Lebanon crisis Highlights: Nowhere in Middle East out of reach, Netanyahu warns Iran

Lebanon crisis live updates: Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant on Monday said ground forces could be used against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, adding military operations will go on despite the killing of the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Gallant made the comments while speaking to Israeli troops deployed to the northern border where cross-border fire with Hezbollah continued for nearly a year but escalated this month.

"We will use all the means that may be required -- your forces, other forces, from the air, from the sea, and on land," Gallant said.

"The elimination of Nasrallah is an important step, but it is not the final one".

Lebanon crisis live updates: "There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach. There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country," Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

He said the Iranian government was bringing Iranians "closer to the abyss". Iran and Israel would be at peace when Iran is "finally free", which he said would "come a lot sooner than people think".

Lebanon crisis live updates: Oil prices declined on Monday and were on track to fall for the third month in a row as a strong supply outlook and questions around demand outweighed fears that Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Yemen could escalate conflict in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures for November delivery, expiring on Monday, lost 35 cents, or 0.5%, to $71.63 a barrel as of 1344 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell 12 cents, or 0.2%, to $68.06.

Both benchmarks had earlier gained more than $1.

Brent was on track to lose more than 9% month-on-month, which would be its biggest decline since November 2022. WTI was set to decline more than 7% since the end of August.

Lebanon crisis live updates: "To help families of those who went missing following the Israeli aggression on Lebanon and to make the process of identifying victims and their remains smoother," families should head to centres affiliated with the Judicial Police "to conduct DNA tests", Lebanese police said in a statement.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Amid protests in Jammu and Kashmir over the killing of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israel Defence Forces, National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said on Monday that Nasrallah's martyrdom caused a grave loss to the resistance and calling off election campaign was a protest as they wanted to express their solidarity with them.

"They want to break the spine of the Palestine resistance; they want to weaken it. His (Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah) martyrdom caused a grave loss to the resistance. They are fighting Israel for their existence and Israel is trying to weaken it. This is a great loss. He was a great power against Israel, he had provided strength to the resistance. This (calling off election campaign) was a protest, we also wanted to express solidarity with them. People of J-K understand the injustice done by Israel to Palestine. People of J-K have always stood with the people of Palestine," the National Conference MP said.

Lebanon crisis live updates: "There is no need to send extra or volunteer forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, adding that Lebanon and fighters in the Palestinian territories "have the capability and strength to defend themselves against the aggression".

Lebanon crisis live updates: A spokesperson for Germany's foreign ministry said that Israel was exercising its right to self-defence in response to the airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Hezbollah's deputy chief said that the group's forces are prepared for a ground incursion.

Lebanon crisis live updates: The deputy chief of Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah will give an address at 12 pm local time in Beirut (2.30 pm IST).

It is the first address by a Hezbollah official since the killing of former leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Lebanon crisis live updates: The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell convened an extraordinary informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday to discuss the EU's response to the latest escalation in Lebanon.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the “criminal acts” of Israel will not go unanswered.

"We stand strongly and we will act in a way that is regretful [for the enemy]," spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said during a weekly news conference, adding that Iran does not seek war but is not afraid of it.

Referring to Israeli strikes that killed Hezbollah chief Nasrallah and other commanders, Iran said it is "closely following up on matters" with Lebanese authorities.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Oil prices rose for a second consecutive session on Monday, with concerns escalating over potential supply disruptions in the Middle East after Israel stepped up attacks on Palestianian militant group Hamas and Iranian-backed forces in the region.

Brent crude futures for November delivery gained $1.12, up 1.56% to $73.10 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures advanced 93 cents, or 1.36%, to $69.11 a barrel. (Reuters)

Lebanon crisis live updates: As West Asia maintains a careful watch over Iran's response to Israel's strikes in Lebanon, analysts quoted by Bllomberg said the Islamic Republic might exercise a degree of restraint shown to earlier provocations by Israel but will be forced to respond as calls grow for ‘revenge’.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, a top aide to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and a former foreign minister, told state television on Sunday: “We will respond at a time that’s appropriate and our own choosing.”

Lebanon crisis live updates: The United Nations Human Rights Office said failure to hold state actors accountable for their actions have made conflicts in the Middle East more brazen.

"This is unacceptable. We rang the alarm bells multiple times and now there is the impression that impunity reigns," spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told AFP, lamenting increasing attacks on UN bodies and staff expressing concern over the situation.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Monday that one of its commanders was killed along with some of his family members in an Israeli strike on southern Lebanon.

"Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine, the leader of Hamas... in Lebanon and member of the movement's leadership abroad" was killed in an air strike on his "home in the Al-Bass camp in south Lebanon", a Hamas statement said.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that his country is witnessing the "largest displacement" of people in its history.

“It’s a disaster. One of the biggest challenges is that the government doesn’t have the means to equip the shelters,” said Laila Al Amine, director for Lebanon at humanitarian group Mercy Corps.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Oil prices steadied on Monday after brief spike following tensions in Lebanon and suspense over Iran's response to Israel's killing of Nasrallah.

“The oil market has become increasingly numb to developments in the Middle East,” said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING Groep NV to Bloomberg.

“The conflict has gone on for more than a year with no impact on oil output, while OPEC continues to sit on a large amount of spare capacity. Instead, support measures coming through from China appear to be what’s providing support,” he added.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Oil edged higher after the killing of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, stoked tensions in the Middle East, with traders waiting to see how Iran would respond.

Brent crude rose above $72 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was little changed. Read more

Lebanon crisis live updates: Two people were killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut on Monday, a Lebanese security source said. It claimed that this was the first strike on the city itself since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel last year.

An Israeli drone targeted an apartment belonging to two members of the Lebanese Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a call with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his country rejects any violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.

However, Reuters reported that Sisi made no mention of Nasrallah's killing by Israel. Egypt has been critical of Iran and its proxies in the past, though it has maintained informal contacts with Iran and Egypt’s foreign minister has held official meetings with Iranian officials over the past year.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Saudi Arabia on Sunday called for Lebanon's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" to be respected and expressed “great concern” on Israeli airstrikes.

“The Kingdom calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards protecting regional peace and security to spare the region and its people the dangers and tragedies of wars,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.

Lebanon crisis live updates: French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Lebanon on Sunday, the first high-level foreign diplomat to visit since the Israeli air strikes intensified.

Barrot spoke earlier with Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati and said Paris sought "an immediate halt" to Israeli strikes.

Lebanon crisis live updates: Lebanon's health ministry said on Sunday that 105 people have been killed and 359 were injured in latest series of airstrikes by Israel targeting Hezbollah.

Lebanon's health ministry said there had been deadly air raids near the main southern city of Sidon Sunday, while dozens more had died in the east, in the south and in and around Beirut.

Lebanon crisis live updates: An Israeli strike during early hours of Monday hit an upper floor of an apartment building in the Kola district of Beirut, making it the first Israeli strike within Beirut’s city limits in the escalating hostilities. (Reuters)