Israel-Hezbollah live: Lebanon braces for potential ground invasion as US and France call for 21-day ceasefire
Israeli air strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 560 people since Monday, including women and 50 children, says health ministry
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Israel’s military chief has suggested a ground invasion of Lebanon could be imminent as Israel bombarded the south of the country for a third day running.
“You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day,” General Herzi Halevi told troops. “This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.”
The Israeli military also says it is activating reserve troops in response to rising tensions with 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. The proposed agreement would not affect the war 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 7 October, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”
UN experts say more than 90,500 people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes this week.
I watched terrified Britons flee Lebanon in 2006 – I fear it will happen again
Britons urged to leave Lebanon now – but what are their travel options after most flights cancelled?
Biden says Israel-Hezbollah conflict could turn into ‘all-out war’ as US floats cease-fire proposal
Israel gears up for Lebanon ground invasion after another day of heavy strikes
Watch: Lebanon resident calls for mother as explosions ring out
Lebanon resident calls for mother as explosions ring out from Israeli airstrikes
A resident called for their mother as explosions rang out from Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, 25 September. Social media footage documented plumes of smoke rising into the sky in Nabatieh as Israeli warplanes continued to strike areas in the country, raising the death toll from the extensive bombardment across Lebanon to more than 558 people. Renewed strikes came hours after Hezbollah announced it launched a missile toward Tel Aviv targeting the headquarters of the Mossad intelligence agency, which the group blames for a string of assassinations of its top commanders.
Opinion: I watched terrified Britons flee Lebanon in 2006 and I fear it will happen again
Caroline Gammell witnessed the evacuations 18 years ago in Beirut, and says the government should take heed of a blueprint that worked:
I watched terrified Britons flee Lebanon in 2006
Sir Keir Starmer has urged Britons in the region to leave ‘immediately’ as Israel intensifies its bombing campaign against Hezbollah. Caroline Gammell witnessed the evacuations 18 years ago in Beirut – she says the government should take heed of a blueprint that worked
British citizens fear being trapped in Lebanon as conflict escalates
UK citizens fear being trapped in Lebanon as conflict with Israel escalates
Sir Keir Starmer urged citizens to leave ‘while commercial flights are available’ from Lebanon
Israel expands strikes on Lebanon - full report
Israel expands strikes on Lebanon as Hezbollah targets Tel Aviv with missile
Sir Keir Starmer says he believes the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is on the brink of all-out war after urging any Britons still in Lebanon to leave immediately
Israeli leader vows to bring back citizens forced from homes
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeated a vow to return the tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from northern border areas to their homes.
And he said the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement was being hit harder than it could imagine.
“I can’t go into detail about everything we do, but I can tell you one thing: We are determined to return our residents in the north safely to their homes,” he said in a brief video message that made no comment on US-led efforts to secure a ceasefire deal.
On Tuesday, he urged Lebanese civilians to flee to safety.
Watch: Netanyahu urges Lebanon civilians to evacuate their homes in video message
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged civilians in Lebanon to heed IDF warnings and evacuate their homes in a video message on Monday (23 September). The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon has risen to 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and wounded 1,645 people. Netanyahu said: “I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Israel’s war is not with you. It’s with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. “It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens.” He added: “Starting this morning, the IDF has warned you to get out of harm’s way. “I urge you – take this warning seriously.”
All-out war possible, says Biden
US president Joe Biden has said an all-out war was possible in the Middle East but there was also the possibility of a settlement in Israel‘s conflicts in Gaza and with Hezbollah.
“An all-out war is possible, but I think there’s also the opportunity - we’re still in play to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region,” Mr Biden said in an appearance on ABC.
Starmer calls on UN to demand immediate ceasefire and hostages release
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has demanded the UN Security Council ask for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
He said: “We need a political route to that agreement which provides a bridge to a better future.
“A credible and irreversible path to a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure state of Israel. That is the only way to provide security and justice to both Israelis and Palestinians.”
Read more:
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No more excuses, Starmer tells Israel
Prime minister Keir Starmer has told lsrael there must be “no more excuses” while calling on Hamas to let the hostages go.
Calling October 7 “the bloodiest of days for Jewish people since the Holocaust”, he said: “I utterly condemn the terrorist actions of Hamas.”
He added: “I say again let the hostages go. We must face up to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza that deepens by the day.
“Israel must grant humanitarian access to civilians in line with obligations to international law.
“There can be no more excuses. Israel must open more crossings allow vital life-saving aid to flow and provide a safe environment for the UN and other organisations to operate.”
Read more in our politics live blog.
Recap: Israel intercepts Hezbollah’s farthest strike yet in 11 months
Israel-Hamas war latest: Israel intercepts Hezbollah's farthest strike yet in 11 months of exchanges
Hezbollah has launched dozens of rockets into Israel, including the group’s farthest strike yet in nearly a year of exchanges
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