Israel-Iran War News Updates: Biden says 'discussing' possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities

Foreign nationals from Europe, Asia and the Middle East fled Lebanon on Thursday as Israel's bombing of the capital Beirut intensified and governments worldwide urged their citizens to get out. Some countries provided air evacuations, while elsewhere hundreds of people boarded crowded ferries or smaller vessels as bombs fell on the heart of the city.

A source close to Hezbollah said an Israeli strike targeted a warehouse next to Beirut airport Thursday, the latest raid since Israel stepped up its offensive against the militant group last week.

"An Israeli air strike targeted a warehouse adjacent to the airport," the source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. It was unclear what the warehouse contained.

Oil prices rose on Thursday with all eyes on key producing countries in the Middle East and mounting concerns that a widening regional conflict could pose a threat to global crude flows.

Brent crude futures were up $3.59, or 4.86%, at $77.49 a barrel by 1:08 p.m. EDT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $3.58, or 5.11%, to $73.68.

The Israeli army said Thursday that its forces rescued an Iraqi Yazidi woman held captive in Gaza.

The woman arrived back in Iraq on Wednesday, Iraqi authorities said. According to Israel’s military, she was freed in an Israeli-led rescue operation earlier this week that was coordinated with the United States and Jordan.

The Israeli army on Thursday said its death toll from fighting in southern Lebanon rose to nine, as the military continued to target Hezbollah positions across the border.

"Captain Ben Zion Falach, aged 21… fell yesterday (Wednesday), during combat in southern Lebanon," the army said in a statement.

The head of the Israeli military vowed on Thursday to keep pounding Hezbollah positions across Lebanon, saying the group would not be allowed to "settle" back in its strongholds.

"We will not allow Hezbollah to settle itself in these places in the future. The severe blows against Hezbollah in all areas -- in Beirut, in the (Bekaa) Valley, in south Lebanon -- will continue," Israel's armed forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi said in a televised statement.

The World Health Organization says 28 health workers in Lebanon have been killed in the past day, and it called for a cease-fire. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described a dire situation in treating casualties, with three dozen health facilities closed in southern Lebanon and five hospitals either partly or fully evacuated in Beirut.

British Airways on Thursday said it was suspending London-Tel Aviv services until the end of the month as tensions mount in the Middle East.

"We ... have taken the operational decision to cancel our flights to Tel Aviv up to and including Saturday 26 October 2024," the company announced.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says a charter flight is being organized to repatriate 180 Italians from Lebanon.

Tajani also told Parliament on Thursday that he hoped they would arrive home “this evening.”

He said the ministry has also recommended that an estimated 700 Italians in Iran leave the country on commercial flights that are gradually resuming.

World football's governing body FIFA made no verdict either way at its council meeting on Thursday on a Palestinian request to suspend Israel, instead launching a committee investigation to inform its decision.

"The FIFA Council has implemented due diligence on this very sensitive matter and, based on a thorough assessment, we have followed the advice of the independent experts," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Thursday expressed his "full support" for Lebanon and said he ordered the provision of aid to the embattled country in light of attacks by Israel.

"I affirm the State of Qatar's full support for Lebanon and its brotherly people against the brutal attacks they are being subjected to," the emir said on social media platform X, adding that he has ordered "rapid action and the provision of all necessary resources" to provide aid to affected communities.

Oil price soared on Thursday after US President Joe Biden said the United States was discussing with Israel possible strikes on Iranian oil facilities.

WTI, the US contract, rose by as much as five percent before paring back some gains to sit at around $73 per barrel while Brent, the international benchmark, rose around four percent to $76.81.

US President Joe Biden said he was discussing possible Israeli strikes on Iranian oil sites in retaliation for Tehran's missile barrage on Israel, in comments that quickly sent oil prices spiking Thursday.

"We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little... anyway," Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if he supported Israel striking Iran's oil facilities.

US President Joe Biden said he did not believe any Israeli strikes against Iran would come on Thursday, as the region tensely awaits a response to Tehran's massive missile attack on Israel.

"First of all, we don't 'allow' Israel, we advise Israel. And there is nothing going to happen today," Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if he would allow Israel to retaliate against Iran.

Lebanon's health minister said Thursday more than 40 rescuers and firefighters were killed by Israeli fire in three days, with 97 killed overall since Hezbollah and Israel began clashing last October.

"In the past three days, more than 40 martyrs have fallen in Lebanon among those working in ambulances and fire trucks," Firass Abiad told reporters, adding that 97 "paramedics and firefighters" had been killed since fighting began. The toll includes rescuers in organisations affiliated with Hezbollah or other Lebanese parties.

The Israeli military said it hit Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut on Thursday amid a flurry of strikes targeting the group's positions in the Lebanese capital.

Israeli fighter jets "struck targets belonging to Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut, including terror operatives belonging to the unit, intelligence-gathering means, command centres and additional terrorist infrastructure," the military said in a statement.

Lebanon's army said it returned Israeli fire for the first time on Thursday in nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah after a second soldier was killed by Israeli fire.

"A soldier was killed after the Israeli enemy targeted an army post in the Bint Jbeil area -- in the south, and the personnel at the post responded to the sources of fire," the army said in a statement. A military official told AFP this was the first response to Israeli fire since last October because the post had been "directly" hit, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

France on Thursday condemned Israel's move to declare UN chief Antonio Guterres "persona non grata", saying the decision was "unjustified."

"France regrets the unjustified, serious and counter-productive decision taken by Israel to declare the secretary general of the United Nations, Mr Antonio Guterres, persona non grata," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

Iran summoned the German and Austrian ambassadors on Thursday after their governments rebuked the Islamic republic over its missile attack on Israel, state media reported.

The move, according to the official IRNA news agency, was in response to the "unacceptable measures" by Germany and Austria in summoning the Iranian envoys over Iran's attack on Tuesday.

Swedish intelligence agency Sapo said Thursday that Iran could have been involved in explosions and gunfire around Israeli embassies in Sweden and Denmark this week.

"There are some things that could point in that direction. In part due to the choice of targets and modus operandi, but that is an assumption rather than pure knowledge," Fredrik Hallstrom, head of operations at the Sapo agency, told a press conference after being asked about reports of Iranian links to the attacks.

"The (Foreign Ministry) spokesperson pointed to the definite responsibility of G7 countries, especially the United States, in increasing insecurity and instability in West Asia due to their armament, financial and political support to the aggressing party (Israel)," the statement issued by the ministry said.

Libya's eastern-based government announced on Thursday the reopening of oil fields and facilities after a dispute involving the central bank governor was resolved, two government sources said and local media reported.

Lebanon's state-run media said three Israeli air strikes hit Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold on Thursday, the latest raids following a night of intense bombardment.

"Enemy aircraft launched three strikes on (Beirut's) southern suburbs," the official National News Agency reported.

Dubai-based Emirates Thursday said it has cancelled flights to Iraq, Iran and Jordan for three days over "regional unrest", after an Iranian missile strike on Israel stoked fears of a wider war.

"Emirates is cancelling all flights to/from Iraq (Basra and Baghdad), Iran (Tehran), and Jordan (Amman) on 4th and 5th October due to regional unrest," said the airline, which also halted services to the destinations on Thursday.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike killed one of its soldiers during a rescue operation with the Red Cross in southern Lebanon on Thursday.

"A soldier was killed and another was wounded as a result of an aggression by the Israeli enemy during an evacuation and rescue operation with the Lebanese Red Cross in Taybeh village," the army said.

The Lebanese Red Cross said four of its volunteers were wounded.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry Thursday said that at least nine people were killed in an Israeli strike in central Beirut, as it is also running DNA tests on remains they have obtained to identify others.

Hezbollah said that seven paramedics and rescue workers from its medical arm the Islamic Health Committee were killed in the strike that hit its office in Bashoura. The Health Ministry said 14 others were wounded in the strike early Thursday.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it set off two explosives against advancing Israeli forces on the southern border on Thursday.

The Iran-backed group at dawn detonated the "explosive devices" as "an enemy Israeli infantry force carried out an infiltration attempt towards the town of Maroun al-Ras" in Lebanon near the border, it said.

The Israeli military told residents of 25 villages across southern Lebanon to evacuate, the latest in a series of calls to relocate issued by the army as it targets Hezbollah positions.

"The IDF (Israeli army) does not intend to harm you, and for your own safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Awali River. Save your lives," said army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it fired a barrage of rockets at the Israeli city of Tiberias.

The Iran-backed group "fired a salvo of rockets at the city of Tiberias," it said, in response to the Israeli bombardment of Lebanese "towns, villages and civilians".

Sirens sound in northern Israel.  Meanwhile,  The IDF and ISA currently announce that approximately three months ago, in a joint IDF and ISA strike in the Gaza Strip, the following terrorists were eliminated: Rawhi Mushtaha, the Head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip; Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio on Hamas' political bureau and Hamas' Labor Committee; and Sami Oudeh, Commander of Hamas' General Security Mechanism.

IDF in a statement said that  approximately 3 months ago, in a joint IDF and ISA strike in Gaza, the following terrorists were eliminated:

Rawhi Mushtaha, the Head of the Hamas government in Gaza

Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio on Hamas' political bureau and Hamas' Labor Committee

Sami Oudeh, Commander of Hamas' General Security Mechanism

IAF fighter jets struck and eliminated the terrorists while they were hiding in a fortified and equipped underground compound in northern Gaza. The compound served as a Hamas command and control center and enabled senior operatives to remain inside of it for extended periods of time.

The IDF will continue to pursue all of the terrorists responsible for the October 7 massacre and will operate against anyone who threatens the State of Israel.

The Israeli military on Thursday said a strike three months ago killed three senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, where the army has been battling the Palestinian militants for nearly a year.

The military said the strike killed Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, and Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio for Hamas's political bureau, and Sami Oudeh, a commander.

"Mushtaha was one of Hamas' most senior operatives and had a direct impact on decisions relating to Hamas' force deployment," said the military in a statement.

The Israeli military said Thursday it conducted an air strike that killed 15 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, targeting one of the group's positions as it mounts combat operations across the border.

The air force "precisely struck the Bint Jbeil municipality building in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating, alongside large quantities of Hezbollah weapons stored in the building. As part of the strike, approximately 15 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated," said the statement.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it fought off a bid by the Israeli army to advance at a border point in southern Lebanon on Thursday.

Hezbollah "repelled with artillery fire an attempt by enemy Israeli forces to advance at Fatima's Gate", it said, a day after Israel said eight of its soldiers had been killed in south Lebanon fighting the Iran-backed group.

The Jewish state has reported that its soldiers are active in southern Lebanon, with eight fatalities reported so far. Israel also released a video depicting its tanks in Lebanese territory.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has asserted that former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had consented to a ceasefire with Israel shortly before he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last week. In an interview with an American public broadcaster, Bou Habib stated that they had informed representatives from the United States and France about the ceasefire decision.

During a discussion with CNN, Habib said, “He (Nasrallah) agreed, he agreed,” emphasizing that Lebanon had fully supported the ceasefire after consulting with Hezbollah and had communicated this to American and French officials. He also claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had accepted the ceasefire proposal.

As Israel continues its airstrikes and bombardments on Lebanon, thousands of Lebanese citizens have lost their homes, with some seeking refuge in Syria as residential areas in Beirut are targeted. Beirut's renowned Skybar club, once a popular venue for nightlife, has now been repurposed into a shelter for displaced individuals.

Palestinian activist Issa Amro received the Right Livelihood prize, often seen as an alternative Nobel, for his "nonviolent resistance to Israel's illegal occupation" in the West Bank, according to the award jury. Born in Hebron—a contentious city where around 1,000 Jewish settlers live under heavy Israeli military protection alongside approximately 200,000 Palestinians—Amro, 44, is the founder of the Youth Against Settlements group, which advocates against the expansion of Jewish settlements in the area, deemed illegal under international law.

“It’s a miracle that I still exist,” said Amro.

On Thursday, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed to have conducted a drone attack on Tel Aviv, although Israeli authorities have not confirmed this, said AFP. In their statement, the Houthis stated they targeted a "vital site" in the Jaffa area of Tel Aviv with multiple drones, claiming the operation successfully hit its intended targets without being intercepted. The Israeli military reported intercepting "a suspicious aerial target" over central Israel during the night but did not provide additional details.

The Associated Press reported that hundreds of people were gathering at the Jousieh border crossing, one of several entry points into Syria. This crossing is located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Syria’s central city of Homs, which many of the individuals indicated as their destination. Lebanon announced on the same day that nearly 240,000 people, primarily Syrians, have crossed into Syria since Israel began its heavy airstrikes on the country last week.

Israel-Iran War Live: Khamenei calls for withdrawal of Western forces to achieve peace in the Middle East

On Thursday, October 3, 2024, Japan sent two Self Defense Force planes to facilitate a potential airlift of its citizens from Lebanon. Two C-2 transport aircraft are set to arrive in Jordan and Greece on Friday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that there have been no reports of injuries among the approximately 50 Japanese nationals in Lebanon. Previously, in October and November 2023, Japan had dispatched SDF aircraft to evacuate over 100 Japanese and South Korean citizens from Israel.