Israel’s army chief on Wednesday told a tank brigade to prepare for “possible entry” into Lebanon. The order comes amid a sharp escalation of cross-border clashes between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah after Israeli air raids killed hundreds of people in Lebanon earlier this week. Read our liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
Summary:
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Israel’s army chief on Wednesday told troops to be ready for a “possible entry” into Lebanon.
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Israel on Wednesday intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Hezbollah that the Lebanese militant group said was aimed at Israeli spy agency Mossad's headquarters near Tel Aviv.
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Hezbollah announced early Wednesday the death of commander Ibrahim Mohammed Kobeissi in an Israeli strike. Lebanese authorities say the attack on Beirut's southern suburbs left six people dead.
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Israel’s army said it had hit 60 Hezbollah intelligence targets, including command centres, in Lebanon. Lebanese officials say at least 569 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Monday, while close to half a million people have been displaced.
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The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Lebanon at 6pm (22:00 GMT) Wednesday, said Slovenia, which holds the presidency of the 15-member council for September.
Yesterday's key developments:
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Hezbollah said it had launched dozens of rockets at an Israeli military base near the northern city of Safed following the Israeli military's announcement that it had killed one of the Iran-backed group’s top commanders in the suburbs of Beirut.
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US President Biden warned against a "full-scale war" in Lebanon, calling for a diplomatic solution as he delivered his farewell address to the UN General Assembly.
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Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday said Israel's war in the Gaza Strip was a "genocide" as he addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly. Qatar has been attempting to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas for months.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP, Reuters)
