Israel has sent troops into southern Lebanon and told residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate as the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group said it was ready for an “open war” with Israel in the wake of the U.

Israel said it deployed more forces in Lebanon to protect its people, but its military chief said the goal is more ambitious: to disarm Hezbollah. Israel made plans for the incursion well in advance.

Five rockets were fired from Lebanon and one missile from Iran in a combined attack against the central district.

Lebanon's health ministry says 31 people were killed by Israeli strikes, while there are no reports of casualties in Israel.

The post IDF airs footage of its new ‘forward defensive positions’ in southern Lebanon appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Trump added that he had ordered oil tanker insurance support, a move that marks an aggressive step to try to contain soaring energy prices.

From the Israeli town of Metula on the border with Lebanon, the BBC's Jon Donnison heard what sounded like a full-on gun battle.

President Donald Trump said most of Iran’s military installations have been “knocked out” and that new strikes targeted Iranian leadership. Follow for live updates.