Beirut hit by ‘targeted’ Israeli airstrike — as it happened

The Middle East is on edge as Binyamin Netanyahu vowed that Iran “will pay” for launching a missile strike on Israel.

As more troops advanced into Lebanon on Wednesday, eight soldiers have been killed during direct clashes with Hezbollah, according to the Israeli army.

The clash comes after Israel warned Tehran that if it went ahead with the launch on Tuesday night, it would directly hit Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities in retaliation. Iran’s oil industry is considered one of the main lifelines of the regime, with tens of millions of people dependent on it.

The Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon today, from top left: Sergeant First Class Or Mantzur, Sergeant First Class Nazaar Itkin, Sergeant First Class Noam Barzilay, Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster, Captain Itai Ariel Giat, Staff Sergeant Almken Terefe, Staff Sergeant Ido Broyer and Captain Harel Etinger

How Iran’s attack on Israel unfolded

Two killed in airstrike on central Beirut

An apartment building in Beirut’s Bachoura district was targeted IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

At least two people were killed and 11 wounded in an Israeli strike on central Beirut’s Bachoura neighbourhood early on Thursday, the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement.

Witnesses in the centre of the Lebanese capital heard a massive blast. Initial images from Bachoura show significant damage to a building, with a fire burning on the third floor.

The strike comes shortly after the IDF announced it was carrying out a “targeted” attack in Beirut. A source close to Hezbollah told the news agency AFP that Israel launched three air raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs just before midnight.

WHO chief: Lebanese hospitals are overwhelmed with injured

The World Health Organisation chief has said that Lebanon’s health system was struggling to cope with casualty numbers after Israel escalated airstrikes and launched ground raids into the country.

“The death toll in Lebanon is rising, and hospitals are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X. “The health system has been weakened by successive crises and is struggling to cope with the immense needs,” he said, adding that the WHO was scaling up its response.

He said that the WHO had been working closely with the Lebanese health ministry “to ensure hospitals have enough medical supplies and health workers are trained for mass casualty events, as well as to maintain essential health services for the most vulnerable”.

“But more help is needed,” he said.

South Beirut hit by ‘targeted’ Israeli airstrike

Smoke rises over Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli airstrike AMR ABDALLAH DALSH/REUTERS

Further airstrikes have hit south Beirut just before midnight, local time.

Pictures were posted of a large cloud of black smoke rising from a densely populated area with reports of explosions being heard.

The IDF confirmed carrying out an airstrike in the Lebanese capital, describing the strike as “targeted”. It said further details would be provided later.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 46 people had been killed and 85 wounded in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.

Hezbollah leader’s brother-in-law killed in airstrike

The brother-in-law of Hezbollah’s dead leader was among three people killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria today, according to reports.

Arabic media reported that Hassan Qassir was among the casualties of the strike in the Mazzeh district of Damascus, and that he was related by marriage to Hassan Nasrallah, the militant leader who died in an Israeli airstrike on Friday.

He was also the brother of Muhammad Jafar Qassir, a senior Hezbollah commander who was killed in a strike in Beirut yesterday, during the Iranian attack on Israel.

Three killed in Israeli strike on Damascus

Britons fleeing Lebanon land in Birmingham

A charter flight organised by the government to help British citizens leave Lebanon has landed tonight in Birmingham.

The plane touched down shortly before 8.40pm, having departed from Beirut and stopped off in Bucharest, Romania, on its journey.

Passengers were asked to pay £350 to secure a seat on the flight for themselves or close relatives. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, said that further flights were planned tomorrow and over the coming days to help British citizens leave Lebanon.

Israel may wait to retaliate until after Jewish new year

Israel’s leaders have pledged to respond against Iran for last night’s missile attack, but some reports suggest they may not do so until after the Jewish new year holiday, which started this evening.

The New York Times said it had spoken to six Israeli officials and one senior US official, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

It cited the officials saying that an Israeli response against Iran may not be decided until after Rosh Hashanah, which runs until Friday evening.

Watch: US warships fire interceptor missiles

The US navy has released footage of two destroyers firing interceptor missiles during last night’s Iranian attack on Israel.

USS Cole and USS Bulkeley were in the eastern Mediterranean and “engaged multiple Iranian ballistic missiles in defence of Israel”, the navy posted on X.

Crowds gather outside British embassy in Tehran

A crowd has gathered outside the British embassy in Tehran in support of Iran’s strikes against Israel.

Demonstrators waved Iranian, Palestinian and Hezbollah flags and carried placards saying “Down with Israel, down with USA”, according to footage published by Anadolu, the Turkish news agency.

John Healey, the British defence secretary, had earlier clarified that RAF jets were “in the skies” last night and “ready to engage” as Iran fired 180 missiles at Israel.

Healey said: “They did not need to do so. Israel’s own defence dealt with what was a massive missile attack from Iran that I totally condemn. And as Sir Keir Starmer said, we stand steadfast with Israel’s right to security for the future and will continue to do so.”

• What was UK’s role in supporting Israel when Iran struck?

From his atomic bunker in the Jerusalem hills, Binyamin Netanyahu watched his country swat away a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles that would have overwhelmed most countries’ air defences.

Emerging from his cocoon on Tuesday evening, he was able to celebrate another Israeli military success, the latest in a series of victories that have propelled Israel’s longest-serving prime minister back to the top of the polls. “Israel has the momentum and the axis of evil is in retreat,” he declared.

From a low point after October 7 terror attacks by Hamas, when Netanyahu appeared to be fighting for his political survival, he has mounted a steady recovery. Now his party, Likud, has recorded its best polling figures in a year, returning to its place as Israel’s largest party — mostly on the back of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, and an aggressive bombing campaign in Lebanon.

Read George Grylls’ analysis in full

‘Stop fighting. We don’t need more blood’

Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, said the country was in need of a ceasefire to end intensified hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, adding that about 1.2 million across Lebanon had been displaced by Israeli attacks.

“Stop fighting. We don’t need more blood. We don’t need more destruction,” Mikati said in a briefing organised by the American Task Force on Lebanon, a US-based lobby group.

Foreign minister says UN chief does not deserve to enter Israel

Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, said that the UN secretary-general António Guterres’s failure to call out Iran directly made him persona non grata in Israel, barring him from entering the country.

Katz added: “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as nearly all the countries of the world have done, does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil. Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without António Guterres.”

Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, described the announcement as “just one more attack, so to speak, on UN staff that we’ve seen from the government of Israel”.

Asked about the situation at a press briefing in Washington, Matthew Miller, the US State Department spokesman, said: “Steps like these are not productive to [Israel] improving its standing in the world.”

IDF chief vows to respond to Iranian attacks

Netanyahu says Israel at “height of difficult war” as the nation’s head of military promises to retaliate

The head of Israel’s military has repeated previous assertions that the country has the “ability to reach and strike any point in the Middle East”.

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi also promised to respond to Iran’s attacks. Visiting the Tel Nof airbase, which was hit by Iranian missiles, near Tel Aviv, he said: “We will respond, we know how to locate important targets, we know how to strike with precision and power.

He added: “Iran fired around 200 missiles at Israel yesterday, targeting civilian areas and putting many lives at risk. We will respond.”

“We have the ability to reach and strike any point in the Middle East. Our enemies who have not realised this will soon understand.”

US organises evacuation flight for citizens in Lebanon

The United States organised a flight from Beirut to Istanbul today to allow Americans to leave Lebanon amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Matthew Miller, the US State Department spokesman, said.

Miller told a press briefing that about 7,000 US citizens in Lebanon had registered with the US government to receive information about leaving the country, although not all of those are looking for assistance to leave.

The flight today had a capacity of about 300 and carried around 100 Americans and their family members, Miller said, adding that Washington had been working with airlines since Saturday to make seats available to Americans on commercial flights.

Tit-for-tat violence must stop, says UN chief

António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, called for an end to the “sickening cycle of escalation” in the Middle East.

“It is high time to stop the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff,” the UN chief told an emergency Security Council meeting. “This deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop.”

Iran promises stronger retaliation if Israel responds

We don’t seek war but if Israel retaliates we will respond, says Iran’s Pezeshkian

Iran’s president has pledged to mount a “stronger response” if Israel retaliates for Tuesday’s missile attacks.

“If it [Israel] wants to react, we will have a stronger response, this is what the Islamic Republic is committed to,” Masoud Pezeshkian said in a joint press conference with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in Doha. “We are not looking for war, it is Israel that forces us to react,” Pezeshkian added.

Sheikh Tamim said that Israel was drawing the region to the “brink of the abyss” with its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Listen: What are Israel’s next targets?

Starmer reiterates support for Israel amid G7 talks

Speaking to reporters after attending a call with G7 leaders to co-ordinate a response to Iran’s attack on Israel, Sir Keir Starmer reiterated the West’s commitment to Israel’s “security and right to defend itself in the face of this unacceptable aggression”.

“We call on all sides to show restraint and avoid escalating further,” he added. “No one wants a regional war. We also agreed on the urgency of ceasefires in London and to allow space for a political solution.

Asked about his view on Israel’s declaration that it would retaliate and the roles of British forces last night, Starmer said: “We have condemned in the strongest terms the attack by Iran last night, and it is not to be tolerated … I’m not going to get further than that, and nor to get drawn on the role of our own service personnel last night.”

Biden: Israeli response must be proportionate

President Biden has said he does not support an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, despite speculation Israel may be planning to do just that — and has support from a number of Israeli politicians to do so.

Speaking before boarding Air Force One, Biden said that Israel’s response to Iranian attacks overnight needed to be “proportionate”, adding that there would be more sanctions imposed on Iran and that he would speak shortly with Binyamin Netanyahu.

Kurt Campbell, the US deputy secretary, said the Biden administration aims to co-ordinate its response with Israel regarding Iran, stressing the Middle East is on a “knife’s edge”.

He said: “I think we tried to underscore our support for some of the actions that Israel has taken. I think we have a real wariness about an extended or substantial ground set of operations in Lebanon.”

Hamas claims responsibility for terror attack in Jaffa

Israeli police said gunmen opened fire in Jaffa yesterday

Hamas has taken responsibility for the terror attack in Jaffa last night where seven people were killed and another 16 wounded.

A gunman and a second assailant armed with a knife committed the attack in the former Arab city, which is now a southern suburb of Tel Aviv. Hamas said in a statement that the two terrorists responsible were Mohammad Mesek and Ahmed Himouni from Hebron.

Police previously claimed both assailants were Palestinians from the West Bank town of Hebron and had been shot dead.

Ex-CIA head says Israel must crush Iran

Iran must be “crushed” and America should tell Israel to “finish the job”, according to Mike Pompeo, the former US secretary of state.

Speaking at a Policy Exchange event in London with the journalist Lord Moore of Etchingham, the former head of the CIA said “every peace-loving nation” should admit that “the problem lies in Tehran” and should stand with Israel “every step of the way” to defeat Iran.

“We should all be worried about getting dragged into another war in the Middle East — that’s why Iran has to be crushed,” said Pompeo, adding: “This is how you avoid a war in the Middle East.”

Israeli PM vows victory after death of soldiers

“We are at the height of a difficult war against Iran,” says Netanyahu

Binyamin Netanyahu has spoken out for the first time since eight Israeli soldiers were confirmed dead during fighting in southern Lebanon, sending his condolences to “the families of our heroes”.

In a video, Israel’s prime minister said: “I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to the families of our heroes who fell today in Lebanon, may God avenge them, and may their memories be a blessing.”

“We are in the middle of a tough war against Iran’s axis of evil, which seeks to destroy us. This will not happen,” Netanyahu added. “Because we will stand together, and with God’s help — we will win together.

“We will rescue our hostages in the south, we will return our residents in the north, we will guarantee Israel’s eternity,” he added, referring to the official goals of the war.

Three dead after second Israeli strike on Syrian capital

Three people have died after an Israeli airstrike in Damascus, the Syrian capital.

“An Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in the Mazzeh neighbourhood frequented by Hezbollah leaders and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

It was the second strike in two days on the neighbourhood, which is home to security headquarters and embassies.

Iranian president criticises Israel over Hamas leader killing

Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, said his country wants “security and peace” and criticised “Israeli crimes” in the region.

He was speaking as he arrived in Qatar, his first trip to Doha as president. Pezeshkian criticised Israel over the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader.

“We also want security and peace. It was Israel that assassinated Haniyeh in Tehran,” Pezeshkian said.

“Europeans and the US said if we do not act, there will be a peace in Gaza in one week. We waited for them to have peace but they increased their killing.”

UN chief urges halt to escalating Middle East violence

The United Nations chief has called for a halt to the escalation of “tit-for-tat violence”, which he said is leading people in the Middle East “straight over the cliff”.

António Guterres told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council today that in just a week the alarming situation in Lebanon has gone from bad “to much, much worse”. “It is absolutely essential to avoid an all-out war in Lebanon, which would have profound and devastating consequences,” he said.

Guterres strongly condemned Tuesday’s Iranian missile attack against Israel. He also criticised attacks against Israel by Hamas from Gaza and Hezbollah from Lebanon, and he lambasted Israel for the “most deadly and destructive military campaign in my years as secretary-general”, referring to the conflict in Gaza. “It is high time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” he added.

Iranian leader told Nasrallah to flee before Israeli strikes

Reuters is reporting that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, warned Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s former leader, to flee Lebanon days before he was killed in an Israeli strike.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack on Hezbollah’s booby-trapped pagers on September 17, Khamenei sent a message with an envoy urging the Hezbollah secretary-general to leave for Iran, Reuters said, citing three Iranian senior officials. He feared that Israeli intelligence had operatives within Hezbollah and that they had infiltrated senior government ranks in Tehran.

Khamenei has remained in a secure location inside Iran since Saturday.

Israel announces death of eight soldiers

Israel has announced that eight of its soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon today.

The Israel Defence Forces said four soldiers from the Egoz Commando Unit died “during a gun battle with Hezbollah operatives in a southern Lebanon village” alongside a captain whose death was announced earlier. Another officer and four soldiers were seriously wounded in the same incident, the IDF said.

The other soldiers were killed in separate incidents, officials said. All the soldiers were aged in their twenties.

Family and friends of Captain Eitan Oster gather at his graveside following his funeral at Mount Herzl military cemetery LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES

Southern suburbs of Beirut have become ghost town

Mohammad Afif, Hezbollah’s chief spokesman, speaks to media near the site of an Israeli airstrike in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh CARL COURT/GETTY IMAGES

Hezbollah has led a tour of journalists to the southern suburbs of Beirut which have been attacked by Israel in recent days, and where Hassan Nasrallah, the former head of the militant group, was assassinated.

The area, usually densely populated with 700,000 residents is almost a ghost town. Some 200 were taken to the area to see the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes since last Friday.

The first stop on the tour was a pile of twisted steel and concrete, formerly a seven story apartment that was levelled three days ago. The air around it still smells of dust from the strike and the unmistakable whirr of an Israeli surveillance drone can be heard above.

The rubble, surrounded by shops and small neighbourhood businesses, has been festooned with images of Nasrallah who was killed in a separate airstrike not far from here on Friday.

A destroyed vehicle in Chiyah, a southern suburb of Beirut MOHAMED AZAKIR/REUTERS

MoD confirms RAF jets helped defend Israel

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker took part in the defence of Israel during the ballistic missile attack by Iran.

In a statement the ministry said that the aircraft “played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, demonstrating the UK’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security”.

It added: “Due to the nature of this attack, they did not engage any targets, but they played an important part in wider deterrence and efforts to prevent further escalation. The defence secretary has thanked our personnel involved in the response.”

Starmer joins G7 leaders for emergency talks

Sir Keir Starmer will take part in an emergency video call on the worsening crisis in the Middle East with the leaders of the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada.

The prime minister will break off talks in Brussels to take part in the G7 call hosted by Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister. A statement is expected to follow the talks. She told a meeting of her cabinet that there was “deep concern” about the situation after Iran’s missile attack on Israel and instability in Lebanon.

“The goal is the stabilisation of the Israeli-Lebanese border through the full implementation of Resolution 1701,” she was quoted as saying, in a reference to the UN resolution which halted the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war in south Lebanon. Italy is backing a new UN security council resolution to strengthen the mandate of Unifil peacekeepers on the Israel-Lebanon border.

Three arrested after explosions near Israeli embassy in Copenhagen

Jens Jespersen, a spokesman for the Copenhagen police, said that the explosions were likely caused by hand grenades THOMAS TRAASDAHL/EPA

Three young Swedes have been arrested in connection with two explosions that occurred in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen, prompting a nearby Jewish school to close for the day. Police said that no one was injured.

“Our investigation shows that the blasts likely were caused by hand grenades,” Jens Jespersen, a spokesman for the Copenhagen police, said. He added the explosions were about 100m from the embassy, which is located in an area with other embassies. It caused damage to another building, but Jespersen did not describe the nature of the damage.

The suspects were aged between 15 and 20, Jespersen said, adding that one was arrested near the embassy while the two others were detained on a train at Copenhagen’s central station. They were not identified.

‘Israeli airbases hit in missile attack’

Some of Israel’s airbases were hit in Tuesday night’s Iranian missile attack, according to the Times of Israel.

It is reporting that the IDF said bases were struck but that the only damage was to office buildings and other maintenance areas, which do not affect the functioning of the Israeli Air Force.

According to the report, there was no damage to aircraft, munitions or critical infrastructure.

Sir Keir Starmer condemned “the attack by Iran” as he arrived in Brussels for talks to “reset” Britain’s relationship with the European Union “in dangerous times”.

Standing alongside Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, the prime minister said that the crisis in the Middle East would form part of talks on security.

“We stand with Israel, recognising her full right to security and to self-defence,” he said, echoing remarks he made on Tuesday night.

“We do need to pull back from the brink and to encourage all parties to find a way to de-escalate and for a political solution to the very many fronts of the crisis in the Middle East. And of course, foremost in our minds are the hostages still held after such a very, very long time. They should be released immediately and unconditionally.”

German citizens told to leave Iran

Germany’s foreign ministry has told its citizen to leave Iran, saying the situation there was volatile and could change for the worse.

The warning came after Iran fired waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, which stepped up its war with Tehran’s proxy Hezbollah by sending troops over the border into Lebanon.

Berlin has condemned the attack and summoned Iran’s ambassador in the German capital.

Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster, 22, died while fighting Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon IDF

The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was killed in combat in Lebanon, marking its first confirmed fatality since the start of the ground operation.

“Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster, aged 22, fell during combat in Lebanon,” the military said in a statement. Oster was killed during a battle with Hezbollah operatives in a village in southern Lebanon.

The Times has been told Israel has sustained numerous casualties, including an unconfirmed number of dead.

Regional nations can manage themselves, says Iran’s supreme leader

Iran’s supreme leader blames western influence for the conflict in the Middle East

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has said the presence of American and European nations in the Middle East is a source of “conflicts, wars, concerns and enmities”.

“Regional nations can manage themselves and … they will live together in peace,” Khamenei is quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. They were his first remarks since Tehran fired ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, however he made no mention of the previous night’s attack.

Elsewhere, Iran’s President Pezeshkian left Tehran for a scheduled visit to Qatar, state media reported on Wednesday. He is due to attend the Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit and deliver a speech while in Doha.

John Healey, defence secretary, meets troops onboard HMS Duncan during a visit to Cyprus as the government steps up efforts for potential evacuation of citizens in Lebanon YUI MOK/PA

Pods containing sea viper surface to air missiles are checked as the Middle East conflict increases YUI MOK/PA

Oil prices rise amid Middle East conflict

Oil prices rose 2.94 per cent this morning to $75.73 a barrel after reports that Israel may target Iranian oil refineries in revenge strikes following Iran’s ballistic missile attack.

The price of oil has risen 5.2 per cent in two days as the risk of supply disruptions from the Gulf region has increased.

Some experts suggested an Israeli strike on Iran’s oil fields was less likely than other options, however.

“Speculation of an Israeli strike on Iranian oil fields seems unlikely, as such a move would drive oil prices toward $80, displeasing Israel’s allies who are making strides against inflation,” said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG.

“Instead, strategic Israeli strikes on critical weapons facilities and military objectives are more probable.”

The rise in the price of Brent crude lifted the shares of London’s oil majors — Shell and BP — which gained by 2.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively on Wednesday morning.

Only in round one, says Hezbollah

Hezbollah has said “we are only in round one” following clashes with Israeli troops on the Lebanese border today.

Mohammad Afif, the group’s media chief, insisted that it had enough fighters, weapons and ammunition to counter and push back Israel.

His comments came amid reports of fierce clashes between the Iranian-backed group and Israeli troops on Wednesday.

A collection of what the Israeli military said are seized Hezbollah weapons, at a command base in the Israeli city of Safed, near the border with Lebanon JALAA MAREY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Israel has sustained numerous casualties, including an unconfirmed number of dead, after one of its commando units was ambushed close to Hezbollah tunnels on the Lebanese side of the border, The Times has been told.

One survivor of the ambush said everyone in his unit had been injured but had managed to withdraw. The ambush took place close to the town of Odaisseh, a village in southern Lebanon.

It is thought to be the first face-to-face clashes since Israel troops crossed the Lebanese border on Tuesday. One soldier called it a “tactical battle”.

Earlier this week the Israeli military said it had entered Hezbollah tunnels close to the border.

Israel’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that he was barring Antonio Guterres, the UN’s secretary general, from entering the country for his failure to “unequivocally condemn” Iran’s massive missile attack.

On Tuesday after Iran’s missile strike, Guterres wrote: “I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.”

Last October, Israel had called on the UN chief to resign after Guterres said in a speech that he condemned unequivocally Hamas’s deadly attacks in Israel two weeks ago but that they “did not happen in a vacuum”.

Israelis inspect the damage to their properties after Iran’s missile attack

Military Police guarding the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen AFP

The Israeli embassies in Copenhagen and Stockholm both appear to have been targeted by attacks in the aftermath of Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

At about 6pm on Tuesday at least one gunshot was fired at the embassy in Stockholm, according to Swedish police.

About nine hours later there were two explosions near the Israeli embassy in the Danish capital.

No one was hurt in either incident and the authorities in both countries are still trying to identify suspects and possible motives.

There have already been three attacks on Israel’s embassies in Europe earlier this year: two in Stockholm and one in Brussels.

Peter R Neumann, professor of security studies at King’s College London, said the background to all three of the previous incidents appeared to be an Iranian “shadow war” against Jewish and Israeli institutions in Europe, often using local criminal gangs as proxies.

The European Union has condemned Iran’s attack on Israel “in the strongest terms” and called for a ceasefire.

“Such actions threaten regional stability and escalate tensions in an already extremely volatile situation,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.

“The EU continues to call for a ceasefire across the border with Lebanon, and in Gaza, and for the release of all hostages that are held since almost a year.”

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, stressed: “[The] EU reiterates its commitment to the security of Israel. Once again, a dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliations risks fuelling an uncontrollable regional escalation which is in no one’s interest.”

IDF spokesman said it will respond to Iran’s attack “as we see fit”

Russia calls Middle East situation ‘alarming’

Russia said on Wednesday that the situation in the Middle East was “alarming”.

“The situation is developing according to the most alarming scenario. We call on all parties to exercise restraint in light of what is happening,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said.

He also told reporters that Russia had contacts with all sides and condemned any action that caused the death of civilians.

An Israeli Apache helicopter releasing flares near the Israeli-Lebanon border AP

Two former Israeli prime ministers have called for a decisive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“We must act now to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, its central energy facilities, and to fatally cripple this terrorist regime,” Naftali Bennett wrote on X. “We have the justification. We have the tools. Now that Hezbollah and Hamas are paralysed, Iran stands exposed.”

In a separate statement, Yair Lapid, Israel’s main opposition leader, said that Iran should pay a “significant and heavy price” for the attack.

“Tehran knows that Israel is coming. The response needs to be tough and it should send an unequivocal message to the terror axis in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Gaza and in Iran itself,” said Lapid. Both served briefly as PMs this decade.

China and South Korea evacuate citizens

A destroyed building in Beirut following Israeli strikes in Lebanon AFP/GETTY IMAGES

As countries scramble to get their citizens out of Lebanon, China said on Wednesday that it has evacuated more than 200 citizens from the Middle East country. The news was reported by the Xinhua news agency.

South Korea announced on Wednesday that it had ordered military aircraft to be deployed immediately to evacuate its citizens from Israel and other parts of the Middle East. Britain has urged nationals to leave immediately and has chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand.

French military helped counter Iran attack

France said that its military “participated” to counter what it called the Iranian threat on Tuesday night.

“France condemns the attack on Israel by ballistic missiles fired from Iran. It reiterates its absolute commitment to the security of Israel. It participated through its military means in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

How far can Iran’s missiles travel?

Hezbollah sends ‘large rocket salvo’ to Israel

Hezbollah has said it has targeted areas north of Israel’s Haifa city with a “large rocket salvo”. Warning sirens have been repeatedly sounding in northern Israel close to the border, it has been reported.

Earlier, Israel said some 100 rockets had been fired so far today from Lebanon towards Israel.

Analysis: Why did Iran attack Israel?

Damage wrought by Iran’s attack on Israel ABIR SULTAN/EPA

Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in response to its invasion of Lebanon to rout Tehran’s ally Hezbollah.

Iran said the attack came in response to Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, in an airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

The Israeli military said it was unaware of any injuries caused by the barrage. Israel and the US had anticipated the attack, and many of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli aerial defences.

• Read in full: Will Iran pursue a nuclear option?

Israel’s military has issued a new warning for residents in some 25 southern Lebanese villages to evacuate.

It follows a similar warning issued yesterday, and includes several new villages. Avichay Adraee, the Israeli Defence Forces Arabic spokesperson, warned that those in the villages should “evacuate your homes immediately” and to head north of the Awali River.

“Any movement south could put you in danger,” said Adraee in a message posted on social media. “We will let you know when it is safe to return home.”

Spain to evacuate 350 citizens from Lebanon

An apartment building on fire in Beirut following airstrikes HUSSEIN MALLA/AP

Spain will send two military aircraft to evacuate as many as 350 citizens from Lebanon as early as Thursday, Margarita Robles, the Spanish defence minister, said on Wednesday.

“The Spanish airplanes are ready, the staff are ready, as always with the professionalism of the Spanish army,” she said in an interview with Antena 3 TV station.

A group of 350 Spanish citizens present in Lebanon have asked to go to Spain, Robles said in the interview. Jose Manuel Albares, the foreign minister, had said earlier this week that about 1,000 Spaniards were in Lebanon.

Israel threatened Iran’s oil facilities if attacked

Iran warned several countries ahead of launching a salvo of ballistic missiles against Israel last night, including the US, Russia and Arab nations. The Israelis were also braced for a ballistic missile attack, rather than one involving drones like they witnessed in April.

The warning gave Israel time to convey its message back to Iran — should the regime go ahead with the attack then it would directly hit Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities in response.

Kasra Aarabi, a director of IRGC Research at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) said that Iran’s oil industry was “one of main lifelines — or arteries — of the regime”. He said its infrastructure, including the financing of its proxies such as Hezbollah, was largely dependent on it.

Oil prices had already jumped by over a dollar on Wednesday due to rising concerns Middle East tensions could escalate.

Israel issues more airstrikes on Lebanon

A plume of smoke billows from a rocket hit on a village in south Lebanon JIM URQUHART/REUTERS

Lebanese official media said an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, after a night of repeated strikes on the area, where Hezbollah holds sway.

“Israeli aircraft targeted the southern suburbs with a strike,” the National News Agency reported. Israeli media reported this morning that about 100 rockets have been launched into Israel from the direction of Lebanon so far today. There are so far no reports of any casualties.

US warned not to intervene by Iran

In a message from Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, Tehran has told the US not to intervene in its fight with Israel or expect a “harsh response”.

He said that communication took place after the attack through the Swiss embassy in Tehran.

“The main point of the message we conveyed to the Americans was that we were taking defensive action within the framework of the United Nations Charter,” he said. “We have also warned the US forces to withdraw from this matter and not to intervene, otherwise they will face a harsh response from us.”

The Israeli ambassador to the UK has said Iran “will pay a major price” for its attack — and claimed that Britain would have not been able to cope with the type of rocket attack launched by Tehran.

“The Iranians will pay a major price for what they did yesterday … it means they won’t be able to fire again on Israel,” Tzipi Hotovely told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme .

She added: “We are eliminating Hamas, we are eliminating Hezbollah and we will make sure that Iran won’t have the capabilities to hurt Israeli people.”

On the attack, Hotovely said: “The intention of the Iranian regime was to target Israeli civilians in a massive attack. I don’t think Britain would have coped with 182 rockets direct to London, to Manchester, to Birmingham, to your main cities.”

60 people killed in Israeli strikes

Palestinians embrace following an airstrike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip HATEM KHALED/REUTERS

Some 60 people were killed in Israeli strikes overnight across Gaza, reported the Reuters news agency.

Tanks carried out a raid on several areas in eastern and central Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, before partially retreating, leaving at least 40 people killed and dozens wounded, according to Palestinian media and medics cited by Reuters.

In Gaza City, at least 22 Palestinians were killed, officials said. The escalation came after Iran launched its salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel.

Kamala Harris in Washington before giving a response to the missile strike on Israel BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The US presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has called Iran a “destabilising, dangerous force” after its rocket attack last night.

She also said that Washington will continue to support Israel and “ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias”.

“My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering,” the current vice-president added.

Dispatch: Israel’s Iron Dome — and perhaps a warning — averts disaster

While most of the missiles were intercepted, buildings were still left damaged by the attack JOHN WESSELS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

When Israel strikes, there is no ­warning. The first that anyone in the apartment block above Hezbollah’s command bunker would have known of the bombs that killed its leader, ­Hassan Nasrallah, last Friday, would ­also have been the last.

Israel, though, is better prepared. Even as the United States was alerting the world that a barrage of ballistic ­missiles was on its way to Israel, alarms sounded throughout the country and mobile phones buzzed with the high-pitched squeal that urges its ten million residents to seek out their bunkers, basements and safe rooms.

For residents of central Israel and Tel Aviv, the alarms are more a nuisance than a cause for panic. Rocket attacks from Hamas in Gaza at times of tension — such as now — are a regular if not daily occurrence.

• Read in full: Israel’s Iron Dome averts disaster

Israeli air base ‘hit by missiles’

Footage appeared to show a volley of Iranian ballistic missiles fired on Tuesday night hitting Israel’s Nevatim air base — a facility that hosts both of the air force’s F-35 fifth generation fighter jet squadrons.

Iranian media sources have reported that the facility was “completely destroyed” in the attack. There were unverified reports that more than 20 of the aircraft — considered high-value targets — were destroyed.

The F-35 fighter jets, which may have British components in them, have been used to hit targets in both Gaza and Lebanon. The UK government came under pressure several weeks ago for not banning exports of F-35 components to Israel, via third parties.

‘Iran risks setting Middle East on fire’

Germany’s chancellor said a war in the Middle East must be prevented NADJA WOHLLEBEN/REUTERS

Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, has said that Iran could set the Middle East on fire after its attack on Israel.

In a statement on Wednesday, Scholz added that Germany and its partners will continue to work towards a ceasefire.

“Iran is risking setting the entire region on fire, this must be prevented at all costs,” he said. “Hezbollah and Iran must immediately cease their attacks on Israel.”

Trump: Biden and Harris leading us to brink of World War Three

Donald Trump has said Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel is “leading us to the brink of World War III.”

The former president used the crisis in the Middle East to criticise presidential rival’s handling of foreign policy, calling it “grossly incompetent.”

“The two incompetent people running our country — and I don’t think they’re even running it — are leading us to the brink of World War III, a war like no other,” Trump told the crowd at a campaign event in Waunakee, Wisconsin.

A vehicle damaged by the Iranian missile strike in Israel JACK GUEZ/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Iran said on Wednesday its missile attack on Israel was over barring further provocation.

“Our action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful,” Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Israel has said it will will launch a “significant retaliation” within days following the barrage of missiles fired by Tehran on Tuesday night.

Houthi rebels issue warning to Britain

Houthi rebels have specifically warned Britain that supporting Israel will put its interests “under fire”.

In a series of statements by Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesperson, reported by the Reuters news agency, the Yemen-based group specifically warned London and Washington that they would be targets. It also said it “would not hesitate” to broaden its operations against Israel.

Since the beginning of the latest Gaza war, the Iranian-backed group announced their support for Hamas and targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In May this year, Britain and the US carried out airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

Israeli soldiers beaten back, claims Hezbollah

Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon BAZ RATNER/AP

Hezbollah claims to have beaten back Israeli soldiers trying to cross the border into Lebanon.

The Iran-backed Lebanese group said its fighters clashed with “a large infantry force” in Misgav Am across the border with “rockets and artillery”, as well as troop gatherings in three other locations, one with Burkan rockets.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that it confronted “an Israeli enemy infantry force that tried to infiltrate into the village of Adaysseh … and clashed with them … and forced them to withdraw”.

In depth: Iran had little choice but to strike Israel

On hearing that Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s charismatic and corrupt leader, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, a deeply shaken Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, assembled key lieutenants at his home in Tehran to discuss the calamity.

For all the other partners and proxies Iran has assembled across the Middle East over decades, Hezbollah was the linchpin of the “axis of resistance” the Islamic Republic built to harry Israel and burnish its credentials as self-appointed leader of the Muslim world.

The stakes, as the Iranians could see it, were enormous. Hezbollah was the one force above all whose vast arsenal of rockets and proximity to Israel’s borders Tehran had counted on as insurance against direct Israeli strikes on Iran.

• Read in full: Supreme leader avenging Israel’s assassinations of Iranian proxy leaders

Israel sending more troops into Lebanon

Troops crossed into Lebanon on Tuesday to attack Hezbollah targets BAZ RATNER/AP

Israel’s military has announced that regulatory infantry and armoured units will join its invasion of southern Lebanon.

It said on Telegram that the 36th Division and additional forces are being called up for the ground operation. On Tuesday it was reported that elite divisions and paratroopers had crossed the border.

“The 36th Division, including soldiers of the Golani Brigade, 188th Armoured Brigade, 6th Infantry Brigade, and additional forces are joining the limited, localised, targeted raids on Hezbollah terror targets and terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon that began on Monday,” said the Israeli Defence Forces.

A 30-year-old professional dancer was named as one of seven victims of a shooting in Jaffa, a southern suburb of Tel Aviv.

Shahar Goldman, from the central Israel city of Lod, was killed on Tuesday evening, reported the Times of Israel.

A gunman and a second assailant armed with a knife also wounded ten others, five critically, including a female IDF soldier.

Police said that both assailants, Palestinians from the West Bank town of Hebron named Muhammad Khalaf Saher Rajab and Hassan Mohammed Hassan Tamimi, were shot dead.

Goldman was recently married and was a professional dancer who specialized in Latin dance, according to Ynet. The names of the other six victims are yet to be released.

Debris is cleared up following the missile strikes overnight HUSSEIN MALLA/AP

Lloyd Austin, the US secretary of defence, spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, after what he called an “outrageous act of aggression by Iran against Israel”.

“The minister and I expressed mutual appreciation for the co-ordinated defence of Israel against nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran and committed to remain in close contact,” he wrote on X.

Gazan school bombed, defence agency says

Gaza’s civil defence agency said that Israeli bombings killed 19 people on Tuesday — including nine in a strike on a school housing displaced people.

The Israeli military said that it struck Hamas terrorists using the building in central Gaza as a base to plan and carry out “terror attacks against IDF soldiers and the state of Israel.”

The IDF said that it took several steps ahead of the strike “to limit the harm to civilians”. The Israeli military also said troops opened fire Tuesday on “dozens” of Palestinians in central Gaza which they saw as an “immediate threat”. At least some were hit, it added.

Israel’s latest military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 41,638 people, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Analysis: What is the Iron Dome?

Iran launched 180 missiles towards Israel on Tuesday night MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Sirens rang out across Israel on Tuesday night as Iran launched dozens of missiles in retaliation for attacks on Tehran-backed militias in Lebanon and Syria.

Israel has built up a range of air defences, which has helped it intercept 99 per cent of the missiles launched by Iran and its proxy groups.

The military’s missile systems — the short-range Iron Dome, the medium-range David’s Sling, and the longer-range Arrow 2 and 3 — proved crucial when Israel last came under sustained attack in April. They were used to shoot down incoming drones, cruise missiles and rockets fired from Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Forces from the US, the UK and Jordan also helped form a “defence coalition” against the attack, which saw most threats intercepted outside Israeli airspace.

• Read in full: How Israel’s air defence system works

John Healey with Vasilis Palmas (left), the minister of defence for Cyprus YUI MOK/PA

John Healey, the UK’s defence secretary, confirmed that UK forces were involved in supporting Israel following the Iranian-launched missile attack last night.

Healey said that British forces had “this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.”

“I want to thank all British personnel involved in the operation for their courage and professionalism,” he added. “The UK stands fully behind Israel’s right to defend its country and its people against threats.”

The defence secretary has travelled to Cyprus where British staging crews are preparing a possible evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon.

A ballistic missile fired from Iran which fell into an Israeli family’s home JERUSALEM POST

The US and Israel are discussing a joint response to the Iranian missile barrage, warning Tehran of “severe consequences”.

Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, vowed to make Iran “pay” after the attack and pledged to immediately strike “the Middle East powerfully”.

Tehran responded by threatening to strike infrastructure across Israel if its territory was attacked.

President Biden said that the US was “fully supportive” of Israel and added he would discuss a response with the Israeli prime minister.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, posted on X that Tehran’s “action is concluded unless the Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation”.