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 08, 2024, 3:54 AM EDT

Israel should attack Iran's nuclear program, ex-PM says

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called for a major attack on Iran, saying in a video posted to social media on Tuesday: "The opportunity must not be missed."

Israeli leaders say they are preparing a response to Iran's Oct. 1 ballistic missile barrage.

The remains of an intercepted Iranian missile are seen during an exhibition on Oct. 6, 2024 on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel.
Leon Neal/Getty Images

"Attack the Iranian nuclear program and the regime centers now," urged Bennett, who was prime minister from 2021 to 2022 and remains an influential voice in national politics.

An August poll by Israel's Channel 12 news found 38% of respondents would support Bennett's return as prime minister, versus 33% who wanted Netanyahu to remain in the post. Both men polled better than opposition leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

Oct 08, 2024, 3:22 AM EDT

4th Israeli division joins Lebanon incursion

The Israel Defense Forces announced that a fourth division joined its ground operation in southern Lebanon on Monday.

The 146th Division "began limited, localized, targeted operational activities against Hezbollah terror targets and infrastructure in southwestern Lebanon," the IDF said. The 146th was previously deployed along Israel's northwestern border with Lebanon in a defensive role, it said.

Israeli soldiers and military vehicles gather next to the border with Lebanon, at an undisclosed location along the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, Oct. 3, 2024.
Atef Safadi/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The IDF said the 146th Division is the first reserve division to be deployed into southern Lebanon. Its troops will be supported by the 213th Artillery Brigade and other units, the IDF said.

The 146th joins the 91st Galilee Division, 98th Paratroopers Division and 36th Division which are already in action in southern Lebanon.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

Oct 07, 2024, 6:34 PM EDT

IDF says they hit at least 120 targets in southern Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said they struck more than 120 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Monday within an hour.

The airstrikes followed evacuation orders earlier Monday.

Smoke billows amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon, Oct. 7, 2024.
Aziz Taher/Reuters

Over the past 48 hours, 190 airstrikes were recorded throughout Lebanon, primally in the south, according to the Lebanese Security Council. Forty-seven people were killed and another 207 injured, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

Approximately 190 projectiles were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israeli territory on Monday, according to the IDF.

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

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