Israel-Lebanon latest: Israeli soldier group warns Netanyahu ‘red line crossed’ and threatens to stop fighting

- The Israeli military moved its 146th reserve troops, supported by an artillery battalion, to southwest Lebanon as it expanded its offensive throughout the country on Tuesday morning.

- Hezbollah launched around 135 missiles over northern Israel, mainly targeting Haifa, as Israel claimed it destroyed Hezbollah positions across southern Lebanon.

- Israel claimed it was likely Hassan Nasrallah’s successor Hashem Safieddine was killed in an airstrike on Beirut overnight.

France and Qatar delivered urgent humanitarian aid to Lebanon on Tuesday, France’s foreign minister said, as Paris pushes for broader humanitarian efforts and a ceasefire in the country.

“If we don’t do anything, then Lebanon tomorrow could resemble what Syria has become,” Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers in parliament. “(That is), a hub of instability for smuggling, terrorism and a point of departure for a large migration of civilians seeking refuge in Europe.”

French and Qatari military planes delivered some 27 metric tons of medicines and basic necessities, including blankets and hygiene kits, diplomatic sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Israel’s Home Front Command on Tuesday tightened restrictions on civilians in the Haifa area in the wake of a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“The activity scale will be changed from partial activity to limited activity, meaning educational activities are prohibited,” the military said, adding that the rest of the country’s guidelines remain unchanged.

Israeli forces have claimed senior Hezbollah commander Hashem Safieddine was likely killed in an overnight airstrike on Beirut.

Safieddine was widely seen as the successor to his slain relative Hassan Nasrallah, who perished in an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital city on 27 September.

He was running Hezbollah alongside the group’s deputy secretary general Naim Qassem since Nasrallah’s assassination just under two weeks ago.

Safieddine has sat on the group’s Jihad Council - the body responsible for its military operations. He was also head of its executive council, overseeing financial and administrative affairs for the Iran-backed group.

While not as well-known to Israelis as Nasrallah, Safieddine is seen by Israel as a leading target in what it deems a terrorist organisation and a proxy for Iran.

US President Joe Biden called prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “f*****g liar” after IDF troops went into Rafah, according to an upcoming book by US journalist Bob Woodward.

After Israel entered Rafah, Biden said of Netanyahu: “He’s a f****** liar.” “That son of a b***h, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy,” said Biden privately, according to Woodward. “He’s a bad f*****g guy!”