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

U.N. peacekeepers claim IDF tanks breached their base in southern Lebanon.

Last Updated: October 13, 2024, 5:51 PM EDT

The Israel Defense Forces continued intense air and ground campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon and against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The uptick in offensive operations came days after Israel marked the anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7 assault and as Israeli leaders planned their response to last week's Iranian ballistic missile attack.

Oct 07, 2024, 6:29 PM EDT

Harris, Emhoff mark Oct. 7 by planting pomegranate tree at VP residence

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff marked the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack by planting a pomegranate tree -- a symbol of hope and righteousness in Judaism -- at the vice president's residence.

Harris said the tree will "remind future vice presidents of the United States, their families and all who pass through these grounds, not only of the horror of Oct. 7, but the strength and the endurance of the Jewish people."

PHOTO: Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff plant a memorial tree on the grounds of their residence in Washington, Oct. 7, 2024, to honor the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff plant a memorial tree on the grounds of the Vice President's residence in Washington, Oct. 7, 2024, to honor the victims and mark one year since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Ben Curtis/AP

The vice president underscored her pledge to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself.

Harris also said the world must "work to relieve the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who have experienced so much pain and loss over the year."

Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of a president or a vice president, also spoke about the "incredibly challenging day for Jews."

"We are still hurting, and today feels just as raw as it did one year ago," he said. "What happened on Oct. 7 is seared into our souls."

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Oct 07, 2024, 6:07 PM EDT

Israel's incursions into Lebanon are limited: US State Department

Israeli incursions into Lebanon continue to be limited, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday, noting that this assessment does not "offer any kind of forecast about what's going to happen."

Miller asserted that U.S. officials were still engaged in talks about "what the path forward ought to look like" with a variety of partners in the Middle East.

"Just because we don't make the details of those conversations public, which we are not at this point, doesn't mean that we are not actively engaged in them," he said.

Similarly, he said Israel's campaign in Lebanon hadn't impacted the administration’s drive to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and characterized Hamas as the main hurdle that has been "unwilling to engage in a meaningful way with the mediators.”

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Oct 07, 2024, 4:52 PM EDT

State Department organizes another flight out of Lebanon

The State Department said Monday it organized a flight to carry Americans out of Lebanon on Monday.

The flight carried approximately 150 American citizens, legal permanent residents and their family members from Beirut to Istanbul, the State Department said.

The department said earlier Monday that it had also organized two flights over the weekend carrying a combined 235 passengers from Beirut to Istanbul.

Monday's flight brings the total number of U.S. charter flights from Lebanon over the past week to eight, with 900 combined passengers, according to the State Department.

The State Department said it has additionally blocked off 868 seats for Americans on commercial flights, with a significant share of them filled.

Officials from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut are now in contact with approximately 8,500 people inside Lebanon who have asked for more information about departing the country.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday that does not mean that all intend to leave, though the department has assessed that there is still significant demand for additional government charter flights among Americans in Lebanon.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Oct 07, 2024, 12:51 PM EDT

IDF warns they will soon operate in maritime area off southern Lebanon

In a warning to vacationers, beachgoers and boaters, the Israel Defense Forces said they will soon operate against "Hezbollah maritime targets" south of the Awali River line.

"For your safety, refrain from being in the sea or on the beach from now until further notice. Being on the beach and boat movements in the area of ​​the Awali River line southward pose a danger to your life," the IDF said.

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