Israel 'prepared to invade' as Hezbollah commander killed in fresh airstrikes
The death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon has climbed to 558 including senior Hezbollah commanders as the Middle East threatens to spiral out of control.
An Israeli strike has taken out another Hezbollah commander after military chiefs warned the IDF was ready to invade Lebanon while violence continued to erupt in the Middle East.
Two security sources said Ibrahim Qubaisi, who led the Iran-backed group’s rocket and missile division, was targeted in Beirut. It came just days after the killing of another senior figure Ibrahim Aqil in the capital’s suburbs.
The death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon this week has climbed to 558, including 50 children and 94 women, health chiefs said. The figure marked a stark rise from 492 fatalities reported on Monday, September 23.
Israel has vowed to continue the military campaign until citizens displaced from the north of its country can safely return home. Hezbollah, designated a terrorist group by the West, has been launching cross-border attacks following the events of October 7.
Thousands of families have fled homes in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have urged people to evacuate areas suspected of housing Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure.
Two civilians were injured in Israel after the group fired around 200 missiles, most of which were intercepted.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the IDF, insisted military chiefs were "not looking for wars" but would do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Israel's security.
He later clarified the army was at "full-scale readiness", meaning an invasion could be on the cards.
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In a fresh development, Hezbollah announced the use of a new rocket, Fadi 3, which was reportedly launched at an Israeli air base. UK Defence Secretary John Healey has rushed back to London from the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to chair an emergency COBRA meeting.
International leaders are urging calm. Addressing the situation at the United Nations, US President Joe Biden said a full-scale war was not in anyone’s interest.
"We've been determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region,” he said. “A diplomatic solution is still possible. In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security."
