(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday's sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
NATIONAL LEAGUE New York Mets 2, Washington Nationals 1 Los Angeles Dodgers 9, Atlanta Braves 0 Milwaukee Brewers 6, Philadelphia Phillies 2 Colorado Rockies 3, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE Chicago White Sox 8, Los Angeles Angles 4 Cleveland Guardians 4, Minnesota Twins 3 Detroit Tigers 7, Kansas City Royals 6
INTERLEAGUE Chicago Cubs 9, Oakland Athletics 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL Atlanta Falcons 22, Philadelphia Eagles 21
DEER PARK (AP) â A flame that towered over a southeast Houston suburb had subsided Tuesday, but continued to burn following a massive pipeline explosion after a vehicle drove through a fence and struck an above-ground valve, officials said.
âProgress has been made as first responder crews worked through the night. The fire is significantly smaller,â according to a statement from the city of Deer Park.
City officials have said investigations by police and local FBI agents have found no preliminary reports that would suggest a coordinated or âterroristâ attack and that âthis appears to be an isolated incident.â
The investigation included efforts to learn more about the driver of a vehicle that was incinerated by the pipeline explosion as flames scorched the ground across a wide radius, severed adjacent power transmission lines and ignited homes at a distance.
Police did not provide any information about the personâs condition.
An evacuation area included nearly 1,000 homes and initial shelter orders included schools.
The City of La Porte said it has slightly reduced the evacuation area south of the pipeline fire, but did not say how many people were affected.
Operators shut off the flow of natural gas liquids in the pipeline, but so much remained in the miles of tubing that firefighters could do nothing but watch and hose down adjacent homes.
The statement by Deer Park said Energy Transfer, the Dallas-based owner of the pipeline, expects the fire to burn itself out later Tuesday.
Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. described intense heat from the fire that has continued burning for nearly 24 hours as ladder trucks showered houses from above.
Firefighters initially were dispatched Monday morning, after an explosion at a valve station in Deer Park, adjacent to La Porte, rattled homes and businesses, including a Walmart. Deer Park officials said an SUV drove into the valve after going through a fence on the side of the Walmart parking lot.
Deer Park spokesperson Kaitlyn Bluejacket has said four people were injured. She didnât provide details about the severity of the injuries.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement that 20 miles (32 kilometers) of pipeline between the two closed valves had to burn off before the fire would stop.
Anna Lewis, who was walking into the nearby Walmart when the explosion happened, said it sounded âlike a bomb went off.â She said everyone inside was rushed to the back of the store and then taken across the street to a grocery store before being bussed to a community center.
âIt scared me,â she said. âYou really donât know what to do when itâs happening.â
Geselle Melina Guerra said she and her boyfriend heard the explosion as they were having breakfast in their mobile home.
âAll of a sudden we hear this loud bang and then I see something bright, like orange, coming from our back door thatâs outside,â said Guerra, who lives within the evacuation area.
Houston, Texasâ largest city, is the nationâs petrochemical heartland and is home to a cluster of refineries and plants and thousands of miles of pipelines. Explosions and fires are a familiar sight in the area, including some that have been deadly, raising recurring questions about the adequacy of industry efforts to protect the public and the environment.
Both Energy Transfer and Harris County Pollution Control are conducting air monitoring in the area and have found no health issues, according to Bluejacket, the Deer Park spokesperson, from the towering plume of fire and smoke that could be seen from at least 10 miles (16 kilometers) away at one point.
The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas in the state, said its safety inspectors were investigating.
CASS COUNTY â Our news partner KETK is reporting that an East Texas District Attorneyâs Office has addressed recent school threats in their community. The Cass County District Attorneyâs Office in partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Cass County Sheriffâs Department addressed the recent school threats and hoaxes in the community including Sulphur Springs, Gilmer and Texarkana.
âWe want to reassure the public that each of these incidents is being thoroughly investigated and we remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Cass County residents,â the Cass County District Attorneyâs Office said.
According to the DA, the first incident occurred on Thursday morning when rumors of a threat to schools were being shared on social media included Snapchat. Law enforcement conducted house visits and interviews to determine if any credible threats had been made. The DAâs office said no imminent threat was identified but law enforcement agencies increased their presence in and around schools as a precaution. Continue reading East Texas DA office releases statement after school threats
TYLER â This weekend, another attempt to assassinate former president Donald Trump took place at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. East Texas congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) is now looking for answers. âI was devastated to hear about the second assassination attempt on president Trumps life,â said Moran. âThis is totally unacceptable.â
According to our news partner KETK, Moran is demanding answers from those charged with protecting the former president. âWhat weâve seen this summer is not in my opinion a lack of resources, itâs a lack of responsiveness and planning and logistical operations that should be in place for any protection of a person at this level,â Moran said.
TEXARKANA â According to our news partner KETK, 20-year-old man was arrested on Thursday after a search warrant revealed he had more than 50 items of child pornography. The Texarkana Police Department said a search warrant conducted in the 4600 block of Summerhill Road on Thursday led to the arrest of Trenton Weddel for possession of child pornography. Now, the Texarkana Police Department is asking anyone who suspects their child to have been in Weddelâs apartment to contact them.
The police department said Weddel came to their attention earlier in September after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
âThey told us that a popular social media application had notified them that someone had used an IP address in Texarkana Texas to upload a pornographic video of a young girl,â Texarkana PD said. Continue reading Texarkana man arrested for child porn
LA PORTE, Texas (AP) â A massive pipeline fire sent a pillar of flame towering over some Houston suburbs on Monday as first responders evacuated a surrounding neighborhood and tried to keep more nearby homes from catching on fire.
The blaze involving a 20-inch pipeline carrying natural gas liquids must burn itself out, according to its operator, Dallas-based Energy Transfer. The company said the flow was shut off but local officials said it could take hours, if not into Tuesday, for the residual material to burn off.
Local authorities would not speculate at an afternoon news conference about what caused the fire and what role a burned car near the source of the flame may have had. Energy Transfer said in its statement that it was âaware of early reportsâ that a car had struck some valve equipment but did not offer more details, including the origin of those reports.
Firefighters were dispatched at 9:55 a.m. after an explosion that rattled adjacent homes and businesses in Deer Park and La Porte, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of downtown Houston, long the energy capital of the U.S. The plume of smoke could be seen from at least 10 miles away.
The only injury reported so far was to a firefighter who sustained a minor injury, officials said.
Geselle Melina Guerra said she and her boyfriend heard an explosion at around 9:30 a.m. as they were having breakfast in their mobile home. âAll of a sudden we hear this loud bang and then I see something bright, like orange, coming from our back door thatâs outside,â said Guerra, 25, who lives within the evacuation area.
Her boyfriend woke up his brother and they ran to their car.
âI was just freaking out, pacing around the living room, not really knowing what to do or what was happening,” Guerra said. âI thought maybe it was an airplane that had crashed down by our house.â
La Porte city spokesperson Lee Woodward told KTRK-TV that people in nearby schools were told to shelter in place as law enforcement blocked off a wide area.
Energy Transfer said in a statement that air monitoring equipment was being set up in the area.
At nearby San Jacinto College, which closed its campus after the explosion, people who gathered included Evan Wyman, who had gotten word after calling police that her dog, Baxter, and had been rescued from her home, which is in the evacuated neighborhood.
âI just know that my dog is rescued,â Wyman said.
Houston is the nationâs petrochemical heartland and is home to a cluster of refineries, plants and thousands of miles of pipelines. Explosions and fires are a familiar sight to residents in Texasâ largest city, including some that have been deadly. The blasts have raised recurring questions about the adequacy of the industryâs plans to protect the public and the impacts of environmental damage.
Video images from KTRK showed a park near the fire had been damaged and firefighters pouring water on adjacent homes. By noon, at least a couple of homes appeared to have caught fire, with smoke pouring from their roofs. There are also several businesses nearby, including a Walmart.
Sanchez said theyâre used to evacuations because they live close to other plants near the highway, but he hadn’t seen an explosion before in his 10 years living there.
âWe just drove as far as we could because we didnât know what was happening,â Sanchez said from a parked car at a gas station near his college.
Officials have ordered residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire to evacuate, Woodward said in an email.
âPlease avoid the area and follow law enforcement direction. Further details will be released as available,â Woodward said.
The fire burned through high voltage power lines, and the website PowerOutage.us said several thousand customers were without power in Harris County.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) â The former Uvalde, Texas, schools police chief made his first court appearance on Monday for his role in the heavily scrutinized law enforcement response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting.
Pete Arredondo, who was allegedly the incident commander, was part of the slow police response that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Attorneys for Arredondo filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that the former chief should not be held responsible for the actions he didnât take that day. The judge did not make a ruling on the motion Monday.
A grand jury indicted Arredondo, as well as responding officer Adrian Gonzales, on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment earlier this year. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The indictment alleges that Arredondo did not follow his active shooter training and made critical decisions that slowed the police response while the gunman was âhuntingâ victims.
Arredondo has said heâs been â scapegoated â for his role in the law enforcement response and should not have been considered the lead commander.
Nearly 400 officers from federal, state and local agencies waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the gunman at Robb Elementary. Multiple state and federal investigations have pointed to failures in communication, leadership and training for law enforcement’s response.
A federal review from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility released Thursday found similar breakdowns in communication and command among Border Patrol agents.
The former schools police chief and Gonzalez, who was indicted on 29 similar counts of endangerment and abandonment, are the only two officers facing criminal charges. If convicted, they can serve up to two years in jail time.
HENDERSON â A Henderson pharmacy has reopened after an early Monday morning armed robbery. According to our news partner KETK, Strong-Hurt Pharmacy on E Main Street was robbed around 7 a.m. Monday. Henderson PD said they have identified an unnamed suspect and they have been taken into custody. Officials also said several items from the robbery have been recovered.
SMITH COUNTY â If your not registered for vote in the Presidential Election on November 5, then you can register to vote starting Tuesday, September 17, on National Voter Registration Day.
Register to vote at the following times and locations on Tuesday in Smith County:
Texas College – The Connector, 2404 N. Grand Ave., Tyler 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tyler Junior College â Student Union, 1400 E 5th St., Tyler, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.      Â
Tyler Junior College â West Campus, 1530 SSW Loop 323, Tyler, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
UT Tyler, Patio at the Student Center, 3900 University Blvd., Tyler, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5-6 p.m.
The Smith County Elections Office, 302 E. Ferguson St. Tyler, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Ebenezer AME Church, located at 1101 W. Queen St. Tyler, will be holding an event at 6 p.m.
The East Texas Food Bank will help its members register from 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The deadline to register to vote in the November 5 Presidential Election is Tuesday, October 7.
LONGVIEW â Johnston-McQueen Elementary School students will be released at noon Monday and Tuesday. According to our news partner KETK, the school had a power outage around 8 a.m. Monday. After the power was restored, their air conditioning was still not functioning properly. School officials decided on early release Monday morning. Buses will be on campus at 11:45 a.m. Monday and Tuesday. Anyone with questions are asked to contact the school directly.
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(NEW YORK) -- Two now-retired chiefs from the New York City Fire Department were arrested early Monday morning following a yearlong corruption investigation, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Retired Chief Brian Cordasco was arrested at home on Staten Island. Retired Chief Anthony Saccavino was arrested at home in Manhattan, the sources said.
Saccavino and Cordasco "repeatedly abused their positions of trust as high-ranking officials in the New York City Fire Department" by soliciting and accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments in exchange for providing preferential treatment to certain individuals and companies, according to an indictment unsealed Monday in Manhattan federal court.
The two men were chiefs with the FDNY Bureau of Fire Prevention, which regulates the installation of fire safety and suppression systems in commercial and residential buildings. For nearly two years, the indictment said, Saccavino and Cordasco misused this authority for their own financial gain.
The two allegedly accepted $190,000 in bribes in exchange for expediting inspections, according to the indictment.
"Every member of the FDNY takes a sworn oath to conduct themselves honestly and ethically. Anything less will not be tolerated," Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker, who took over the post after the chiefs had already retired, said in a statement. "The Department will fully cooperate with any ongoing investigations. Keeping New Yorkers safe remains our top priority."
The FBI had searched their homes and offices earlier this year. he FDNY placed the chiefs on modified duty at the time. The New York City Department of Investigation searched FDNY headquarters as well.
The alleged scheme appears to have been discovered as an offshoot of the investigation into whether Mayor Eric Adams' campaign took illegal money from Turkey in exchange for expediting the inspection of the new Turkish consulate.
A spokesperson for Adams said there is "no indication of any direct connection to anyone at City Hall."
"City Hall became aware of this operation when we were notified by FDNY this morning," the spokesperson said. "The FDNY continues to cooperate with DOI, and there is no indication of any direct connection to anyone at City Hall."
Cordasco publicly complained about a so-called "City Hall List" of building projects that should be prioritized by FDNY inspectors, according to the indictment.
TYLER â With political campaign season in full swing, the Texas Department of Transportation advises political parties, candidates, and their supporters of where campaign signs can be placed along Texas roadways, according to a news release.
“We want to remind everyone that TxDOT has guidelines regarding placing signs in the right of way,” said Jeff Williford, public information officer for the Tyler District. “We know that a lot of signs will start showing up as we get closer to election day, but if a political sign is placed in the right of way, we are required to remove it without notice.” Continue reading TXDOT set to enforce political campaign sign laws
This screen grab taken from AFPTV on September 16, 2024 shows Ryan Wesley Routh speaking during an interview at a rally in support of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and Ukrainian servicemen on April 27, 2022, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. US media named Ryan Wesley Routh, whom AFP interviewed in Kyiv in 2022, where he had travelled to support the war effort, as the suspected would-be assassin of Donald Trump. (Photo by AFPTV / AFP) (Photo by -/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Ima
(PALM BEACH, Fla.) -- The suspect in what the FBI has called an "attempted assassination" of former President Donald Trump was a booster of a number of causes, ABC News analysis of his apparent social media profiles shows.
As authorities tried to unravel the motive and details of the case, sources said investigators were looking at whether Routh was frustrated with Trump's position on Ukraine. Trump refused to answer when asked if Ukraine should win its war against Russia during the ABC News presidential debate last week.
Authorities recovered an "AK-47-style" rifle with a scope, two backpacks -- one of which had a ceramic tile in it -- and a GoPro from the scene, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The would-be gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of Trump when he was spotted. The former president was unharmed in the incident and it is unclear whether the suspect fired any shots.
Routh's vehicle was stopped by police after a witness reported his license plate number to authorities. He was placed into custody on Sunday afternoon. Authorities expect to file charges relating to the incident in the coming days, sources told ABC News. The suspect's motive remains unknown.
Routh is believed to have ties to North Carolina and Hawaii, according to sources. The FBI is conducting an extensive investigation into Routh's social media activity, travel and any criminal record, sources said. Friends, family and associates are also being sought for interviews.
A law enforcement source told ABC News that profiles on X, LinkedIn, and Telegram are under investigation for a possible connection to Routh. Routh also appears to have operated a Facebook page, which has now been removed, and which listed the same phone number shared on his apparent X profile.
When ABC News dialed that number, an answering machine message said: "This is Ryan with Camp Box Buildings in Hawaii, and also the National Volunteer Center sending soldiers to Ukraine as well as Taiwan."
Online, he appears to have been a prolific booster of several causes, chiefly of Ukraine's, with numerous posts referring to an effort to recruit soldiers for that country. Specifically, many of Routh's posts referred to an effort to send Afghan soldiers to Ukraine.
It was not immediately clear whether Routh had actually recruited any fighters for Ukraine or whether he had any contact with Ukraine's military or government.
Routh's apparent X profile contained dozens of posts calling on politicians, celebrities and journalists to support Ukraine. In 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion, posts on that profile contained claims that Routh had traveled to Kyiv.
Routh spoke with an ABC News team in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on April 30, 2022 -- two months into the war -- at a protest held by family members of Azov Battalion soldiers defending the city of Mariupol against Moscow's forces.
He was wearing an American flag bandana around his neck and was holding a handwritten sign that read: "Please world we need everyone here. This is good against evil. These children want normal lives ⊠End Russia for our kids."
Routh told The Financial Times that he had tried to join Ukraine's International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine -- which is made up of foreign volunteers -- but was rejected as too old. Routh claimed the Legion then suggested he work to recruit other foreigners to serve in the unit.
The International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine told ABC News via email: "We would like to clarify that Ryan Wesley Routh has never been part of, associated with, or linked to the International Legion in any capacity. Any claims or suggestions indicating otherwise are entirely inaccurate."
A March 2023 post on a LinkedIn profile appearing to belong to Routh contained two undated photos of Routh, respectively showing him in front of the U.S. Congress and at Kyiv's Independence Square. The post was captioned, "In DC and Kyiv to provide soldiers for the war effort."
On June 10, 2020, Routh's apparent X profile directed a post on X at Trump in which he said had supported Trump in the 2016 presidential election but that Trump had become a "disappointment." The post concluded, "I will be glad when you are gone."
Several X posts in March 2020 referred to support for then-Democratic presidential primary candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Posts in January 2024 indicated support for former Republican presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Facebook posts from October and November 2023 promoted conspiracy theories about China, COVID-19 and biological warfare. In December, Routh posted to the platform questioning the historical claim of Jewish people to Israel.
Routh's apparent phone number was also listed on a website for a so-called "Taiwan Foreign Legion," which calls on international volunteers to fight for Taiwan in the event of a possible conflict with China.
The most recent post on Routh's apparent Facebook page also refers to an effort to convince Taiwan to accept Afghan fighters.
ABC News' Pierre Thomas, Josh Margolin, Luke Barr, Aaron Katersky, Jack Date, Peter Charalambous, Alexander Mallin, Leah Sarnoff, Joe Simonetti, Helena Skinner and Zohreen Shah contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt on Wednesday for fresh talks on an Israel-Hamas cease-fire, and as tension with Hezbollah persists at the Israel-Lebanon border.
Here's how the news is developing:
Germany being selective with arms shipments to Israel
Germany is being selective with what arms it is sending to Israel in light of rising tensions with Hezbollah and Hamas.
âThere is no ban on licenses for arms exports to Israel and there will be no ban. The Federal Government decides on the granting of licenses for arms exports on a case-by-case basis and in the light of the respective situation after careful examination, taking into account foreign and security policy considerations in accordance with legal and political requirements,â the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection said in a statement.
âIn doing so, the Federal Government takes into account compliance with international humanitarian law. In this case-by-case assessment, the current situation is always taken into account, including the attacks on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah as well as the course of the operation in Gaza,â the ministry said.
Lebanon death toll rises after device explosions
At least 37 people -- including two children -- were killed across the country by exploding communication devices on Tuesday and Wednesday, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Al-Abyad said in a press conference Thursday. About 3,000 people were injured, he said.
"It is certain that what happened in terms of aggression is considered a war crime, as the majority of the injuries were recorded in civilian areas and not in the battlefield, and the government is doing its duty and has called for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, and human rights organizations are doing their duty on this issue,â Al-Abyad said.
Hezbollah said 20 of its members were killed in Wednesday's walkie-talkie explosions. Another 11 were killed in Tuesday's pager explosions in Lebanon and Syria, bringing the overall death toll for the group to 31.
Israel was responsible for Tuesday's explosions, a source confirmed to ABC News, in which pagers detonated across Beirut and southern Lebanon. Walkie-talkies exploded on Wednesday.
-ABC News' Morgan Winsor, Nasser Atta and Ghazi Balkiz
IDF carrying out strikes in Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces said it is carrying out strikes in Lebanon to "degrade Hezbollahâs terrorist capabilities and infrastructure," according to a statement.
"The Hezbollah terrorist organization has turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone. For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields. The IDF is operating to bring security to northern Israel in order to enable the return of residents to their homes, as well as to achieve of all of the war goals," the IDF said in a statement.
The strikes come after two consecutive days of explosions of pagers and walkie-talkie devices in Lebanon, which left at least 37 people dead.
Israeli arrested over Iran-directed plot to kill Netanyahu, police say
Israeli police and the Shin Bet intelligence service foiled an alleged plot to kill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu and other prominent individuals, according to details of an indictment released on Thursday.
Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Israeli businessman from the city of Ashkelon, is accused of twice smuggling himself into Iran via Turkey to meet with intelligence officials directing would-be plots from Tehran.
The discussions allegedly included potential plans to attack Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, among others.
Police and Shin Bet said the alleged plots were intended as retaliation for the killing of Ismail Hanieyh in Tehran in July, which Iran blamed on Israel.
A joint police and Shin Bet statement also accused Maman of discussing the possibility of acting as a money courier for others in Israel, locating Russian and American elements for the elimination of Tehran's opponents in Europe and the U.S. and recruiting Mossad personnel as double agents.
"The Israeli citizen demanded an advance payment of $1 million dollars before performing any action," police and Shin Bet said. "Iranian agents refused his request and informed him they would contact him in the future."
Maman allegedly received around $558,000 -- paid in euros -- for attending the meetings with Iranian intelligence personnel.
Lebanon toll rises after device explosions
The Lebanese Health Ministry said that at least 32 people -- including two children -- were killed across the country by exploding communication devices on Tuesday and Wednesday. More than 3,250 people were injured, it said.
Hezbollah said 20 of its members were killed in Wednesday's walkie-talkie explosions. Another 11 were killed in Tuesday's pager explosions in Lebanon and Syria, bringing the overall death toll for the group to 31.
A source confirmed to ABC News that Israel was responsible for Tuesday's explosions, in which pagers detonated across Beirut and southern Lebanon. Walkie-talkies exploded on Wednesday.
Israeli forces conduct airstrike on school in Gaza City
Israeli forces conducted an airstrike on what they claim were Hamas terrorists operating within a command and control center embedded inside a school in Gaza City, Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement Wednesday.
Ten people were killed from the strike, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.
"A short while ago, with the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists operating within a command and control center embedded inside a compound that previously served as the 'Ibn Al-Haytam' School in the area of Gaza City," the IDF said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia will not recognize Israel without Palestinian state: Crown Prince
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom would not recognize Israel as a state without a Palestinian state.
"The Palestinian cause is at the forefront of your countryâs affairs. We renew the kingdomâs rejection and strong condemnation of the crimes of the Israeli occupation authority against the Palestinian people, ignoring international and humanitarian law in a new and bitter chapter of suffering," Prince Mohammed said.
"The kingdom will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that. We extend our thanks to the countries that have recognized the Palestinian state, in accordance with international legitimacy, and we urge the rest of the countries to take similar steps," Prince Mohammed said.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia had previously paved the way for normalizing relations with Israel before the eruption of the war in the Gaza Strip last October put those plans on hold.
Fighting in the north moves into 'new phase,' Gallant says
Israel has begun a "new phase in the war," with Israel diverting forces and resources toward northern Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at the air force's Ramat David base on Wednesday.
"The center of gravity is moving north, the meaning is that we are diverting forces, resources, energy towards the north. We have not forgotten the abductees and we have not forgotten our tasks in the south, this is our duty and we are carrying it out at the same time," Gallant said.
"It is very important to do things at this stage in close cooperation -- between all organizations, at all levels," Gallant said.
US 'did not know' about Israel's pager operation: Blinken
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference in Egypt on Wednesday that the U.S. "did not know about and was not involved" in Israel's pager attacks in Lebanon and Syria -- but said that officials were still gathering information and did not directly blame Israel.
"Broadly speaking, we've been very clear, and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we're trying to resolve in Gaza," Blinken said.
Its spread to other fronts, he added, is "clearly not in the interest of anyone involved."
Blinken also reaffirmed the Biden administration's commitment to reaching a cease-fire, which he said would "materially improve the prospects of defusing the situation" on the Israeli-Lebanese border and allow thousands of people living near the area on both sides of the divide to return home.
"That's clearly the best path forward for everyone involved. So again, it's imperative that everyone avoid taking steps that could further escalate or spread the conflict," he said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty was also asked about the matter, and had much more to say. He declared, via a translator, that Egypt was "against any unilateral action that attacks the sovereignty of Lebanon."
"We have condemned and we will condemn any targeting of the Lebanese sovereignty," he said. "It does not encourage any civility."
He continued: "Such dangerous escalation can lead to what we have warned of before, which is leading to the edge of a regional war which can kill everyone."
The foreign minister also asserted that the "heart of the crisis" facing the Middle East was "Israeli aggression in Gaza."
Israel moves troops toward Lebanon border
The Israel Defense Forces' 98th Division will be deployed to the northern part of the country close to the border with Lebanon, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.
The division was previously active in the Gaza Strip and is being deployed to the north amid rising tensions and ongoing skirmishes between the IDF and the Hezbollah militant group operating from southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has vowed retaliation for Israel's exploding pager attack that killed at least 12 people and injured at least 2,800 in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday.
Israel behind Lebanon pagers attack, sources confirm
Sources confirmed to ABC News that Israel was responsible for the explosion of pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday.
The pagers began exploding around 3:30 p.m. local time, according to Hezbollah officials. An intelligence source familiar with the situation told ABC News that Israel has long been working to perfect this type of "supply chain interdiction attack."
At least nine civilians were killed and more than 2,750 injured by the explosions, Lebanese health authorities said.
Hezbollah said 11 of its members were killed on Tuesday, though did not disclose the circumstances of their deaths. The militant group vowed retaliation against Israel.
Four Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said four of its soldiers were killed fighting in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Capt. Daniel Mimon Toaff, Staff Sgt. Agam Naim, Staff Sgt. Amit Bakri and Staff Sgt. Dotan Shimon were killed in combat, the IDF said in a statement.
One officer and two soldiers from the Shaked Battalion, Givati Brigade, were "severely injured" during the same incident, the statement said. Another two soldiers were "moderately injured."
An officer from the Givati Reconnaissance Unit was also "severely injured" in southern Gaza, the IDF said.
Hezbollah vows 'reckoning' for pager explosions
In a Wednesday morning statement, the Hezbollah militant group said it would continue operations to "support Gaza" and vowed a "reckoning" for Israel after Tuesday's "massacre" when more than 2,750 people were injured by exploding pagers in Lebanon.
Hezbollah blamed Israel for the operation, which killed at least nine civilians. Eleven Hezbollah members died on Tuesday, the group said, though -- as is typical in its statements -- did not specify how they died.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to speak on Thursday afternoon to address the situation.
Israel has not commented on its alleged involvement in Tuesday's explosions in Lebanon.
IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces said warplanes hit Hezbollah targets in six locations in southern Lebanon into Wednesday. Artillery strikes were also conducted, it added.
Israeli aircraft bombed "Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure" in the areas of Majdal Selm, Odaisseh, Markaba, Blida, Maroun El Ras and Chihine in southern Lebanon, the IDF said in a statement.
Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways cancel all flights to Israel
Three major European airlines have canceled all flights to Israel hours after a deadly attack on Hezbollah left at least nine people dead and over 2,700 people injured.
Air France has canceled flights to Tel Aviv for Sept. 18 and 19, according to the flight status board on their website. Lufthansa has canceled flights to Israel through Sept. 19 and British Airways has canceled flights to Israel through Sept. 27.
Netanyahu undermining security with 'petty politics,' political rival alleges
Benny Gantz -- the leader of the centrist National Unity coalition -- on Tuesday accused rival Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of endangering Israeli security "in the most tangible way that I can remember being done by a prime minister during a war, and in general."
In a public statement -- later also published on his X page -- Gantz accused the prime minister of "security recklessness" over reports that Netanyahu is preparing to replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is a major critic of the prime minister's approach to cease-fire negotiations in Gaza.
Gantz said the alleged political maneuvering is particularly dangerous ahead of a potential expansion of the conflict in the north of the country, where the Israel Defense Forces has been engaged in cross-border fighting with the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia since Oct. 8.
"Human lives and the future of the nation are at stake," Gantz said, describing the situation as the "dictionary definition of petty politics, at the expense of national security."
11,000 students killed in Gaza, education ministry says
The Palestinian Ministry of Education said Tuesday that some 11,000 students have been killed and more than 17,000 others have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Israel's campaign there started on Oct. 7.
The ministry also said 500 schools and universities have been bombed across the territory in almost one year of war.
Islamic Jihad rocket commander 'eliminated' in Gaza, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said it "eliminated" the head of the Islamic Jihad militia group's southern rocket and missile unit in a Monday airstrike on a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.
Ahmed Aish Salame al-Hashash was the commander of the Islamic Jihad's rocket forces in the southern Rafah area, the IDF said in a statement. He was "an important source of knowledge of rocket fire within the Islamic Jihad terror organization in Gaza," the IDF added.
Al-Hashash was killed while "operating inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Younis," the IDF said, referring to one of the areas designated by the Israeli military as safer locations for civilians amid the devastating campaign in Gaza.
"Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence," the IDF said.
The IDF often launches strikes inside Gaza humanitarian zones in pursuit of militant leaders.
Gaza Health Ministry identifies more than 34,300 people killed
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry published a 649-page document identifying 34,344 people killed in the strip between Oct.7, 2023 and Aug. 31, 2024.
The document includes the name, age, gender and identification number of each person killed.
The first 13 pages of the document include names of people all under 1 year old.
The document only includes the names of those the Health Ministry said it has been able to identify. Thousands more who are a part of the overall death toll are considered missing, the ministry said.
The current death toll in Gaza is 41,226 as of Sept. 16, according to the Hamas-run ministry.
Blinken to travel to Egypt
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt this week to discuss efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, the State Department said.
Blinken will travel to Egypt Wednesday through Friday to co-chair the opening of the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, the department said.
He will also meet with Egyptian officials "to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages, alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people, and helps establish broader regional security," the State Department said in a statement.
State Department doesn't have timeline on new cease-fire proposal
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller declined to predict when a new Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal proposal might be ready.
"We continue to engage with our partners in the region, most specifically with Egypt and Qatar, about what that proposal will contain, and making sure -- or trying to see that itâs a proposal that can get the parties to an ultimate agreement," Miller told reporters Monday.
"I don't have a timetable for you other than to say that we are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal, try to find something that would bring both the parties to say yes and to formally submit it," Miller added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously said more than a week ago that a proposal would be presented to both Israel and Hamas "in the coming days."
Miller said Monday that -- just like in the negotiations overall -- the main hurdles for creating the new proposal were the security situation in the Philadelphi corridor and the number of hostages and Palestinian prisoners that would be released.
'Trajectory is clear' at Israel-Lebanon border: Gallant
Time is running out for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict at the Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in an overnight phone call.
"Hezbollah continues to 'tie itself' to Hamas -- the trajectory is clear," Gallant told Austin per a readout from the Israeli Defense Ministry.
Gallant "reiterated Israel's commitment to the removal of Hezbollah presence in southern Lebanon, and to enabling the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes," the defense ministry said.
Cross-border fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah -- which is aligned with Iran and Hamas through the so-called "Axis of Resistance" -- has been near-constant since Oct. 8.
Tens of thousands of Israelis have left their homes in the north of the country amid the fighting, with Israeli leaders repeatedly threatening a significant military operation to pacify Hezbollah forces operating in southern Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Sunday statement that the "current situation will not continue. This requires a change in the balance of forces on our northern border. We will do whatever is necessary to return our residents securely to their homes."
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Israel now says Houthi missile was hit by interceptor
A missile described by the Houthis as a "new hypersonic ballistic missileâ was hit by an Israeli interceptor, Israeli military officials said Sunday, after initially saying it got through its defenses and fell in an open area.
An Israeli interceptor hit the missile fired into central Israel from Yemen, causing it to fragment, according to Israeli officials. The missile was not destroyed, but caused no damage, the Israeli officials said.
"The conclusion into the review of the surface-to-surface missile that was fired this morning is that there was a hit on the target from an interceptor, as a result of which the target fragmented but was not destroyed," an Israeli military official said in a statement.
The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the missile attack, claiming in a statement that it was aimed at an "important military target" in the Tel Aviv region. The Houthis claimed the missile flew some 1,267 miles in less than 12 minutes and that Israeli anti-missile defenses "failed to intercept" the weapon.
The Israel Defense Forces initially confirmed to ABC News that its defenses failed to intercept the missile but changed its conclusions upon further investigation.
-ABC News' Victoria Beaule
IDF: 'High probability' 3 hostages were killed by Israeli airstrike in November
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces released the results of its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three hostages, whose bodies were recovered from Gaza by IDF forces in December.
The three hostages -- two soldiers, Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, and civilian Elia Toledano -- were killed "as a byproduct" of an Israeli airstrike on the compound where they were being held, according to the investigation. The IDF said the strike was targeting a Hamas commander, and that they believed the hostages were being held elsewhere.
"The findings of the investigation suggest a high probability that the three were killed as a result of a byproduct of an IDF airstrike, during the elimination of the Hamas Northern Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, on November 10th, 2023," the IDF said Sunday in a statement.
-ABC Newsâ Jordana Miller
Netanyahu vows to inflict 'high price' for Houthi missile attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against the Houthi movement after a missile fired from Yemen fell in central Israel on Sunday morning.
"This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen at our territory," Netanyahu said before a cabinet meeting. "They should know that we exact a high price for any attempt to attack us."
"Whoever needs a reminder of this, is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah," the prime minister added, referring to Israel's bombing of the strategic Yemeni port in July after a Houthi drone strike killed one person in Tel Aviv.
"Whoever attacks us will not evade our strike," Netanyahu said.
