By Lex Harvey, Irene Nasser, Amarachi Orie, Catherine Nicholls, Maureen Chowdhury, Matt Meyer and Kathleen Magramo, CNN
Updated 12:58 AM EDT, Mon October 7, 2024

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CNN visits kibbutz where over 100 were killed in October 7th attack
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What we covered here
• One year after the October 7 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country faces war on seven fronts, naming Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel’s defense minister told CNN “everything is on the table” for its responseto last week’s Iranian missile barrage.
• Thousands gathered for a vigil in Tel Aviv marking the anniversary, where loved ones mourned victims and survivors shared their stories. Protesters are urging Israel’s government to secure a deal freeing remaining hostages.
• Israel has pounded southern Beirut in recent days with some of its most intense bombing of the current campaign against Hezbollah. Israel’s war on the militant group has killed more than 1,400 people in Lebanon, according to its health ministry, and created a humanitarian crisis.
•In northern Gaza, Israel says it sees signs of Hamas regrouping and has launched a new offensive. Hundreds of Palestinians are fleeing the fighting. Elsewhere in the enclave, airstrikes on a temporary shelter killed at least 25 people.
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“It’s still unimaginable”: co-founder of Nova music festival tells CNN
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo
This aerial photo shows the site of the attack on the Nova music festival by Hamas militants in southern Israel, on October 10.
Everything changed at 6:29 a.m. on October 7 last year at the Nova music festival in the Negev desert, said event co-founder Ofir Amir.
“A year has passed but we still feel like we are on October 7, (like) it was just a long day that never ends,” Amir told CNN’s Bianna Golodryga.
“The dance floor is supposed to be the safest place on Earth where it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can be whatever you want to be. We believe that when you are on the dance floor it doesn’t matter who you are, what religion, what color we all the same,” he said.
Amir, who was shot in both legs, was among the last people to leave the festival site.
Hamas fighters killed 347 people and took others hostage at the festival on October 7 last year, according to the Israeli military.
Also speaking to CNN, Yariv Mozer, director of “We Will Dance Again” — a documentary on the festival attack — said it was important to chronicle how the events unfolded, minute-by-minute, using footage from survivors and videos taken by Hamas fighters as evidence of the brutality they faced that day.
"He was the glue of our family": Cousin pays tribute to man killed at Nova festival
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová in Reim, IsraelHundreds of family members and friends are gathering for a ceremony honoring those killed in Hamas’ attack at the site of the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7.
Danielle Cohen, whose cousin Mor Meir Trabalsi was murdered while trying to escape the attack, attended alongside several friends and family members. The group, all wearing blue t-shirts with Trabalsi’s name and photograph printed on them, gathered at a small memorial to honor him, one of hundreds erected on the site.
Trabalsi was shot dead while driving his wife and friends away from the festival. He told everyone in the car to duck down and kept going — likely saving their lives while losing his.
The survivors, including his new wife, were trapped in the car with Trabalsi’s body for about five hours before the Israeli army rescued them, Cohen said.
Cohen said Trabalsi’s wedding was the biggest she’s ever been to, with more than 800 people attending.
“It’s unusual for Israeli weddings to be that big, but Mor had more friends than people I know in my life. He was that person that is always surrounded by friends, and everybody wanted to be his friend,” she said, a tear rolling down her face.
“Looking back, the wedding was like a big farewell party for him.”
This post’s headline has been updated with more information.
Dawn breaks in Israel on anniversary of Hamas attacks
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová in Reim, Israel
The scene at the Nova music festival memorial nearRe’im in southern Israel on Monday, October 7, 2024.
At just after 5:30 a.m. in Israel, people began gathering at the site of the Nova music festival, where Hamas militants murdered 347 people and took 40 others hostage on October 7 last year.
The event Monday in the Negev desert is the first of several gatherings to mark the one-year anniversary of the attacks that killed more than 1,200 people, saw more than 250 taken hostage and triggered Israel’s devastating war in Gaza.
While the atmosphere at the memorial site is somber,reminders of the conflict are ever present. Just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Gaza perimeter, the sound of outgoing artillery rounds echoes through the quiet morning every few minutes as the sun begins to rise.

Tributes to those killed in last year's Hamas attacks at the Nova music festival memorial nearRe’im in southern Israel on October 7, 2024.
Harris to plant memorial tree to mark October 7
From CNN's Priscilla AlvarezUS Vice President Kamala Harris will mark Monday’s one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel at her Naval Observatory residence, where, along with second gentleman Doug Emhoff, she’ll plant a memorial tree, according to a White House official.
Second families have traditionally planted trees on the grounds of the vice president’s residence. Monday’s planting of a pomegranate tree — which, among other things, represents hope and righteousness in Judaism — will mark the first for Harris and Emhoff while they’ve been at the residence, according to the official.
The escalating violence in the Middle East has been one of the thorniest issues for Harris as she’s taken over the Democratic ticket this year. Arab American advocates and leaders have pushed for the vice president to distance herself from President Joe Biden’s Israel policy, includingduring a meeting in Michigan on Friday.
Read more about Harris’ stance on the Middle East crisis.
Flights resume in Iran after short closure
From CNN’s Kareem El DamanhouryFlights resumed in Iran late on Sunday night as authorities lifted aviation restrictions just two hours after they were imposed, state media reported.
Earlier, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization had said flights at the country’s airports would be canceledovernight Sunday into Monday, and its airspace partially closed due to “military exercises” nightly until at least October 9.
The temporary restrictions were implemented ahead of the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel and as Israel mulls its retaliation to an Iranian missile barrage last week.
IDF says it hit multiple Hezbollah targets in Beirut area Sunday
From CNN’s Tamar MichaelisThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it struck multiple Hezbollah targets in Beirut Sunday evening.

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, October 6.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said it conducted strikes on Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, a weapons storage facility and other sites in Beirut, and also hit Hezbollah targets in the Beqaa area of southern Lebanon including storage facilities, a command center and a launcher.
The IDF said Hezbollah had “deliberately embedded” its command centers and weapons storage facilities under residential buildings in Beirut, endangering civilians.
A CNN team witnessed multiple explosions lighting up the skies of Beirut Sunday night.
Hezbollah said it also launched a barrage of rockets at northern Israel Sunday night.
Hezbollah rocket attack injures at least 5 in northern Israeli city of Haifa, hospital says
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis and Kareem El Damanhoury
Israeli rescue force members inspect the site where a projectile fell in Haifa, northern Israel, on Sunday.
At least five people were injured in Haifa on Sunday following a Hezbollah rocket attack that appeared to mark the first time the Iran-backed militant group has struck the northern Israeli city in its ongoing conflict with Israel.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it launched the rockets at Israel’s Carmel military base, while Israeli authorities reported rockets and shrapnel dropping around the city.
Haifa’s Rambam Hospital said it was treating six people who were impacted by the attack. One person was “lightly to moderately injured” and four others were “lightly injured” due to shrapnel, it said. A sixth person was being treated for anxiety, it added.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services said it treated two people at the scene — a 13-year-old boy with a head injury caused by shrapnel and a 22-year-old man who was hit by a window that fell due to the blast.
Debris and shrapnel were reported by police and bomb disposal experts in two primary areas, according to the police.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier that it had spotted fiveprojectiles fired toward the city and tried to intercept them, but several of the rockets landed.
Israeli officials say Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets across the border Sunday. Israel continued with its extensive bombing campaign on southern Beirut and surrounding areas in Lebanon, which has killed more than 1,400 people over the past two weeks, according to Lebanese authorities.
Video shows damage from the attack:

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Video shows aftermath of missile strike in Haifa, Israel
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CNN’s Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.
This post has been updated with additional details about the rocket attack.
At a packed vigil in Tel Aviv, loved ones mourn and an October 7 survivor recalls captivity
From Tamar MichaelisThousands of people joined a vigil Sunday in an area of Tel Aviv known as Hostages Square, where survivors of the October 7 attacks and the families of some of those killed spoke out on the eve of the one-year anniversary.
Survivor Sapir Cohen shared with the crowd, “In captivity, I saw a girl curled up like a fetus, shaking, and a man sitting with his eyes closed for hours, refusing to open them or be part of the situation.”
She described how she had tried to stay positive.
Cohen was released from Hamas captivity after 55 days. Her partner, Sasha Troufanov remains in captivity.
Noam Peri, whose father Chaim Peri was killed in Hamas captivity,also addressed the crowd, recalling how her family had spent the eve of the tragedy:
“For the first time, my father shared his story from the Yom Kippur War with us. It was a sad yet moving evening, with all of us united. At this very hour last year, we were still sitting and listening to him recount that first evening of October 6, 1973, when he traveled from Nir Oz deep into the Sinai. We listened intently, and at the end of the night, we said our goodbyes with hugs, kisses, and great love.”
Chaim Peri was kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz on October 7. His body was recovered by the Israeli military along with the bodies of five other hostages in mid-August.
Israel and Hezbollah exchange more fire across the border
From Tamar Michaelis and Eyad Kourdi
Israel's Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon on Sunday.
The Israel Defense Forces says over 120 projectiles have been fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israeli territory Sunday.
In Beirut this evening, a CNN team witnessed multiple explosions on the skyline.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli aircraft had targeted the Roueiss area in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Remember: Israel has launched an extensive bombing campaign against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which has a significant presence in the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital. Israeli bombing has forced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people to flee.
Hezbollah has been firing rockets back across the border into northern Israel, where tens of thousands of residents have also been displaced.
Israel vows retaliation against Iran as it strikes southern Lebanon and Gaza. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
Flames and smoke rise from a destroyed building at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday.
The Israeli military called for more evacuations in southern Lebanon late Sunday after pounding southern Beirut and surrounding areas with some of its most intense bombing of the current campaign against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.
The announcement echoed a series of previous warnings, now affecting a total of 124 villages, as Israel says it is striking Hezbollah targets embedded in civilian areas. That has forced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people to flee the onslaught, and more than 1,400 have been killed so far, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have vowed retaliation for Iran’s largest-ever attack on the country — a missile barrage launched last Tuesday — and have begun a new military operation in northern Gaza, where the Israel Defense Forces says it saw signs of Hamas regrouping.
Here are the latest developments in the region:
- Israel’s retaliation against Iran: Israel is closely coordinating with the United States as it prepares to strike back at Iran but will make its own, independent decisions about how to retaliate, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told CNN. Even as the US has made clear it opposes a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Gallant said Israel has not ruled out any of its options. “Everything is on the table,” Gallant said.
- The latest from Gaza: Israel’s military says it has encircledJabalyain northern Gazaand launched a new ground operation after seeing signs of Hamas rebuilding there, despite nearly a year of fighting in the territory. Elsewhere, Israeli airstrikes targeted a school and mosquethat were converted into shelters in central Gaza, killing at least 25 people and overwhelming nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital with casualties. The IDF claimed Hamas was operating at the complex.
- October 7 anniversary: The Israeli military has reinforced soldiers near the Gaza Strip ahead of the ceremonial events that will mark one year since the Hamas attacks. Additional troops have been deployed at border communities for both “defensive and offensive scenarios,” according to a statement by the IDF. Meanwhile, there have been more demonstrations, marches and memorials across the world ahead of the anniversary — both mourning the attacks’ victims and demanding an end to the ensuing war.
- Iran cancels flights: Flights at Iran’s airports will be canceled overnight Sunday into Monday, and a portion of the country’s airspace will be closed down due to “military exercises” nightly until at least October 9, according to Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization. The Iranian government did not elaborate on the decision, but it comes ahead of the anniversary of the Hamas attacks and as Israel mulls its retaliation.
- Lebanon delays start of school year: Lebanon has postponed the start of the school year until November 2 as a protective measure amid the escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Some 400,000 students and 40,000 teachers have been displaced from their homes across the country following the fighting, Lebanese education minister Abbas Halabi said.
UN peacekeeping mission "deeply concerned" over Israeli military activities in southern Lebanon
From Charbel Mallo, CNN's Ben Wedeman and Eyad KourdiUnited Nations peacekeepers are “deeply concerned”over recent Israel Defense Forces activities near their position in southern Lebanon, according to a statement posted on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) X account on Sunday.
UNIFIL stated that these activities took place within Lebanese territory at their position just southeast of the village of Maroun El-Ras village.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told CNN that they are endangered because of the exchanges of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah: “Our position is in between, and they have installed a post close to our base.” So, both Hezbollah and the IDF are putting them in danger, Tenenti added.
The UNIFIL X post noted that it has repeatedly raised the issue with the IDF through established communication channels. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah spokesperson Mohammad Afif announcedthat the group had engaged in clashes with the IDF in Maroun El-Ras.
"Should we kill ourselves?” Gazans wonder whether to flee or stay home as Israeli forces push further north
From CNN's Abeer Salman and Sana Noor Haq
A Palestinian man speaks to CNN in Jabalya, northern Gaza, on October 6.
Several Palestinian fathers told CNN their families cannot face another wave of displacement, as Israeli forces launched renewed aerial and ground attacks in northern Gaza.
CNN footage from Jabalya showed boys riding bicycles and vendors manning thinly stocked market stalls on Sunday. Echoes of young children fill the area, as woman walk wearily along the dusty pathway. The Israeli military told people to evacuate Gaza’s north to the Israeli-designated “humanitarian area” of Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis.
But residents say they are wary of attempting to flee the besieged neighborhood in search of refuge, citing numerous Israeli attacks targeting Hamas militants in Israeli-designated “safe zones.”
“I will die and not go to the south,” he said, adding that he was trying to protect 20 other relatives from Israel’s bombardment. “We are resisting and will not leave the north, even if I die here.”
The Israeli offensive in Gaza since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has displaced 1.9 million people, according to the UN. On Sunday, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees warned that the enclave “has become a place unfit for humans,” citing destruction, hunger and disease.
“They have humiliated us and lied to us… My entire family lives in the south in a tent, and they are not safe at all,” Mohammad Ibrahim, a father-of-two in Jabalya, told CNN over the phone.
The history teacher said he would rather stay with his two sons at their home, preferring to die “with dignity.”
Khader Al-Za’anoun of Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, contributed reporting.
Hospital overwhelmed after Israeli airstrikes hit mosque and school in Gaza
From CNN’s Jo Shelley, Abeer Salman and Eyad Kourdi
Palestinian women react upon identifying the bodies of victims of an Israeli strike that targeted a mosque-turned-shelter in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza, in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on October 6.
Israeli airstrikes early Sunday morning targeted a school and mosque that were converted into shelters in central Gaza, overwhelming nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital with casualties.
The hospital received 53 injured patients and 22 bodies of those killed in the attack on the shelters in Deir Al-Balah, according to a statement from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders.
Al-Aqsa hospital is one of the few remaining operational health care facilities in Gaza, the MSF statement noted. The aid group urged officials to reach a ceasefire to alleviate the ongoing suffering in Gaza, where it says 80% of the more than 27,600 patients MSF has treated during the conflict suffered from wounds linked to shelling.
More on the strikes: Earlier Sunday, hospital officials confirmed to CNN that at least 25 people were killed after Israeli airstrikes targeted the mosque and school.
CNN footage from Al-Aqsahospital captured the grief of a mother crouched over her deceased son, crying and wailing, “My love, my son. My love, my son.”
The Israeli military has stated it was targeting a Hamas “command and control” center that was “embedded within the compound” it struck Sunday, and said it had taken steps to “mitigate the risk of harming civilians.”
"I’m the only vehicle on the road": One man’s dangerous drive to keep southern Lebanese supplied
From CNN staff in LebanonAli Ghosn made a dangerous trip Sunday. He headed to the southern Lebanese city of Tyre to deliver food, despite the Israeli military warning people not to drive in that direction.
“All the markets, cafes and shops are closed. Even the clinics and pharmacies are closed, and if you want a loaf of bread you have to drive north to Sidon,” he said, referring to the coastal city halfway between Beirut and Tyre.
Troubled by this situation, he now helps the remaining Tyre residents get much-needed supplies and assists others with urgent errands. Some residents entrust him with their keys, so he can go fetch belongings from their deserted homes.
Over 1 million people have been displaced in recent weeks due to Israel’s intense bombardment of villages in southern Lebanon and southern Beirut. Schools in main cities have been turned into shelters, but many people remain camped out in the streets unable to find housing.
Ghosn took his family out of the border area when the increased hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel began last year. His family’s displacement makes him understand what others are going through now, he explained. He doesn’t always ask to be paid for his services:
"Everything is on the table" for retaliation against Iran, Israeli defense minister tells CNN
From CNN’s Jeremy DiamondIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 28, 2023.
Israel is closely coordinating with the United States as it prepares to strike back at Iran, but will make its own, independent decisions about how to retaliate, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told CNN.
Even as the US has made clear it opposes a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Gallant said Israel has not ruled out any of its options.
“Israel has capabilities to hit targets near and far — we have proved it. We will respond to the Iranian attack appropriately. We will not stand by and neither should the international community,” Gallant said.
Gallant has become one of Israel’s key interlocutors with the US, speaking frequently with Austin and top White House officials. He also met Sunday with Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the head of US Central Command, to discuss Israel’s planned retaliation against Iran.
Gallant also touted the success of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah so far, saying Israel has “dismantled a major part of their capabilities” and that Hezbollah now faces “a lack of command and control.”
The defense minister said the ground operation remains limited to targeting Hezbollah positions closer to the border, even as the operation has expanded in recent days.
Gallant argued that the blows Israel has dealt against Hezbollah “have made a crack that now opens the door to change not just in Lebanon, but in the entire Middle East.”
Demonstrations mark anniversary of October 7 attacks — and a year of war since
From CNN's Eve Brennan and Jennifer Hauser
Thousands of protestors gather at Hyde Park to march through the streets of the city in protest against the war in the Middle East and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as the anniversary of October 7th draws near, in Sydney, Australia, on October 6.
There have been more demonstrations, marches and memorials across the world ahead of the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel.
Large crowds marched through the streets of Barcelona, Jakarta, Sydney and other cities on Sunday marking a year since the attacks, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel, according to officials in the country. Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry there, and created a dire humanitarian crisis.
Miguel Verdugo, a 72-year-old protester in Barcelona, told Reuters: “We must express that we are against genocide. The least we should all do is protest in every capital city around the world.”
Meanwhile, there were tributes and memorials for the victims of the Hamas attacks in cities across the world.
Events were held in Berlin, Paris, London and Israel on Sunday, while the Pope led a prayer for peace at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
In Berlin, hundreds of people rallied under the slogan, “United against the crimes of Hamas against Israelis and Palestinians,” Reuters reported.
In Tel Aviv, people held a vigil at Hostages Square. And there will be a memorial Sunday night at the Nova music festival site, with families of the victims attending.
Netanyahu and Macronspeak following French president’s call for arms embargo on Israel
From CNN’s Tamar Michaelis, Pierre Bairin and Michelle Velez
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron after their joint press conference in Jerusalem on October 24, 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Sunday evening, following Macron’s call for an arms embargo against Israel.
Netanyahu said Israel expected its friends to support it against the “Iranian terror axis” rather than impose restrictions. According to his office, the prime minister also made the case that Israel’s offensives against Iran-backed militant groups would benefit the whole region.
According to a statement from the French presidential office, Macron reiterated his support for Israeli’s security and expressed solidarity for the people of Israel, especially the victims of the October 7 attacks, the hostages and their families. He also expressed the importance of a ceasefire deal.
The leaders agreed that their countries would revisit the discussion when French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot meets with Israeli officials on Monday, when he will visit Israel and the West Bank.
More background: On Saturday, Macron had called for the complete suspension of the sale of arms “used in the war in Gaza,” while stressing France has not been involved in their supply.
Netanyahu responded by saying “shame on” Macron and other countries who call for arms embargoes against Israel, adding, “Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, on Hamas and on its other proxies? Of course not. This axis of terror stands together.”
Several countries including the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom have been criticized by human rights groups for failing to suspend arms sales to Israel as its bombardment of Gaza has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead.
Israel preparing for possible Hamas attacks to mark "symbolic" date, military says
From Tamar Michaelis and CNN's Jennifer HauserThe Israeli military said it is preparing for the possibility of terror attacks by Hamas to mark the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters that Israel would be enforcing extra security measures across the country Monday.
“We know (Hamas) have a tendency to try and carry out terror attacks on these kind of symbolic dates … and that’s why we’re preparing for that, adding forces in the south and preparing for that kind of thing,” he said.
Shoshani added that Hamas had fired rockets from Gaza into southern Israel on Sunday, a day before the anniversary.
Asked by CNN about Hamas’ abilities to continue firing these rockets into the south and Tel Aviv, Shoshani said the number of rockets fired had “dropped dramatically.”
“Hamas had dozens of thousands of rockets. Hezbollah has had somewhere in the vicinity of 150,000 rockets. So even though we have great progress, there’s still a way to go. We’ve seen the numbers drop drastically. The amount of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel has dropped dramatically,” he said.
New operation in Gaza: Israel’s military says it has encircledJabalya in northern Gazaand launched a new ground operation after seeing signs of Hamas rebuilding there, despite nearly a year of fighting and devastating strikes in the territory.
Shoshani said Israel is opening two evacuation routes for people fleeing the new operation.
Iran cancelsovernight flights and announces closure of airspace
From Nechirvan MandoFlights at Iran’s airports will be canceled overnight Sunday into Monday, according to Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization.
The agency, citing “operational restrictions that have arisen” said the closure will last from 9 p.m. local time Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET) until 6 a.m. local time Monday morning, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.
Iran will also shut down part of its western airspace nightly until at least October 9, citing “military exercises,” according to a notice to airmen issued by the aviation authority.
The four “airways” that transit Iran’s western airspace will be shut from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time.
Some context: No further details about the decision to cancel flights and shut down airspace were provided, but the moves coincide with the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Israeli officials have also vowed to retaliate after Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel last Tuesday, marking its largest-ever attack on its regional adversary. Israel has not said when or what form this retaliation may take.
CNN’s Paul P. Murphy contributed reporting to this post.
This post has been updated to reflect additional closures made by the Iranian government.
Israeli military issues new evacuation warnings for southern Lebanon villages
From CNN’s Charbel Mallo, Ben Wedeman and Eyad KourdiThe Israeli military has called for the evacuation of residents from an additional 19 villages in southern Lebanon, located within 30 kilometers (18 miles) of the border with Israel.
The military told residents to move about 50 kilometers (31 miles) further into the country.
“You must immediately move to the north of the Awali River. Save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic spokesperson, said on X on Sunday.
This announcement follows a series of Israeli evacuation warnings over the past week, which now affect a total of 124 villages.
The Awali River is north of the city of Sidon, and just south of Beirut. The total land mass south of the river to the Israeli border represents a quarter of Lebanese territory.
The IDF spokesperson also reiterated previous advice for residents to avoid traveling “using vehicles” further into southern Lebanon from north of the Litani River, which lies roughly 18 miles from the border.
Some background: In the past two weeks, evacuation warnings from Israel’s military have immediately preceded airstrikes in southern Lebanon —sometimes by a few minutes.
Israel is carrying out anunprecedented bombing campaignon the country as part of its war against Hezbollah. The bombardment has at times targeted densely populated areas, where Israel says the militant group has intentionally embedded itself in the civilian population, destroying homes and forcing residents to flee.
More than 1,400 people have been killed and over 1 million displaced by the Israeli campaign, according to the Lebanese government.
Strike near historic Roman ruins in Lebanon prompts warning from local governor
From CNN’s Charbel Mallo
Smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike near the ruins of the ancient Roman Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek, Lebanon, on October 6.
An Israeli strike landed close to Roman ruins in the Lebanese city of Baalbek, raising warnings from local officials on the structural integrity of the site.
The Israeli attack did not target the historic complex, Baalbek-Hermel Governor Bachir Khodr said — but it struck nearby.
“It is 500 to 700 meters away from it, but raids near it will have negative repercussions on it,” Khodr said in a post on X Sunday.
Khodr shared an image showing smoke rising behind what appears to be the monoliths of the ancient complex. It is unclear what the Israeli military was targeting in the area. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces.
More on the historic significance of site: The ancient complex — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — contains the ruins of some of the largest and best-preserved Roman temples. It has survived many natural disasters and conflicts over centuries, most recently the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah conflict and a 15-year civil war that started in 1975.
The city of Baalbek has a Hezbollah presence and is located northeast of Lebanon. It has been targeted by Israel several times over the past year.
The Israeli military has been carrying out its current bombing campaign in Lebanon at an unprecedented intensity. The Lebanese government says strikes have killed more than 1,400 people and forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee residential areas, where the IDF says the militant group is operating.
Officer killed and 10 hurt in shooting attack at southern Israel bus station, officials say
From Eugenia Yosef and Tamar MichaelisA police officer has been killed and 10 people have been injured in a shooting attack at a bus station in the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva on Sunday, according to emergency services.
The officer killed has been identified by Israeli law enforcement as ShiraSuslik. Suslik was an officer in Israel’s Southern Border Police, a police spokesperson said, announcing her death “with great sadness and grief.”
The spokesperson said that Suslik “fell in an encounter with a terrorist in the attack.”
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services said the people injured in the attack were taken to Soroka Medical Center, including one person who is in moderate-to-serious condition with gunshot wounds.
Four others are in moderate condition with gunshot wounds, and five are in mild condition with bruises and injuries from glass shards, MDA said.
The attacker was killed, an Israeli police spokesperson said.
“The terrorist has been neutralized, and numerous police forces from the southern district are present at the scene,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
This post has been updated with details about the officer killed in the shooting.
Israel denies Hezbollah leader accepted a ceasefire before assassination
From CNN's Eve Brennan
Hassan Nasrallah gestures as he addresses his supporters at an Ashura ceremony in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon on October 23, 2015.
The Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovely, has denied Lebanon’s assertion that the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accepted a ceasefire deal before his assassination.
“Let’s not speak about the good intentions of a terror organization. They have zero good intentions,” she said.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib previously told CNN that Nasrallah had agreed to a US-backed 21-day ceasefire just days before he was assassinated by Israel, something reiterated by Rami Mortada, Lebanon’s ambassador to the UK.
“We expressed our agreement to this scheme that was laid out by the US, UK and 15 other nations. Unfortunately … when (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu reached New York, he just rebuffed all this peace plan and he’s still doing that,” Mortada told Sky News on Sunday, referring to Netanyahu’s combative speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.
Mortada said the ceasefire plan is “a text that is still binding” to Lebanon. He added that it is “a statement of fact that is known to everyone” that prospects for a ceasefire were derailed by the assassination of Nasrallah.
“We are dealing with a war-mongering Israeli government,” Mortada said.
Israeli military ramps up troops near Gaza border ahead of October 7
From CNN’s Eugenia YosefThe Israeli military has reinforced soldiers near the Gaza Strip ahead of the ceremonial events that will mark one year since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks into southern Israel.
Additional troops have been deployed at border communities for both “defensive and offensive scenarios,” according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“The soldiers are fully equipped to defend the region in coordination with local security forces, the Israel Police, and Magen David Adom, ensuring a comprehensive response to any incidents that may arise,” the IDF said on Sunday.
One year on, Israeli residents from Kibbutz Be’eri – one of more than a dozen border communities raided by Hamas –told CNN they are scarred by the horrors of October 7 last year, when 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others abducted, according to Israeli authorities.
Multiple fronts of war: Israel has since intensified its war in different arenas in the Middle East, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Saturday that his country is “defending itself” on seven fronts – including againstHamas in Gaza, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
But as scenes of carnage, blasted buildings and mass displacement emerge from Gaza and Lebanon, analysts and human rights workers have issued dire warnings over the human toll in an increasingly fragile region.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 41,870 Palestinians and injured another 97,166 people, according to the ministry of health there. The ministry does not distinguish between combatant and civilian deaths.
In Lebanon, more than 1,400 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, and nearly 7,500 injured, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
CNN’s Matthew Chance, Yon Pomrenze and Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.
Lebanon postpones start of school year to November
From CNN’s Mostafa Salem and Charbel Mallo
Children sit with their baggage as they wait to cross the border from Lebanon into Syria on October 5, in Masnaa, Lebanon.
Lebanon has postponed the start of the school year until November 2 as a protective measure amid the escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Some 400,000 students and 40,000 teachers have been displaced from their homes across the country following the fighting, Lebanese education minister Abbas Halabi said on Sunday.
The majority of private schools have requested a postponement of the school year due to the “(Israeli) hostility, the displacement and the mental state of the students,” he said.
The minister said the “situation is complex” and the authorities needed time to apply a plan for a virtual school year.
“In-person attendance has security dangers and mental obstacles stopping families from accepting that their children will be traveling on roads to go to their classes,” Halabi said.
Lebanese authorities say over 1.2 million people have been displaced since fighting escalated last month. Many have been housed temporarily in schools across the country, or camped out on sidewalks, in parks, churches and mosques.
“We hope new centers will be found to receive the displaced instead of schools,” Halabi said.
Universities could decide whether students are allowed to return back to the educational facilities starting Monday, Halabi said.
Israel hits Lebanon and Gaza overnight. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighbourhood in Beirut's southern suburb on October 6.
The Israeli military has continued to bombard Lebanon’s capital, in what it said was a “series of targeted strikes” on weapons storage facilities and other parts of Hezbollah’s infrastructure. Israeli strikes across the country on Saturday killed 23 people and injured 93, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Elsewhere, Israel has said that it has “encircled” the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, after detecting the presence of Hamas members in the area. Strikes on a mosque in central Gaza have killed at least 25, hospital officials said.
Meanwhile, as the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel nears, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country “is defending itself on seven fronts.”
Here’s what you need to know:
• Strikes on Beirut: Israel pounded the city with heavy airstrikes overnight. CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh is on the ground in the capital and said that Saturday night’s strikes were among the most sustained and intense she has seen since the war between Israel and Hezbollah began. The number of casualties from the strikes is not yet known.
• Gaza refugee camp surrounded: The Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza has been “encircled,” the Israeli military said, after it launched both air and ground operations targeting what it says was military infrastructure. At least two people were killed and several others taken to hospital after an apartment in the camp was struck, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said.
• Strike on Gaza mosque: At least 25 people have been killed in an overnight Israeli strike on the Al-AqsaMartyrs Mosque in central Gaza, according to hospital officials. A journalist working for CNN said that displaced Palestinians were sheltering at the mosque when it was struck. The Israeli military said the strike was targeting a Hamas “command and control” center. Footage from the scene shows people working in the dark to find victims in the rubble, using the light from their phones to see. A further four people were killed in a strike on a nearby school, the hospital officials said.
• War on multiple fronts: Netanyahu has said that Israel is fighting “against the enemies of civilization” on seven fronts, including Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran itself. “Rest assured, Israel will fight until the battle is won – for our sake and for the sake of peace and security in the world,” he said.
• Global protests: Thousands of people around the world took to the streets Saturday in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Demonstrations took place in London, Dublin, Paris, Manila, Cape Town, Rome and other major cities, calling for an end to the war. Meanwhile, in Israel, protesters across the country are demanding more urgent action to rescue the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
• Key Hezbollah leader missing: Hezbollah has lost contact with a possible successor to its late leader HassanNasrallah, a Lebanese security source told CNN Saturday. Hashem Safieddine was targeted in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday.
Overnight Israeli airstrikes hit mosque and school in Gaza, killing at least 25
From CNN's Mohammad AlSawalhi, Abeer Salman and Irene NasserAt least 25 people are confirmed dead after Israeli airstrikes hit a mosque and a school in centralGaza, hospital officials say.
RawiyaMusabbeh, the mother of a 26-year-old man who was killed in the strikes, said that he had been sheltering in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosquein DeirelBalah when it was hit.
“My son was injured in the north and came to the south for medical treatment. He had no other place to sleep, so he had been sleeping in the mosque for the last nine months,”Musabbehsaid on CNN video from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which lies across the street from the mosque.
Nabil Nadda, who was near the mosque when it was struck, said that he heard a “big boom that shook us all, both children and adults,” during the night.
“The mosque was a shelter for displaced people, there are no militants or anything inside,” he said. “Just people who have no shelter, tents, or homes, so they sheltered in the mosque.”
The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike, calling it “precise.” It said it was targeting a Hamas “command and control” center that was “embedded within the compound.”
In pictures: Lebanon reels from Israel's intense strikes on southern Beirut
Lebanon is coming to terms with new devastation inflicted on southern Beirut by heavy overnight Israeli strikes.
CNN’s international correspondent Jomana Karadsheh, who was on the ground in Beirut at the time, described Saturday night’s attacks as among the most sustained and intense she has witnessed on the city’s southern suburbs since this war began.
Clouds of smoke could be seen billowing above the Lebanese capital on Sunday morning, as Israel continues its offensive against Hezbollah.

The damage in Dahiyeh neighborhood, southern Beirut, Lebanon, on October 6.

A man rides a scooter through the debris of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh on Sunday.

Rubble is scattered along a street in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on the Mreijeh neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs on October 6.

Heavy smoke rises from a building that was set ablaze.

People take photos as smoke and flames rise following an Israeli airstrike on the Dahiyeh neighborhood early on Sunday.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 20 on Saturday, officials say
From CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi, Charbel Mallo and Mostafa SalemIsraeli strikes across Lebanon on Saturday killed 23 people and injured 93, the Lebanese health ministry has said.
People were killed in strikes that targeted cities and villages in southern and northern Lebanon, including in Nabatieh, Bekaa, Baalbek and Mount Lebanon, the ministry said.
It’s unclear if the death toll includes strikes on Beirut on Saturday night, in which buildings were heavily damaged. At least two of the blasts triggered what appeared to be secondary explosions, according to the CNN team on the ground. One of the blasts hit the road to the airport.
On Sunday morning, a large plume of smoke rose into the Lebanese capital’s skyline after a strike targeted the city’s suburbs. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it would not comment on what it was targeting in the area.
Hundreds flee northern Gaza as Israel prepares fresh offensive
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman and Abeer Salman
Palestinian families arrive in Gaza City after evacuating their homes in the Jabalya area on October 6.
Dozens of families innorthernGazahave packed up their belongings and fled once again after a warning from theIsraeli military of afreshground operation against Hamas in the Jabalya area.
“People left their homes this morning, and they don’t know where to go, carrying some simple belongings. There are no means of transportation,” Abu AlaaAsaf, a resident of Beit Lahiya, said.
TheIsraeli military called on Palestinian residents to evacuate areas in the north, which is home toGaza’s biggest refugee camp, before announcing that two brigades of theIsraelDefense Forces (IDF) encircled Jabalya to stop Hamas from rebuilding its operational capabilities.
Before this, airstrikes were carried out, hitting “dozens of military targets,” the Israeli military said. Hamas’s military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, said Saturday it was engaged in “fierce fights” withIsraeli forces innorthernGaza.
“We heard the sounds of explosions all night longasif the war started today,”Asaf said.
Ismail Zaida, a resident of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in the north, saw “hundreds” of peoplefleeing towardsGazaCity, also innorthernGaza.
Some northern residents are refusing to move to Al-Mawasi, anIsraeli-designated humanitarian zone in the south. Last month,Israelstruck the area, killing at least 19 people, according toGazahealth authorities.
“People would rather die at home than get humiliated here and there,” Zaida said.
“Where do we go? From one death to another? Death is everywhere whether in the south or north,” Zaida said.
Netanyahu says Israel faces war on seven fronts
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis
In this screengrab taken from a video, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting with his political-security Cabinet on October 1.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that nearly one year after Hamas’ attacks on Israel, his country is now fighting on seven fronts.
“Today, Israel is defending itself on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization,” he said in a video statement Saturday. He said those include Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the north, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, “terrorists” in the West Bank and the Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria.
He said he is maintaining his promise to change the balance of power in the north between Israel and Lebanon. Israel has launched nearly 9,000 attacks into Lebanon since October 8 and Hezbollah launched 1,500 attacks in that same time frame, according to the ACLED data.
Referring to Gaza, Netanyahu said that Israel has a right defend itself and that it will not forget the 101 hostages “whom we are committed to with all our might to bring them home.” At least 41,825 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7 last year, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Netanyahu said “shame on” French President Emmanuel Macron and other countries who call for arms embargoes against Israel. “Rest assured, Israel will fight until the battle is won – for our sake and for the sake of peace and security in the world,” Netanyahu added.
More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon in the last month, and nearly 7,500 injured, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
On the ground: CNN correspondent in southern Beirut on a night of constant Israeli strikes
From CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh in Beirut
Flames and smoke rise in an area targeted by an Israeli air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, on October 6.
We were preparing to go live on air when the first airstrike hit the southern suburbs of Beirut shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday –kicking off a night of intense and constant Israeli strikes.
About 30 minutes earlier, I had been sat with a young woman who lives in the southern suburbs, when our phones flashed with a post on X. It was from the Arabic-language spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, issuingnew evacuation orders for several neighborhoods ahead of what he said would be strikes on Hezbollah targets.
The woman gasped. Her family’s home was within one of the evacuation zones. Like many residents of one of the most densely populated parts of the country, she had fled her home as Israeli strikes intensified in recent days, leaving with very little.
Hours earlier she had wanted to go back home to grab some warm clothes, as winter is approaching. But even during the day a return to the suburbs would have been dangerous, so she decided to take the advice of colleagues and not return home. And as feared, there were multiple strikes with no prior warning.
Saturday night’s strikes were among the most sustained and intense I have witnessed hitting the southern suburbs since this war began. First we heard rumbling sounds, followed by flashes in the distance. Then we heard the blasts. At least two of the strikes triggered what appeared to be secondary explosions – balls of fire that at times would light the night sky, accompanied by blasts that echoed across the city.
Amid the explosionscame another evacuation order and another IDF post on X saying itis “currently targeting Hezbollah terrorist targets in the Beirut area.”
Many people I have spoken to over the past 10 days do not believe statements about “targeted” and “precise” strikes. They fear this war is going to be as destructive as the war in Gaza, that reduced much of the enclave to rubble and killed more than 41,000 people.
As I am writing this at 3:30 a.m., I hear another big blast rattle the windows of my hotel room. I can still hear the constant buzz of Israeli drones over the city – usually an indication of more strikes to come – andI can’t help but think of the people of Beirut who have been through so much for so long.
How many casualties are there?Did people evacuate in time? How are parents comforting their children during this long and terrifying night?
Is that young woman’s house still standing?
Israeli military encircles Jabalya in northern Gaza as several reported killed in strikes
From CNN’s Abeer Salman and Irene Nasser
Palestinians migrate toward areas they believe to be safer as the Israeli army intensifies its attacks in Jabalia, Gaza on October 6.
The Israeli military says it has “encircled” Jabalya in northern Gaza and is “continuing to operate in the area.”
Ahead of the ground operation in the refugee camp, airstrikes were carried out overnight, the military confirmed, including against what it says are “weapons storage facilities, underground infrastructure sites, terrorist cells, and additional military infrastructure sites.”
A journalist in the area told CNN the strikes lasted about 90 minutes and were concentrated on eastern Jabalya and nearby Gaza City.
Paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society said two people had been killed and several others taken to hospital after anapartment in a building near the UNRWA clinic in Jabalya refugee camp was struck. UNRWA is a relief organization working in the Palestinian territories.
In a statement, the military said it had detected the presence of Hamas members in the area, as well as efforts by them “to rebuild its operational capabilities in the area,” and was moving forward with the operation to “dismantle” that infrastructure in the area, saying it will “continue as long as required in order to achieve its objectives.”
In May, CNN reported that the Israeli military had renewed its fighting in northern Gaza where it had claimed, in January, to have dismantled Hamas’ command structure. During that period, the Israeli military said Hamas was trying to “reassemble” in the area, raising doubts about whether Israel’s goal of eradicating the group in the enclave is realistic.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military warned residents in northern Gaza to evacuate.
The Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli military Avichay Adraee said the military is “publishing a new evacuation map for the northern Gaza Strip.”
Adraee also said the military has expanded the scope of the “humanitarian area” in Al-Mawasi, including the routes to get there. The area indicates places the Israeli military says civilians can safely travel.
“The expanded Humanitarian Area includes field hospitals that have been established since the outbreak of the war, tent compounds, and supplies of food, water, medicine, and medical equipment,” the military said.
A journalist in Gaza told CNN Palestinians have been evacuating the area since late Saturday and moving toward Gaza City.
“Very dangerous moment”: analyst outlines risk of escalation in the Middle East
From CNN's Lex Harvey
Senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Steven Cook, speaks during an interview with CNN.
As the world awaits Israel’s response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack, Israel is not going to take advice from US President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump, said Steven Cook, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Biden has said Israel should not target Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities, while Trump – currently running to succeed Biden in the presidential election – has suggested Israel should do so.
“The Israelis are not going to be limited by what the president and former president have to say,” Cook told CNN’s Michael Holmes.
“They are going to target those facilities and weaponry in Iran that are the most dangerous to Israel.”
“The real question is how far up the escalation ladder will the Israelis go, and whether the Iranians feel compelled to then respond,” Cook added.
Israel’s goal will be to intimidate Iran, which has already pledged to retaliate if Israel attacks.
“There you see the direction that this conflict could go,” Cook said.
There are risks of going too far, he said, adding that as long as the war continues, Israel risks radicalizing communities in Lebanon, which it has already done in Gaza.
Hezbollah, the militant group Israel is fighting, was born out of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
However, Israel has shown in past weeks it is willing to take considerable risks, Cook said.
“This is a very dangerous moment in the Middle East.”
After watching Gaza be reduced to rubble, many in Lebanon wonder if they will face the same fate, humanitarian worker says
From CNN's Lex Harvey
Arwa Damon, president of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance, speaks during an interview with CNN.
Days into Israel’s bombing campaign, most people in Lebanon are “stuck in the freeze traumatic response,” unable to grasp the scale of the destruction, said Arwa Damon, president of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance.
Many in the country have watched over the past year as Gaza has been reduced to rubble and are wondering whether Lebanon will face a similar fate, Damon told CNN’s Michael Holmes.
“I can’t even begin to describe to you, Michael, the depth and breadth of the fear that exists here, because everyone has been watching what’s been happening in Gaza,” said Damon, a former CNN journalist whose organization helps children in disaster zones.
Humanitarian workers have had to rush to respond to an unprecedented crisis all while living through it themselves, she added.
Many have lost loved ones or been forced to flee their homes, along with roughly one fifth of Lebanon’s population, Damon said.
“The psychological toll of all of this is just devastating, never mind the physical one.”
Israeli military confirms strikes on Beirut overnight
From CNN's Eugenia Yosef and Jomana Karadsheh
Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday.
The Israeli military has confirmed it “conducted a series of targeted strikes” in the area of Lebanon’s capital Beirut overnight, saying it targeted “weapons storage facilities” and other parts of Hezbollah’s infrastructure.
The Arabic-language spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces issued new evacuation orders for several neighborhoods ahead of what he said would be strikes on targets belonging to the Iran-backed militant group.
Earlier, CNN’s team on the ground in Beirut said they heard constant blasts and explosions for a few hours.
CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh said Saturday night’s strikes were among the most sustained and intense she has witnessed hitting the southern suburbs since the war began. First the team heard rumbling sounds, followed by flashes in the distance, then they heard the blasts. At least two of the strikes triggered what appeared to be secondary explosions – balls of fire that at times would light the night sky, accompanied by blasts that echoed across the city.
The number of casualties is not yet clear.
How the war between Israel and Hezbollah escalated over the course of a week
From CNN's Sophie Tanno
A man looks at smoke billowing from building rubble at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs on October 4.
Last week Israel launched alimited ground incursioninto southern Lebanon as it ratchets up its war with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
For the first time since 2006, Israelstruck central Beirut, with previous attacks being confined to the city’s southern suburbs. Israel is now pounding Lebanon with a level of bombardment not seen outside of Gaza in the last 20 years, according to air warfare experts.
It all amounts to a dramatic escalation in the Middle East, and suggests fears of an expanded regional war have been realized.
Those fears have only been deepened by Iran’s largest-ever missile attack on Israel — which also came last week. The region is bracing for Israel’s response, and Tehran has already pledged it will attack Israel again if it deems that necessary.
Here’s a timeline of last week’s key events:
- Monday:Israel launches a ground incursion across Lebanon’s southern border, targeting Hezbollah. Israeli officials characterized the invasion as limited in scope, saying there will be “no long-term occupation,” although officials have declined to say how deep Israeli troops will push into the country or how long the operation will last.
- Tuesday:Iran launches around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, in what it said was a response to the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The attack killed one person; a Palestinian man hit by falling shrapnel in the occupied West Bank. Israel has vowed to respond.
- Wednesday:The Israeli military gives evacuation warnings for the residents of two dozen villages in southwest Lebanon to move around 31 miles further into the country. The Israel Defense Forces later expanded this — more than 100 villages in southern Lebanon have now been issued evacuationnotices, stoking fears of an expanded ground invasion.
- Thursday:An Israeli strike hits central Beirut for the first time since 2006, killing nine. Previous Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital had been on its southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. This strike hit the neighborhood of Bashoura, near the city’s downtown, CNN confirmed by geolocating the area. Of the nine killed, seven were medics working for the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority.
- Friday:Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gives a rare speech. Khamenei described Tehran’s missile strikes on Israel as “fully legal and legitimate,” and warned that Iran will attack Israel again if necessary. Also on Friday, clashes break out between Israeli troops and Hezbollah as the militant group attempts to repel Israel’s ground incursion. Israeli strikes on Beirut overnight into Friday target Hezbollah’s potential new leader, Hashem Safieddine. A Lebanese security source later told CNN that Hezbollah has lost contact with Safieddine since the Israeli attack.
- Saturday: A leader of Hamas’ military wing in Lebanon is killed ina rare Israeli airstrikenear the country’s northernmost city of Tripoli, officials from both sides confirm. Israel also carried outmore airstrikeson the southern suburbs in Beirut, and Hezbollahreported new clasheswith Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
Death toll rises to 21 after Israeli strike on a mosque in central Gaza
From CNN’s Abeer Salman, Mohammad Al Sawalhi and Irene Nasser
Palestinians carry one of the victims of an Israeli strike that targeted a mosque-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, in the courtyard of the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital during the night of October 6.
The death toll from an Israeli strike on a mosque in central Gaza has risen to 21, according to the local Civil Defense and a nearby hospital.
CNN video showed chaotic scenes as bodies were pulled from rubble after the overnight attack on the religious site in Deir el Balah.
The revised death toll –up from 18– came from Civil Defense and Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which is right across from the mosque.
Civilians, civil defense, and hospital staff were all working in the dark to retrieve victims from the rubble of the mosque, using only the light from their phones, the CNN video showed.
In the footage, bodies are seen scattered everywhere and people shout for attention with each casualty they find.
“He’s alive, by God he’s alive,” a man yells as he tries to revive another victim, who lies motionless on the ground.
A group of men pull out a man, still alive, who had been trapped under a block. Another seems to have been killed in the attack.
The injured, carried on blankets, are rushed to the nearby hospital, some covered in blood and dust.
The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike, calling it “precise” and saying it was targeting a Hamas “command and control” center that was “embedded within the compound.”
This post has been updated.
At least 18 killed in Israeli strike on central Gaza: hospital
From CNN's Abeer Salman
Palestinians inspect the rubble of mosque, which was damaged in Israeli attack in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on October 6.
At least 18 people have been killed in an overnight Israeli strike on Al Aqsa Martyrs Mosque in Deir el Balah in central Gaza, according to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. The hospital sits right across from the mosque.
A CNN stringer said displaced Palestinians were sheltering there.
The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike, calling it “precise” and saying it was targeting a Hamas “command and control” center that was “embedded within the compound.”
CNN team witnesses series of explosions over Beirut
From CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh
Flames and smoke rise in an area targeted by an Israeli air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, on October 6.
CNN’s team on the ground in Beirut say they have heard constant blasts and explosions over the past two to three hours and they appear to be ongoing.
It’s unclear exactly how many blasts there have been, but a member of the team described the explosions in Beirut’s southern suburbs as one of the most intense sustained periods of strikes they had seen.
At least two of the blasts triggered what appeared to be secondary explosions, according to the team. One of the blasts hit the road to the airport, about 2.5km from the facility.
30 projectiles cross from Lebanon into Israel early Sunday: IDF
From CNN’s Kareem El DamanhouryApproximately 30 projectiles crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory early on Sunday morning local time, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Some of the projectiles were intercepted and some fell, the IDF said in a statement.
Thirty minutes after midnight, sirens sounded in Israel’s Kiryat Shmona area in the north.
Hezbollah issuedtwo statementsearly Sunday saying it had targetedIsraeli soldiersin the “Al-Manara settlement” and its surroundings in northern Israel with rocketsin support of the Palestinian people and in defense of Lebanon.
In a third statement, Hezbollah said it had targeted Israeli forces in the same area as they “evacuated the injured and killed soldiers.”
Watch: Answering your questions about Israel's Iron Dome defense system
From CNN staffCNN asked followers on social media if they had questions about the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
From your responses, we picked some of the most-asked topics and put the key questions to CNN’s Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson.
Here, we ask about the capabilities of Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system:

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CNN answers questions on Israel’s Iron Dome
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