At least one person was killed and four were injured in overnight air raids by Israel’s air raids in the southern city of Nabatieh.
According to civil defense officials in Lebanon, fires erupted in the market’s 12 residential buildings and 40 shops on Sunday.
“Our livelihoods have all been levelled to the ground”, said Ahmad Fakih, whose corner shop was destroyed.
As Israeli drones buzzed overhead, rescuers were searching for survivors and what is still buried in the battered buildings early on Sunday.
Israel has issued a warning to residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate Nabatieh, even though the city also houses residents who have already been displaced.
The conflict in Lebanon dramatically escalated in September with a wave of Israeli attacks that killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and most of his senior commanders. This month, Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Red Cross reported in a separate incident that left four paramedics with concussions and two ambulances damaged by an Israeli air raid in southern Lebanon.
Since the start of the ground operation, Israeli forces have fired at first responders and UN peacekeepers on numerous occasions. Israel, without providing evidence, accuses Hezbollah of using ambulances to ferry fighters and weapons, saying Hezbollah operates in the vicinity of the peacekeepers.
Due to the lack of showers in the village, the tired volunteers head down a muddy hill to soak in the cold waters of a nearby river at the end of the second day of the clinic. They wrap their hammocks up for the last night, have a hearty meal, and wrap them in a towel.
Over the past two days, beneath the tropical heat and rain, they saw 133 patients and provided assistance and treatment for a number of maladies, from lesions and diarrhoea to fevers, cysts and pregnancy concerns.
“As a doctor, you’re always facing an uncertain and challenging environment where you’re questioning yourself”, says Dr Geoff McCullen, an orthopaedic surgeon and professor at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. “This week, I think our students learned they can face uncertainty, they can face challenges, manage these complexities simultaneously and be decisive about what a patient needs”.
Iryna Hrynyk, a Floating Doctors volunteer from the United States, and Federico Criado Rota, a volunteer from Argentina, attend to a patient with hand pain in La Sabana, Panama]Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]
After nightfall, wearing headlamps, the group discusses the medical cases they witnessed and reflects on an experience that pushed them out of their comfort zones, both as people and budding professionals.
“I’ve had so many firsts this week”, said Cristina Kontogiannis, a second-year medical student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. “I’ve never listened to a baby’s lungs and I got to do that here, for example. It’s been such a learning experience and I’m so thankful for this opportunity”.
Both Serrano and La Sabana’s residents are appreciative. He claimed that the Floating Doctors’ visits are frequently praised and voiced support for them at their regular meetings because La Sabana is a tight-knit community.
“We have a lot of need here. We have a lot of patients who have chronic illnesses, including children who have broken bones from machetes, snake bites, and other accidents, Serrano said. “We’re content and satisfied with the Floating Doctors, and they’ve taught how to be better equipped to deal with accidents and emergency issues, and that wasn’t always the case”.
Victoria Corvera Pose (centre), a Floating Doctors team member from Argentina, and Iris Ertugrul conduct a vision exam in the village of La Sabana]Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]
The Floating Doctors begin the journey back to headquarters by loading the duffel bags with medical supplies on the last morning. The group who enjoy laughing and singing during the sunny morning trek is easier to descend through the humid, boggy rainforest.
The bus awaits the group at Pueblo Nuevo, makes a stop for lunch, and drops the group off at the port, where they load boats, strap on their lifejackets and zip back across the Caribbean. The excited and exhausted team switches into swimming gear after arriving. They take a final group photo and then, together, jump into the warm and clear waters surrounding the island.
Another group of Floating Doctors volunteers will travel to La Sabana in three months to provide care to residents there in need. A few others will travel to Omayra from Wari and spend an additional hour walking in the rainforest.
“Because of Omayra’s condition and inability to walk, I can’t work or leave her side, and we don’t have the money to pay to transport her to the hospital”, said Julian Abrego, Omayra’s father. The fact that the Floating Doctors visit our home every day to take care of Omayra is a true blessing for us.
Jyotika Vallurupalli (left), a volunteer from the US, and Iris Ertugrul, a Floating Doctors team member from the Netherlands, attend to patient Omayra Abrego at her home in Wari, Panama]Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]
Police in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, are looking into the role of a well-known crime gang, leading to the death of a senior Muslim politician who was shot dead weeks before a crucial state election.
Baba Siddique, 66, a three-time legislator and former minister in Maharashtra state, was shot multiple times outside the office of his son, also a legislator, in Mumbai on Saturday night, police said in a statement.
He later succumbed to his wounds at the city’s Lilavati Hospital.
Siddique has long been associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party, but recently joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a regional party that governs Maharashtra in partnership with another regional group, the Shiv Sena.
November is expected to bring about assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Siddique, left, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan during an election rally in 2009]File: Punit Paranjpe/Reuters]
Following Siddique’s upgrade to his security detail, which reportedly received death threats, the shooting occurred.
According to press reports, police were looking for another suspect and two suspected attackers had been detained.
The two suspects allegedly participated in a gang run by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is accused of operating a crime gang that has committed numerous murders, according to NDTV’s broadcaster.
Police officers and reporters at the scene where Siddique was shot in Mumbai]Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]
Siddique was known for hosting lavish parties and was close to a number of Bollywood stars.
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP group that Siddique belonged to, said he was “shocked” by the killing.
“The incident will be thoroughly investigated, and the attackers will be subject to strict retaliation,” he declared. The mastermind behind the attack can also be identified, Pawar said in a statement on X.
“This is not the time to divide or to use others’ suffering for political gain,” he said. Our current focus must be on ensuring the delivery of justice.
The NCP has been devastated by the tragic loss of Shri Baba Siddique, a leader deeply loved by many, and personally, I have lost a dear friend whom I have known for years. We are heartbroken, struggling to grasp the cruelty of this incident. This is not just a political loss—it’s…
As the sun set in Baabda, Lebanon, Cieco was soaking up a cool shower between pine trees.
His auburn and caramel coat gleamed through as the soapy water washed off, and Barbara, content, toweled him and led him to the Alyarz Leisure Club dog shelter.
The date was September 27, and they were in Baabda, about 10km (6 miles) from Beirut.
Just as the Alyarz Pet Club (APC) volunteer released the Dutch Shepherd-Plott Hound from his leash, loud explosions echoed.
Israel had dropped 80 bombs on Dahiyeh, the suburb south of Beirut, a 15-minute drive from the shelter.
Barbara showered Cieco minutes before Israel dropped one-tonne bombs on Dahiyeh, on September 27, 2024]Tamara Saade/Al Jazeera]
However, Cieco, who was deaf and blind, could only sense the danger that was looming beyond his control.
after being shot in the face
Cieco (meaning “blind” in Italian and pronounced “Cheyko”) had just gotten to the APC two days earlier, on September 25, evacuated from the Mashala animal shelter in Nabatieh, on the southern border between Lebanon and Israel.
Houssein Hamza, the owner of Mashala, took him there after receiving a call telling him a dog had been found and shot in the face, and he had been living there for two years.
Multiple pellets – their origins unknown – remain lodged in Cieco’s face and skull.
Cieco was given by the team when he arrived at the APC in Baabda because Hamza did not name the injured dog who had come to his shelter two years ago and was concentrating on getting him back to health.
Hamza began to worry about the shelter’s most vulnerable animals as Israel’s attacks on Lebanon grew more and more intense last month, and he began to plan to take them out.
After being shot in the face and left to die, Cieco still has pellets embedded in his head. Here, he is shown being checked at the vet alongside an X-ray of his head showing the pellets]Tamara Saade/Al Jazeera]
The Lebanese public responded politely by posting a video on social media appealing for people to adopt or care for a blind dog and cat.
Difficulty people reached out in the hours that followed, and a Sidon taxi driver delivered the blind cat and dog to Beirut a few days later.
Due to intense traffic and frightened southbound travelers, the 90-minute journey lasted for hours, which was made worse by Israeli bombing that was never stopped along some routes.
How much of it Cieco felt is a mystery.
He needed some time to adjust to the shelter’s lifestyle and be gradually introduced to other dogs and his surroundings when he arrived.
“He initially struggled with the smells around him until he was used to them. He was extremely scared, not understanding who we are or where he is”, Razanne Khatib, the founder of APC, explained.
“He would barely sleep. And if he did, he would sleep while standing.
He now trusts his surroundings more, we later introduced him to the other dogs.
Cieco had to slowly be introduced to the other dogs at APC]File: Tamara Saade/Al Jazeera]
“We need animals to be saved,” says the statement.
As a result of the nearly one million people who have eluded the south in the last few weeks, Hamza has never thought about ejecting himself.
Leaving the shelter and animals behind is not an option, he said.
” For society to thrive, we need people to save humans, but also people to save animals. And another part to help the environment. If you only think you can help the humans and not other beings, you disrupt society, and the environment. “
Over the past 18 years, he has tended to dogs, cats, and chickens, relying on the goodwill of people and private donors to provide food and shelter for the animals and compensation for his helpers.
Initially, he took in pets only from his village. But he slowly expanded, unable to turn an animal away until his shelter, equipped to host 150 animals. Now, has some 300 dogs, 50 cats and other animals.
Now residing in Kfour, a bit further from the border, Hamza has adopted a new daily routine as Israel’s attacks increased in recent weeks.
He now ensures there is enough food to last the animals a few days in case he can’t return right away, despite once checking on the animals every day. However, the more dangerous roads have made the drives less frequent.
Hamza coordinates with shelters across the country to transport as many animals as possible into safer environments, checks on abandoned animals in deserted villages, and feeds any strays.
” At home, I take care of my chickens, cats, and birds, feeding them before heading to the shelter, “he said.
” First thing, I feed and water the animals, then]I do a] round of the area. I check on the abandoned dogs and the animals in the village, and occasionally people tell me about dogs that are scared of the planes and explosions.
Hamza finds himself getting busier by the day because the situation in Nabatieh hasn’t improved. However, he receives regular updates from the rescuers who removed the animals.
Before Hamza decided to evacuate Cieco to Beirut because the situation in south Lebanon deteriorated, he stayed for two years at the Mashala shelter in Nabatieh.
Sandra Mouawad, the founder of the Paws Crossed Lebanon shelter in Beirut, took in the blind cat, who was named Fossa, while APC took the dog they later named Cieco.
My destiny is in the hands of Jesus.
Some dogs at the facility started barking and growling as a result of the onslaught that resulted in the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah two days after Cieco arrived in Baabda, while others huddled in their enclosures fearing the chaos.
Cieco barely moved, although he was probably shaken by the vibrations.
The residents of Dahiyeh were a nightmare the night before, as a result of Israel’s demand to evacuate specific areas before bombing them throughout the night.
Families with children, the elderly, and animals were forced to sleep on the streets.
Lebanon’s most vulnerable communities, already weakened by the multitude of crises over the past few years, were left even more helpless.
And animals were not spared. Animals were captured on camera by the APC on October 4th, frightened by Israeli explosions that erupted in the background.
But shelters across Lebanon, as well as Hamza, are defiant, saying that now is the time to step up, and not back down.
” The more you love something, the more that love grows over time, “Hamza explained, referring to his love for the animals he cares for.
” My conscience didn’t allow me to leave them behind, even though my family had all left. If I didn’t love these animals as much as I do, I wouldn’t still be here.
“But I love them, and I trust in God – my fate is in His hands”.
The Israeli army continues to pound locations across Lebanon, including strikes on Nabatieh, a major city in the south.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered people to leave Lebanon and threatens to “destruction like Gaza” by ordering more troops to go there and deploying more troops there.
After a year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, according to Lebanon’s ministry of public health, Israel has killed at least 2,255 people and injured more than 10,000.
In addition, Lebanese authorities say, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced.
towns being destroyed in Lebanon
Numerous southern Lebanonese villages and Beirutese neighbourhoods have been severely damaged by Israeli attacks.
Israeli attacks have destroyed the Lebanese village of Yaroun, which is located roughly 1 km (0, 6 miles) away from Israel’s de facto border, the Blue Line.
Following Israel’s ground invasion into Lebanon, which started on October 1, satellite imagery from Al Jazeera’s verification unit Sanad shows levelled homes and cratered ground.
Further east, Maroun al-Ras is dotted with scenes of destruction.
Videos were posted online that showed soldiers hoisting the Israeli flag over Maroun al-Ras’s ruination.
One year of cross-border attacks
Since Hezbollah first launched attacks on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip as Israel waged a war against the enclave on October 8, 2023, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has continued.
Israel has carried out at least 9, 891 attacks against Lebanon, which is more than four times the number as Hezbollah has done against Israel.
Hezbollah, which was formed in 1982 to fight Israel’s invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon, says it will stop attacking Israel if its assault on Gaza stops.
Hezbollah fought a 34-day war against Israel in 2006, which was widely regarded as Israel’s most combat-ready nongovernmental fighting force.
Some Israeli leaders have pledged to forcefully or even militarily remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.
Between October 7, 2023 and October 4, 2024, Israel and Hezbollah and other armed groups exchanged at least 12, 054 attacks, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED).
About 82 percent of these attacks – 9, 891 – were carried out by Israel, which killed at least 1, 562 people in Lebanon.
At least 33 Israelis were killed in 2, 163 attacks carried out by Hezbollah and other armed groups.
Other parties involved in attacks against Israel include Hamas’ Qassam Brigades and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, both of which have armed wings of Palestinian organizations with presence in Lebanon, in addition to Hezbollah, which primarily suffered from the hostilities.
Within two weeks, from September 20 to October 4, there have been almost 2, 000 attacks between Israel and Lebanon. A sixth of all attacks since October 8, 2023 are caused by this.
The most recent Israeli attacks on these southern Lebanon locations:
Aita al-Shaab – 423 attacks
Kfar Kila – 325 attacks
Naqoura – 321 attacks
Hula – 303 attacks
Khiam – 269 attacks
The most frequent targets of Israeli group attacks were these locations in northern Israel:
Kiryat Shmona – 177 attacks
Metula – 116 attacks
Margaliyot – 104 attacks
Al-Manara – 95 attacks
Shtula – 84 attacks
Israel’s arsenal
In the Middle East, Israel maintains the most advanced missiles.
It makes many of them itself, but gets most of its precision-guided missiles from the United States.
Much of Israel’s capabilities are short-range tactical systems, including the Popeye, Extra and Gabriel missiles. Among its long-range missiles are Jericho 2 and Jericho 3 ballistic missiles with ranges of 1, 500-3, 500km (930-2, 175 miles) and 4, 800-6, 500km (3, 000-4, 000 miles), respectively, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Also, despite not officially acknowledging it, Israel is believed to , possess , at least 90 nuclear weapons.
To confront incoming rockets and missiles, Israel uses three integrated air defence systems: the Iron Dome (short-range), David’s Sling (medium-range) and Arrow (long-range).
The Iron Dome was originally billed as providing city-sized coverage against rockets with ranges of 4-70km (2.5-43 miles), but experts say it has been expanded.
David’s Sling, produced by Israeli weapons giant Rafael, can intercept rockets and missiles with a range of 40-300km (25-186 miles). The Arrow series, led by the Arrow 3 interceptor, has an estimated fly-out range of up to 2, 400km (1, 491 miles).
Hezbollah’s arsenal
Hezbollah is considered to be one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state actors, with an estimated rocket arsenal of 130, 000, according to CSIS.
On October 19, 2023, Israel’s Institute for National Security Research estimated that Hezbollah had 40, 000 Grad-type missiles with a short range of 15-20km (9-12 miles).
A step up are 80, 000 longer-range missiles, including the Fajr 3 and Fajr 5 ballistic missiles, with a range of 100km (62 miles).
Finally, there are about 30, 000 Zelzal or Fateh-110 missiles with a range of 200-300km (124-186 miles) – the longest-range weapons in Hezbollah’s inventory, capable of reaching southern Israel.
As Israel expands and expands its bombardment campaign throughout the country, a number of Israeli air raids have destroyed a mosque and levelled a market in southern Lebanon.
An old mosque was “completely destroyed” in the southern Lebanon village of Kfar Tibnit, according to the National News Agency, in the most recent Israeli raid early on Sunday. There are no fatal reports at this time.
The Lebanese Red Cross reports that several people were killed and a fire were also killed in an attack on a market in Nabatieh, in the southern city of Nabatieh on Saturday. Due to the enormous fire, it is not yet known how many people have died and injured.
Because of the enormous fire, it is still unclear how many people were killed and injured in the Israeli attack on Nabatieh.
The Lebanese Red Cross is still attempting to determine whether there were any survivors or those who were injured, according to Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan, who is based in Beirut.
“Many people are using social media,” They have been sending videos of entire streets being destroyed, which almost seems like apocalyptic scenes.
” The fire was so bad that emergency services were not able to get in and see if there were bodies in the rubble, “said Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Hasbaiyya in Nabatieh governorate, adding that the market” is now completely destroyed”.
The most recent attacks came as a result of an Israeli command to evacuate 23 southern villages by Lebanese citizens. To escape Israeli airstrikes, many people emigrated to northern Lebanon.
In addition, Israeli forces attacked at least three locations outside the traditional Hezbollah strongholds, killing at least 15 people and injuring 37 others in attacks in central and northern Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes hit Deir Billa in northern Lebanon for the first time in years as hostilities escalated. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, an Israeli attack resulted in two fatalities and four injuries when unidentified “body parts” were recovered.
In Barja, south of Beirut, four people were killed and 18 wounded in a raid, according to the ministry, which also reported nine deaths and 15 injuries in an” enemy strike “on the village of Maaysrah to the north of Beirut.
(Al Jazeera)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Western nations were quick to condemn the attacks, which the UN described as a “serious development” because of the Israeli attacks, which also claimed another UN peacekeeper’s injuries in the south.
Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said he feared an Israeli escalation against Hezbollah could soon spiral” into a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone”. There is” no military solution”, Tenenti added.
At least five UN peacekeepers were hurt in southern Lebanon, according to UNIFIL, in two days of fighting. Tenenti claimed that “a lot of damage” had been done to its posts there.
In a saturday call, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reportedly stated to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that UNIFIL should not be targeted.
Hezbollah claimed that its fighters clashed with Israeli forces trying to invade Ramyah village in southern Lebanon and detonated an explosive device. The group claimed on social media that fighting was still going on in the village and that Israelis had been killed there.
In the past 24 hours, according to Israel, about 300 rockets have been fired into northern Israel from southern Lebanon.
![Floating Doctors [Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Floating-Doctors-11Consultation-La-Sabana3-1727028937.jpg?w=770)
![Floating Doctors [Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Floating-Doctors-8Omayra-Best-1727028787.jpg?w=770)
![Pictures from Cieco at the vet, upon his arrival. Photo provided by [Courtesy of Al Yarz Pet Club]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/TS_07-1728205966.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C1027)
