US deploys troops to Middle East

The US is sending additional troops to the Middle East amid Israel’s deadliest barrage on Lebanon since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Israeli airstrikes killed more than 350 people, including 24 children and wounded some 1,200 on Monday, the Lebanese health minister said.
Israel’s military claimed to have hit 1,300 Hezbollah targets in what it called the start of a “proactive offensive operation” against the Iran-backed militia.
The Pentagon said it was sending a “small number” of added troops to the region after thousands were deployed earlier alongside warships, fighter jets and air defence systems.
Joe Biden, whose country is Israel’s main ally and weapons supplier, said Washington was “working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely”.
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Monday accused Israel of laying “traps” to lead his country into war. “They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go,” he warned.
It comes after Benjamin Netanyahu urged all Lebanese civilians to “get out of harm’s way” in an evening video message, telling them Israel’s fight is with Hezbollah, not Lebanon.
An Israeli strike also hit southern Beirut targeting one of Hezbollah’s last battlefield commanders. The fate of Ali Karaki, the head of the southern front, is still unclear.
Today’s live coverage has ended. Here’s a roundup of the day’s events: 
Israel’s military said a large number of Hezbollah militants were killed in strikes targeting the group in Lebanon on Monday, after Lebanon’s health ministry gave an overall death toll of more than 350.
“Among those killed were a large number of Hezbollah terrorists who were next to the weapons that we targeted,” military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a press briefing. 
He added that “secondary explosions” of weapons stores were responsible for some of the casualties. He did not provide a figure.
Benjamin Netanyahu has warned all Lebanese civilians to “get out of harm’s way” in an evening video message.
“I have a message for the people of Lebanon, Israel’s war is not with you its with Hezbollah,” he said after Israel’s military pounded over 1,300 targets in the country’s north and south.
“Don’t let Hezbollah endanger Lebanon. Please get out of harm’s way now,” he said, telling civilians they can return to their homes “once our operation has finished”.
Hezbollah has denied claims that one of its top commanders was killed in an Israeli strike on Monday. 
“In response to the zionist enemy’s claims of assassinating our brother, the fighter Ali Karaki, we confirm that our dear brother, the fighter leader, Hajj Ali Karaki, is fine and, God willing, in full health and wellness and has moved to a safe place,” the terror group said. 
Israeli media had earlier reported that Karaki was the target of an Israeli air strike on the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut.
Karaki is the head of the Hezbollah unit responsible for the group’s activity in southern Lebanon. He also a member of the Jihad Council, the body responsible for directing Hezbollah’s military activities. 
Lebanon said more than 350 people including 24 children had been killed in Israeli strikes on the country’s east and south Monday – the deadliest day in nearly a year of cross-border clashes.
“Israeli enemy strikes on towns and villages in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa and Baalbek” in the east, “killed 356 people, including 24 children and 42 women, and injured 1,246” others, the health ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli military said late Monday that air strikes in Lebanon hit more than 1,300 targets of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in the previous 24 hours.
The strikes hit “over 1,300 targets”, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing.
An earlier statement from the Israeli army specified that the targets included “buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure where rockets, missiles, launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles posed a threat”.
Iran’s president accused Israel on Monday of seeking a wider war in the Middle East and laying “traps” to lead his country into a wider conflict.
Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran doesn’t want to see the current war in Gaza and airstrikes across the Israeli-Lebanon border expanded.
He said while Israel insists it doesn’t want a wider war, it is taking actions that show otherwise.
“They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go…There is no winner in warfare,” he said. “We are only fooling ourselves” if we believe that.
Egypt has urged the UN Security Council to intervene after what it called a “dangerous Israeli escalation” in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Turkey said Israel’s strikes on Lebanon threaten to “drag entire region into chaos”.
Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, is seeking an “urgent” Arab meeting at UN General Assembly over the escalation in fighting.
 
Israel attacked more than 1,100 Hezbollah targets in the past 24 hours, marking the biggest blow to the terror group since the 2006 war.
In TV studios the conflict is now being referred to as a full-fledged war by some pundits for a number of reasons; the scale of today’s attacks, the mass evacuation of Lebanese civilians and finally the long-range rockets fired at the West Bank, likely aimed at central Israel. 
Some still don’t consider it a full-scale war as Israel hasn’t launched a ground invasion yet.
But Israel is now attacking Beirut on a regular basis, taking out top Hezbollah commanders and destroying its missile depots across the country, clearly marking a vastly different level of the conflict from the past 11 months.
An Israeli strike on Monday evening on the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital targeted senior Hezbollah commander Ali Karaki, the head of the southern front, a Lebanese security source told Reuters.
Karaki’s fate is unclear, the source added.
Herzi Halevi, Israel’s army chief, said that this morning was the start of a “proactive offensive operation” to target Hezbollah weapon sites in Lebanon.
“Essentially, we are targeting combat infrastructure that Hezbollah has been building for the past 20 years. This is very significant. We are striking targets and preparing for the next phases, which I will elaborate on shortly,” he said. 
“Ultimately, everything is focused on creating the conditions to return the residents of the north to their homes.”
Israelis are running for cover in the northern coastal city of Haifa and nearby towns as fresh rockets sirens sound, according to witnesses.
It is the first time since war broke out in October that a Hezbollah rocket attack has set off sirens inside the city and not its suburbs, which were hit on Sunday.
President Joe Biden said on Monday that the US was trying to calm the situation in Lebanon after Israeli air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds killed at least 274 people, including children.
“I’ve been briefed on the latest developments in Israel and Lebanon. My team is in constant contact with their counterparts, and we’re working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely,” Biden said as he held talks with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president, at the White House.
The US is sending additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that has raised the risk of a greater regional war, the Pentagon said Monday.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do. The U.S. currently has about 40,000 troops in the region.
“In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region. But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics.”
Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli forces are changing the “security balance” in the north of the country, near the border with Lebanon.
Mr Netanyahu vowed last week to facilitate the return of thousands of displaced Israelis to their homes in the north after they were evacuated due to rocket attacks from Hezbollah.
Speaking after 182 people were killed in strikes on Monday, the Israeli prime minister said his forces “do not wait for threat” but “preempt it”.
Schools in Lebanon will be turned into temporary shelters for residents evacuating the southern border.
Buildings in Beirut, Tripoli, eastern and southern Lebanon will open for displaced people, according to Lebanese media reports.
The IDF has posted footage showing Hezbollah weapons being destroyed in an air strike in Lebanon on Monday.
The Israeli military said it was targeting homes in southern Lebanon where the weapons are stored by the Lebanese terror group.
Iran has warned Israel of “dangerous consequences” after it carried out deadly strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon.
Nasser Kanani, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said the strikes were “insane” and warned Israel against its “new adventure”.
Mr Kanani said the strikes represented a “clear example of a serious threat to regional and international peace”.
Some 182 people were killed and 727 injured in Monday’s strikes, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Israel’s patience is “not inexhaustible”, a government spokesperson has said, after being asked about escalating clashes between Hezbollah and the IDF.
David Mencer said Hezbollah “haven’t stopped, not for a single day attacking us, not for a single day”.
“No country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities,” Mr Mencer added.
Asked if Israel had declared war on Hezbollah in Lebanon, Mr Mencer said: “Israel has a responsibility to defend its northern border. That is precisely what we are doing.”
The death toll from Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon on Monday has risen to 182, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
At least 727 more were injured, including women, children, and medics, the ministry added.
The IDF has ordered more evacuations in the Beqaa Valley – around 30km east of Beirut – as it prepares to carry out another round of air strikes. 
Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s spokesperson, insisted in a statement on Monday afternoon that all strikes had hit Hezbollah weapons.
“Every house that we strike contains weapons—rockets, missiles, UAVs that are intended to kill Israeli civilians,” the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF has said that all air strikes targeted homes in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah is known to have stored missiles, drones, and rockets, causing secondary explosions.
Daniel Hagari also warned civilians in the Beeqa Valley to stay away from areas where Hezbollah is storing weapons as the IDF prepares to launch more air strikes.
Israel attempted to contact at least 80,000 Lebanese residents to warn them to evacuate their local areas ahead of a new wave of air strikes.
Imad Kreidieh, head of local telecoms operator Orego, told Reuters Israel was engaging in “psychological warfare to make havoc and chaos”.
The death toll from Israel’s strikes on Lebanon on Monday has risen from 50 to 100, according to the Lebanese health ministry. 
At least 400 more were injured, the ministry added.
The figures do not differentiate between civilians and Hezbollah fighters.
At least 50 people were killed and 300 injured in Israel’s latest round of air strikes on Lebanon, the country’s health ministry has said. 
The Lebanese health ministry said this included women, children, and medics, in strikes which largely focused on southern Lebanon.
The IDF confirmed earlier on Monday that it had attacked 300 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.
Hezbollah said it launched three strikes at Israel after the IDF carried out 300 attacks across Lebanon on Monday.
According to the IDF, 35 rockets were fired by Hezbollah at Israel.
A statement read: “Following the sirens that sounded at 12:24 in the areas of Ami’ad and Safed, approximately 25 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. 
“The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted a number of projectiles. Numerous falls were identified in open areas and adjacent to the area of Ami’ad. Following the sirens that sounded at 12:43 in the Lower Galilee area, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. 
“Numerous falls were identified. Following the sirens that sounded at 12:19 in the area of Alkosh, the details are under review.”
The Lebanese health ministry has told hospitals in the south and east to suspend all non-urgent surgeries in order to treat those wounded in Israeli air strikes.
The Lebanese prime minister denounced Israel’s “destructive plan” as the IDF carried out a fresh wave of air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday.
“The continuing Israeli aggression on Lebanon is a war of extermination in every sense of the word and a destructive plan that aims to destroy Lebanese villages and towns,” Najib Mikati told a cabinet meeting. 
Mr Mikati urged “the United Nations and the General Assembly and influential countries… to deter the (Israeli) aggression”.
The Israeli military said it launched around 300 strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday.
It came after Lebanese residents were told to evacuated their homes ahead of “extensive, precise” air strikes.
As the IDF confirmed it had launched a fresh wave of air strikes against Hezbollah, air sirens were heard ringing out in communities in northern Israel, close to the border with Lebanon.
The Israeli military has launched a new wave of attacks against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
“The IDF (Israel Defence forces) is currently conducting strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon,” the military just said in a statement.
The IDF has posted a message in Arabic telling Lebanese citizens that strikes on homes used to store Hezbollah weapons are “imminent”.
“Hezbollah is lying to you and sacrificing you,” Avichay Adraee said. “Its missiles and drones are more valuable and important to it than you are.”
It comes after Lebanese citizens were warned to evacuate areas near sites where Hezbollah weapons are stored. Residents have reported receiving text messages and calls warning them to leave.
This includes residents in the capital city of Beirut ahead of an anticipated “large-scale attack” by Israel.
Israel is deepening its attacks against Hezbollah, Israel’s defence minister said, as he urged the public to “show composure” in the coming days. 
Speaking on Monday, Yoav Gallant said he expected intensified fire from across the border this week.
“We are deepening our attacks in Lebanon, the actions will continue until we achieve our goal to return the northern residents safely to their homes,” Mr Gallant said. 
“These are days in which the Israeli public will have to show composure.”
An IDF official has said the military will only carry out an aerial bombardment campaign after being asked if a ground invasion of Lebanon was imminent.
The Israeli military wants to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to fire rockets over the border at communities in northern Israel and push its fighters back from the border.
The third aim is to destroy the terror infrastructure built by the Radwan forces, Hezbollah’s elite infantry force, which the official said would be used to attack Israeli citizens.
It might be foolhardy to poke the Russian bear, but poking the Lebanese one seems to be a different matter.
Hezbollah is almost unquestionably the world’s most formidable non-state fighting force. Its military capability exceeds that of the armies of many Middle Eastern states, Lebanon among them. Its vast arsenal includes guided missiles that could hit any Israeli city.
Yet the group’s response to days of provocation has been pretty tepid so far.
Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, had repeatedly warned Israel that any airstrikes on its strongholds in southern Beirut would be met with a salvo of rocket strikes on Tel Aviv.
In the past two months, Israel has twice bombed the Lebanese capital, killing some of Nasrallah’s most experienced battlefield commanders. Last week, thousands of Hezbollah’s rank-and-file were incapacitated in synchronised attacks on the group’s pagers and walkie-talkie radios.
Hezbollah’s response has not quite been to bend over and ask for more.
Read the full story here.
Israel launched a fresh wave of “extensive, precise’ air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday. 
Below we can see the aftermath of those strikes, with smoke billowing through the sky as civilians walk along a nearby beach.
Israel’s defence minister said on Monday that he spoke with his Washington counterpart about the military’s latest strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“Provided the Secretary with a situation assessment of Hezbollah threats and briefed him on IDF (Israel Defense Forces) operations to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks against Israeli civilians,” Yoav Gallant said.
“We also discussed the wider regional situation and the threats posed by Iran and its proxies,” he added.
The Israeli army is calling on civilians in Lebanese villages to evacuate from areas where Hezbollah is storing cruise missiles, rockets and drones in civilian buildings. 
“We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety,” Daniel Harari, the IDF’s spokesperson, said. 
The IDF also released drone and 3D illustrations allegedly showing how Hezbollah is storing large cruise missiles in civilian homes throughout southern Lebanon. 
A military official said in a briefing to foreign journalists that this marks the first time since Oct 8 that the army is issuing this type of “advanced warning” in Lebanon, after Israel detected a 300kg Russian-made cruise missile about to be launched at Israel from a civilian home. 
“We are using all available media platforms to communicate this warning in Arabic,” a military official said.
The official said that the Russian-made cruise missile was likely “smuggled from Syria into Lebanon,” adding that Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon into a “battlefield” by embedding its military capabilities into civilian homes. 
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage. 
We’re bringing you the latest from the Middle East as Israel and Hezbollah continue to fire rockets at one another amid escalating tensions. 
Here’s the latest headlines: