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What we know
- Israel has continued to strike Lebanon and claimed to have killed another senior Hezbollah figure after the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah, a dramatic escalation of its bombing campaign that local officials say has killed more than 1,000 people.
- Iran, which backs the powerful militant group, vowed that the strike that killed Nasrallah"will not go unanswered."
- The Pentagon is looking at options to increase the number of troops and equipment in the Middle East as fears of a broader regional conflict grow. President Joe Biden said "it's time for a cease-fire" as the Israeli strike infuriated U.S. officials hoping to reach a deal.
- As many as 1 million people may have been displaced in Lebanon, the country's prime minister said, as Israeli strikes left people to shelter on streets and beaches.
Pakistanis protesting Nasrallah’s killing clash with police
KARACHI, Pakistan — Stone-throwing protesters in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi clashed today with police officers who stopped them from reaching the U.S. Consulate during demonstrations over Nasrallah’s killing.
Protesters chanted “Death to America” while carrying posters of the Hezbollah leader.
Police said seven officers were injured and receiving treatment in hospital from stones thrown by protesters.
“Police had to resort to baton charging and tear gas against those who breached the cordons in a bid to disperse the crowd,” Police Deputy Inspector General Asad Raza said. He said police would register criminal cases against protesters who acted violently.
China and Japan 'concerned' over Israel and Lebanon, urge restraint
China and Japan both say they are "concerned" about the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon following the killing of Hezbollah's leader.
"China opposes the infringement on Lebanon’s sovereignty and security," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. "China urges parties concerned, especially Israel, to immediately take actions to cool down the situation."
Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said today that the country is "strongly concerned" about the escalating situation and "deeply worried about the large number of" civilian casualties.
"Japan urges all parties to immediately take all measures to prevent civilian casualties" and to comply with international law, Hayashi said.
Israel has 'generational opportunity' to diminish Iranian influence, according to analyst
The military incentives are for Israel to continue its attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon, says Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the Royal United Services Institute.
"Israel has destroyed Hezbollah’s senior leadership, compromised its ability to coordinate, and has the initiative," he said. "Many would argue there will never be a better time to go into southern Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah’s military infrastructure there."
Savill added that Israel could instead continue using precise strikes, compelling Hezbollah to stand down, but said Netanyahu may instead be tempted by a "generational opportunity" to deal a setback to Iranian regional influence.
Nasrallah killing has 'opened a wound,' says Christian cleric
Lebanon’s top Christian cleric, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, said the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has "opened a wound in the heart of the Lebanese.”
During a sermon, Al-Rai offered his condolences to Nasrallah's family and his community and said, "War means all sides lose."
He has previously accused Nasrallah's Shiite Islamist group of dragging Lebanon into regional conflicts.
'Nobody is left to lead Hezbollah,' analyst says
Israel has taken away Hezbollah's "tools to work" by eliminating those at the top of its command chain, says Jean Marie Kassab, a former political analyst based in Lebanon.
"Every day we have an assassination," she told NBC News. "Nobody is left to lead. We’re waiting for the appointment of a new secretary-general."
Kassab said the Lebanese population was divided over Nasrallah's assassination. Some Hezbollah supporters were spotted marching through the streets of Beirut in mourning yesterday, while others disliked and even hated him.
"Some people are happy, yet they are still afraid of Hezbollah," she said.
Gulf Cooperation Council calls for cease-fire in Lebanon
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, is calling for a cease-fire in Lebanon amid days of strikes on the country by Israel.
A statement from the group — whose membership comprises the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait — affirmed its “continuous backing for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and stability.”
Albudaiwi, according to the GCC statement, said there needs to be an "immediate ceasefire" and noted the "importance of avoiding military escalation" in the region. He also emphasized the need to protect civilians, exercise restraint and refrain from "engaging in regional conflicts to prevent the expansion of the dispute in the region."
Lebanon’s sovereignty must be protected, Saudi Arabia says
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said in today in a statement of support that it will send aid to Lebanon and urged the international community to act.
The ministry also stressed that Lebanon’s sovereignty needs to be preserved and that the humanitarian consequences of Israel’s current military action must be limited.
"The Kingdom calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards protecting regional security and peace to spare the region and its peoples the dangers of wars and their tragedies," the statement said.
5 killed, 10 wounded in Bint Jbeil, Lebanese health ministry reports
Five people have been killed in strikes on Lebanon today, with the country's Public Health Ministry reporting that they were killed in strikes on the Bint Jbeil district.
According to the state-run National News Agency, the ministry reported 10 other people were injured in across multiple towns in the district. Bint Jbeil is in south Lebanon near the border with Israel.
4 dead in Israeli attacks on Yemen, Health Ministry says
Four people were killed in Israeli strikes in the Hudaydah Governorate earlier today, according to a spokesperson for Yemen's Health Ministry.
Another 40 people were injured, their conditions ranging from moderate to severe, the ministry said. The IDF confirmed earlier today that the country's air force conducted strikes on Ras Issa and Hodeidah.
The IDF said it was targeting Houthi infrastructure to prevent the group's ability to gain supplies from Iran, while the Houthis said the targets included civilian facilities.
Hezbollah fires at Haifa, IDF says
Sirens sounded in Haifa today after Hezbollah appeared to fire once again at northern Israel.
The IDF said it intercepted a projectile directed at the country that crossed over from Lebanon. The military posted on X that Israelis were "running for shelter after Hezbollah fired missiles at Haifa."