In US, Israel's Netanyahu vows to carry on Lebanon strikes with 'full force'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived in the United States on Thursday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, said that his military will continue to hit Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah hideouts in Lebanon until all of its goals are achieved.

Speaking to reporters after landing in New York, Netanyahu said, "Our policy is clear. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force. And we will not stop until we achieve all our goals, chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes".

He concluded with a stern warning, "This is our policy — let no one be mistaken".

The remarks came hours after Israel rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally the US and pressing ahead with airstrikes in Lebanon that have killed hundreds and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.

"There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike targeted the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon's capital, resulting in two deaths and 15 injuries, including a woman in critical condition, according to Lebanon's health ministry. This latest attack brings the death toll from overnight and Thursday strikes to 28.

According to news agency Reuters, the recent strike killed the head of one of Hezbollah's air force units, Mohammad Surur.

Since Monday, over 600 people have lost their lives as a result of Israel's strikes on Lebanon. In response, Hezbollah has launched hundreds of missiles targeting various locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv.

However, Israel's advanced aerial defense systems have managed to limit the extent of the damage.

On Wednesday, Israel's army chief delivered the most direct statement yet regarding the potential for a ground invasion of Lebanon, asking troops stationed near the border to be prepared to cross over.

Israeli fighter jets on Thursday also hit infrastructure on the Lebanese-Syrian border to stop the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel's military said.