Israel-Gaza-Lebanon updates: IDF orders evacuations in Beirut as huge blast hits city

Over 1,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in the last two weeks.

Last Updated: October 6, 2024, 7:29 PM EDT

Israel's Lebanon operation continues as leaders consider their response to Iran's long-range attack on Tuesday, in which hundreds of missiles were fired into the country, according to Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations.

Iran said the unprecedented attack was retaliation for a wave of assassinations carried out by Israel over the last several weeks targeting Hezbollah, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Most of the missiles were intercepted, but "several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed," an Israeli security official said.

Tune in to ABC News Live at 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, for "Oct 7th: Race to Survive" -- special coverage of the anniversary of the conflict. Veteran correspondent Matt Gutman highlights voices of Israelis and Palestinians impacted by the war and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Oct 03, 2024, 3:44 PM EDT

2nd US charter flight departs Lebanon

The U.S. State Department organized a second flight Thursday to evacuate Americans from Lebanon, spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

The flight departed Beirut for Turkey on Thursday morning with 134 passengers, Miller said during a press briefing Thursday.

Following Wednesday's charter flight out of Beirut, that brings the total number of American citizens and their immediate family members who have departed to 250, he added.

In the past week, the State Department has also been able to secure 1,400 seats for Americans on Middle East Airways commercial flights, according to Miller.

"While we don't know the total number of U.S. citizens who have left via the seats we have made available on commercial flights, we do know that a high percentage of those seats have been filled," he said. "We urge Americans to take advantage of these options now, while it is still safe to do so."

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Oct 03, 2024, 3:12 PM EDT

28 health care workers killed in past 24 hours in Lebanon: WHO

Twenty-eight health care workers have been killed in Lebanon in the past 24 hours amid Israel's bombardment, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

"Health and humanitarian workers, including WHO staff, have done incredible work under very difficult and dangerous conditions with limited supplies. And yet health care continues to come under attack," WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

In southern Lebanon, 37 health facilities have been closed, he said. In Beirut, three hospitals have been "forced to fully evacuate staff and patients" and two others were partially evacuated, he said.

"Many health workers are not reporting to duty as they fled the areas where they work due to bombardment," the director said. "This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and continuity of health services."

Oct 03, 2024, 2:13 PM EDT

Emirates cancels some flights in the Middle East

Emirates is canceling all regular flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Jordan on Friday and Saturday "due to regional unrest," the airline said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also issued a Notice to Air Missions on Thursday urging "airlines and pilots to use caution when flying in Israeli airspace."

-ABC News' Sam Sweeney and Ayesha Ali

Oct 03, 2024, 1:45 PM EDT

46 people killed in Lebanon in past 24 hours, officials say

At least 46 people have been killed and 85 injured over the past 24 hours in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, as cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel continued Thursday.

Overall, at least 1,974 people have been killed and 9,384 injured in recent days amid the increased fighting between Israel and Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Khiam near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, Oct. 3, 2024.
EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

In the last two days, about 110 airstrikes and shelling were recorded in Lebanon, "mostly concentrated in the south and the southern suburb of Beirut," according to a Lebanese government situation report released on Thursday.

More than 45 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel so far on Thursday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon continued Thursday, according to multiple Hezbollah statements and warnings from Israeli forces to evacuate certain villages in southern Lebanon.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Ghazi Balkiz

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