The Guardian – Israel has begun ground attacks on Hezbollah inside Lebanon, says US
Israeli forces have already begun “limited ground operations” inside Lebanon, according to a US State Department official quoted by The Guardian.
Troops are “targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border,” spokesperson Matthew Miller reportedly said.
Israeli military says it is carrying out ‘limited’ ground operation targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon
The Israeli military has begun a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, it has said, as it continued shelling areas close to the border and carrying out airstrikes on the capital, Beirut.
“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] began limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement on X early on Tuesday.
“These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel,” it continued, adding: “Operation ‘Northern Arrows’ will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas.”
UK’s top civil servant, Simon Case, to stand down on health grounds
The cabinet secretary, Simon Case, has announced he will stand down as the UK’s most senior civil servant at the end of the year.
In an email to the civil service, Case, who has served four prime ministers and 120 cabinet ministers in the role, said he would stay in post while the process to replace him began.
His long-planned departure on health grounds comes after a turbulent few weeks for the Downing Street operation marked by damaging leaks and internal rows, and Keir Starmer is understood to have grown increasingly frustrated.
Cabinet ministers and senior aides have urged the prime minister to “get a grip” on the situation to avoid it undermining the government.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 01 October 2024.
Tuesday’s front pages are dominated by two polar opposite stories: Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon and the Strictly Come Dancing bullying report.
The Strictly Come Dancing report leads many of the tabloid newspapers after a report was issued – and an apology from the BBC – into bullying allegations on the hit TV show. In 2023 Amanda Abbington put in a formal complaint against her Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice.
The report found some of her complaints to be true, but Pernice has been cleared of the most serious allegations. Complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, but claims of physical aggression were not.
Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon makes up the rest of the UK front pages this morning, as editors speculate as to whether this is the start of an all-out regional war.