Israel on Thursday said it had secured $8.7 billion in military aid from the United States to support its military efforts. The package comes as Israel fights an ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza and continues to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments in the Middle East.
Summary:
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France and the United States on Wednesday proposed a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon after days of deadly strikes by Israel against Iranian-backed group Hezbollah. The proposed ceasefire, backed by several Arab states, would allow time for both parties to hold negotiations.
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Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office said his government had not responded to the ceasefire proposal and had instructed the Israeli army to continue fighting Hezbollah at "full force".
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Israel’s defence ministry said it had secured an $8.7 billion aid package from the United States to support the country’s ongoing military efforts, including upgrading air defence systems.
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The Israeli military said its fighter jets struck infrastructure on the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah, as cross-border attacks continued after three days of intensive Israeli strikes that Lebanese officials say killed nearly 700 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
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United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said "hell is breaking loose in Lebanon", as he addressed an emergency UN Security Council session. "Diplomatic efforts have intensified to achieve a temporary ceasefire," he added.
Yesterday's key developments:
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Israel on Wednesday intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Hezbollah that the Lebanese militant group said was aimed at Israeli spy agency Mossad's headquarters near Tel Aviv.
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The Israeli army said it hit 60 Hezbollah intelligence targets, including command centres, telling troops to prepare for a “possible entry” into Lebanon.
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Hezbollah announced early Wednesday the death of commander Ibrahim Mohammed Kobeissi in an Israeli strike. Lebanese authorities say the attack on Beirut's southern suburbs left six people dead.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP, Reuters)
