As strikes continue in Lebanon, there is pressure for direct talks to take place with Israelpublished at 18:53 GMT
18:53 GMT
Wyre Davies
Reporting from Beirut
Israeli air strikes in Lebanon, which began after Hezbollah began firing rockets towards northern Israel in support of Iran, have killed more than 800 people, says the Lebanese health ministry – and more than 800,000 have been displaced from their homes.
Thus far there have been few serious diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and after launching a £230m humanitarian appeal for Lebanon, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said an expansion of the war would be good for no one.
“The Lebanese people did not choose this war. They were dragged into it. And my message to the warring partners is clear – stop the fighting. Stop the bombing,” he said.
Israel is striking several parts of Lebanon, including the eastern Bekaa valley where it accuses Hezbollah of organising campaigns and storing weapons.
We saw the aftermath of a strike on a house that had been completely destroyed. Eight people were killed, including several children. Yellow flags and pictures of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei indicated it was a Hezbollah-supporting home, and where Israel later said there were Hezbollah operatives present.
But a surviving uncle, Hassan Tahan, said that nothing could justify such an action: “Israel is wrong if they think that killing children and civilians will separate us from the resistance. On the contrary, it makes us more loyal to them. I’m even more steadfast in my support now than I was before.”
Previous full-scale invasions of Lebanon have ended in disaster for Israel and, if it were to try to create a big buffer zone in southern Lebanon, there’s no indication for how long an Israeli occupation would last.
There is pressure for direct talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments – but if they happen, they won’t include Hezbollah, which says it is determined to carry on its fight against Israel which it says had also repeatedly breached a previous ceasefire agreement.