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Israel-Gaza-Lebanon live updates: Drone strike targets Netanyahu's house

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Last Updated: October 19, 2024, 2:43 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.

9:23 AM EDT

33 killed, 3 hospitals targeted in Israeli strikes on northern Gaza

At least 33 people were killed and dozens of others were wounded in Israeli airstrikes that hit several homes in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza overnight Saturday, according to Gaza Civil Defense and Gaza’s Hamas-run Media Office. Three of the four functioning hospitals in North Gaza were targeted by Israeli tanks and troops, according to medical staff and the Gaza ministry of health.

IDF vehicles surrounded the Indonesian Hospital, firing at the main entrance as well as the upper floors of the hospital, resulting in a complete power outage and the failure of its generator, according to the director of the hospital. The hospital is treating about 40 patients and the health ministry said the patients and medical staff are trapped in the hospital.

The entrance to Kamal Adwan Hospital's medical lab was hit with an airstrike -- killing one person and injuring several others. Al Awda Hospital was shelled with artillery, according to the ministry of health.

The IDF said its "troops eliminated several terrorists in close-quarters encounters and IAF strikes" in the Jabalia area. ABC News has asked for comment about the attacks on hospitals but the IDF has not commented so far.

The fourth hospital in Jabalia, Al Yemen Al Saeed, was bombed on Oct. 9.

The Israeli siege on the Jabalia refugee camp has entered its fifteenth day, with over 400 people killed -- including women, children and the elderly -- and hundreds more wounded, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.

-ABC News' Samy Zyara

5:41 AM EDT

Drone strike launched from Lebanon toward Netanyahu's home, no casualties reported

Three drones launched from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory early Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Two of the drones were intercepted while the third hit a structure in the area of Caesarea, a coastal town in northwestern Israel. No injuries were reported, the IDF said.

A spokesperson for the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a statement that Netanyahu’s private residence was the target of a drone attack, but that the prime minister and his wife were not home at the time and there were no casualties.

No group has claimed responsibility. Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has not commented.

Oct 18, 2024, 5:06 PM EDT

Targeting of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon is 'absolutely unacceptable,' Italian prime minister says

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Lebanon Friday, calling the targeting of United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon -- peacekeeping forces -- "absolutely unacceptable."

"We are committed to discussing the issue of the displaced in Lebanon at a European level,” Meloni sad.

Meloni called for a 21-day cease-fire after meeting with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Fighting continued in Lebanon on Friday with the Israel Defense Forces issuing more evacuation orders in southern Lebanon and calling up an "additional reserve brigade" for "operational missions" in northern Israel.

There were 87 airstrikes over the past 24 hours, according to the Lebanese prime minister's office said. Six people were killed and 69 others were wounded in the strikes. Over 2,400 people have been killed and over 11,300 were wounded since Israel began its increased attacks on Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry Public of Health.

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman

Oct 18, 2024, 2:00 PM EDT

Sinwar killed using tank after exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers, IDF says

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by tank fire that targeted a building he was inside after Israeli soldiers and Hamas members exchanged fire on the streets of Rafah Wednesday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Two of the Hamas members were killed by IDF soldiers in the exchange of fire before a third Hamas member ran into a building. Israeli forces then sent a drone into the building for surveillance, which they used to determine that the third Hamas fighter was still alive inside.

IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzl Halevi and other officers tour the scene of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death in Rafah, Oct 17, 2024.
Israel Defense Forces

The IDF then used a tank to fire at the building, "eliminating" the person inside, the IDF said. The IDF did not get Sinwar's body and positively identify him until Thursday.

Sinwar was found with a handgun and documents that are also being analyzed, the IDF said.

-ABC News' Dorit Long

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