Updates: Hamas-Israel ceasefire holds

Israel's military chief on Sunday dismissed several senior military personnel and reprimanded others over their roles in the failures on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from Gaza.

A number of officers were told they would be released from reserve duty and would no longer serve in the military, the military said in a statement. Others were issued formal reprimands, while one was informed that their service would be ended. Another tendered his resignation.

Those informed that they would be released from reserve duty included the former heads of the intelligence directorate, operations directorate, and southern command, which is responsible for Gaza. The generals had previously resigned from active service but remained on reserve duty.

"The IDF failed in its primary mission on October 7th — to protect the civilians of the State of Israel," Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir said, referring to the Israel Defence Forces.

"This is a severe, resounding, systemic failure, relating to decisions and conduct on the eve of the event and during it. The lessons of that day are numerous and significant, and they must serve as our compass for the future toward which I intend to lead the IDF."

The latest disciplinary steps come as Israeli officials face mounting public pressure over accountability for the failures that led to the attack.

Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed at least five people and wounded 28 more, after Israel said it had targeted Hezbollah’s chief of staff.

In a statement, the ministry said that five people were killed and 28 wounded in the strike on an apartment building in the Lebanese capital, calling it a "final toll".

Hezbollah confirmed an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday targeted a senior commander but did not disclose the person’s identity, after Israel said it targeted the group's chief of staff.

"The targeting was clearly aimed at a key... figure in the resistance, and the results are unknown," Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati told reporters in front of the strike location, adding the attack "crosses a new red line".

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community to intervene firmly to stop Israeli attacks on the country after a deadly strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday.

In a statement, Aoun said Lebanon "reiterates its call to the international community to assume its responsibility and intervene firmly and seriously to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people".

The strike in Beirut killed at least one person and wounded 21 more, Lebanon’s health ministry said, with Israel saying it had targeted Hezbollah’s chief of staff.

The Israeli military said that it struck a member from the Lebanese Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in the capital Beirut.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel would do "everything necessary" to stop Hezbollah from regrouping in Lebanon and Hamas from doing the same in Gaza.

"We are continuing to strike terrorism on several fronts," Netanyahu said as he opened a cabinet meeting.

Netanyahu claimed Sunday that Hamas had made "several attempts" to infiltrate beyond the yellow line to "try to harm our soldiers".

"We have thwarted this with great force and also retaliated and exacted a very heavy price. That includes many terrorists we eliminated," he added.

Netanyahu said it was an "absolute lie" that Israel needed outside approval before taking action.

"We decide independently of any factor, and that is how it should be. Israel is responsible for its own security," he said.

A Hamas delegation was in Cairo to meet with Gaza war mediators, an Egyptian security source and a Hamas source said, as both Israel and the Palestinian resistance group continue to trade accusations of ceasefire violations.

The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the delegation would be discussing Israel's "continued violation of the ceasefire agreement".

Egypt, Qatar and the US have been mediating between Hamas and Israel, securing the ceasefire that came into effect last month.

The Israeli military briefly said on X on Sunday that it had killed a local Hamas commander in Gaza, then deleted the post.

The post identified the commander as Alaa Al-Hadidi, head of supply in Hamas' production headquarters. It did not say when the commander was killed.

The Israeli military said it would provide a later statement.

Pakistan on Sunday condemned widespread attacks by Israeli forces across Gaza, saying the strikes had reportedly killed several Palestinian civilians, including women and children, and left many others injured.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said the actions constituted a violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions and the recently concluded peace agreement reached at Sharm el-Sheikh. 

It added that the strikes also undermined ongoing international efforts to secure lasting peace and stability in the region.