Biden and Netanyahu in first call for weeks – with focus on Israeli plans for retaliation against Iran

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President Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu have held their first call in weeks, a conversation that comes as Israel expands its ground invasion into south Lebanon and considers how to respond to Iran's recent ballistic missile attack.

Mr Netanyahu's office also confirmed that the prime minister had recently spoken with former president Donald Trump, who is running again for the White House.

Mr Trump called Mr Netanyahu last week and “congratulated him on the intense and determined operations that Israel carried out against Hezbollah“, according to Mr Netanyahu’s office.

Israel has been discussing how to respond to the latest barrage of missiles from Iran, which the United States helped to fend off.

Mr Biden last week said he would not support a retaliatory Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear programme. Israel’s other choices range from a largely symbolic strike – similar to how Israel responded after Iran launched missiles and attack drones in April – to hitting oil facilities and other infrastructure.

Since the leaders’ last call, Israel has carried out a sabotage and assassination campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, where the militant group has continued to fire missiles, rockets and drones at Israel.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets and shells, following Israel’s claim that it had killed two successors to Hezbollah’s slain leader.

Rocket sirens sounded constantly across northern Israel on Wednesday following heavy fire from Lebanon. Israel’s military said about 40 projectiles were launched at the major port city of Haifa, some of which were intercepted while others fell in the area.

The attack came as the militant group’s acting leader vowed to continue its bombardments that have forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee the border region. Sheikh Naim Qassem said its military capabilities remain intact despite weeks of heavy Israeli airstrikes.

In response, Israel deployed more ground troops into southern Lebanon and said it had killed “[Hezbollah leader] Nasrallah’s replacement, and the replacement of the replacement.” Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said Hashem Safieddine, the man expected to succeed Nasrallah, had probably been “eliminated” but did not name the second person.

The Israeli military reported that three of its soldiers were seriously wounded on Tuesday and Wednesday during fighting in southern Lebanon. Air raid sirens went off in northern Israel on Wednesday morning after Israel resumed bombing Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, the previous night.

Separately, in the east, Hezbollah says it successfully ambushed Israeli troops overnight as they attempted to close in on the town of Blida. They also claimed to have pushed back another platoon trying to enter the Labouneh area, close to the coast in western Lebanon. Israel has not commented on the incidents.

The increased tensions in Lebanon, following a year of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, have sparked concerns about a broader Middle East conflict that could involve Iran and Israel’s key ally, the United States.

Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon has killed more than 2,100 people, most of them in the last two weeks, and forced 1.2 million people from their homes.

British foreign secretary David Lammy met with leaders in Bahrain and Jordan on Wednesday to discuss efforts to bring security and stability to the Middle East and reiterate the UK’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, expressed support on Tuesday for efforts by Lebanon’s parliament speaker to broker a ceasefire and, for the first time, the end of the war in Gaza was not mentioned as a condition for halting fighting in Lebanon. Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on Qassem’s statements.

Associated Press contributed to this report