Key facts
- Israeli strikes and shelling killed at least 47 people in Lebanon.
- Israeli strikes killed three people in Jamaliyah, Lebanon, and eight in Harouf.
- Israeli artillery shelling and drone strikes in Gaza resulted in multiple Palestinian fatalities.
- Hospitals in Gaza reported at least 17 deaths on Wednesday.
- A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was reportedly agreed to begin Friday.
- Another report stated a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was set to begin at 4 PM local time.
- Iran postponed scheduled talks with the US due to escalating hostilities.
- Israeli forces conducted raids in Jenin and Al-Mughayyir, detaining at least 14 Palestinians.
- Settlers attacked Palestinian homes, vehicles, and infrastructure in several West Bank towns.
- French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Israel's military operations and settlement expansion.
- Bitcoin recovered above $63,000 following the ceasefire agreement.
- Over $580 million in crypto liquidations occurred amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have resulted in significant casualties across Lebanon and Gaza. Israeli strikes and shelling in southern and eastern Lebanon killed at least 47 people and wounded over 30, while other strikes in Jamaliyah and Harouf killed three and eight respectively. In Gaza, Israeli artillery shelling and drone strikes led to multiple Palestinian fatalities, with hospitals reporting at least 17 deaths on Wednesday and thousands feared trapped under rubble. The intensified fighting has strained U.S. ties with Israel, though the U.S. claims a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is back on track. Reports indicate a ceasefire agreement was reached, set to begin at 4 PM local time, with further reports suggesting it would take effect Friday. This escalation prompted Iran to postpone scheduled talks with the US. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, vowed to maintain troops in Lebanon indefinitely and inflict a "heavy price" on Hezbollah following the deaths of four Israeli soldiers. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Lebanon to 'burn' and rejected U.S.-brokered ceasefire efforts. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by calling Israeli leadership a 'threat to all of humanity.' In the West Bank, Israeli forces conducted raids in Jenin and Al-Mughayyir, detaining at least 14 Palestinians, while settlers attacked Palestinian property. French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticized Israel's military operations in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank, calling them counterproductive and a threat to a two-state solution. Bitcoin saw a recovery above $63,000 following the ceasefire agreement, after tumbling amid escalating Middle East tensions which triggered over $580 million in crypto liquidations. In a separate development, Afghanistan's defense ministry claimed airstrikes on militant hideouts in Pakistan's Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, which Pakistan's Information Ministry denied, stating a drone from Afghanistan was shot down. Nabatieh, Lebanon, marked the religious ceremony of Ashura amidst the rubble of war, with the event subdued due to the ongoing conflict.