the department’s own experts and those of other agencies.

The Blinken-led State Department’s May report concluded that Israel was not “prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.”

This despite internal assessments from State Department experts and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) arguing that Israel had deliberately impeded American aid shipments to Gaza and that weapons transfers to the country should be cut off in line with Section 620I of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act.

In a letter addressed to the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and U.S. District Attorney Matthew Graves, VFP specifically cites ProPublica’s reporting and states that “Blinken’s failure to implement U.S. federal law and halt weapons shipments to Israel touches upon both domestic and international law.”

RECOMMENDED READING: Veterans For Peace: U.S. Army Major Quits Over Israel

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Netanyahu addresses the people of Iran – in English

New video:

Israeli PM Netanyahu has released a video explaining, purportedly to the people of Iran, how much better life will be after Israel eliminates Iranian leaders.

He names Palestinian resistance leader Mohammed Deif and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as examples of leaders Israel has eliminated, explaining, “There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach. There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country.”

The fact that Israel has also been destroying these leaders’ countries does not bode well for the people of Iran, but Netanyahu promises them prosperity once their leaders are gone – which will be, he promises, “a lot sooner than people think.”

Analysts say that this video, like others from Netanyahu in English, is for American consumption, and Israel’s supposed altruistic efforts will give American politicians an excuse to support the ongoing genocide.

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Israel: Settler group advertises new properties in southern Lebanon

Middle East Eye reports:

An Israeli settler group is promoting new properties for sale in southern Lebanon, as the Israeli army wages a bombing campaign in the country that has killed over 1000 people since mid-September.

Uri Tzafon, or the Movement for Settlement in Southern Lebanon’s website boasts spacious, light-filled apartments overlooking a swimming pool, with offers starting at 300,000 shekels ($80,000).

“After the elimination of the Hezbollah leadership…do you also dream of a big house, a view of snowy mountains and a warm community in the land of our ancestors?” the advert reads.

The extremist settler group emerged in March as a fringe movement to push for the settlement of southern Lebanon, which it said would bring “true and stable security to northern Israel” and enable the country to reclaim its “biblical borders.”

The group initially started with a few hundred members, since then its numbers have swelled, with its Whatsapp forums reportedly garnering around 3000 members.

A statement on its website claims the settlement of southern Lebanon is “necessary for Israel’s security” and that “only an Israeli civilian presence will ensure stable control and prevent the area from becoming a terrorist stronghold”.

The movement’s site recently published a map of southern Lebanon detailing at least 300 new settlements, with Lebanese villages and towns south of the Litani River rebranded with Hebrew names.

The group also sent balloons to the area emblazoned with messages threatening residents to “evacuate immediately” as “this is the land of Israel that belongs to the Jews”.

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