Israel-Lebanon latest: Fighter jets strike 220 Hezbollah targets in a day, Israel says, as ceasefire rejected
Netanyahu ordered strikes to continue as Israel rejected a US-French proposal for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon
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Israel struck about 220 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon 24 hours, military leaders have said.
The targets included infrastructure sites, launchers from which projectiles were fired toward Israeli territory, Hezbollah operatives and weapons storage facilities.
Earlier, Israel said a Hezbollah air force commander had been killed in an air strike on Beirut.
Mohammad Surur, the head of one of Hezbollah's air force units, was killed in the strike on a populated area of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
There have been a number of such strikes this week, alongside more than 1,000 others around the country.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government ruled out a ceasefire with Hezbollah, instead ordering his military to fight at full force.
The UK joined the US, France and other allies in calling for a 21-day temporary truce. In a statement, Mr Netanyahu’s office said: “The news about a ceasefire – not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.”
The proposed ceasefire agreement would not affect the war in Gaza.
‘Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon’, UN chief warns
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon” as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, with exchanges of fire intensifying along the UN-patrolled border.
In a statement, Mr Guterres urged both sides to respect Lebanese sovereignty and called for Lebanon to have “full control of its weapons” throughout the country.
Nearly 200,000 Lebanese and over 60,000 northern Israelis have been displaced since Hezbollah began launching rockets across the border in support of Hamas in Gaza. Hundreds have been killed in the escalating conflict.
The communities on both sides “must be able to return to their homes and live in safety and security, without fear”, the secretary-general said.
“Civilians must be protected. Civilian infrastructure most not be targeted…To all sides, let us say in one clear voice: stop the killing and destruction. Tone down the rhetoric and threats. Step back from the brink,” he said.
Israeli military chief says troops preparing for possible ground invasion of Lebanon
Israel’s top general has indicated that the country is preparing for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, as airstrikes targeting Hezbollah continue into a third day.
Israel’s chief of staff, Maj Gen Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops during a visit to the country’s north: “We are preparing the process of a manoeuvre, which means your military boots, your manoeuvring boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points and launchpads into our territory [from which to] carry out attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Mr Halevi’s remarks come as the US increased pressure for a pause in the fighting, with Joe Biden warning of the urgent need to prevent an “all-out war” in the region.
“An all-out war is possible,” the US president told ABC, adding that he believed an opportunity also existed “to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region”.
US and France call for 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
The US and France have called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to create space for broader negotiations and prevent a larger conflict. This follows a heavy three-day Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon that has killed over 600 people.
The ceasefire proposal, endorsed by several global powers — like Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — aims to allow civilians to return to their homes on the Israel-Lebanon border safely. It does not, however, apply to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The joint statement issued by Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron said: “It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes. The exchange of fire since October 7th, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”
The two leaders said they worked on a temporary ceasefire “to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border”.
Biden says conflict could turn into ‘all-out war’: full report
Biden says Israel-Hezbollah conflict could turn into ‘all-out war’
President Biden said fighting between Israel and Hezbollah threatens to become ‘all-out war’ as his top diplomat and other advisers were working behind the scenes pressing for a temporary cease-fire
We’ve wiped out Hezbollah command centres, says Israel
The Israeli defence forces claim their strikes in Lebanon have wiped out intelligence-gathering tools, command centres and other infrastructure used by Hezbollah.
The Blue Line - the temporary border between Israel and Lebanon
What is the Blue Line?
As part of the 21-day ceasefire proposal - which has been rejected by Israel - mediators refer to ending the fighting along the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.
The Blue Line is a provisional border between Israel and Lebanon - and is not yet viewed as a permanent border.
Drawn in 2000 and monitored by UN peacekeepers, the Blue Line was seen as a temporary solution to demarcate the border between Israel and Lebanon, while a peace agreement still had not been signed.
UN Security Council resolution 1701, which was passed after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, called for “full respect” for the Blue Line by troops on both sides.
But not only have both Israel and Hezbollah been firing rockets and airstrikes across the line, the Israeli military is now gearing up to stage a ground invasion, according to a top army general.
Hezbollah are supposed to remain behind the Litani river, 20 miles from the Blue Line, but for years have been slowly moving forwards.
Residents of northern Israel’s largest city face Hezbollah fire
Haifa, a seaside city of nearly 300,000 people, has increasingly come into Hezbollah ‘s sights since fighting with Israel escalated this week - and residents are bracing for what many fear will be the worst round of violence since a war nearly two decades ago pounded the city with rockets:
Residents of northern Israel's largest city face Hezbollah fire and brace for the worst
The sandy beaches of Haifa are empty
How safe it is to travel to Jordan, and your rights if you have booked
Is it safe to travel to Jordan right now?
The Middle Eastern country shares its northern border with Israel and Syria
US and France in talks over peace deal, says Cypriot leader
The United States and France are trying to hammer out an interim accord to halt hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah with a view to opening broader diplomatic talks, Cyprus’ president, Nikos Christodoulides, has said.
“I don’t see that we can have a [broad] agreement but a form of interim agreement in order to avoid further escalation. This is the effort right now especially from the United States and France,” Mr Christodoulides told Reuters at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is the closest European Union member state, to Lebanon - about 160 miles away, and has been at the forefront of maritime aid efforts for Gaza.
Mr Christodoulides said: “During the last days there are a lot of deliberations to avoid further escalation, especially with Lebanon. There is a diplomatic initiative from the United States and France.”
Thousands are pouring into Syria, fleeing conflict
Families fleeing Lebanon poured into Syria in growing numbers on Wednesday, waiting for hours i to reach the relative safety of another war-torn country:
Thousands are pouring into Syria, fleeing worsening conflict in Lebanon
Families fleeing the escalating conflict in Lebanon are pouring into Syria in growing numbers
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