Israel-Lebanon latest: Seventh Hezbollah leader killed in strikes as Nasrallah’s ‘body recovered in Beirut’

People escaping Friday night’s airstrikes on Beirut joined tens of thousands who have already fled there to escape Israel’s bombardment:

Germany is continuing efforts to enable a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, its foreign minister has said, adding that the situation was extremely dangerous.

“There is a threat that this entire region will slip further into an absolute spiral of violence,” Annalena Baerbock was quoted as saying.

Germany last month called for “de-escalation and regional stability” in the Middle East.

With the world overwhelmingly opposed to a new all-out war, it could yet be avoided, writes Mary Dejevsky:

The United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iran-backed groups from exploiting the situation in Lebanon or expanding the conflict, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has told Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant in phone calls.

Mr Austin expressed full US support for Israel’s right to defend itself and made clear that “the United States remains postured to protect US forces and facilities in the region and committed to the defense of Israel”, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said.

Smoke billows over Khiam, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as pictured from Marjayoun, near the Lebanese border with Israel:

Armed men fired shots in the air and shut down shops in parts of Beirut after the death of Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah supporters said they were in a state of shock and disbelief.

“God, I hope it’s not true. It’s a disaster if it’s true,” said Zahraa, a young woman displaced overnight from Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

“He was leading us. He was everything to us. We were under his wings,” she said tearfully.

She said other displaced people around her fainted or began to scream when they received notifications on their phone of Hezbollah’s statement confirming his death.

“We’re still waiting for him to come out on the television at 5pm and tell us that everything is okay, that we can go back home,” Zahraa said.

In some parts of Beirut, armed men went into shops and told owners to shut them down, witnesses said. It was not immediately clear what faction the armed men belonged to.