Israel-Gaza-Lebanon updates: Netanyahu calls UN troops Hezbollah 'human shields'

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined a memorial candle lighting held Monday in the Blue Room of the White House in remembrance of the victims of the Oct. 7 attack.

Rabbi Aaron Alexander recited in Hebrew "El Malei Rachamim" ("God Full of Mercy"), a traditional Jewish prayer for those who have died, then recited it in English.

Biden then lit the yahrzeit candle before observing a moment of silence. Biden made the sign of the cross after a few moments.

Alexander is a family friend of the Goldberg-Polin family. American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 at the Nova Music Festival. His body was recovered by Israeli forces in late August.

Biden also spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog earlier Monday to express his "deepest condolences" to Israelis and families of the Oct. 7 attack, the White House said.

-ABC News' Justin Ryan Gomez

Air alert sirens sounded across central Israel on Monday due to a missile launch from Yemen, the Israel Defense Forces said.

"The air force successfully intercepted a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen," the force wrote on X.

Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly targeted Israel using missiles and drones. Israel has launched airstrikes on Houthi military and infrastructure sites in response.

Two more powerful strikes hit Beirut on Monday morning as Israel's air campaign continued, including one that impacted close to the city's international airport.

The strikes sent towering pillars of smoke and dust rising above the capital and Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.

The airport is located south of the city center close to the Dahiya suburb, which is known as a Hezbollah stronghold and has borne the brunt of Israel's attacks on the city.

Beirut's airport is still functioning despite nearby airstrikes, though major international carriers have frozen operations there due to the deteriorating security situation.

Lebanon-based Middle East Airlines now accounts for most flights landing at and departing the airport, which was bombed by Israeli warplanes in 2006 during the last major cross-border conflict.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell and Morgan Winsor

Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked the first anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack by calling on the international community to "condemn Iran's support for Hamas and other terrorist groups in the region that are responsible for so much death, destruction and instability."

"Today, we mark a devastating and tragic anniversary," Blinken said in a statement published by the State Department. "The depravity of Hamas' crimes is almost unspeakable."

The Oct. 7 attack "unleashed a year of conflict, with tragic consequences for the Palestinian people," Blinken said.

"The United States mourns the death of every innocent who died on Oct. 7 and in the year since. It is time to reach a ceasefire agreement that brings the hostages home, alleviates the suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian people and ultimately brings an end to this war."

Blinken called on other nations to "stand steadfast in the face of terrorism and violent extremism, including the sources of support for groups like Hamas," specifically Iran.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to lasting peace and stability across the region and for a common future for Israelis and Palestinians with equal measures of security, dignity, opportunity and freedom," Blinken added.