Israel-Hamas war latest: Netanyahu warns Iran as Israel continues strikes in Lebanon

Israel's prime minister issued a warning to Iran Monday, just days after an airstrike south of Beirut killed the leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which is backed by Tehran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “there is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach.” Later Monday, officials in Washington confirmed Israeli troops were conducting small raids across the border in Lebanon, but provided no details.

Hezbollah’s acting leader promised the group will fight on following the death Friday of its long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has also assassinated several of the group’s top commanders in recent days. Naim Kassem said in a televised statement that if Israel launches a ground offensive, the group’s fighters are ready. He said the commanders killed have already been replaced.

An airstrike early Monday hit an apartment building in central Beirut — the first to hit in the heart of the Lebanese capital in nearly a year of conflict — and killed three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small, leftist Palestinian faction. Another Israeli airstrike early Monday killed six people, including two sisters and a child, in central Gaza, Palestinian officials said.

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Here is the latest:

US National Security Council says Israel's ‘limited operations’ are within its right to self-defense

WASHINGTON — The White House National Security Council said Israel’s “limited operations” to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure across the border were in line with the country’s right to defend itself.

The NSC, however, warned that the an expansion of that operation was a risk. It added that a diplomatic solution was the only way to achieve lasting stability along Israel’s border with Lebanon.

Israeli ground forces crossed into southern Lebanon in an offensive targeting Hezbollah. The Israeli military said Tuesday it has begun a limited ground operation against Hezbollah targets that were an an immediate threat to northern Israeli communities.

"This is in line with Israel’s right to defend its citizens and safely return civilians to their homes. We support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah and all Iranian-backed terror groups. Of course, we know that mission creep can be a risk and we will keep discussing that with the Israelis,” the NSC said.

US supports Israel's right to defend itself, Austin says

WASHINGTON — United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Israel’s defense minister that he agreed on the need for a ground offensive inside Lebanon to rid the border area of Hezbollah weapons and other means it can use to carry out attacks across the frontier.

Austin told Yoav Gallant in a call that the U.S. supports Israel’s right to defend itself and discussed Israel’s military operations.

Israeli ground forces moved into southern Lebanon overnight, marking a significant escalation of an offensive against Hezbollah. The Israeli military said Tuesday it has begun a “limited” ground operation against Hezbollah targets it said posed an “immediate threat” to northern Israeli communities.

“We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border,” Austin said in a statement posted on the X social platform.

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This version corrects Lloyd Austin's title. He is Secretary of Defense, not of State.

Israeli military says it has begun ‘limited, localized’ operation in southern Lebanon

The Israeli military says it has begun a “limited, localized” operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

It said it was carrying out “targeted ground raids” in villages close to the Israeli border. The targets, it said, pose an “immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

It announced early Tuesday that the operation has been planned in recent months and was launched after approval by political leaders.

Missile targets US military facility near Baghdad airport

BAGHDAD — A missile attack has targeted a U.S. military facility near the Baghdad airport, two Iraqi security officials said.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said one rocket fell in an adjacent area used by Iraqi security forces and damaged vehicle parked there.

No casualties were reported in the attack early Tuesday. Air traffic was halted as a result of the strike.

U.S. officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment and no group claimed responsibility.

Iran-backed Iraqi militias have regularly targeted bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq over the past year, which they have said is a response to Washington’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon.

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Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report.

Israel orders residents to evacuate 3 buildings in south Beirut

BEIRUT — The Israeli military has issued new instructions ordering residents of three buildings in south Beirut to evacuate immediately.

Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes in the Dahiyeh area in recent days, accusing the Hezbollah militant group of hiding weapons in local buildings.

“You are present near assets and warehouses belonging to Hezbollah terrorists, and so the IDF will act against them with force,” the army said in a message posted on the social platform X.

It called on residents to move at least 500 meters (550 yards) from the buildings “for your safety and the safety of your family.”

Airstrikes could be heard throughout Beirut and smoke rose from areas in the city's southern suburbs a little more than an hour after the Israeli military issued the evacuation order.

UN assesses the impact of Israeli airstrikes on aid deliveries to Yemen

UNITED NATIONS — Humanitarian officials are assessing the damage from Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s main port of Hodeida, a key delivery point for aid and commercial goods to the Arab world’s poorest nation.

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Monday that the U.N. is also trying to work out the impact of Sunday’s airstrikes on its ability to deliver humanitarian goods and fuel to the country.

The U.N. humanitarian office “warns that disruption to the flow of imports which go through Hodeida and surrounding areas could have dire consequences for Yemen’s population,” Dujarric said.

The U.N. isn’t aware of anything going through the port now, he said.

Dujarric said the United Nations is concerned about the Israeli airstrikes and previous attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Israel.

International experts reported in August that famine is looming in four districts in Yemen, and all 117 districts in government-controlled areas are expected to suffer from “serious” levels of acute malnutrition. The report reflects the worsening food insecurity since Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa, and much of the north, forcing the government to flee to Saudi Arabia.

The war has killed more than 150,000 people and caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In recent years, it has deteriorated largely into a stalemate.

UN secretary-general calls for an end to hostilities in Lebanon

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief is calling for de-escalation and a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, saying civilians are suffering the brunt of the increasing violence.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ appeal for “diplomatic avenues to be given space” was delivered by U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Monday.

Israel’s escalating airstrikes have affected about one million people and about 100,000 have fled to neighboring Syria, Dujarric said.

He said the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, has been unable to deploy its troops from their bases because of the intensity of the fighting.

On the humanitarian front, the United Nations plans to launch an emergency appeal on Tuesday to help meet the needs of the one million people affected by the violence, Dujarric said.

The U.N. World Food Program has delivered food to more than 65,000 people in shelters in recent days, and the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has opened seven emergency shelters that are accommodating 1,400 people.

Bulgaria evacuates 89 nationals and will return for more who want to leave

SOFIA, Bulgaria — A Bulgarian government jet has returned to Sofia with 89 nationals who were evacuated from Lebanon.

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, who welcomed them at the Sofia Airport on Monday, said the government was discussing all options for future evacuations.

“We will evacuate the Bulgarians from Lebanon in the safest way, regardless of the cost. The most important thing is that it is done in the most secure and safe way. There is nothing more expensive than human life,” Glavchev said.

According to Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Shekerletova, 160 out of about 400 Bulgarians who live in Lebanon have said they want to be evacuated.

“More than half arrived on the first flight, while more requests have been processed. A new flight will be scheduled as soon as a group is assembled, and travel is safe,” Shekerletova said at the airport.

“In less than 24 hours, our embassy organized an evacuation, including for the baby who had no documents,” said 38-year-old mother of two Jana Sharaf, holding her 20-day-old infant.

“On Tuesday the bombing started and very quickly it became very scary, very bad. We didn’t know where the bombs would fall, what they were targeting. It was very scary.”

Israeli military declares 3 border towns a ‘closed military zone’

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military has declared three communities along Israel’s northern border to be a “closed military zone,” in a possible precursor to a ground invasion of Lebanon.

The order Monday restricts entry and exit from the communities to military forces only. The towns are Metula, Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi.

The order does not necessarily mean that Israeli troops will invade Lebanon immediately. Areas can also be declared closed military zones if an imminent threat is detected.

But the Israeli army has heavily beefed up forces along the border with Lebanon in recent days, and commanders have said they are prepared to send in forces if the government gives the order.

EU leaders want an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers are calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and have expressed support for U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

“Arms should now be silenced, and the voice of diplomacy should speak and be heard by all,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after chairing an emergency meeting Monday.

“The sovereignty of both Israel and Lebanon has to be guaranteed,” Borrell said. “Any further military intervention would dramatically aggravate the situation and has to be avoided.”

Borrell said ministers of the 27-nation EU discussed the need for increased humanitarian aid and close coordination “to be prepared for any emergency situation.”

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said he and his counterparts discussed possibly evacuating European nationals from Lebanon.

Both underlined the importance of the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. “The safety and security of U.N. peacekeepers is paramount,” Borrell said.

Israel launches small raids across the border with Lebanon, larger operation planned, officials say

WASHINGTON — Israel has launched small, precision raids across the border in Lebanon and a larger ground operation is being planned, according to two officials.

It was not clear if Israel had made a final decision on a broader operation. The Israeli military did not comment.

The U.S. official and the Western official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

It was not clear what the small ground raids entailed and there have been no reports of direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants on Lebanese soil.