Key events
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the crisis in the Middle East. It is approaching 6.15am in Tel Aviv and Beirut.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has launched strikes inside Lebanon after assessing that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement was preparing to fire rockets and missiles towards Israel.
“The IDF identified the Hezbollah terrorist organisation preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a statement. “In response to these threats, the IDF is striking terror targets in Lebanon.”
Flights to and from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv were suspended, and Israel’s cabinet was to meet at 7am (4am GMT), Israeli media reported.
Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the strikes, which came amid heightened expectations of an escalation between the two sides since a missile strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights last month killed 12 youngsters and the Israeli military assassinated a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut in response.
The IDF said new civil defence instructions would be issued to the population shortly. It warned civilians in southern Lebanon to stay away from areas where Hezbollah operates.
