Israel bombards Lebanon with rockets and swarm of drones sparking fears of regional war

Israel has launched more retaliatory strikes on Lebanon in a bombardment of more than 10 areas in the south following a Hezbollah attack using over 50 rockets.
The overnight operation hit weapons depots, military buildings, and a launcher used by the paramilitary group, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari.
This follows Wednesday’s attack on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, itself a response to a strike the previous night that killed one person and injured 19 deep inside Lebanon.
Israel’s latest retaliation also came just hours after Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the urgency of a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, according to a White House report.
The report read: “[Biden stressed] the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure and discussed upcoming talks in Cairo to remove any remaining obstacles.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also met with mediators from Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday in an effort to close in on a ceasefire deal, but Israel and Hamas are still not agreeing to each other’s terms.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement: “Israel will insist on the achievement of all of its objectives for the war, as they have been defined by the security cabinet, including that Gaza never again constitutes a security threat to Israel.”
On Wednesday, key mediator Egypt expressed skepticism about the proposal meant to bridge gaps in ceasefire talks as more details emerged a day before negotiations were expected to resume in Cairo.
The challenges around the so-called bridging proposal appeared to undermine the optimism for an imminent agreement that Blinken carried into his latest Middle East visit this week.
Diplomatic efforts have increased amid fears of a wider regional war after the recent targeted killings of leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, both blamed on Israel.

Officials in Egypt told The Associated Press that Hamas won’t agree to the bridging proposal for a number of reasons – in addition to theIR wariness over whether a deal would truly remove Israeli forces from Gaza and end the war.
One Egyptian official with direct knowledge of the negotiations said the bridging proposal requires the implementation of the deal’s first phase, which has Hamas releasing the most vulnerable civilian hostages.
Parties during the first phase would negotiate the second and third phases with no “guarantees” to Hamas from Israel or mediators.
The official said: “The Americans are offering promises, not guarantees. Hamas won’t accept this, because it virtually means Hamas will release the civilian hostages in return for a six-week pause of fighting with no guarantees for a negotiated permanent cease-fire.”