Israel strikes Lebanon as US pushes for ceasefire
CNN
Israel is preparing for a possible ground incursion in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah trade waves of strikes. Follow for live news updates.
• Israel’s military said it carried out “precise strikes” in the Lebanese capital of Beirut that killed a Hezbollah commander. An area of the southern suburbs with a strong Hezbollah presence was hit, killing at least two people and injuring 15 others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. • A diplomatic push is underway to prevent a regional war from erupting in the Middle East, with the US and its allies calling for a 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed reports suggesting there could be an imminent ceasefire and told the Israeli military to continue fighting “with full force.” Hezbollah has yet to comment on the plan. • As Israel and Hezbollah trade a fresh wave of strikes, thousands of people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes amid the intense attacks. • Meanwhile in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 15 people, as Palestinians fear the world’s attention has shifted while deadly strikes continue. Israel has exhausted all diplomatic options with Hezbollah, the chairman of Israel’s opposition National Unity Party Benny Gantz said Thursday. Israel “has exhausted every diplomatic opportunity possible to try stop Hezbollah’s onslaught targeting the people of northern Israel,” he told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a visit to Germany on Thursday.
