Al Jezeera English

Israel carried out multiple air strikes overnight on the southern suburb of Beirut -- after ordering people to leave the area or risk being bombed. Explosions were heard across the Lebanese capital. At least four people, including a child, have been killed. One of the strikes hit near the Rafik Hariri Hospital. Residents have been fleeing the city, as Israeli attacks intensify.

A spy network allegedly gathering information on military bases and energy infrastructure for Iranian intelligence has been broken up, Israeli authorities say. In a statement, Israel’s internal security agency and police said they “successfully dismantled a spy network involving seven Israeli citizens who were operating on behalf of Iranian intelligence”. In a statement, Israel’s internal security agency and police alleged that the seven collected information about other Israelis and photographed Israeli military installations, including missile defence systems, air force and naval sites, and power plants. Spies operating a network allegedly working for Iranian intelligence in Israel are reported to be immigrants from Azerbaijan, military analyst Elijah Magnier told Al Jazeera. He said there is a “strong connection between Azerbaijan and Iran in borders but also a strong connection between Azerbaijan and Israel”. “This is why this makes the Azeri very valuable for both sides where Azerbaijan provides oil to Israel and Israel provides weapons to Azerbaijan,” he said, adding: “This is what makes that community and diaspora extremely attractive” to Iranian intelligence services. He said the fact that the spies were reported to have carried out 600 missions shows its members are considered “reliable” by Iranian intelligence. Magnier added that it also represents “a failure” by the Israeli authorities to identify the network “only after two years”.

He was Israel's most wanted man. But after a year-long hunt, the military says it has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the man accused of masterminding the October 7th attack on Israel. Israel says he was killed on Wednesday in a chance encounter in Rafah in southern Gaza. His body was identified using DNA testing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hind Hassan told Al Jazeera she met him “walking down the street in full view” during a period when Israel had been bombing Gaza for 11 days and “everyone had believed he was in hiding”.Hind said he did “not shy away” from some of the tougher questions.She said when she asked a question about the claims that Hamas firing rockets into Israel could constitute a war crime, he became “passionate” in his responses.He said that Palestinians were expected to be “perfect victims, and that’s something that they cannot be”, she said.He also drew a comparison between the protest movement that sprung up in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by US police in 2020, and what happened with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, to the Palestinian cause, Hind said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, discussed the potential impact of the rumoured death of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader, in an interview. He emphasized that no official confirmation has been made by either Hamas or the Israeli military. Bishara highlighted that previous assassinations of Palestinian leaders have often led to the emergence of more radical successors. He pointed out that the continued resistance is nurtured by the conditions of occupation. Bishara also explained that Sinwar, who spent 20 years in Israeli prisons, played a crucial role in uniting Hamas’s political and military wings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israeli strikes killed at least 28 Palestinians who were at a UN-run school sheltering displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip in Jabalia.The Abu Hussein School housed thousands of displaced people when the strike happened.Dozens of others are injured and being rushed to nearby hospitals. The Israeli military claims it conducted a precise strike on a meeting point for Hamas and Islamic Jihad members. Northern Gaza including the Jabalia refugee camp is under Israeli military's siege for 13 days. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel says it is investigating whether the leader of Hamas Yahya Sinwar has been killed.The Israeli military says at this stage, the identity cannot be confirmed. Sinwar is accused by Israel of masterminding the October 7th attacks.He has led Hamas within Gaza since 2017. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Palestinian rights groups are warning that Israel’s so-called General’s Plan is already “in motion” in northern Gaza. The “General’s Plan” is a strategy put forward by retired Israeli Major General Giora Eliand that aims to lay siege to the few hundred thousand remaining residents of northern Gaza to essentially empty out and ethnically cleanse this part of the territory.Luciano Zaccara, an associate professor of Gulf politics at Qatar University, says Israel is both starving or bombing Palestinians in Gaza to achieve its goal of defeating Hamas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lebanese armed group has fired a barrage of rockets, targeting the Israeli town of Ma'alot Tarshiha.The Israeli army says it intercepted some of the projectiles.Sirens were sounded in more than 60 cities and towns across northern Israel.Hezbollah has also fired at least 10 rockets at the Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona.Local media are reporting two buildings were hit.There are no reports of deaths or injuries.Overnight, Israeli jets fired flares into the night sky over the border region between the two countries.There have been several air strikes on the village of Aita al-Shaab in Southern Lebanon, that's about one kilometre from the Israeli border.Those strikes came just hours after an Israeli Air Raid on the city of Nabatieh killed at least 16 people - including the mayor.The US State Department says Washington is in touch with the Israeli government about the attack and that the US opposes the targeting of civilian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Israel's invasion of Lebanon escalates, some Israelis are pushing the idea of expanding Israel's territory yet again with the goal of a so-called ‘Greater Israel’ in mind. But is this just some fringe fantasy? Soraya Lennie looks at how this all came about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, highlights the shift in tone from the US ambassador, noting that while American diplomats have historically balanced their support for Israel with occasional reservations, this latest statement goes further. He emphasizes that it feels more like a reprimand, especially when addressing the "so-called policy of starvation." Bishara suggests that this change is significant, not just in rhetoric, but because it reflects the stark reality on the ground. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canada has accused Indian diplomats of colluding with an international criminal gang led by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to kill a Sikh separatist leader. Who is Lawrence Bishnoi, the man at the centre of the case that has ruptured diplomatic ties between the two countries? Soraya Lennie breaks it down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

North Korea says nearly one and a half million young people have applied to join its army. The State media published photos of what it said were young recruits enlisting. Pyongyang says the rush to join the army follows what it calls a “provocative drone incursion” by South Korea. North Korea's made similar claims about army recruitment in the past, during previous phases of heightened tensions in the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, highlights the ongoing war on Gaza by Israel. He suggests that Israel accuses the US of leaking information, while the US denies it, claiming it wasn’t meant for public release. Bishara links this to American deception regarding its concern for Gaza's humanitarian crisis and the threat to cut military aid if Israel doesn’t allow more aid in. The US appears to apply pressure while avoiding the perception of publicly reprimanding Israel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US is deploying advanced missile defense systems and troops to Israel, as tensions with Iran reach new heights. Does this signal an imminent attack on Iran? And what could that mean for the region? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israeli air raids in Baalbek caused widespread destruction, damaging a hospital and terrifying residents. The bombing campaign intensified, with reports of severe damage to infrastructure and ongoing strikes while staff attempted to assist patients. Local residents described extensive damage to their homes, expressing fear for their safety. The situation highlights the relentless nature of the attacks and the urgent need for relief and support in the region.Israel says it's targeting Hezbollah sites but many strikes have hit residential areas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hezbollah's deputy leader says the group has adopted "new calculations" to inflict pain on Israel. Naim Qassem also says the group will hit military targets throughout Israel if no ceasefire is agreed. The comments follow the deaths of at least 41 people in Israeli air strikes. The Israeli military says it's carried out 200 air raids on Hezbollah targets in the past 24 hours. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon Levy, a columnist with Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, says that although defeating Hezbollah in Lebanon is an “unachievable goal”, Israel believes this is an opportunity to beat its enemies and “delete all dangers”.“This is obviously an unachievable goal, but Israel is aiming there, first in Gaza to smash Hamas and then to crush Hezbollah in Lebanon and if possible also to at least hit the potential power of Iran, or at least to minimise it,” he told Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv.Israel has tried and failed to accomplish this in the past, such as in its 1982 invasion with the hopes to install a friendly government in Lebanon.“A gambler goes again and again to the casino, and he never learns,” Levy said of Israel’s unwavering belief that it will succeed in its goals this time. “He loses and loses and loses, and he tries again because he believes that the next time will be his chance, his great chance.”Levy added: “Israel in many ways is behaving very similarly, not learning anything from its own experience.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that the United States had assured him that Israel's bombings of Beirut would decrease. He mentioned that his communications with American officials led to a visible reduction in escalations in the city and its southern suburbs. However, Mikati noted that concrete plans for a ceasefire had not yet developed, although discussions were ongoing at the UN Security Council level. He emphasized the need to eliminate any justifications for targeting Lebanon's vital infrastructure, including airports and ports. Israel has indicated it currently believes these facilities are not being used for military purposes but has warned of potential attacks if it changes its assessment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Israeli military has stationed an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 troops, along with tanks and artillery, at its northern border with Lebanon. Several divisions, including elite paratroopers and reserve forces, have been deployed to support military operations to fight Hezbollah. So far, ground combat between Israeli forces and Hezbollah has escalated, with Israel clearing areas near the border while conducting air attacks deeper into Lebanon. Although Israel hasn't confirmed its next steps, the growing intensity of daily clashes suggests further military action may follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.