Israel tells the US it plans to launch a limited ground incursion into Lebanon as soon as Monday, a US official says
Hezbollah's deputy leader says it's ready for an Israeli ground offensive, as Israel continues air strikes across Lebanon
It's the first speech by a high-ranking official since Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Naim Qassem says the battle "may be long"
In Lebanon, officials say more than 1,000 have been killed in the past two weeks, while up to a million people may now be displaced
As we just reported, the Israeli military says it's "continuing operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure".
These new pictures show smoke billowing above southern Lebanon, after Israeli strikes.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
Image source, ReutersIn a new statement, the Israel Defense Forces says it hit about 75 Hezbollah targets overnight.
It says strikes happened in Bekaa, close to the Syrian border, and southern Lebanon, and targeted weapons depots, rocket launchers, military buildings and infrastructure.
The IDF says it is "continuing operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure".
Image source, ReutersBezalel Smotrich says the only options are Hezbollah's surrender or war
We reported earlier that Israel opposition leader Yair Lapid says Israel "should accept the Biden-Macron ceasefire proposal, but only for 7 days".
That view is not shared by Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right minister of finance in Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
He says Hezbollah must "not be given time to recover", and that the only way to return displaced residents to northern Israel is "the surrender of Hezbollah - or war".
He says Israel's campaign "should end in one scenario - crushing Hezbollah and denying its ability to harm residents in the north".
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, in Beirut
Image source, ReutersUp until now, there have been no indications that Israel or Hezbollah are interested in backing down.
Israel has called up more reservists and has told the army to be ready for a possible ground offensive. The speculation has been that it may launch an invasion of southern Lebanon to destroy the infrastructure used by Hezbollah and push its fighters away.
In Israel, military officials are probably saying this offensive needs to continue and more needs to be done to significantly degrade Hezbollah and change the reality along the border.
For Hezbollah, this has become an existential battle. This is the worst moment in the group’s history. They have been weakened, but remain defiant.
The group says its attacks on Israel will continue until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. For almost a year, this has been their position. It is difficult to see how they are going to change course without being seen as capitulating to Israel.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese are caught up in this violence. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds more wounded, and tens of thousands have been displaced. All this has put a lot of pressure on an already-exhausted country.
Lebanese authorities say a ceasefire is urgent. Speaking at the United Nations, Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that hospitals were no longer capable of treating people because of the sheer number of casualties from Israel’s attacks.
Our colleagues at 5 Live have spoken to British national Anne Bouji, who has lived in Lebanon with her Lebanese husband for seven years.
She says where they are, on the east of Beirut, they are "relatively OK" but that neighbours on the west have "suffered dreadfully" in the past 10 days or so.
"Of course in the south of the country, areas of which are only 40km away, it has just been horrendous for months," she says.
"The overall feeling is that there is so much tension and fear in the air, you can taste it. It’s very real and it’s very distressing."
Bouji's husband has had several strokes and is partially paralysed, and Bouji has her own health problems.
"This is our home and at our age, which is not young, how do you start again when all of the savings you’ve worked for are tied up in the bank and you can’t access that money?"
You can listen to 5 Live's full programme, or read more about UK citizens struggling to leave the country.
Image source, Prime Minister of Israel / XIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara are travelling to New York.
He is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.
A video uploaded by the Israeli government, external shows the pair boarding a plane in Israel.
Image source, ReuterYair Lapid, leader of Israel's opposition party Yesh Atid, says Israel "should accept the Biden-Macron ceasefire proposal, but only for 7 days".
He says this shorter ceasefire - as opposed to the 21 days suggested - would be in order "not to allow Hezbollah to restore command and control systems".
Lapid adds Israel will not accept any proposal that does not remove Hezbollah from Israel's northern border.
Meanwhile, another former Israeli PM, Naftali Bennett, says that if Hezbollah wants the strikes to stop it should "lay down its arms, demilitarise itself and move 15km away from the Israeli border".
"The world is now pushing for a ceasefire in Hezbollah. It just doesn't work that way," he adds in a post on X. "Hezbollah has been shooting for the past year thousands of rockets at Israel for NO LEGITIMATE REASON."
Image source, Reuters
Image source, ReutersSmoke rising in southern Lebanon on Thursday morning
The Lebanese health ministry says three people have been killed in Israeli air strikes overnight on Aita el Shaab in southern Lebanon.
Separately, one person - of Syrian nationality - was killed in Qana, also in southern Lebanon. Another Syrian was wounded.
We're re-starting our live coverage of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Overnight, allies including the US, UK and EU called for a 21-day ceasefire. The 12-strong bloc said it would "provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement" and a ceasefire in Gaza.
In a joint statement, they said the hostilities were "intolerable" and presented an "unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation".
It comes after Israel’s military chief told troops on Wednesday that extensive air strikes in Lebanon could pave the way for them to "enter enemy territory".
The Lebanese health ministry says at least four people were killed by Israeli air strikes overnight in the south of the country.
Stay with us as we bring you all the latest updates.