Image source, Reuters

Areas around the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona have been hit by rockets launched from Lebanon.

As reported by Israeli media, the IDF says about 10 rockets were fired into the area and some were intercepted.

Hezbollah, an armed group that controls parts of Lebanon, says it fired at the area.

Much of Kiryat Shmona is evacuated - around 70,000 people have left northern Israel since Hezbollah began firing rockets on a near-daily basis last October.

Israel may go into Lebanon - but how long would they stay?published at 13:09 British Summer Time 26 September

13:09 BST 26 September

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

There is a reason why Israel’s military chief, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, told his troops yesterday that air strikes could pave the way for them to "enter enemy territory" - that is, Lebanon.

Air strikes alone will not eliminate the threat to northern Israel from Hezbollah's rockets, many of them still hidden below ground in tunnels and caves.

The Israeli military realised this in the last war with Hezbollah in 2006, eventually sending in tanks and infantry after air strikes failed to defeat the Iran-backed group.

That war ended inconclusively after 34 days with a UN resolution that was supposed to keep Hezbollah at some distance from the border, north of the Litani River.

Instead, its fighters have made south Lebanon their base, from where they have been rocketing northern Israel for 11 months now.

But if Israel sends ground forces into Lebanon how long will they stay?

Israeli forces were there for 18 years, from 1982-2000, withdrawing when casualties became politically intolerable at home. So now, there is again the risk that any Israeli incursion into Lebanon could become open-ended, just as Gaza appears to have become.

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, here's what has happened overnight and today:

• On Wednesday night in New York, bloc of 12 allies, including the US, France, and Arab nations, called for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying it would "provide space for diplomacy"
• But overnight, Israeli air strikes continued, with Israel saying it hit around 75 Hezbollah targets, and Lebanese authorities reporting at least 13 deaths
• Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said his country is fighting with "full force" and has not responded to the ceasefire call
• Israel said at least 45 rockets had been fired from Lebanese territory - Hezbollah said it targeted an Israeli defence site near Haifa

• And Israel said it was targeting several sites on the the Lebanon-Syria border - with a Lebanese official saying a bridge was hit on the Syrian side

Stay with us today as we bring you the latest from London, Beirut, New York and across the region.

No ceasefire, and no easy options for Israel or Hezbollahpublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 26 September

12:31 BST 26 September

Daniel De Simone
Reporting from Jerusalem

As we've reported, Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israel's military to keep fighting with "full force" in Lebanon.

And since Israel’s new war goal was formally set last week – the return home of over 60,000 people displaced in the north – the leadership’s language has increasingly reflected a mindset in which the goal can only be delivered through the military action that’s been growing in tandem.

Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah says attacks on Israel will only end when there’s a ceasefire in Gaza, something he won’t easily resile from, despite the vast toll of the conflict on Lebanese civilians.

Nasrallah claims to welcome the prospect of a ground incursion into Lebanon, saying it will be an opportunity for his forces and hell for Israel.

But both sides know continuing down the current path contains significant pain and risks.

Hezbollah is weakened, with leading figures killed and last week's deadly pager and walkie talkie explosions humiliating a group often lauded as the Middle East’s most capable non-state force.

But Israel’s air strikes have not delivered their goal, with Hezbollah this week firing even further into Israel.

Despite statements from Israel's military indicating a ground invasion may be imminent, the leadership is aware that previous incursions have failed to achieve Israel’s objectives, or destroy Hezbollah.

As we reported earlier, the UN says more than 90,000 people have been newly displaced in Lebanon since Monday.

That's in addition to the 110,000 others who the UN says have fled their homes since 7 October.

The country's foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib puts the number even higher - he estimates the number of people displaced in Lebanon is approaching "half a million".

These pictures from today show people who have left southern Lebanon and have found refuge in an educational institution in Beirut.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Israeli forces say its fighter jets have targeted infrastructure on several points of the Syria-Lebanon border, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say is used by Hezbollah to "transfer weapons".

The IDF says its aim is to "prevent the entry of weapons into Lebanon and the arming of Hezbollah" and it will continue to "attack with force to damage and destroy the military capabilities and infrastructure".

Lebanon's transport minister Ali Hamieh says an Israeli strike hit the Syrian end of a small bridge that crosses into Lebanon.

Hamieh tells Reuters news agency he didn't immediately know whether the crossing was still usable.

Qatar says it is receiving "horrific reports from Lebanon about targeting whole families, in a way that is similar to the atrocities in Gaza".

Government spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, called for a de-escalation of the situation in Lebanon during a news conference in Doha.

Al-Ansari says the Qatari government is seeing "no discrimination between civilian and militant in these attacks".

His comments follow Qatar's joint call - alongside 12 countries, including the US and UK - for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Earlier, the Israeli military said around 45 rockets had been fired from Lebanon into its territory. Some of them were intercepted, while the rest fell on open ground, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Now, Hezbollah says it targeted Israel's defence infrastructure with rockets, aiming at sites in northern Israel, near Haifa.

Hezbollah said it had "bombed the Rafael military industry complexes" using "salvoes of rockets", according to an AFP translation.

The Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is an Israeli defence firm, that developed the Iron Dome missile defence system.

There are no reports of the Rafael facility being damaged.

Carine Torbey
BBC Arabic correspondent, in Beirut

In Lebanon, divisions cannot be easily reduced to a clear split between those who are pro-Hezbollah and those who are anti-Hezbollah.

There are many layers to consider.

Lebanon is a multi-sectarian country where religious identity strongly impacts people’s politics.

For example, many of Hezbollah’s supporters are Shia Muslims, and a large number of its critics and opponents are non-Shia, including Sunni Muslims and Christians.

But this is only accurate to a certain extent.

There are significant groups with different religious and ideological affiliations that are completely opposed to Hezbollah.

Most of them consider it to be an Iranian proxy that dictates whether Lebanon is at war or peace and undermines the country’s government. They call for the disarmament of its powerful military.

Until recently, one of Hezbollah's main political allies was the then-biggest Christian party, the Free Patriotic Movement. For years the groups had a pragmatic agreement to support each other.

Though the agreement has since broken down, it illustrates how different groups in Lebanon can create alliances across religious lines.

While some call for Hezbollah’s disarmament, others are more supportive of the party because its fighting force is so powerful.

Hezbollah’s military strength and the weakness of Lebanon’s national army means that a lot of people – even those outside its core base – believe it is necessary that it continues to be armed.

Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, occupied the south of the country until 2000 and still occupies part of it - the small area of Northern Ghajar.

Image source, EPA

As we've just reported, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says Israel is fighting with "full force" and has not responded to a call for ceasefire.

Now, Israel Katz, the country's foreign minister, says "there will be no ceasefire in the north".

Israel "will continue to fight against the terrorist organisation Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes," Katz adds on a statement on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israel's military to keep fighting with "full force" and has not responded to last night's ceasefire call, his office says.

In response to the ceasefire proposal put forward by 12 international allies, Netanyahu's office says:

"The news about a ceasefire - not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond. The news about the supposed directive to moderate the fighting in the north is also the opposite of the truth.

"The prime minister instructed the IDF to continue the fighting with full force, and according to the plans presented to him. Also, the fighting in Gaza will continue until all the goals of the war are achieved."

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent, reporting from northern Israel

Twenty-four years ago, the Israeli army left southern Lebanon, ending 22 years of occupation.

I watched as the last soldiers crossed back into Israel, closing and locking the gate behind them in the dead of night.

It was 03:45 on the morning of 24 May 2000.

Jubilant Hezbollah fighters gathered on the Lebanese side of the fence, brandishing portraits of their leader Hassan Nasrallah.

But the atmosphere was festive. The only thing thrown across the border that day, as I recall, was a water melon.

On the Israeli side, there was relief, mixed with apprehension. The occupation had cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers, won Israel no friends and greatly enhanced the reputation of Hezbollah.

The thought of going back now, even in a limited way, is not viewed with relish.

But Israel’s top general, Herzi Halevi, is telling his troops to be ready to “enter enemy territory”.

Nothing suggests such an operation is imminent, and there are frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent it from happening.

But if the army goes back in, people will want to know how far, and for how long?

Image source, Getty Images

We reported earlier that Israel says it hit 75 Hezbollah targets overnight, in the Bekaa region close to Syria.

Now, the Israel Defense Forces say they are continuing attacks on Hezbollah in several areas of Lebanon, including Shuba village in southern Lebanon.

The IDF adds that following sirens in northern Israel, about 45 rocket launches were detected from Lebanon.

They say some of these were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas. There have been no reports of injuries so far.

Image source, Reuters

Earlier, we reported the Lebanese health ministry saying nine people had been killed in Younine, north-east Lebanon.

The local mayor, Mayor Ali Qusas, now tells Reuters at least 23 people, mostly women and children, were killed in an Israeli air strike on a building there.

Qusas says a further eight people were wounded.

How likely is a ceasefire?published at 09:20 British Summer Time 26 September

09:20 BST 26 September

Tom Bateman
State Department correspondent

As we've reported, allies - including the US, France, and Saudi Arabia, and the UN - have called for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon.

But it is one thing for major European and Arab allies to call for this immediate ceasefire, but it only really matters if it happens on the ground.

A US official described the call for a ceasefire a "breakthrough".

There's a risk here that this is slightly presumptuous - or trying to create momentum around the announcement itself.

We've been reporting this morning on Israeli strikes in Lebanon, as the Israeli military says it is continuing operations to "dismantle and degrade Hezbollah's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure".

Now, we're getting reports of sirens sounding in both the Upper Galilee and Acre areas of northern Israel, suggesting Hezbollah is returning fire.

We'll give you more details when we have them.

One of the most intense bombing campaigns in modern timespublished at 08:55 British Summer Time 26 September

08:55 BST 26 September

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

The IDF are keeping up a very intense bombing campaign.

In fact, the organisations who monitor this kind of thing say this is one of the most intense in modern times in terms of numbers of targets hit, and also the rate of deaths - particularly on Monday, when they killed more than 500 people.

However, today we might get a reaction to this proposal for a 21-day truce to give time for diplomacy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to New York to speak to the UN General Assembly and is letting it be known he is open to talking about it.

The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is still linking stopping firing their rockets with a cessation of hostilities in Gaza. And really, this pause that has been proposed is actually about that.

I think by common consent - particularly for the American and the French who are the central powers behind this - the essential message is that the only way to de-escalate what is going on in Lebanon, is to get that elusive ceasefire in Gaza.

But there are big differences between Hamas and Israel on potential terms, and Netanyahu is also under a lot of pressure from the right wingers who sustain his government, who are being very vocal against these proposals.

As we reported earlier, Betzalel Smotrich, one of the most prominent, wrote this morning: "Crush Hezbollah…the only options are surrender or war – it’s the only choice we have."

The Lebanese health ministry says nine people have been killed and 11 others injured in an Israeli attack overnight on Younine in north-east Lebanon, close to Baalbek.

Authorities say work is ongoing to remove the rubble.

Earlier, the ministry announced the deaths of four other people further south, in Qana and Aita el Shaab.

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, Reuters

In 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".