Israel-Gaza-Lebanon updates: 87 killed in Israeli strikes on Beit Lahia

Hezbollah in Lebanon launches rocket attacks on Israel, IDF says.

ByDavid Brennan, Julia Reinstein, Nadine El-Bawab, Ivan Pereira, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: October 20, 2024, 3:20 PM EDT

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, was killed this week in a firefight with Israeli forces, officials said.

The development comes as Israel continues intense air and ground campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon and against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The uptick in offensive operations came as Israeli leaders planned their response to Iran's latest ballistic missile attack.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Oct 16, 2024, 4:27 PM EDT

Risk of cholera outbreak 'very high' in Lebanon after confirmed case: WHO

The risk of spread of cholera in Lebanon is "very high" after a case of the acute and potentially deadly diarrheal infection was detected in the country, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

"If the cholera outbreak ... spreads to the new displaced people, it might spread very fast," Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO representative in Lebanon, said in a press conference.

Israeli security forces survey damage to a home struck by a rocket fired from Lebanon in the town of Majd al-Krum, northern Israel, Oct. 16, 2024.
Ariel Schalit/AP

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Oct 16, 2024, 3:51 PM EDT

16 killed, 52 injured in Israeli strike on southern Lebanon municipal building

At least 16 people were killed and 52 others were injured in an Israeli strike on the Nabatiyeh town's municipal headquarters in southern Lebanon Wednesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said in an updated statement.

The strike killed the town's mayor.

-ABC News' Josiane Hajj Moussa

Oct 16, 2024, 3:51 PM EDT

Israel attacks UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, UN says

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said there was another Israeli attack on one of their positions in southern Lebanon in a post Wednesday on Telegram.

"This morning, peacekeepers at a position near Kafer Kela observed an IDF Merkava tank firing at their watchtower. Two cameras were destroyed, and the tower was damaged," UNIFIL said.

"Yet again we see direct and apparently deliberate fire on a UNIFIL position. We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times," UNIFIL said in a statement.

ABC News has asked the IDF for comment on this incident.

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman

Oct 16, 2024, 3:50 PM EDT

1.2 million people now displaced in Lebanon, UNICEF says

Approximately 1.2 million people are now internally displaced in Lebanon, including about 400,000 children, according to UNICEF.

"All parties in this conflict must prioritize the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Strikes on homes, health centers, schools or shelters are resulting in massive civilian casualties (100 children killed and over 800 wounded in the past three weeks). It is imperative that all parties to the conflict adhere to IHL and comply with the principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution in the conduct of hostilities," UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban said in a press conference Wednesday.

An explosion is seen following a missile alert amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as seen from as seen from Nahariya, northern Israel, Oct. 16, 2024.
Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

"We call upon the international community to act with urgency. Funding is critical. UNICEF's appeal is 8% funded right now. Funding must be free from conditionalities that hinder swift action," Chaiban said.

-ABC News' James Longman

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