Netanyahu threatens to flatten parts of Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre) arrives for the funeral of Israeli soldier Master Sgt. Gal Meir Eizenkot, 25, who was killed in fighting in Gaza, on Friday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to flatten parts of Lebanon if the Hezbollah militant group escalates its attacks on Israeli targets. Netanyahu delivered the threat on Thursday during a visit to a military base in northern Israel. The visit came as a 54-year-old Israeli farmer was killed by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon.

Netanyahu said images of destruction in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip provide a glimpse of what could lie ahead for Lebanon. "If Hezbollah chooses to launch an all-out war, then it will single-handedly turn Beirut and southern Lebanon, not far from here, to Gaza and Khan Yunis," he said.

Smoke rises above buildings during an Israeli strike in northern Gaza on Friday. Pics/AFP

The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response to rocket fire Thursday. Hezbollah began firing rockets and targeting military installations along Israel's northern border after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and triggered the war. The rocket fire - and Israel's counter-attacks in Lebanon - have led thousands of Israeli and Lebanese civilians who reside near the border to evacuate.

Arab nations call for vote on UN

Arab and Islamic nations called for a vote on a draft UN Security Council resolution demanding a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The proposed resolution is a response to a letter UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent the council warning of an impending "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza and urging its members to deliver a humanitarian cease-fire. The draft resolution was sponsored by the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the council.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, told reporters that they all hope council members will adopt the UAE resolution. The US, Israel's closest ally, has not supported a cease-fire. Gaza humanitarian conditions worsen : The Israeli military hit Rafah in southern Gaza twice overnight, residents said, as United Nations officials warned there are no safe places left in the besieged territory.

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