Israel has continued to batter Lebanon with strikes into Saturday, in an aerial campaign that has killed over 1,400 people, injured nearly 7,500 others and displaced more than one million people in less than three weeks, according to Lebanese officials.
Israel has refused to rule out targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, while reports from Hamas-linked media have claimed Israeli forces have struck near Lebanon’s second-largest city of Tripoli for the first time.
Here are the latest updates:
- Israeli bombardment: A hospital in southern Lebanon was evacuated following an Israeli strike that left nine medical staff injured, according to state media. A hospital statement said that most of the casualties were in serious condition. In the north of the country, a media outlet affiliated with Hamas said Israel struck near the city of Tripoli, killing Saeed Atallah Ali, the leader of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam brigades. The Israeli military has not commented on the report, which if confirmed would be the first strike on the Tripoli region.
- No nuclear assurance: Israel has not given assurances to the Biden administration that targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities is off the table in retaliation for the Iranian ballistic missile strikes earlier this week, a top US State Department official told CNN on Friday. President Joe Biden said earlier this week the United States would not support Israel targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
- Clashes ongoing: Fighting on the ground between Israeli troops and Hezbollah has continued. Clashes broke out near the town of Adaisseh in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah twice repelled Israeli advances there, according to Hezbollah statements. CNN has contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment on the reported confrontations. The IDF said Friday that two of its soldiers were killed in “northern Israel” in a drone attack that came from the east.
- Nasrallah funeral: Unusually, no date has yet been given for the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. According to Islamic norms, the dead must be laid to rest at the soonest opportunity, normally within 24 hours, and this is especially true for Muslims slain by an enemy state. Questions swirled and reports emerged on Friday morning that the late leader had been buried in secret. But a source close to Hezbollah told CNN this was not true. A clear successor to Nasrallah has also not been named.
