Israeli forces have sustained their assaults across the Gaza Strip and Lebanon on the anniversary of the 7 October attacks, while memorials are being held in Israel to honour those killed in the Hamas-led attack one year ago.
Hezbollah rockets hit Israel's third-largest city of Haifa, police said early on Monday, with Israeli media reporting 10 injured in the country's north.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, reportedly targeted a military base south of Haifa with a salvo of 'Fadi 1' missiles.
Meanwhile, Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired four rockets into Israel on Monday as mourners marked the anniversary of the 7 October attacks, without disrupting a nearby ceremony. Hamas also said it attacked Israeli forces in different parts of Gaza.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has laid waste the densely populated coastal enclave and killed almost 42,000 people, Palestinian health authorities say.
The Israeli army on Monday said its forces were launching a "targeted" strike in a southern Beirut suburb that the military described as a key Hezbollah stronghold.
"The IDF (Israeli army) is currently conducting a targeted strike in the area of Dahiyeh, a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold," the army said in a statement.
Israel cannot confirm whether the potential successor to the slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been killed, a government spokesperson said on Monday, following reports that he was targeted in an Israeli air strike last week.
Asked if Israel could confirm the death of Hashem Safieddine, spokesperson David Mencer told an online briefing: "We don't have that confirmation yet. When it is confirmed, as and when, it will be on the (Israeli military) website."
A Hezbollah official told news agency Reuters on Sunday that Israel was obstructing search and rescue efforts in an area where Safieddine is thought to have been when Israel bombed Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday.
Israel has killed much of Hezbollah's military command and senior leadership in nearly a year of an Israeli offensive on Gaza that began when Hezbollah opened a front in solidarity with Palestinians the day after Hamas' deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
A Lebanese security source said an Israeli strike hit Monday near the country's only airport in Beirut, close to Hezbollah's stronghold in the south of the capital.
"Israel conducted an air strike near the airport," the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Lebanon's official National News Agency had earlier said Israel launched "a series of strikes targeting more than 30 towns and villages in the Tyre district," after earlier saying "series of strikes" hit other south Lebanon locations.
Israeli forces have shot and killed a 12-year-old Palestinian child, Hatem Ghaith, during a military incursion into Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, according to Wafa news agency.
The Ministry of Health confirmed Ghaith died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Wafa also reported that seven others, including three children, were injured by Israeli fire, and 20 people were detained during the ongoing raid.
Israeli warplanes destroyed the rocket launchers in southern Gaza that had launched an earlier attack on central Israel.
According to a military statement, "secondary explosions were observed during the attack, indicating the presence of weapons."
The morning rocket assault was claimed by the Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, and resulted in two people being lightly wounded in central Israel, according to Israeli medics.
The Israeli army confirmed the rockets were fired from Khan Younis and urged civilians in the area to evacuate.
Andrea Tenenti, the spokesperson for the UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, has expressed concern over the safety of its troops amid escalating border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.
Speaking to Qatari news broadcaster Al Jazeera, Tenenti highlighted the heavy shelling in UNIFIL’s operational area and the close proximity of Israeli troops to their Irish contingent.
Tenenti noted that despite being advised to vacate certain positions along the Blue Line, the UN peacekeepers have chosen to remain to ensure the UN flag continues to fly in these areas.
The Blue Line refers to the provisional border established between Israel and Lebanon in 2000.
UNIFIL soldiers are currently caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict.
Britain has withdrawn the families of its embassy staff working in Israel due to the escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and the risk of a wider regional conflict.
The decision comes in the wake of Israel sending troops into southern Lebanon, the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian missile attack on Israel.
"As a precautionary measure following escalation in the region, family members of British Embassy staff have been temporarily withdrawn," the Foreign Office travel advice web page for Israel read. "Our staff members remain."
Britain advises citizens against all travel to the area close to the border with Gaza and "all but essential travel" to other parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories due to the yearlong conflict.
But British citizens living in Israel are not being told to leave. Instead, they are being advised that consular assistance is "severely limited".
"We recognise this is a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks," the advice reads. "We strongly encourage you to check you and your dependents have the required documentation to travel at short notice."
Reports indicate that an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon has resulted in the deaths of several firefighters, according to the country's health ministry.
The ministry stated that a raid on a building in Baraachit has killed 10 firefighters.
More updates to come.
Iran has issued a warning to Israel against launching a counter-attack following the missile strikes carried out by the Islamic Republic last week.
Fatemeh Mohajerani, the Iranian government's spokeswoman, stated in an interview with the Iranian news agency IRNA on Monday that Iran will continue to uphold its right to self-defense.
Nearly a week ago, Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired approximately 200 missiles at Israel in retaliation for the deaths of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The military has ordered civilians in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza to evacuate to the designated “humanitarian zone” in al-Mawasi.
Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s spokesman for Arabic communications, stated on X that the recent rocket attack on central Israel claimed by Hamas' armed wing "will be met with extreme force."
He urged residents to evacuate immediately, saying, "Because of Hamas’ terrorist acts, you must evacuate these areas and move to the humanitarian area in al-Mawasi."
Earlier, the army reported that rockets were launched from Khan Younis, with medics indicating two minor injuries in Tel Aviv as a result.
Pope Francis on Monday slammed the "shameful inability" of world powers to end the conflict in the Middle East, on the first anniversary of Hamas's deadly October 7 attack on Israel.
"A year ago, the fuse of hatred was lit; it did not sputter, but exploded in a spiral of violence, in the shameful inability of the international community and the most powerful countries to silence the weapons and put an end to the tragedy of war," he said in an open letter to Catholics in the Middle East.
"Blood is still being shed, as are tears. Anger is growing, along with the desire for revenge, while it seems that few people care about what is most needed and what is most desired: dialogue and peace."
The 87-year-old had previously declared Monday a global day for prayer and fasting for peace, following similar initiatives for other conflicts in recent years.
In his letter, the leader of the world's almost 1.4 billion Catholics offered solidarity with followers in the region -- "a small, defenceless flock" -- on what he called "this sad day".
But the pope also addressed "the men and women of every confession and religion who in the Middle East are suffering from the insanity of war: I am close to you, I am with you".
"I am with you, who have no voice, for despite all the talk of plans and strategies, there is little concern for those who suffer the devastation of war, which the powerful impose on others; yet they will be subject to the inflexible judgement of God," he added.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that Ziad Abu Halil, a 66-year-old resident of Hebron, was attacked and killed by Israeli soldiers in his home.
Abu Halil was a notable figure among Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, particularly recognised for a video that went viral in 2015.
In the footage, he confronted Israeli soldiers and spoke about defending against their attacks by throwing stones.
Japan "unequivocally condemned" the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel but said on Monday it was "gravely concerned" by the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip one year on.
"Japan has consistently and unequivocally condemned the terror attacks by Hamas and others, and urge the immediate release of all hostages still being held captive," Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said.
"At the same time, Japan is gravely concerned about the ongoing critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," Iwaya said, pointing to the "large number of civilians" killed and the insecurity facing both Israelis and Palestinians.
"Japan continues to urge all the parties including Israel, to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, and strongly urges them to steadily work toward realisation of a ceasefire," Iwaya said in a statement.
"Japan is seriously concerned about the rising tensions beyond Israel and the Gaza Strip throughout the Middle East region, including the West Bank, Lebanon, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and Iran," he said.
Israel’s yearlong offensive in Gaza since October 7 of last year has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction in the besieged coastal enclave.
Here are some figures that show the scale of death and devastation. Sources include the Israeli government, the Gaza Health Ministry and UN agencies.
The Oct. 7 attack
Number of people killed in Israel: Around 1,200
Number taken hostage into Gaza: 251
Number of living hostages in Gaza: 66, including 2 from before Oct. 7
Number of captives in Gaza believed to be dead: 35, including 2 from before Oct. 7
The Gaza war
Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza: Over 41,000
Number of Palestinians wounded in Gaza: Over 96,000
Number of operatives the Israeli military says it has killed: Over 17,000
Number of Israeli soldiers killed since Oct. 7: Over 720
Number of rockets fired at Israel from Gaza since Oct. 7: Over 9,500
Displacement
Number of Palestinians displaced in Gaza: Around 1.9 million
Percentage of Gaza’s population that have been displaced: Around 90%
Number of Israelis displaced by attacks from Gaza at their peak: Over 58,000
Number of Israelis currently displaced from the south: Around 5,300
Percentage of Gaza’s territory placed under Israeli evacuation orders: Around 90%
Destruction in Gaza
Number of structures moderately damaged or destroyed: Over 120,000
Number of housing units damaged or destroyed: Over 215,000
Percentage of structures damaged or destroyed: 66
Total estimated cost of damage from the war's first three months: $18.5 billion
Highest GDP ever reported in the West Bank and Gaza, in 2022: $19.17 billion
Damage to Gaza's infrastructure
Percentage of primary roads damaged or destroyed: Over 92
Percentage of health facilities damaged or destroyed: Over 84
Percentage of water and sanitation facilities damaged or destroyed: 67
Daily amount of untreated water and sewage flowing into the sea from Gaza: 60,000 cubic meters
Length of electrical grid destroyed: 510 kilometers (320 miles)
Exploding pagers in Lebanon linked to a Taiwanese company got attention in Taiwan, but Israel's ties with the island are strong and based on shared values with good lines of communication, the Israeli envoy in Taipei said on Monday.
Security sources have said Israel was responsible for the pagers, carrying the name of Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, that detonated last month in Lebanon in a deadly blow to Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
Gold Apollo has said it did not manufacture the devices used in the attack and said that Hungary-based company BAC, to which the pagers were traced, had a licence to use its brand. Taiwan's government has also said the pagers were not made in Taiwan.
Speaking to reporters at an event in Taipei to mark one year since the attack by Hamas operatives on Israel, the country's de facto ambassador to Taiwan, Maya Yaron, declined direct comment on the pagers.
"Here maybe that incident took much more attention but in our view in Israel we had Nasrallah, we had missile attacks from Iran," she said, referring to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli air strike on Beirut and a retaliatory airstrike against Israel by Tehran.
"We're doing everything we can with all the tools that we can to fight Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis," Yaron added.
Israel, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan. But Taiwan views Israel as an important democratic partner and offered strong support to the country after last year's Hamas attack.
Asked whether the linking of Taiwan to the pagers had affected relations, Yaron said she was not concerned about anything affecting their ties.
"I think that they are strong and they are based on democratic values, liberal values and things that keep us united together and this is why we understand each other," she said.
"We are in constant contact on many issues on this ongoing war since Oct 7. On everything we have an open line of communication."
Jordan's foreign minister Ayman Safadi arrived in Beirut on board a Jordanian aid plane, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The top Commander of Iran's Quds Force Esmail Qaani is in 'good health', the force's deputy commander Iraj Masjedi said on Monday according to state media, adding no further statement on the issue is needed.
Two senior Iranian security officials told news agency Reuters on Sunday Qaani had not been heard from since strikes on Beirut late last week.
A new blast went off near the Israeli embassy in Denmark, police said on Monday as the world marked the one-year anniversary of the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel.
The blast occurred some 500 metres (yards) from the embassy in Copenhagen and came five days after two explosions near the building for which two Swedish nationals have been remanded in custody.
"We are of course looking into whether there could be a connection to the (earlier) incident at the Israeli embassy," Copenhagen police inspector Trine Moller told reporters.
"There is no indication that this is the case," she added, adding that the explosion was probably caused by gunfire.
Images on local media showed traces of a blast in front of a residential building some 500 metres away from the Israeli embassy.
The incident occurred on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks, which were followed by Israel's assaults on Gaza and Lebanon and protests against the wars across the world.
Sweden's intelligence agency Sapo said that Iran may have been involved in the October 2 explosions in Denmark, as well as a shooting near Israel's embassy in Stockholm the day earlier.
The armed wing of Hamas, the al Qassam Brigades, have claimed a rocket attack on central Israel.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades announced they "struck deep into the occupation's territory," launching a barrage of M90 missiles targeting Tel Aviv as part of their ongoing war of attrition, according to a statement from the group.
According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, two women in Israel were lightly injured by shrapnel and are currently being hospitalised, as confirmed in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
Earlier, the Israeli army reported that five rockets were launched from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, targeting central Israel.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of at least 41,909 Palestinians and left 97,303 wounded, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry on Monday.
Hamas's deadly attack on October 7 last year took Israel back to "square zero", a senior official of the Palestinian group said on Monday.
"Al-Aqsa flood returned the occupation to square zero and threatened its existence," Khaled Meshaal, the former head of Hamas, said on the Al Arabiya TV station, using the group's name for the attack.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that Britain "will not falter in our pursuit of peace", on the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
"On this day of pain and sorrow, we honour those we lost, and continue in our determination to return those still held hostage, help those who are suffering, and secure a better future for the Middle East," he wrote on X.
Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer’s statement on the one-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks. pic.twitter.com/EPvdIIQEeB
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) October 7, 2024
Israeli fighter jets have reportedly targeted a residential building in the town of Srifa, located south of Tyre in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanon 24 and the Quds News Network, the airstrike has claimed the lives of at least four individuals.
Further details on the incident are expected as more information becomes available.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday paid tributes to the victims of the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, on the first anniversary of the incursion.
The pain remains, as vivid as it was a year ago. The pain of the Israeli people. Ours. The pain of wounded humanity," he wrote on the social media platform X, adding that he was sending "fraternal thoughts" to the victims, their families and the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip a year on.
October 7.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 7, 2024
The pain remains, as vivid as it was a year ago. The pain of the Israeli people. Ours. The pain of wounded humanity.
We do not forget the victims, the hostages, or the families with broken hearts from absence or waiting. I send them our fraternal thoughts.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday attended a ceremony to commemorate the October 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel.
Barrot is due to meet with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz before heading to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and will make a statement in Reim in the presence of families of the French victims of the October 7 attack.
An Israeli campaign group on Monday announced the death of a hostage held in Gaza, as Israel marked the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Idan Shtivi, 28, was abducted from the site of the Nova music festival and his "body is still held captive by Hamas".
The forum said Shtivi had just arrived at the festival site when the attack began.
"On October 7, Idan arrived at the Nova Festival in the early morning to document his friends' performances and workshops," the forum said in a statement.
"However, he never made it inside. When the attack began, Idan helped two strangers he had just met escape from the site. This selfless choice ultimately led to his abduction."
![The protest took place outside the White House, the US's seat of power [Getty]](/sites/default/files/styles/image_684x385/public/148770684.jpeg?h=e71d2955&itok=YRSMW-Za)
