Israel-Iran latest: Biden says Israeli strikes on Iranian oil being discussed as 9 killed in hit on Beirut

Seven health and rescue workers were killed in the overnight airstrike in Beirut, an Islamic health organisation has said.

The Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Authority said in a statement that seven of its staff, including two medics, had died as a result of the air assaut. The airstrike in the residential Bashoura district targeted an apartment in a multi-story building that houses an office of the Health Society.

It was the closest strike to the central downtown district of Beirut, where the United Nations and government offices are located.

The Israeli military has claimed that around 15 Hezbollah members have been killed in an attack in southern Lebanon.

The IDF said that the fighters were killed in a muncipality building in Bint Jbeil.

In a statement on Telegram, they said the militant group had been operating and storing large quantities of weapons inside the building.

More than 150 British nationals and dependants were on the first UK Government-chartered flight out of Lebanon on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said.

A “limited number” of further flights from Beirut will take place from Thursday, continuing as long as the security situation allows.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “Recent events have demonstrated the volatility of the situation in Lebanon.

“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our number one priority. That’s why we are announcing additional chartered flights to help those who want to leave.

“I urge all British nationals still in Lebanon to register with the FCDO (Foreign Office) and leave the country immediately.”

Israel’s strike on a building in the Bachoura district near the Lebanese parliament makes it the closest air assault they have launched to the city’s central downtown district.

A photo circulating on Lebanese WhatsApp groups, which has not yet been verified, showed a heavily damaged building with its first floor on fire.

“Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what’s next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent,” UN special coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said on X on Thursday.

The first charter flight carrying British citizens out of Lebanon landed in Birmingham on Wednesday amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Foreign secretary David Lammy said earlier on Wednesday that more charter flights have been arranged for this week, while other nations follow suit.

On Thursday. Japan dispatched two Self Defence Force (SDF) planes to prepare for a possible airlift of Japanese citizens from Lebanon.

Two C-2 transport aircraft are expected to arrive in Jordan and Greece on Friday, Japan NHK national television reported.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday her government had booked 500 seats on commercial aircraft for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families to leave Lebanon on Saturday.

The seats are available to 1,700 Australians and their families known to be in Lebanon on two flights from Beirut to Cyprus, Ms Wong said.

Israel has launched a ground offensive in Lebanon as fears of an all-out regional war in the Middle East continue to grow. A spokesperson for Israel said “limited” raids are being carried out in the south after months of conflict.

The raids come after the Israeli military launching fresh strikes on Lebanon in late September, causing the highest number of casualties for a single day since at least 2006.

The Independent takes a look at the recent timeline of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and an ally of Hamas in Gaza.

British holidaymakers in the UAE have been issued a new warning regarding potential risks stemming from escalating tensions in the region.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has highlighted the ongoing conflict involving Lebanon and Israel, warning that “ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region.”

The FCDO has advised travellers to closely monitor updates on the situation, encouraging them to follow FCDO travel on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They can also sign up for email notifications regarding changes to travel advice.

The FCDO offers guidance for those caught in crises abroad, detailing what constitutes a crisis, the assistance they can provide, and how travellers can prepare for emergencies.

As Israel attacks targets in central Beirut, the UK Foreign Office has run the first evacuation fliight from Lebanon to help British citizens, their spouses and children under 18 to leave the country. The plane from Beirut touched down at Birmingham airport on Wednesday evening.

It is nine weeks since the foreign secretary, David Lammy, first urged UK nationals to leave Lebanon while they could. Sir Kier Starmer reiterated the call last month.

The preferred method is by a commercial flight. But options are extremely limited, with almost all airlines cancelling flights in and out of the capital, Beirut, writes our travel correspondent Simon Calder: