Israel Gaza War LIVE Updates: Netanyahu vows more strikes in Lebanon if threats continue

As gunfire echoed and smoke filled the air, a steadfast stream of pilgrims from Kerala made its way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel. Undeterred by the region's unrest, these devotees undertook a journey to the Holy Sepulchre, which houses Christ's tomb, driven by faith.

For centuries, Christians worldwide have flocked to this revered site, and for Keralites, especially Christian faithfuls, its appeal remains strong.

The data from the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) reveals that 9,600 Indian tourists visited Israel in 2024, with 50 per cent of them travelling for pilgrimage--most of them from Kerala.

According to an IMOT spokesperson, in the current scenario, Israel expects more pilgrim tourists from Kerala.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Saturday that 921 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since Israel resumed large-scale strikes on March 18.

According to the ministry's statement, the figure included 25 people killed in the past 24 hours. It also reported that the overall death toll had reached 50,277 since the war began on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a wave of airstrikes today, carrying out more than 40 attacks across Gaza and Lebanon. In Gaza, over 25 targets linked to Hamas and other militant groups were struck, including key infrastructure and operative hideouts, according to the military.

In Lebanon, 15 Hezbollah targets were hit, including a facility in Beirut that Israel says was used for drone storage. The large-scale strikes come after rocket fire from Lebanon into northern Israel earlier in the day, escalating regional tensions.

The United States has expressed strong support for Israel’s military response following the rocket fire from Lebanon.

According to Asharq News, US deputy Mideast envoy Morgan Ortagus said, “The United States of America, President Trump, our administration fully supports the State of Israel responding to the broken ceasefire that emanated from Lebanon this morning.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel will strike anywhere in Lebanon if threats persist, following an airstrike on Beirut—the first since the November ceasefire with Hezbollah.

“The equation has changed... we will not allow any fire on our communities,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.

He further declared, “We will continue to enforce the ceasefire with force. Any threat to Israel will be met with action anywhere in Lebanon. Our goal is to ensure that residents in the north can return home safely.”

“We will strike everywhere in Lebanon against any threat to the State of Israel and ensure that all our residents in the north return safely to their homes,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to continue targeting threats in Lebanon after Israel launched its first airstrike on Beirut since the November ceasefire.

“Those who have not yet accepted the new situation in Lebanon received another example of our determination today,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

He insisted that Israel would not tolerate any attacks on its territory, warning that "what happened before October 7 will not be repeated." He added, “We will not allow any firing on our communities, not even a drizzle.”

The Israeli military carried out the strike on Beirut following two rocket attacks on northern Israel in the past week. Netanyahu stated that Israel would continue enforcing the ceasefire on its own terms and would strike anywhere in Lebanon if necessary.

“We will attack anywhere in Lebanon against any threat to Israel, and we will ensure that all of us in the north return to their homes safely,” he said.

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced that it has recovered the rocket launcher used in this morning’s attack on Kiryat Shmona, where two projectiles were fired toward northern Israel.

According to a statement, the launcher was found in the Qaaqaait al-Jisr area near Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon. The army has launched an investigation to determine which group was responsible for the attack.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the country's army and extending state control over all its territories following an Israeli counter-strike on Beirut.

“We reject any attack on Lebanon or any suspicious, malicious attempt to return Lebanon to the cycle of violence,” Aoun stated during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Hezbollah has called off an event planned for later today in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike in the area.

“In view of the Zionist aggression on the southern suburbs, it was decided to cancel the Quds Day event,” the group said in a statement. The event, which marks an annual pro-Palestinian commemoration initiated by Iran, was set to feature a televised speech by Hezbollah's deputy chief, Naim Qassem.

The venue for the gathering was located just a few hundred metres from the site of the Israeli strike, which came in response to projectiles launched at northern Israel earlier in the day.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned Israel’s airstrike on southern Beirut, calling it a “dangerous escalation” and denouncing attacks on civilian areas.

In a statement from his office, Salam criticised the strike on a Hezbollah stronghold, saying it targeted residential areas with schools and universities. The Israeli raid marks the first such attack on Beirut since the November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The airstrike followed the launch of projectiles from Lebanon into northern Israel early Friday morning. While Hezbollah has denied involvement, Israel responded with retaliatory strikes.

The UN humanitarian agency has warned that food and medical supplies in the Gaza Strip are running dangerously low after weeks without aid deliveries.

Israel suspended all shipments to the enclave on March 2, citing Hamas’s refusal to accept an extension of a ceasefire and hostage release deal. As a result, humanitarian organisations are struggling to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it has only 5,700 tons of food left, enough to last a maximum of two weeks. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a severe shortage of medical supplies, particularly blood for treating the wounded. WHO’s Rik Peeperkorn warned that fewer than 500 blood units remain in Gaza, while at least 4,500 are needed each month.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday strongly criticised a reported Israeli airstrike on Lebanon, calling it “unacceptable” and a violation of the ceasefire agreed upon in November.

Speaking after a meeting with Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun, Macron warned that such actions only benefit Hezbollah. His comments came after Lebanese state media reported an Israeli strike on southern Beirut, marking the first such attack on the capital since the ceasefire largely ended hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed striking a Hezbollah drone storage facility in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

According to an IDF statement, the facility housed drones used by Hezbollah’s aerial forces, known as Unit 127, which has been responsible for explosive-laden drone attacks on Israel and intelligence-gathering operations.

“Hezbollah has placed its terror infrastructure in the heart of the civilian population. This is another example of the Hezbollah terror organization’s cynical use of Lebanese citizens as human shields,” the IDF stated.

Before the strike, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for the targeted building and reportedly fired warning shots in the area before launching a full-scale attack.

Residents of Hadath, a southern Beirut suburb, were seen fleeing in panic on Friday after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued an evacuation warning for a building in the area. People rushed to escape by car and on foot, causing traffic congestion as fear gripped the neighbourhood, reported the news agency Reuters.

Gunfire was reportedly heard in the Hezbollah stronghold following the IDF's warning. Witnesses said the gunfire served as a signal for residents to evacuate ahead of the planned Israeli strike. Shortly after, Israeli warplanes carried out an air raid on the area, marking the first such attack on Beirut since a November ceasefire.

Israeli warplanes struck the Hadath neighbourhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday, marking the first air raid on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire in November largely halted hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the attack followed an Israeli military warning, prompting widespread panic. Parents rushed to schools to collect their children as institutions quickly shut down. AFPTV images showed smoke rising from the targeted area, which is densely populated and known for Hezbollah’s strong presence.

The strike came after two rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel earlier in the day. Though Hezbollah denied any involvement, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz had warned that Beirut would not remain untouched if attacks on Israeli towns continued.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has directed the country’s army to identify and arrest those responsible for launching rockets at Israel, according to an official statement.

The order comes after two rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel on Friday, escalating tensions between the two countries. While Hezbollah denied involvement, Israel responded with airstrikes on southern Lebanon, targeting what it called Hezbollah positions.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah has denied any role in the rocket attacks launched towards northern Israel on Friday morning. In a statement on Telegram, the group reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement and distanced itself from the incident.

The denial came after Israeli defence minister Israel Katz threatened retaliation against Beirut, warning that Lebanon’s government was responsible for any attacks originating from its territory. Despite Hezbollah’s statement, Israel carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah-linked targets in southern Lebanon.

Israel launched fresh strikes on several locations in southern Lebanon on Friday, including Naqura, where the United Nations peacekeeping mission is based, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). Raids were also reported in the Jezzine region, about 30 kilometres north of the Israeli border.

Amid fears of escalation, schools in Nabatiyeh and Tyre were closed, an AFP correspondent reported. A local resident, Ali Qassem, described how he had to take his children back home after their school was shut due to Israeli threats.

The United Nations envoy for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has urged all parties to exercise restraint after Israel launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon in response to new rocket fire towards its territory.

“Today's exchange of fire across the Blue Line, the second such incident in less than a week, is deeply concerning,” she said in a statement. She warned that a return to full-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah would be “devastating for civilians on both sides” and stressed that it “must be avoided at all costs.”

The renewed clashes come four months into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel had earlier threatened Beirut after rockets were fired from Lebanon at the northern town of Kiryat Shmona. Hezbollah denied involvement, as it did in a previous rocket attack last week.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have issued an evacuation warning for a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs ahead of an airstrike targeting a Hezbollah facility.

IDF Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee posted a map on X, urging civilians to leave the area at least 300 meters away for their safety.

“To everyone present in the building marked in red and the adjacent buildings: You are near facilities belonging to Hezbollah,” the statement read.

The warning follows the firing of two rockets from Lebanon toward the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona earlier in the day. In response, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz stated, “The fate of Kiryat Shmona is the same as the fate of Beirut,” in a direct warning to the Lebanese capital.

This is the first time since November 27 that the IDF has issued a pre-strike warning for Beirut. The last airstrike on Hezbollah sites in the city took place just hours before a ceasefire went into effect. With tensions rising, Israel appears to be escalating its military response against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Friday, following rocket fire towards northern Israeli towns, further straining the fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah. The escalation came after Israeli defence minister Israel Katz warned Beirut of retaliation, stating, "If there is no quiet in Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee communities, there will be no quiet in Beirut either."

The Israeli military reported that two rockets were fired from Lebanon, with one intercepted and the other landing inside Lebanon. In response, Israeli forces struck Hezbollah-linked targets in the south. However, Hezbollah denied involvement in the rocket attack, affirming its commitment to the ceasefire agreement.

The November truce had largely halted hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, but sporadic clashes have continued, with Israel carrying out targeted strikes in Lebanon. The latest rocket fire followed Israeli strikes earlier on Friday that killed six people in southern Lebanon, with Israel claiming they were Hezbollah operatives.

Tensions between the two sides remain high, as Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for any attacks originating from its territory.

Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon killed five people in separate incidents, targeting Hezbollah-linked individuals. Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported that two people were killed in Baraachit, while three others died in a strike in Yohmor. Israeli military officials claimed that one of the strikes eliminated a Hezbollah Radwan Force commander. The incidents come as Israel continues its broader military operations, including airstrikes in Gaza and missile interceptions from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

A conference on antisemitism in Jerusalem drew criticism for its guest list, which included European far-right leaders with controversial histories. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cultivated ties with leaders such as Jordan Bardella of France’s National Rally party, who used the event to blame migration and Islamism for rising antisemitism. Many Jewish organisations distanced themselves from the conference, arguing that some of its attendees have links to historical Naziism and antisemitic rhetoric.

Israel’s parliament has approved a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul, which grants the government greater control over judicial appointments. The move has reignited protests that first erupted in 2023, with critics calling it a power grab that weakens the judiciary’s independence. The law will not take effect until the next parliament, but the opposition has vowed to repeal it if they return to power. Supporters argue that the changes increase democratic accountability by giving elected officials more influence.

Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv, holding signs demanding an end to the war in Gaza and new elections. Retired generals and security officials addressed the crowd, warning that the government’s actions were putting Israel’s security at risk. Protests have intensified following the passage of a key judicial overhaul bill and frustrations over the government’s failure to secure a deal for hostages held by Hamas. Demonstrators fear that Netanyahu’s far-right administration is eroding democratic institutions.

Overnight Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza killed a family of six and Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua. The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed the deaths, stating that a strike near Gaza City claimed the lives of four children and their parents. Israel has escalated its offensive since breaking a ceasefire last week, with over 800 people reported killed. Hamas insists it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from the territory.