The Israel Defense Forces continued its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza -- particularly in the north of the strip -- and in Lebanon, with Israeli attacks on targets nationwide including in the capital Beirut.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after the former launched what it called "precise strikes on military targets" in several locations in Iran following Tehran's Oct. 1 missile barrage.
The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday it struck more than 110 "terror targets" in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, as its intense military operations in both areas continue.
The IDF claimed to have killed around 60 Hezbollah fighters in strikes in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek and north of the Litani River.
A Hezbollah flag flutters at a site damaged in the aftermath of an Israeli strike on the town of Al-Ain in the Baalbek region in Lebanon on Nov. 6, 2024.
Mohammed Yassin/Reuters
The IDF's operation in north Gaza continued, with the force claiming to have killed around 50 militants there over the past day. The focus is on the Jabalia and Beit Lahiya areas.
In Gaza's southern Rafah area, the IDF said its forces killed "a number of armed terrorists and dismantled terrorist infrastructure."
Nov 06, 2024, 4:10 AM EST
Israeli leaders congratulate Trump on election result
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top officials congratulated former President Donald Trump on a "huge victory" in Tuesday's presidential election.
Netanyahu wrote on X: "Congratulations on history's greatest comeback."
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
"Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America," Netanyahu added.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, newly-appointed Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also all offered their congratulations.
Nov 05, 2024, 1:21 PM EST
Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Gallant
Protests erupted in Tel Aviv after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and replaced him with current Minister of Foreign Affairs Yisrael Katz.
The prime minister and defense minister must have "complete trust" during war, and "over the past few months this trust has been cracked between me and the Minister of Defense," Netanyahu said in a statement.
Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, left, and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, attend a ceremony marking the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7 last year that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, Oct. 27, 2024, in Jerusalem.
Gil Cohen-Magen/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Netanyahu said he tried to bridge the gaps, but "they kept widening."
"They also came to the attention of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse, they came to the attention of the enemy - our enemies were pleased with this and benefited greatly from it," he said.
Netanyahu said Katz "has already proven his abilities and his contribution to national security as Minister of Foreign Affairs, as Minister of Finance, as Minister of Intelligence for five years, and no less important than that, as a member of the political-security cabinet for many years."
"He is known as a bulldozer in a combination of responsibility and firmness, quiet firmness," Netanyahu said.
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, H.E. Israel Katz speaks during the Security Council at the United Nations Headquarters, March 11, 2024, in New York.
John Lamparski/Getty Images, FILE
Families of hostages are critical of Netanyahu’s decision, saying it's "unfortunate proof of the Israeli government's poor prioritization."
"The dismissal of Defense Minister Gallant is a direct continuation of the 'efforts' to torpedo the hostage deal," the families said in a statement. "We demand that the incoming Defense Minister express an explicit commitment to ending the war and implementing a comprehensive deal to return all the hostages immediately."
Gallant said in a brief statement, "The security of the State of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life."
On Tuesday, Gallant highlighted the three points he said led to his ousting: Gallant believes all Israelis should serve in the Israel Defense Forces while Netanyahu favors exemptions for Orthodox youth; Gallant wants to make compromises to return hostages from Gaza now; and Gallant wants an immediate state commission of inquiry to look into the events that led to Oct. 7.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Nov 05, 2024, 8:50 AM EST
Famine risk looming in north Gaza, health officials warn
Acute food insecurity is a concern across Gaza, but the issue is especially pressing in the northern part of the strip where the Israeli military's ongoing assault has intensified in recent weeks.
A displaced Palestinian child carries a bowl of food near newly set up tents at the Yarmouk Sports Stadium in Gaza City on Oct. 25, 2024.
Omar Al-qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Abu Safiyeh -- who works at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya -- said the besieged facility is running out of all food, collecting video footage of the deteriorating situation there.
Safiyeh's warning followed a statement last week from the United Nations' food assistance arm warning that "the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza could soon escalate into a famine unless immediate action is taken."
