Four Lebanese paramedics were among six people killed in an Israeli strike on a civil defence centre in the country’s southern Nabatieh area, while 12 rescue workers were reported killed in a second attack on a civil defence centre near Baalbek city, the Health Ministry reports.

    At least 24 Palestinians have been killed and 112 injured in the latest 24-hour reporting period, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

    Palestinian American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to resign after his deadline for Israeli authorities to ramp up humanitarian aid to Gaza passed unfulfilled and without any consequences for Israel.

    Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed at least 43,736 Palestinians and wounded 103,370 since October 7, 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day, and more than 200 were taken captive.

    In Lebanon, at least 3,386 people have been killed and 14,417 wounded in Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began.

    Blinken holds first phone call with new Israeli foreign minister

    The US secretary of state held his first conversation with Gideon Saar since he was appointed Israel’s new foreign affairs minister earlier this month.

    Antony Blinken reportedly congratulated Saar on his appointment, with Thursday’s conversation covering a range of diplomatic issues, including Iran, Lebanon and humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

    Since his appointment on November 5 – after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu controversially removed former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and replaced him with Foreign Minister Israel Katz – hardliner Saar has said the creation of a Palestinian state is not realistic and refused to rule out annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.

    Israel issues forced evacuation order for Beirut suburb ahead of attack

    The Arabic-language spokesman for the Israeli military has ordered residents in Beirut’s southern suburb of Ghobeiry to immediately evacuate as an attack will be carried out “in the near future” on a number of targets.

    Avichay Adraee also published a map with his warning showing several buildings highlighted, but with two marked in red, and warning that “these buildings and those adjacent to them” must be evacuated immediately.

    The warning, which was issued shortly after 6am local time (04:00 GMT), follows after dozens were killed across Lebanon throughout Thursday and into Friday morning.

    UN Security Council draft resolution notes ‘risk of famine’ in northern Gaza

    The UN Security Council’s (UNSC) 10 elected members – Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland, Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia – have agreed and circulated a new, draft resolution on the situation in Gaza.

    The draft, which was sent to the UNSC’s five permanent members on Thursday, expresses the council’s “deep alarm over the ongoing catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza including the lack of adequate healthcare services and the state of food insecurity creating a risk of famine notably in the north”.

    The draft, which was obtained by The Associated Press news agency, also demands immediate access for Gaza’s civilian population to humanitarian aid and services essential for their survival, and “underscores” that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), “remains the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza”.

    Israel’s parliament passed two laws last month banning UNRWA’s operations in the Palestinian territories, which stoked international condemnation of Israel.

    The United States, Israel’s closest ally, holds the key to whether this latest resolution will be adopted. The council’s four other permanent members – Russia, China, Britain and France – are expected to support the resolution or abstain.