Israel-Iran live updates: Intense fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops near Lebanon border

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 60 Palestinians overnight, including in a school sheltering displaced families, medics said, as Israeli tanks advanced in areas of Khan Younis in the south of the enclave.

Israeli tanks carried out a raid on several areas in eastern and central Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, before partially retreating, leaving at least 40 people killed and dozens wounded, according to the official Voice of Palestine radio and Hamas media.

In Gaza City, at least 22 Palestinians were killed, the medics said. One Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City killed 17 people, while another hit the Al-Amal Orphan Society, which also houses displaced persons, killing at least five others, the medics said.

The escalation came after Iran launched a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel‘s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, and Israel vowed a “painful response” against its enemy.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, locked in nearly a year of war with Israel, celebrated as they watched dozens of rockets en route to Israel. Some of those rockets fell in the Palestinian enclave after being intercepted by Israel‘s Iron Dome missile defences, but caused no human losses, witnesses said.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that regular infantry and armoured units were joining ground operations in southern Lebanon, but said they would remain limited and localised in scope.

Israel said on Tuesday that commando and paratroop units had crossed a short distance over the border in the first publicly announced ground operation in Lebanon.

It subsequently said that special forces units had been carrying out ground raids against Hezbollah targets across the border for months, during which it uncovered tunnels and weapon caches under homes.

The addition of infantry and armoured troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armoured Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade, suggests that the operation has moved beyond limited commando raids.

British forces “played their part” in attempts to prevent further violence in the Middle East, the Defence Secretary has confirmed, after Sir Keir Starmer said he stands with Israel following an attack on the country by Iran.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, John Healey said he “completely condemns Iran’s attack against Israel”.

“British forces have this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East,” he added.

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Danish police said they were investigating two blasts in the vicinity of Israel’s embassy in Copenhagen today.

There were no injuries reported, police said in a statement.

All flights in Iran will remain cancelled until Thursday at 5am local time, the country’s Civil Aviation Organisation announced today, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Flights remain suspended a day after Tehran launched a massive missile strike at Israel and Netanyahu vowed to retaliate.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran has warned the US against getting involved with Israel after its barrage of strikes in Tel Aviv.

US president Joe Biden has reaffirmed America’s support for Israel after the missile strikes, calling it “defeated and ineffective”.

“The Secretary (Austin) reaffirmed that the United States remains well postured to defend U.S. personnel, allies, and partners in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations,” the Pentagon said in a statement after US defence secretary Lloyd Austin Austin’s call with Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant.

“The minister and I expressed mutual appreciation for the coordinated defence of Israel against nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran and committed to remain in close contact,” Mr Austin said separately in a post on X.

Hezbollah said it confronted Israeli forces infiltrating the Lebanese town of Adaisseh this morning, forcing them to retreat.

Israel has launched a ground invasion of Lebanon, what the Israeli military described as a “limited, localised and targeted” operation to target Hezbollah.