Netanyahu warns Lebanon of destruction ‘similar to what we see in Gaza’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Lebanese people they face falling “into the abyss of a long war,” as his country escalates its offensive against Hezbollah. Follow the latest news here.

• US President Joe Biden held a “direct,” 30-minute phone call with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, their first conversation in almost two months. It comes as Israel considers its response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack. • Israel’s military says it has carried out more than 1,100 airstrikes on southern Lebanon since its ground operations began earlier this month. Its chief of staff vowed Wednesday to continue the war and give Hezbollah no room for “respite or recovery,” while Netanyahu warned the Lebanese people they face falling “into the abyss of a long war.” • Israel’s energy minister said Wednesday that Israeli soldiers have “occupied” a southern Lebanese village, sharing an image of the Israeli flag raised in the village. The Israeli military has insisted that its ground incursions in the south are “limited.” But it is unclear if troops advanced deeper into Lebanese territory or withdrew toward Israel. • Palestinians fleeing sites of Israel’s renewed military operation in northern Gaza are being shot at as they evacuate, according to residents there and footage shared with CNN documenting their journey. • Here’s how to help civilians impacted by the war in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has claimed that the hospital it struck in Gaza’s Jabalya refugee camp earlier on Wednesday was a “command and control center used by Hamas terrorists.”