Earlier in the day, Lebanon-based Hezbollah had said it had fired missiles on Israel.
Even as the death count climbed to nearly 3,600 on the fifth day of the Israel-Gaza war, the Israeli army said on Wednesday that there has been a “suspected infiltration” from Lebanon into the country’s airspace, reported news agency AFP.
Here are 10 points in this developing story:
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The Israeli military’s Home Front Command asked residents of the cities of Beit Shean, Safed and Tiberias – all in the northern part of the country, near the border with Lebanon – to shelter “until further notice” fearing a “large-scale attack”. Rocket sirens also blared in several towns and cities across the northern border. LIVE UPDATES
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Earlier in the day, Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah said it had fired missiles on Israel, drawing retaliatory fire, after three members of the Iran-backed group were killed earlier this week amid soaring border tensions, an AFP report said.
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Hezbollah “targeted a Zionist (Israeli) position… facing Dhayra village, with guided missiles,” in a “firm response to Zionist attacks… which led to the martyrdom of a number of brothers,” the group was quoted as saying in the report. Israel said it had responded by striking one of the group’s military observation posts in the south of Lebanon.
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Israel had also exchanged fire with militants in Syria on Tuesday. The country’s military said it had responded with artillery fire from the Golan Heights after munitions were launched towards the territory, which it has occupied since 1967.
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Eleven workers with the UN Palestinian refugee agency have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip since Saturday, and five members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent have also been killed in the conflict, the organisations said.
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India has launched Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of its citizens from Israel. There are 18,000 Indians in the country. “Special charter flights and other arrangements are being put in place. Fully committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad,” Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said in a post on X, formerly Twitter
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At least 22 US citizens have been killed since Hamas militants launched the attack against Israel, the US State Department said on Wednesday. “At this time, we can confirm the deaths of at least 22 US citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected,” a State Department spokesperson said.
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Israel also formed an emergency unity government on Wednesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to form a war cabinet with former defence minister and centrist opposition party leader Benny Gantz and focus entirely on the conflict, a joint statement from Mr Gantz’s National Unity party said.
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Gaza lost all its main electricity supply on Wednesday after the sole power station in the Palestinian enclave ran out of fuel and had to shut down, Reuters reported, citing Hamas media sources. This means people will have to rely on generators to power critical equipment, even as Israeli missiles rain down on the Palestinian territory.
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At least 3,000 people have been killed in the deadly conflict, which began after Hamas fired 5,000 rockets into Israel on Saturday and launched a multi-pronged attack on the country, from air, land and sea.
