TRANSCRIPT
Airstrike sounds
The sound of more Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.
It's the worst violence between the two countries since the 2006 war with more than 600 people killed this week alone, and around 90,000 people forced to flee their homes.
Israel says it's targetting Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon in retaliation for the militant group's rocket attacks across the border.
But Lebanon's Health Minister Dr Firas Abiad says it's civilians who are being caught in the crossfire.
"This honestly contradicts all the lies that the Israeli enemy has said - that they target militants - and other talk. In all honesty and unfortunately, we are seeing that the majority of, if not all, that have fallen due to the attacks that took place, are from residents who were in their homes."
On the other side of the border, tens of thousands of Israelis have also fled their homes.
But it seems that nowhere is safe, including the Israeli capital Tel Aviv.
A video released by Hezbollah shows the Lebanese militant group launching a ballistic missile strike targetting the headquarters of the Israeli spy agency, Mossad.
And the risk of the war in Gaza turning into a full-blown Middle East war just got worse.
Israel's military chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi visited his troops on the frontline telling them to prepare themselves for a possible invasion of Lebanon.
“The goal is very clear — to safely return the residents of the north. To achieve that, we are preparing the process of a manoeuvre, which means your military boots, your manoeuvring boots, will enter enemy territory, enter a village that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points, and launchpads into our territory and carry out attacks on Israeli civilians.”
Iran is Hezbollah's major supporter and the country's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told the U-N General Assembly that the Security Council must act immediately to force a ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon.
And he issued a warning to Israel that Iran would not remain indifferent if a full-scale war breaks out in Lebanon.
"The Israeli leaders must understand that their crimes will not go unpunished. The path to de-escalation is clear. Israel must immediately stop its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. Without a ceasefire in Gaza, there will be no guarantee of peace in the region. The Security Council must act now to halt Israel's war and enforce an immediate ceasefire."
In New York, on the sidelines of the United Nation's General Assembly, the United States, France, and their allies, are trying to negotiate an interim accord to stop the hostilities.
In a joint statement released by the White House, the nations have called for an immediate 21-day halt to stop the cross-border fighting, as well as a ceasefire in Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ministers at a meeting of the Gulf Co-operation Council in New York that the risk of escalation in the region is acute.
"With regard to Lebanon we've been working tirelessly with partners to avoid a full-blown war and to move to a diplomatic process that would allow Israelis and Lebanese alike to go back to their homes."
The ceasefire plan was discussed at an emergency session of the United Nations' Security Council in New York.
But Israel says it welcomes diplomacy but does not agree to a ceasefire.
Speaking before the UN General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a halt to the fighting and a two-state solution to end the Middle East conflict.
"I extend my brotherly thoughts to Lebanon and the Lebanese people. Hezbollah for too long has been running an untenable risk of dragging Lebanon into a war. Israel cannot, without consequence, just expand its operations to Lebanon. France demands that everyone respect their obligations along the blue line. We will therefore act to ensure a diplomatic voice can be heard, a voice that is indispensable for sparing civilians and preventing a regional conflagration. We must not, we cannot have a war in Lebanon. There cannot be a war in Lebanon. This is why we urge Israel to cease this escalation in Lebanon and to we urge Hezbollah to cease the missile launches to Israel."
And U-N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council that hell is breaking loose in Lebanon.
Mr Guterres says both Israel and Hezbollah must show restraint, and the Council must work together to stop a full-blown conflict.
"I implore the Council to work in lockstep to help put out this fire. To all sides, let us say in one clear voice, stop the killing and destruction. Tone down the rhetoric and threats. Step back from the brink. An all-out war must be avoided at all costs. It would surely be an all-out catastrophe."
The United Kingdom is heeding the call from its citizens in Lebanon for help.
It is sending 700 troops to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in preparation for a possible evacuation mission.
