Israel-Hezbollah updates: Iran says it has concluded its attack on Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. bases in Iraq and the region will be targets if the U.S. joins any response to Iranian strikes on Israel or if Israel uses Iraqi airspace against Tehran, Iranian-backed Iraqi armed groups said today.

Video shot from an apartment in nearby Herzliya shows an Iranian missile exploding in Tel Aviv after Israel’s Iron Dome defense system failed to intercept it.

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said in a statement on X that British forces played a role in preventing escalation in the Middle East today.

Healey condemned the Iranian attack on Israel and said the U.K. stands "fully" behind Israel's right to defend itself.

"I want to thank all British personnel involved in the operation for the courage and professionalism," he said.

Palestinian medical officials say Israeli forces have killed at least three people trying to return to their homes in the northern half of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces stationed at the east-west Netzarim route that divides the Palestinian enclave opened fire on the men today, according to the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in the central town of Deir al-Bahah.

An Associated Press journalist saw ambulances taking people to the hospital and counted the bodies.

The officials said the men were among a group of people trying to return to their homes.

The Israeli military has sealed off northern Gaza and is preventing displaced people from returning to their homes.

In the hours since Iran's strikes, Israel's prime minister has telegraphed that his country will retaliate.

President Joe Biden once again reaffirmed his support for Israel, saying the U.S. was "fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel" in remarks to reporters today.

Biden said he spent the morning and part of the afternoon inside the White House Situation Room as he monitored Iran's attacks on Israel. He said his team has been in "constant contact" with Israeli officials.

It’s a testament to the intensive planning his administration has done to be able to defend against the attack, Biden said.

"At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defense of Israel," Biden said. "And we’re still assessing the impact, but based on what we know now, the attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective."

Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Iran's attack on Israel today, saying she was "clear-eyed" about how the Islamic Republic was a "destabilizing" force in the Middle East.

Harris also reiterated her support for Israel, saying the U.S. will not hesitate to take action to defend it against Iran and hold Tehran accountable.

"And let us be clear, Iran is not only a threat to Israel. Iran is also a threat to American personnel in the region, American interests and innocent civilians across the region who suffer at the hands of Iran-based and -backed terrorist proxies," she said.

Fifty-five people were killed in strikes across Lebanon within the last day, and 156 more were injured, according to Lebanon's Public Health Ministry.

The ministry reported that the deaths were the result of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, Nabatieh, Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel and Mount Lebanon.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that 22 people were killed in Nabatieh alone.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will retaliate for Iran's attack.

"Iran made a big mistake tonight — and it will pay for it," Netanyahu said tonight. "The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies."

Netanyahu said Iran's attack failed, thwarted by Israel's air defense system with support from the U.S.

He extended his warning to Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, as well as Iran.

"We will stand by the rule we established: Whoever attacks us, we will attack them," he said.

Iran must face consequences for its attack on Israel, the State Department said today, declining to rule out Iran’s nuclear program as a potential target.

“It is clear that this was, once again, a significant escalation by Iran,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said. “When you see Iran launching attacks on another state, ultimately to come to the defense of a terrorist organization, it is an escalation. Israel has the right to defend itself.”

The U.S. will coordinate with Israel directly over the coming days on their response, he said, as well as speak with other partners in the region about the way forward.

Miller declined to say what countries other than the U.S. were involved in defending Israel from the attack.

Assailants who killed six people at a Tel Aviv tram station used guns and knives, according to Israeli police and emergency services.

Israeli police called it a terrorist attack after two people went on a "killing spree" just before Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel. The Palestinian Mujahidin Movement, also known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, took responsibility for the attack.

Both suspects were killed.

Twelve people were wounded, six seriously, according to Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency services.

Yousef Kourdi, a senior EMT, said he arrived by motorcycle while the gunfire was still active and saw several victims with gunshot wounds by a train. Someone passing by pointed out injured people farther away, and Kourdi instructed them about how to stem the bleeding until he or someone else could provide treatment.

Israelis sought shelter next to cars under a bridge in Tel Aviv today as sirens warned that Iranian missiles were incoming.

While bomb shelters are ubiquitous in the country, the sirens and other warnings caught some Israelis as they were traveling, forcing them to try to find cover elsewhere.

Tomorrow is the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp said they targeted three military bases around Tel Aviv in their attack on Israel today.

The IRGC did not name the bases.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, confirmed that U.S. military forces helped defend Israel against an Iran’s ballistic missile attack and that no U.S. personnel were injured.

Around 6,000 Americans in Lebanon have reached out to the State Department, many for information on leaving the country, spokesperson Matthew Miller said today.

“Not all of those American citizens are seeking assistance with departing. People are just looking for information. They’re looking for options,” Miller said. “There are a number of American citizens who live in Lebanon who have lived there for years and do not want to depart the country.”

As of now the airport in Lebanon is still open and the State Department is not conducting an evacuation but instead helping interested U.S. citizens find a flight out.

“Commercial flights are operating, although they are available at times at reduced capacity,” Miller said. “We are working right now with airlines to provide additional flights with more seats for American citizens. It’s something that we hope to turn on in the next few days, and we’ll be in touch with American citizens.”

In the Iranian capital of Tehran, a crowd celebrates Iran's attack on Israel. Later, the State Department said Iran had fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles against several targets in Israel.

Iran’s attack came a day after Israel launched a ground invasion in Lebanon to target Hezbollah infrastructure and not long after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Lebanese group was long considered Iran’s strongest proxy militia in the region.

The U.S. received no advance warning from Iran ahead of today's attack, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Miller denied reports that Iran was in direct contact with the U.S. ahead of the missile launches, describing them as “absolutely false.” The U.S. did have indications of a pending attack, but the information did not come from the Islamic Republic.

"We had no kind of warning from Iran that they were going to launch such an attack," Miller said.

Hamas applauded Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel, saying in a statement that Israel's actions could not go unanswered.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian released his first statement on today's attack on Israel, saying on X that he is not seeking war, but is aiming for peace and security for Iran and the region.

Pezeshkian said that the decision was made to confront Israel "in defense of Iranian interests and citizens," according to an NBC News translation.

"Netanyahu should know that Iran is not seeking war, but it will stand firmly against any threat," he said. "This is just a glimpse of our capabilities. Do not engage in conflict with Iran."

Iran's attack came a day after Israel launched a ground invasion in Lebanon to target Hezbollah infrastructure and not long after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Lebanese-based group was frequently considered Iran's strongest proxy militia in the region.

Iran's president is still expected to travel to Qatar on a diplomatic mission tomorrow, according to an official briefed on the visit.

President Masoud Pezeshkian will arrive in the morning, less the 24 hours after Iran attacked Israel, said the official, who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Pezeshkian will attend a two-day meeting in Doha, the official added.

Meanwhile, Iran's mission to the United Nations announced that the attack on Israel was over, adding, "Should the Zionist regime dare to respond or commit further acts of malevolence, a subsequent and crushing response will ensue."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that Israel "effectively defeated" Iran's missile attack with the support of the United States and other partners.

He also described the attack as “totally unacceptable” and urged the world to condemn the assault.

"We demonstrated once again, our commitment to Israel's defense will remain in very close touch with Israel and other partners in the region in the hours and days ahead," Blinken said to reporters.

The State Department said that Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres again called for a cease-fire following the Islamic Republic of Iran's retaliatory launch of ballistic missiles at Israel.

"I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation," Guterres said. "This must stop."

Israel this week invaded Lebanon, moving forces into the south. The ground operation is aimed at pushing Tehran-backed Hezbollah forces farther away from the border.

Iran's civil aviation authority has suspended flights until 10 a.m. local time tomorrow, the state news agency Tasnim News reported.

Citing the authority's spokesperson, Tasnim said that passenger planes are canceled "considering the situation in the region." The news came after Iran's regime launched roughly 180 missiles at Israel.

The aviation authority also assured passengers that tickets would be refunded "if necessary" and more information would be released to the public at a later time.

NBC News’ Raf Sanchez, on the ground in northern Israel, described skies filled with “missile after missile after missile” being intercepted by waves of aerial defense fire.

Jordan allowed U.S. forces to fly and shoot down Iranian missiles within the Arab country's airspace, a U.S. official and a senior Jordanian official told NBC News.

The Jordanian official confirmed the news and added that Jordan would do the same for "any other missile flying over our airspace."

Biden earlier directed the U.S. military to aid Israel in defending against the missile attack.

The Iran-linked Houthis of Yemen tonight praised Iran for its retaliatory attack on Israel.

"We salute the Islamic Republic for its support of Palestine and its resistance against American hegemony in the region," Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam said in a statement.

The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee also warned that if America takes action against Iran, or if Israel uses Iraqi air space to harm Iran, "all American bases and interests in Iraq and the region will be our target."

Children and adults huddle on the side of a freeway in Shoresh, between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as a sirens warn of missiles fired at Israel from Iran.

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., has called for "an overwhelming response" to Iran's attack on Israel.

"This missile attack against Israel should be the breaking point and I would urge the Biden Administration to coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran’s ability to refine oil," Graham wrote in a post on X.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. also wrote on X, speculating that a "large scale" retaliatory response will be "certain to follow" this missile attack.

As recently as last month, Graham called for military action against Iran to push for the return of hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. In his post today, Graham said it was a moment of decision “for the free world regarding Iran.”

A projectile launch from Lebanon was intercepted in Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The IDF had encouraged residents of the Dan area to heed the Home Front Command's warning to remain close to protected spaces.

"Staying in open areas and moving outside if not essential should be avoided, and staying close to protected spaces can be life saving," the IDF said.

Plestia Alaqad, a 22-year-old journalist who covered the widespread destruction and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, is now living under the threat of Israeli airstrikes once again. This time in Beirut. 

“Israel keeps ruining my life,” she wrote on Instagram stories. “Even though I am no longer in Gaza, here I am in Lebanon, stuck in a war zone again. I was full of excitement and hope for a better future as I pursued my master’s, and now university is off because there is a war.”

She added that she was “went from worrying about being alive or getting killed in Gaza to being forced to leave and go to Australia, then coming to Lebanon to study and worry about grades, and now I’m again in a loop of wondering if I’ll be alive or not.”

During the two months she spent covering the war in Gaza, Alaqad said she was displaced several times before she headed south to live with relatives in Khan Younis.

Israel's missile defense system intercepted projectiles over Tel Aviv today as Iran launched a barrage of missiles at the country.

The Israeli military later said it believed the attack was over and was not aware of any casualties.

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that Iran's attack on Israel "will have consequences."

"We are on high alert both defensively and offensively," Hagari said during a news briefing following the attack. "We will defend the citizens of the State of Israel."

Hagari said the military has "plans" and will strike at the time and place of their choosing.

Hagari said the military has not identified any additional aerial threats from Iran and reiterated that people can leave shelters. The IDF "carried out a large number of interceptions," Hagari said, adding that parts of central and southern Israel were affected by missiles.

"At this stage, we are still assessing the situation," Hagari said. "We are not aware of any casualties."

The Palestinian Mujahidin Movement, also known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, took responsibility for a deadly shooting in Jaffa, southern Tel Aviv.

The attack is an extension to resistance efforts in the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon, the group said in a statement.

"The operation confirms the escalation of the resistance ... and that it has become a firm option for our people to restore their rights," the group said.

Eight people were killed and nine others wounded in a shooting that began around the time that Iran launched missiles at Israel, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter.

That initial report on the death toll may include the suspect or suspects, according to one U.S. official.

The shooting involved at least one gunman who got off of mass transit and started firing a semiautomatic rifle, the U.S. officials said.

NBC News’ Raf Sanchez and his crew rushed to safety on live television when they heard air raid sirens and saw the Iron Dome interceptors overhead.

Sanchez was reporting on Iran’s missile attack on Tel Aviv when there was explosion nearby. "Go! Go!" a voice could be heard saying off camera.

Israel was targeted in retaliation for the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement shortly after the missile launches.

They were also in retaliation for the death of Abbas Nilforoushan, one of the IRG's regional commanders who was killed alongside Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut Friday.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran after he attended July's inauguration ceremony for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“Should the Zionist regime respond to Iran’s operation, it will face crushing attacks,” the IRG statement said. The attack on Israel was carried out “with the support of the army and the Ministry of Defense,” it added.

Iran had concluded its retaliatory attack on Israel, the country's mission to the United Nations announced in a post on X.

The mission called the missile barrage a "legal, rational and legitimate response" to Israel's targeting of Iranian nationals and interests, and infringing on its sovereignty.

NBC news crews in Tel Aviv who were asked to go to shelters have been given the all-clear to leave.

Biden has directed the U.S. to aid Israel in fending off Iran's attack, according to a statement from the National Security Council spokesperson.

Both the president and vice president are monitoring the missile assault in the White House situation room. The U.S. military has been directed to "shoot down missiles targeting Israel."

NBC News' Erin McLaughlin takes shelter when air raid sirens warning of an apparent Iranian missile attack targeting Israel interrupt her reporting from Tel Aviv.

In Tehran, state media has removed references to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's leading Friday prayers.

Meanwhile, Iran was launching a barrage of missiles at Israel.

NBC News’ Raf Sanchez and Richard Engel report as Iran fires a barrage of missiles on Israel, while the Iron Dome defense system attempts to counter the attack. Iran’s offensive comes amid Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.

Home Front Command has warned residents in central Israel to stay close to "a protected space," in an alert through its application.

"Minimize moving around the area and avoid gatherings," the warning read. "It is required to stay next to a protected space."

Small blips of fire were visible in otherwise clear night skies over Israel following news that Iran has fired ballistic missiles at the country.

A video feed from Tel Aviv shows a small orange glow in the sky as Israelis all over the country ran to shelters.

Multiple people were killed in a shooting in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli officials.

The shooting was reported at around 7 p.m. (noon ET) on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa, which is a port city in southern Tel Aviv, according to a spokesperson for Magen David Adom.

According to the Israeli police, there are multiple casualties and the incident is suspected to be an act of terror.

Paramedics on the scene treated "a number of injured people with varying degrees of injury, including those who are unconscious," the MDA spokesperson said.

Iran launched missiles into Israel "a short while ago," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement this evening.

Sirens sounded all across Israel, per the IDF.

More to come.

NBC News teams in Tel Aviv heard sirens sound throughout the city in central Israel, and residents recieved alerts instructing them to head to shelters.

The United Arab Emirates has expressed “deep concern” over the escalation in Lebanon.

In a statement, the government urged the international community to “halt the escalation and prevent further loss of life,” and reaffirmed its “unwavering position towards the unity of Lebanon, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 through bilateral agreements known as the Abraham Accords, a huge breakthrough for the Jewish state.

Israel could be “trying to soften Hezbollah’s defenses” and probe its weak points with its incursion into southern Lebanon, according to Fawaz A. Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.

Although Israel has suggested the invasion will consist of “limited, localized and targeted ground raids,” Gerges said in a phone interview with NBC News that he feared the efforts could come ahead of a potentially larger invasion.

Israel likely sees a “golden opportunity” to deepen its assault on Hezbollah after killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders, in addition to “exploding” part of the militant and political group’s communication system.

“I think what Israel is trying to do is to use this particular moment in order to try to paralyze Hezbollah, to try to demoralize Hezbollah,” he said, adding that it could be trying to push the group out of southern Lebanon.

Former President Donald Trump told NBC News that he’s closely watching reports suggesting an imminent Iranian attack on Israel.

“They should not do it. It would be a big mistake if they do,” said Trump, who regularly warns that a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris would be a vote to move closer to a potential World War III. “They have no respect for the (Biden-Harris) administration. This would have never happened if I was president. Zero chance.”

U.S. officials tell NBC News that they expect an upcoming Iranian response to Israel's attacks in Lebanon to involve more firepower than in April, and therefore the threat could be more significant.  

The officials say while the total number of projectiles launched could be smaller than the more than 300 in April, the number of ballistic missiles could be higher. Iran could also try to launch many missiles simultaneously in order to overwhelm Israeli air defenses. 

Militia groups and Iranian proxies in the region could also play a role — including missile launches from the Houthis in Yemen, officials say. 

U.S. officials also don’t know if American allies in the region will come to the defense of Israel against an Iranian attack, or allow flights over their territories in order to help the U.S. shoot down projectiles. 

U.K. officials hear that Israel is preparing for retaliation from Iran as early as this evening, according to a source close to the British government.

Earlier today, U.S. officials told NBC News that Iran is planning to launch "a ballistic missile attack against Israel."

The Israeli military is not planning to try to go to the Lebanese capital of Beirut, the Israel Defense Forces spokesman said.

"We’re not going to Beirut, we’re not going to the cities in southern Lebanon," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said. "We are focusing in the area of those villages and the area next to our borders, and we will do in this area what is necessary to dismantle and demolish Hezbollah’s infrastructure."

Israel has launched frequent airstrikes against Beirut in the last few days, including the massive bombings that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. Today, Israeli ground forces crossed over into southern Lebanon.

Iran is expected to target military and government sites, not civilian, a senior White House official and Defense Department official said today.

Catherine Russell, the director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, said she was “deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation” in Lebanon.

In a post on X, she said that “at least 80 children have reportedly been killed” in the current conflict and over 1 million people displaced.

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency says 2,332 people, including 640 children, are registered at its emergency shelters in Lebanon.

The organization said the rapid increase in the number of displaced persons had resulted in an influx of individuals at emergency shelters across Lebanon.

It said the number of internally displaced persons in UNRWA shelters had increased by 64% since last week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israeli citizens to "strictly obey the directives of the front-line command" in a video message addressed to the nation today.

The Israeli military earlier announced new restrictions from Israel’s Home Front Command, including a ban on outdoor gatherings of more than 30 people across Israel, including in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

"We will stand firm together in the testing days ahead," Netanyahu said.

Humanitarian workers are looking to help thousands of people sheltering in schools in southern Lebanon move farther north after Israel announced a "limited" ground invasion across its northern border.

"We are trying to see what we can do to evacuate the families because things are not safe here anymore," Jihan Kaisi, the executive director of the Union of Relief and Development Associations, an organization helping displaced people across the country, said in a phone interview this morning.

Speaking from a shelter in the city of Saida in southern Lebanon, she said humanitarian workers had been warned by local officials to avoid making movements in the south amid Israel's incursion, leaving displaced civilians feeling trapped. "Families are scared," she said, adding that hundreds of children were among those taking refuge in the makeshift shelters.

Kaisi said the sound of blasts had rung out not far from the area in the early hours of the morning, deepening fears for the safety of sheltering civilians.

"I'm trying to be strong, to pretend I'm really strong, but honestly, I'm not," Kaisi said. "I know that any time the area could be bombed. ... I don't know what's going to happen in the coming hours, but I can tell you that it's really, really the worst day in Lebanon."

More than 10,000 people in Gaza are in need of medical evacuation, Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, told reporters in Geneva today.

Health officials in Gaza say more than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

The elimination of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah was an “important step, but it is not the final one,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said yesterday during his meeting with Israeli military troops in northern Israel.

"In order to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities, we will employ all of our capabilities," he said ahead of Israel's ground incursion into southern Lebanon yesterday.

Nasrallah, along with several of his deputies, was killed by an Israeli airstrike last week.

The latest indication of an Iranian attack suggests it could be more robust than its retaliatory strike in April where more than 100 missiles were fired toward Israel.

Ballistic missiles move faster, they tend to have a much bigger payload and they have the possibility of a bigger impact on the ground.

A French helicopter carrier will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in the next five to six days and take up position in case a decision is taken to evacuate foreign nationals from Lebanon, a French army spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Western nations have been weighing their options on how to get nationals out of Lebanon safely if a full-scale war breaks out there, with Cyprus and possibly Turkey seen as offering sanctuary to tens of thousands of people.

Displaced families searching for safety in Lebanon are struggling to find sanctuary as shelters fill up, with a growing number of people having to sleep in streets, playgrounds and parking lots, according to humanitarian workers.

“Yesterday, we had a terrible night,” Nazih Yahya, a member of the Kafarchouba municipality in southern Lebanon, told NBC News. “An Israeli raid hit our next-door house, which was completely demolished.”

She added that she “left in the middle of the night” for the village of Hassbaya, around 10 miles north, before moving on to Saida, Lebanon’s third largest city, around 40 miles east.

“I am talking to you as I drive my car, looking for a place to stay,” Yahya said, adding much of the south appeared to be “empty of people” along the way.

Lebanon's army has denied reports that it withdrew several miles from its southern border with Israel.

“The Army Command would like to clarify that the military units deployed in the south are repositioning some forward observation posts within their assigned sectors of responsibility,” the Lebanese army said in a post on X this morning.

The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, a senior White House official and a defense official told NBC News.

“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” the White House official said. “A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”

Administration officials have been anticipating a response from Iran to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and today’s invasion of southern Lebanon.

Iran has signaled to the U.S. that it still does not want a wider war, the officials said.

The number of Israeli troops who crossed into southern Lebanon last night was in “the low hundreds,” an Israeli official said.

The Israeli military said today that it was calling up four additional reserve brigades for operational missions on the northern border with Lebanon, however.

Video showed smoldering wreckage in Beirut’s southern suburbs after Israel launched airstrikes in the area. The Israeli military said some of the buildings in the area were housing Hezbollah installations and issued evacuation orders for residents.

Abdel Salam Abdallah, 10, sits in the trunk of the family car as his father sleeps on the sidewalk in Sidon, Lebanon, today, after they fled their hometown of Khiam last week.

A displaced elderly man who fled with his family from heavy Israeli air raids on Beirut's southern suburbs sits near his sleeping granddaughter along a sidewalk in the Lebanese capital.

A couple pitch a tent on the beach in Beirut today after fleeing from the southern suburbs of the city.

A family sleeps on a couch and mattress moved onto the sidewalk in Beirut today, after being forced to seek shelter away from their home during recent Israeli air raids.

Israel has carried out more than 70 special forces raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon since last November, an Israeli military official said today, revealing a far-larger set of secret operations than was previously known.

Nearly a year before Israel said its troops crossed into Lebanon yesterday, small teams of Israeli commandos began operations targeting Hezbollah tunnels, weapons depots and other sites, the official said. At times, Israeli troops slept inside Lebanon.

The purpose of the raids was to undermine Hezbollah’s ability to launch an Oct. 7-style attack into northern Israel, the official said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned Israel's "attack on Lebanon," and warns of further escalation of violence in the region.

In a statement released today, Russia called on Israeli authorities to "immediately cease hostilities, withdraw troops from Lebanese territory and engage in a genuine search for peaceful ways to resolve the Middle East conflict."

It also expressed solidarity with "the leadership and people of friendly Lebanon."

The Israeli military has announced new restrictions from Israel’s Home Front Command, including a ban on outdoor gatherings of more than a 30 people across Israel, including in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The order includes areas in south and central Israel, as well as the West Bank, and urges people in these places to work indoors or near bomb shelters.

The fear of an Israel attack or invasion is constant for Walid Fayed, a 30-year-old actor and filmmaker from the Achrafieh suburb in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. 

“I am scared and terrified,” he told NBC News yesterday, adding that he worried constantly about a bomb, an explosion and the buzzing sound of a plane or drone overhead.   

“I’m not a militant, I’m not a soldier, I’m just a person that wanted to live his life and do what he likes doing, films, writing, gaming,” he said. 

Fayed said he was afraid of both Hezbollah’s response and an Israeli invasion because “I saw what happened in Gaza.”  He added that some people were shifting “more towards being with the resistance than going against the resistance,” because of Israeli actions in southern Lebanon.” 

The United Nations says it fears a large-scale ground invasion in Lebanon will "only result in greater suffering," after Israel announced it had begun a ground operation across the border.

“With armed violence between Israel and Hezbollah boiling over, the consequences for civilians have already been terrible," Elizabeth Throssell, a spokeswoman for the U.N. rights office, told reporters in Geneva today.

At the same briefing, Cristhian Cortez of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the situation in Lebanon had escalated into a humanitarian crisis.

Swiss Air has extended its suspension of flights to Beirut and Tel Aviv, as Israel intensifies its offensive in Lebanon.

Both Swiss Air and its parent company, Lufthansa, said they would suspend flights to Israel's Tel Aviv until Oct. 31, with no flights to Beirut until Nov. 30.

Many airlines have stopped flying to the two nations since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in the past fortnight.

Yesterday, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said it was working with airlines to help citizens depart Lebanon by providing additional flights.

The head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif, said this morning that no Israeli troops have entered Lebanese territory, and warned that the group’s attacks on the Tel Aviv area hours earlier were “only the beginning.”

In a written statement to Reuters, Afif said Hezbollah had not engaged in “direct ground clashes” with Israeli troops, but that it would be ready to do so.

Israel announced last night that it was launching a ground operation in Lebanon.

Israeli troops in Lebanon remain close to the border with Israel and are yet to clash with any Hezbollah forces, an Israeli security official said this morning.

Israel announced the invasion of southern Lebanon last night, in what it calls calls a “limited, localized and targeted" ground operation. The official said the troops remained "within walking distance" of the border.

"I can tell you this is not not numbers of a large ground invasion," the official said, without offering specific figures. "These local raids we’re doing, are very limited and in scope and in the area of operating. So at the moment, no clashes."

Israel says it has launched a limited ground offensive in southern Lebanon, announcing that is conducting "limited, localized, and targeted ground raids" against Hezbollah. 

Israel’s military says its offensive in southern Lebanon is limited in scope and not a full-scale invasion.

Video footage released by the IDF suggested that the forces crossing the border were primarily small units of commandos travelling on foot.

But as an NBC News crew drove across northern Israel, we saw signs of a larger military build-up including around a dozen tanks parked on the side of a highway.

That suggests that the operation might start “limited” but has the potential to grow larger.

A woman mourns for people killed in an Israeli attack in the city of Ain Deleb, during a funeral held in southern Lebanon today.

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee has urged the residents of 25 towns and villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate after Israeli troops began a ground operation across the border.

"You must immediately head north of the Awali River, he said in a post on X. "Save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately."

The U.N.'s peacekeeping force in Lebanon says the IDF notified it yesterday of its intention to carry out "limited ground incursions" in the country.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement that it remained in position despite the "dangerous development," and urged all sides to "step back" from any escalatory acts.

"Civilians must be protected, civilian infrastructure must not be targeted and International law must be respected," it said.

Israel's ground operation in southern Lebanon is an "invasion," independent Lebanese MP Najat Aoun said this morning.

Israel claims it is carrying out “limited, localized, targeted” operations in southern Lebanon, but Aoun told the BBC it is "definitely a country invading another country."

"The same rhetoric Israel used for Gaza, it is using again for the south of Lebanon," she said. "It has invaded Gaza, it has created massive destruction, and here it’s the same scenario all over again."

Aoun said both Hezbollah and Israel were responsible for violence, and called on the international community to implement the 1701 resolution, referencing a 2006 U.N. resolution that aimed to end Hezbollah’s armed presence in the south as part of an agreement to end a 34-day war with Israel.

The resolution also called for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. 

Hezbollah says that it fired a barrage of "Fadi-4" missiles at Israel's Mossad headquarters and Glilot intelligence base in the Tel Aviv area.

It first targeted the Mossad HQ last week.

The group's statement follows Israeli reports of missiles fired at the area and at least one person injured by shrapnel in central Israel.

The scene of an overnight Israeli airstrike on the Laylaki neighborhood in Beirut this morning.Buildings lie in ruin as a man stands beneath a pile of rubble in Beirut's Ruwais neighborhood.

The U.S. says it views Israel's ground operation in Lebanon as "in line" with its right to defend itself, but cautioned its ally about the risk of "mission creep."

A spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council says:

"We understand the Israelis will be conducting limited operations to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure that could be used to threaten Israeli citizens. This is in line with Israel’s right to defend its citizens and safely return civilians to their homes. We support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah and all Iranian backed terror groups."

The spokesperson adds: "Of course, we know that mission creep can be a risk and we will keep discussing that with the Israelis. And ultimately, a diplomatic resolution is the only way to achieve lasting stability and security across the Israel-Lebanon border."

Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv's Gush Dan area and across central Israel following "projectile launches that crossed from Lebanon," says the IDF.

It said some of the projectiles were intercepted, and that details of the incident are under review. NBC News staff based in Tel Aviv reported hearing booms from the bureau.

Later, Israeli emergency services said that its staff were "providing medical care and evacuating a 54-year-old man" with shrapnel injuries to his head and back to a hospital in Petah Tivka, east of Tel Aviv.

Fears are growing in southern Lebanon of what the days, weeks and potentially months ahead will look like after Israel launched what it said were "limited" ground raids across the border.

Bassam el Hajj, a 60-year-old teacher living in the Lebanese border town of Rmeish, told NBC News that he feared for the worst last night after noticing Lebanese troops withdrawing from the area.

"We felt that there was something serious taking place - and soon," he said in an interview this morning. Then, el Hajj said, he heard "very close clashes" near his village, with the sounds of fighting "surrounding us from all directions."

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reaffirmed U.S. support in a call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, but said that a "diplomatic resolution" between Israel and Hezbollah is required to ensure the safe return of civilians to their homes.

In a phone call last night, the pair "agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities," according to a Pentagon readout. But they also "discussed the importance of ultimately pivoting from military operations to a diplomatic pathway to provide security and stability as soon as feasible," it said.

The U.S. "is well postured to defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations, and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict," Austin added, according to the readout, warning of "serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel."

Images released by Reuters show Israeli tanks moving along the Israeli-Lebanese border this morning.

Lebanon is facing "one of the most dangerous stages in its history," Prime Minister Najib Mikati said today in a meeting with U.N. organizations.

Mikati said "about one million people" had been displaced in Lebanon by weeks of intensifying Israeli attacks, and called for the U.N. to help protect its people until they could return home.

"We urgently appeal for more support to enhance our ongoing efforts to provide basic assistance to displaced civilians," he added.

Hezbollah targeted "a gathering" of Israeli soldiers with rockets this morning in the northern Israeli border town of Metula, it said in a statement.

The IDF said shortly afterward that sirens sounded in the area of Metula, and that "several projectiles were identified" crossing from Lebanon.

It said some were intercepted and and that fallen projectiles were identified in the area.

The Israel Defense Forces said this morning that its 98th Division began "limited, localized, targeted" operations in southern Lebanon last night, aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces farther from the border.

It said soldiers had spent recent weeks training for the operation after spending "many months" in Gaza.

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