Israel-Iran latest: Six killed in Beirut strike as Israel vows air assault against Hezbollah will continue
Israel strikes central Beirut, killing six and leaving seven wounded
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Israel has suffered its first military casualties in its ground invasion of southern Lebanon, with eight Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers killed in intense clashes against Hezbollah.
Those losses came as Israel struck central Beirut, with an airstrike not far from Lebanon’s parliament resulting in at least six deaths and seven injuries.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to defeat Iran’s “Axis of Evil”, saying: “We are at the height of a difficult war... we will stand together and with God’s help, we will win together.”
Hezbollah confirmed it was engaged in clashes with Israeli forces, claiming to have destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks. Lebanon’s health ministry reported 46 deaths from Israeli airstrikes in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden stated that the US will not support an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites, saying, “the answer is no” following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel after its invasion of Lebanon.
And the UN has hit back at Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz for banning its secretary-general Antonio Guterres and declaring him “persona non grata”.
Britons fly back from Lebanon on first flight chartered by UK government
The first charter flight carrying British citizens out of Lebanon has taken off amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, the foreign secretary has confirmed.
More charter flights have been arranged for this week following Israel’s ground offensive into southern Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah – which has followed more than a week of heavy bombardment. The Israeli military has warned people to evacuate around 50 villages and towns across southern Lebanon with intense clashes with Hezbollah forces.
Nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past year and around 1.2 million people have been displaced from their homes, Lebanese authorities say. The majority of the deaths came in the past two weeks.
My colleague Alex Croft reports:
Britons fly back from Lebanon on first flight chartered by UK government
More flights have been arranged for this week following Israel’s ground offensive into southern Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah
Biden says he does not support attack on Iran's nuclear sites
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he does not support an attack on Iran's nuclear sites following strikes on Israel.
Biden also told reporters that there would be more sanctions imposed on Iran and said he would speak soon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden and G7 ‘unequivocally condemn’ Iran’s attack against Israel, White House says
US President Joe Biden has said he and the G7 “unequivocally condemn” Iran’s attack against Israel, the White House has said.
Biden joined the call with the G7 to discuss and coordinate on a response to iran’s attack against Israel, including new sanctions, it said.
He expressed the US’s “full solidarity and support” to Israel and its people in the call with the leaders, it added.
Full story: Israel and Hezbollah clash in fierce fighting in Lebanon as Netanyahu vows Iran ‘will pay’ for missile attack
Israel and Hezbollah have clashed in intense ground battles in southern Lebanon for the first time in nearly two decades as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Iran “will pay” for its huge missile attack.
Mr Netanyahu held two security meetings in the immediate wake of Iran firing 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, the first of which was in a bunker in Jerusalem late on Tuesday night and the second was in Tel Aviv at the defence ministry’s headquarters on Wednesday, to work out a response.
“Iran made a big mistake tonight - and it will pay for it,” he said, immediately after the attack. “The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies.”
Chief International Correspondent Bel Trew and Tom Watling report:
Israel and Hezbollah clash in fierce fighting as Netanyahu vows Iran ‘will pay’
‘Significant’ response expected in days as eight Israeli soldiers killed during fighting intensifies on the ground in Lebanon
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