8 Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon fighting Hezbollah, fears of wider war rise

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his “deepest condolences” on Wednesday, Oct. 2, to the families of eight soldiers killed in southern Lebanon. While the circumstances surrounding the deaths has yet to be released at the time of this report, it had been known that Israeli troops were fighting Hezbollah militants inside Lebanon after launching a ground invasion this week.

Meanwhile, the entire region is on high alert for further escalation of the conflict as Israel seeks revenge for Iran’s barrage of ballistic missiles launched toward Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warned residents on Wednesday in more than 20 Lebanese communities to evacuate for their own safety amid its operations. The IDF said that it has destroyed more than “150 terror infrastructure sites” in Lebanon, so far.

When asked if he’d support an Israeli retaliation strike on Iranian nuclear sites, President Joe Biden said, “The answer is no.” Biden’s remarks follow a reported phone call with the Group of 7 leaders on Wednesday to talk about coordinating new sanctions against Tehran.

Biden did say that the United States is in “full solidarity” and supports “Israel and its people.”

Although the G7 leaders did condemn “Iranian attacks against Israel,” they also said that they believe a diplomatic solution is possible.

In a separate outbreak of violence south of Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Hamas claimed responsibility for a mass shooting that killed at least seven people and injured 16 others.

The gunmen reportedly opened fire on a boulevard and train station in Jaffa. The attackers were later killed by police. The two men reportedly came from the West Bank, and it is unclear how they entered Israel.