Live: 15 killed in Israeli bombing of camp in central Gaza

Israel's military chief of staff Herzi Halevi said Israel's goal is to drive Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon, suggesting Israel envisions a long war of attrition in Lebanon. 

 “We will not allow Hezbollah to position itself in these places in the future," Halevi said.

"The severe blows to Hezbollah in all areas, in Beirut, in the [Beqaa] Valley, in south Lebanon, will continue".

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the Kremlin's top Middle East diplomat, met with Israel's ambassador in Moscow Simona Halperin, the Russian foreign ministry said.

The ministry said Bogdanov and Halperin discussed the situation in the Middle East. 

Russia is a military partner of Iran but has historically enjoyed good relations with Israel. 

Recently, Russia has moved closer to Iran, buying missiles and drones from the Islamic Republic, according to western officials, and supporting the Houthis in Yemen with intelligence.  

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organisation of Iran supported militias, took responsibility for firing a drone at southern Israel.  

The drone was shot down over the Egypt-Israel border area by Israel. 

The claim of responsibility comes as militia leaders backed by Iran tell MEE they want to distance themselves from the rising tensions between Israel and Iran. 

The Iraqi political and armed forces affiliated to Tehran have decided to distance themselves from Israel’s battles with Hezbollah and Iran, fearing that expanding the growing Middle Eastern wars could ruin Iraq and their own positions, Middle East Eye reveals. 

The move comes amid fears from armed factions and security services that Israel could hit several targets in Iraq, including the headquarters of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a governmental umbrella organisation that oversees various paramilitaries, including those close to Iran.

Iraqi officials and leaders of Iranian-backed armed factions told MEE they do not plan to target US interests or military bases in Iraq or Syria, commanders said.

READ MORE: Iraqi forces decide to keep out of Israel’s battles with Hezbollah and Iran

 Fifa decided not to suspend Israel from the international football league, but asked for a disciplinary investigation of possible discrimination alleged by Palestinian soccer officials.

Seperately, a senior Fifa panel overseeing governance will investigate “the participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based in the territory of Palestine,” the governing group's body said. 

British Airways says it was suspending its flights from London to Tel Aviv until 26 October amid Middle East tensions. 

Hezbollah said it detonated a Sejil missile at Israeli troops advancing in the town of Yaroun, in southern Lebanon. 

Hezbollah also said its guided missile hit a Merkava tank in the northern Israeli town of Netua and fired rockets at Israeli soldiers in the outskirts of the town of Odaisseh. 

Hezbollah said it targeted Israel's Sakhnin military base in Haifa Bay, while air-raid sirens sounded in northern Israeli communities. 

Hezbollah said it had detonated four explosive devices so far on Thursday. 

Israel has expanded its forced displacement orders for Lebanese, north of the Litani River, according to a new statement released by Israel's military. 

Iran’s mission to the United Nations said that Tehran has warned the US it would attack again if Israel retaliates for Iran’s missile strike on Tuesday.

Iran said it exchanged messages with the US using the Swiss embassy in Tehran as an intermediary.

“Our response will be solely directed at the aggressor. Should any country render assistance to the aggressor, it shall likewise be deemed an accomplice and a legitimate target," Iran's mission said. 

Gulf Arab officials told their Iranian counterparts that they are neutral in the conflict between Iran and Israel, as they look to prevent spillover into their territories.

Reuters reported that ministers from Gulf Arab states delivered the message to Iran at a meeting of Asian nations hosted by Qatar, worried about potential Iranian attacks on their oil facilities. 

"The Gulf states think it's unlikely that Iran will strike their oil facilities, but the Iranians are dropping hints they might from unofficial sources. It's a tool the Iranians have against the US and the global economy," Ali Shihabi, a Saudi commentator close to the royal court, told Reuters. 

More than 40 first responders and firefighters have been killed by Israeli fire since it invaded Lebanon three days ago, according to Lebanon’s health minister, Firass Abiad.

Abiad said that 97 “paramedics and firefighters” had been killed and 188 wounded since Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging fire on 8 October. 

He added that a total of 1,974 people had been killed, among them 127 children, and that more than 9,350 had been wounded.

The Israeli army killed three senior Hamas officials in Gaza three months ago but only announced the incident on Thursday.

According to a statement by the army, the following Hamas officials were killed in an air strike three months ago:

Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza.

Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio on Hamas' political bureau and Hamas' labour committee.

Sami Oudeh, commander of Hamas' General Security Mechanism.

The army said its fighter jets killed the officials while they were in an “underground compound” in northern Gaza.

Hezbollah on Thursday said its forces detonated four explosive devices on Israeli troops in border towns as the Israeli army attempted a ground invasion on southern Lebanon.

"In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in solidarity with their brave and honourable resistance, in defence of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli assault on cities, villages, and civilians, our fighters detonated a total of four explosive devices against the infiltrating Israeli enemy forces in the towns of Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun today, Thursday, from the early hours of dawn until 12:00 noon. These explosions caused significant and heavy losses among the enemy forces," a statement published by Hezbollah-linked media outlets said. 

The Israeli army said eight of its soldiers were killed in combat with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon since yesterday. 

The director of the World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Thursday that 28 health workers were killed in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours in Lebanon. 

"Many (other) health workers are not reporting to duty and fled the areas where they work due to bombardments," Ghebreyesus said in an online press briefing. "This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and continuity of health services."

He added that the WHO won't be able to deliver a large planned shipment of trauma and medical supplies to Lebanon on Friday due to flight restrictions.

Iran reportedly sent a message to Washington via Qatar saying “the phase of unilateral self-restraint has ended.”, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday.

An Israeli attack on Iran would be met with an “unconventional response”, which would include targeting Israeli infrastructure, Al Jazeera reported, citing an Iranian official it did not name.