Israel Lebanon latest: Israeli airstrikes leave 569 dead as Brits urged to leave Lebanon

Tens of thousands of people have fled southern Lebanon after Israel’s two-day-long incessant bombing killed more than 560 people, including 50 children, according to the health minister.

Families that fled southern Lebanon flocked to Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon, sleeping in schools turned into shelters, as well as in cars, parks and along the beach.

Some sought to leave the country, causing a traffic jam at the border with Syria, Associated Press reported.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that attacks will continue on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. But a military spokesperson said Israel aims to keep them “as short as possible, that’s why we’re attacking with great force”.

“At the same time, we must be prepared for it to take longer,” he said.

The UN’s high commissioner for refugees in Lebanon said one of its staffers and her young son were among those killed on Monday in the Bekaa region, while a cleaner under contract was killed in a strike in the south.

Israel says it has killed a top Hezbollah commander during its two-day bombing campaign in Lebanon that has left more than 560 people, including 50 children, dead.

Israel late on Tuesday said it carried out “extensive strikes” targeting Hezbollah weapons and rocket launchers across southern Lebanon.

It said the strikes in Beirut killed Ibrahim Kobeisi – a top commander with the militant group’s rocket and missile unit who allegedly planned a 2000 attack when three Israeli soldiers were abducted and killed.

Lebanon’s health ministry said six people were killed and 15 were wounded in the strike in a southern Beirut suburb, an area where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

Ministers say more than 500 people have been killed in the past 24 hours as they echoed calls for ceasefire in Lebanon.

The Defence Secretary John Healey said: “We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life.

“Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British nationals should the situation deteriorate.

“I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism.”

A government source told The BBC that the difference between the chaotic 2021 Afghanistan evacuation is there are still commercial flights leaving Lebanon – for now.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is sending 700 troops to nearby Cyprus and the government “continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon”.

The situation in the country is described as deteriorating “rapidly, with devastating consequences”.

Sir Keir said: “The most important message from me to British nationals in Lebanon is to leave immediately.

“It is important that we’ve been really, really clear: now is the time to leave.”

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed disappointment on Tuesday with President Joe Biden’s remarks about the escalating crisis between Lebanon and Israel, but said he held out hope that Washington could still intervene to help.

“It was not strong. It is not promising and it would not solve this problem,” Habib said of Biden’s speech at the United Nations earlier in the day. “I (am) still hoping. The United States is the only country that can really make a difference in the Middle East and with regard to Lebanon.”

Habib spoke during an event hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN the world is witnessing the “true nature of the Israeli regime” as he urged “an end to the desperate barbarism [in Lebanon] before it engulfs the region and the world”.

The Iranian president said Israeli “state terrorism” over the past few days in Lebanon “cannot go unanswered”.

He said: “The responsibility of all consequences will be borne by those governments who have thwarted all global efforts to end this horrific catastrophe.”

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said the country wants peace for all and is ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West.

Pezeshkian criticized Iran’s arch-foe Israel for what he called “its genocide in Gaza” and said it should stop immediately. Iran’s leaders hope to see an easing of U.S. sanctions over its nuclear programme.

But relations with the West have worsened since the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7 and as Tehran has increased its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“We seek peace for all and have no intention of conflict with any country … Iran opposes war and emphasizes the need for an immediate cessation of military conflict in Ukraine,” Pezeshkian said.

The deployment to Cyprus comes as the government begins the first stage of its contingency plan, with the military team supported by Border Force and Foreign Office officials.

Britain said on Tuesday that its nationals should leave Lebanon and continued to advise against all travel to the country, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.

“Around 700 UK troops will move to Cyprus in the coming hours, as the Government continues to prepare its contingency plans following significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon in recent days,” the office said in a statement.

An Israeli strike hit the Lebanese seaside town of Jiyyeh for the first time early on Wednesday, 75 km north of the border with Israel, two security sources said.