Middle Eastern Headlines at 7:46 p.m. GMT
Israel widens evacuation orders in southern Gaza. Hamas wants plans for a deal instead of more talks
Latest stories
BBCIsrael says 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers hit in Lebanon
Extensive Israeli air strikes come after Hezbollah vowed to retaliate over deadly exploding device attacks blamed on Israel.
- Sky News
IDF confirms 'review' after Israeli soldiers filmed pushing 'lifeless bodies from roofs' in West Bank raid
Israeli soldiers pushed three apparently lifeless bodies from rooftops during a raid in the occupied West Bank, according to an Associated Press (AP) journalist at the scene. Footage obtained by AP shows the soldiers on rooftops in the town of Qabatiya, in the West Bank. On an adjacent rooftop, the soldiers hold another apparently lifeless body by its limbs and swing it over the edge.
- The Independent
At least 25 dead as walkie-talkies explode in Lebanon as Israel declares ‘new phase of war’ against Hezbollah
More than 600 injured across the country a day after exploding pagers killed 12 and wounded around 3,000
- BBC
Top Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
The strike in Lebanon's capital, which killed at least 14 people, adds to fears of an all-out war.
- Sky News
Israeli airstrike on Beirut causes more shock to a country already rocked to its core
The Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut came as the Lebanese caretaker government was having an emergency meeting to discuss the previous two days of pager and radio explosions. "These are war crimes," one Lebanese minister told us. The Israeli military said it had targeted and killed a senior Hezbollah military commander.
- CNN
‘New era’ of war beginning, Israel says, as more Hezbollah devices explode across Lebanon
Israel said a “new era” of war was beginning Wednesday, tacitly acknowledging its role in shock twin attacks targeting Hezbollah that have pushed the Middle East back to the brink of wider conflict.
- CNN
In Hezbollah leader’s speech are signs of a group driven deeper underground
Hezbollah appears on the backfoot, rattled, and forced to contend with a new reality after unprecedented attacks in Lebanon.
- Sky News
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah calmly vows 'punishment' for trojan-horse blasts
Hassan Nasrallah's speech was calm and even candid at times - but the Secretary-General of Hezbollah was largely defiant and uncompromising as he addressed the embarrassing nature of this week's trojan-horse style attacks - and the posture of the Iran-backed Shia group in the weeks ahead. Mr Nasrallah was unwilling to spell out exactly what he meant but it was clear that he is prepared for a major intensification of the conflict with Israel in and around the southern Lebanese border. Both sides have been waging a tit-for-tat struggle that began last October when Hezbollah opened fire with rockets and missiles in solidarity with Hamas.
- Evening Standard
OPINION - The Israeli device attacks make the world a more dangerous place for us all
The detonation of hundreds of pagers, and dozens of walkie-talkies, used by Hezbollah leaders and associates across Lebanon, killing at least 20 and injuring 450, was a daring and high-risk attack by Israel. Allegedly they were to decide on letting Ukraine use air-launched British, French and Italian Storm Shadow missiles to strike into Russia to prevent reinforcements and supplies getting to the main battle fronts around Kursk, just inside Russia, and the Donetsk salient in Ukraine.
- Sky News
Exploding tech 'grey zone' attack on Hezbollah is warning for governments
The suspected conversion by Israel of basic communication devices into bombs to attack Hezbollah demonstrates the deadly and confusing potential of unconventional warfare. The unprecedented nature of the assault, with pagers and walkie-talkie radios detonating across Lebanon, also challenges the concept of "grey zone" attacks, which are typically designed to be conducted under the threshold of all-out armed conflict. Had such carnage been caused by a barrage of conventional missiles fired by Israel or an invasion by tanks and troops it would have been a clear act of war.
- Bloomberg
Exploding Gadgets Death Toll Rises as Israel Steps Up War Talk
(Bloomberg) -- Lebanon’s death toll from a series of walkie-talkie and pager explosions this week rose to 37, according to local authorities, an illustration of the devastation wrought by suspected Israeli attacks aimed at Hezbollah militants.Most Read from BloombergAOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing AuthorityCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughThe Moonshot Plan to Eliminate Deaths on America’s RoadsNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrad
- Sky News
Hezbollah leader accuses Israel of targeting '5,000 people in two minutes' as he admits Lebanon blasts are 'unprecedented blow'
Hezbollah's leader has accused Israel of carrying out "massacres" with pager and walkie-talkie explosions, saying it wanted to kill "5,000 people in two minutes". Lebanon has blamed Israel for the blasts on Tuesday and Wednesday which have killed at least 37 and injured thousands. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the "unprecedented" explosions "could be called a declaration of war" as he accused Israel of "violating red lines" and threatened to retaliate.
- The Hill
Opinion - Paging Iran…
Israel has launched a cunning attack on Hezbollah, targeting 4,000 operatives with pre-planted explosives, and is escalating its response to Iran's seven deadly sins, including its nuclear weapons program.
- The Independent
US no longer expects Israel-Hamas ceasefire before Biden leaves office
Hostage and prisoner release terms reportedly a key sticking point
- Sky News
Lebanese minister accuses Israel of 'committing war crimes' in a 'blatant way' after 'terror' of pager blasts
A Lebanese government minister has accused Israel of committing war crimes "in a blatant way and without immediate condemnation", in an interview with Sky News. Walid Fayad, the country's energy minister, also said Lebanon was "losing faith" in the UN and international laws.
- BBC
Holy nights and stunning sunrises: Africa's top shots
A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.
- HuffPost
4 Must-Watch Documentaries On The War In Gaza
Over the past year, journalists have produced some incredible work on the conflict.
- BBC
What we know about the Hezbollah device explosions
The attacks left at least 32 dead and thousands injured, but how the blasts occurred remains unclear.
- CNN
Wireless device explosions latest in long line of suspected Israeli ‘black ops’
Attacks targeting devices used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon appear to be the latest in a series of covert operations allegedly carried out by Israeli operatives.
- South China Morning Post
China fears further Middle East fallout from deadly walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon
China has renewed calls for "peace and stability" in the Middle East after a string of deadly communications equipment explosions in Lebanon. "China is highly concerned about the relevant incidents, and opposes any infringement on Lebanon's sovereignty and security," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing on Thursday. "[China] is also concerned that the incident may cause an escalation of tensions in the region, and [we] call on all parties concerned to effectively maintain peace an