Israel says eight of its soldiers killed in clashes with Hezbollah in south Lebanon
Israel said eight of its soldiers died on Wednesday in clashes with Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Tensions in the Middle East spiralled in the past 48 hours after Israel began what it describes as a "limited, localised and targeted" ground operation in Lebanon and Iran responded by firing at least 180 missiles at Israel in its biggest-ever assault on its arch-enemy. Read our liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
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Summary:
Israel vowed retaliate to an attack by Iran during which Tehran fired at least 180 missiles towards Israeli territory. “"We will respond. We can locate important targets and we can hit them precisely and powerfully," an Israeli military chief said.
After the US pledged support for Israel in the wake of Iran’s attack, President Joe Biden ruled out supporting an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. The US will try to align perspectives with Israel on an appropriate response over the coming days, a senior official said.
As France and Germany urged their citizens to leave Iran, Guterres called for an end to the "sickening cycle of escalation" in the Middle East.
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