Lebanon Raises Toll to 4 Dead in Overnight Israeli Strikes

04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)
04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)
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Lebanon Raises Toll to 4 Dead in Overnight Israeli Strikes

04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)
04 September 2026, Lebanon, Tyre District: Smoke rises after Israeli forces carried out an explosion targeting homes in Mansouri, southern Lebanon. (dpa)

Lebanon on Saturday raised the toll in Israeli strikes on the country's south and east overnight to four killed, with Israel saying it was responding to an attempted Hezbollah attack. 

Lebanon's health ministry reported four people killed including an 18-year-old woman, and 32 others wounded, including several women and children, in Israeli strikes on several locations on Friday, particularly in the Nabatieh region. 

An Israeli army statement said its forces struck Hezbollah "terrorists and infrastructure" including "weapon storage facilities". 

"The strikes were carried out in response to Hezbollah's attempted attack" on Friday against Israeli troops in south Lebanon "during which a drone was launched toward the soldiers", it said, without reporting troop injuries. 

The raids came after Israel said on Thursday that it had taken control of the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge near south Lebanon's Nabatieh. 

Hezbollah, which has not claimed any attacks on Israeli targets for weeks, on Saturday condemned the strikes, in its first statement since Israel announced it had captured the Ali al-Taher ridge. 

The statement did not mention Ali al-Taher or confirm Israel had taken the site. 

In the town of Mayfadoun, an AFP photographer saw a few residents inspecting the latest destruction. 

Ali Suliman, a relative of slain 18-year-old Maryam Salameh, said her family had been displaced for six months by Israeli bombardment "and returned only yesterday". 

"What targets were here? They are all civilians," he said, adding that Salameh had recently received a certificate of excellence at school, but now "she will receive a death certificate". 

The strikes also came after the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday facilitated the transfer to Lebanon of four people detained by Israel, a day after another person was freed. 

Hezbollah called Israel's release of the five detainees this week "significant", but said the move "cannot serve as a pretext for overlooking the continuation of aggression, occupation and killing." 

"Nor can it justify pursuing a course that has proven incapable of protecting Lebanon and its people," Hezbollah added, referring to Lebanon's direct negotiations with Israel. 

Lebanon began the talks after Hezbollah drew the country into the Middle East war in March by attacking Israel, which responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people. 

Israeli forces are operating inside a self-declared occupied "security zone" around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanon along the border. 

Violence has lessened since a US-Iran memorandum of understanding on the broader conflict in June and a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon later that month. 



Drone Strike in Disputed Sudan-South Sudan Area Kills Dozens, Minister Says

A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)
A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)
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Drone Strike in Disputed Sudan-South Sudan Area Kills Dozens, Minister Says

A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)
A person wounded in a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan is carried to Ameth Bek hospital, October 20, 2026. (Reuters/Medecins Sans Frontieres/Handout)

At least 73 people were killed when drones struck a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border of South Sudan and Sudan, the caretaker information minister for the jointly administered region said on Tuesday, accusing Sudan's army of carrying out the attack.

The minister did not provide evidence for his claim of who was responsible for Monday's attack.

Abyei is an oil-rich area that is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, which have both staked claims to it. It experiences frequent bouts of ‌violence, with clashes ‌usually involving rival ethnic groups or armed militias.

"Around ‌73 ⁠people have been ⁠killed and 19 have been wounded ... a number of drones were shot yesterday by the Sudanese armed forces," Yohana Akol Ngor, the caretaker minister of information of the Abyei region, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Last year, at least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in a drone attack by separatist armed ⁠groups on a UN base in Abyei, Bangladesh's ‌armed forces said.

South Sudan's foreign ‌ministry said in a statement late Monday that drones struck a market ‌located north of Abyei town, but did not specify the ‌number of civilian casualties resulting from the attack.

The ministry said it had summoned the Sudanese ambassador to convey the government's "strong protest and deep concern regarding the attack and its implications for the security of civilians and ‌the stability of the Abyei Area."

The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said in a statement that ⁠it was ⁠treating more than 20 wounded people at the nearby Ameth Bek Hospital.

"So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted. We are providing surgical services and wound dressing, along with other emergency care," said Christian Lindauer, MSF medical activities manager at Ameth Bek Hospital.

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has devastated large parts of the country and created what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.


2 Killed in Pre-Dawn Attack on Gaza Apartment

Children stand at the site of an Israeli strike on a residential building that killed two people in Gaza City on October 20, 2026. (AFP)
Children stand at the site of an Israeli strike on a residential building that killed two people in Gaza City on October 20, 2026. (AFP)
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2 Killed in Pre-Dawn Attack on Gaza Apartment

Children stand at the site of an Israeli strike on a residential building that killed two people in Gaza City on October 20, 2026. (AFP)
Children stand at the site of an Israeli strike on a residential building that killed two people in Gaza City on October 20, 2026. (AFP)

The Israeli military struck an apartment in Gaza before dawn on Tuesday, killing two people and injuring others.

The two people killed were a man and his wife, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies.

The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas fighter.

The attack followed a series of strikes on Monday that killed at least four people. They came more than a year after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire. But the death toll in Gaza continues to rise as Israel carries out near-daily strikes on what it says are members of Hamas.

More than 1,500 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel since last year’s ceasefire, according to the territory’s health ministry, which maintains detailed records and is seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its toll but says women and children make up nearly half the dead.


Arab League Chief Pushes for Concrete Support for Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)
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Arab League Chief Pushes for Concrete Support for Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy has called for concrete political and financial support for Lebanon, as Lebanese leaders pressed for a diplomatic solution, Israel’s withdrawal and reconstruction.

“Lebanon is among the Arab League’s priorities, and among my own priorities as its secretary-general,” he said on Monday during a visit to Beirut that included meetings with President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Meeting the Arab League chief, Aoun accused Israel of failing to comply with the agreed framework and continuing its violations in South Lebanon, saying such actions only strengthened Lebanese determination to defend their land and rights.

He reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to diplomacy despite its difficulties, describing it as far less costly than a devastating war.

Declaring that it was time for Lebanon to enjoy some respite, Aoun welcomed Arab efforts to help the country overcome its challenges and stressed the importance of dialogue and negotiations.

The secretary-general said his visit followed a decision by Arab foreign ministers reaffirming support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, institutions and citizens.

He called for tangible financial and practical assistance that would strengthen state institutions and directly benefit the population, pledging to intensify contacts with Arab and Western governments.

Asked about the risk of a wider regional war, Fahmy denied conveying specific warnings to Aoun but acknowledged discussing the dangers posed by multiple conflicts and the possibility of a broader escalation.

He also reaffirmed the Arab League’s support for ending Israeli occupation and preserving Lebanon’s stability, stressing that each country had the right to determine its negotiating approach when asked about US-sponsored Lebanese-Israeli talks.

In talks with Berri, the Arab League chief reviewed regional developments and continued Israeli attacks, pledging to pursue diplomatic initiatives to secure assistance for Lebanese institutions and citizens.

The two also discussed the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose planned departure has raised concerns over a security vacuum.

The secretary-general said the Arab League opposed ending the mission, arguing that a continued UN presence offered the strongest framework for international oversight and accountability. Any alternative, he stressed, would require Lebanese agreement and a clear international legal mandate.

Salam urged continued Arab efforts to secure Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory and extend state authority nationwide through its own forces.

He also urged support for recovery and reconstruction to help residents remain in their communities and strengthen state institutions.

The prime minister encouraged Arab investment in infrastructure and regional connectivity projects to stimulate growth and deepen Lebanon’s integration with its Arab neighbors.

Fahmy announced plans to visit South Lebanon to assess conditions firsthand and help shape further diplomatic engagement with Arab governments and international partners.

The visit would support efforts to secure political and financial assistance for Lebanese institutions, including the army.

He said the trip would allow him to return to Cairo with a clearer assessment of Lebanon’s needs, paving the way for follow-up on Arab commitments and closer coordination of political and financial support.