Israel-Gaza updates: US Embassy says American injured by Hezbollah rocket fire

IDF official admits insurgency will be long and difficult.

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization are ongoing, and Israeli forces have launched an assault in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.


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Israel conducts strikes in Lebanon overnight

The Israel Defence Forces said on Saturday that it struck "a number" of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah responded with an aerial attack on what they said was a military position in the north on Saturday morning.

The IDF said the drone was intercepted and the remnants fell in an open area.


Netanyahu visits Air Force following strikes from Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the operational headquarters of the Air Force Thursday following strikes from Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

"In the midst of the difficult campaign against Lebanon, we established a principle -- whoever hurts us will bleed on his head," Netanyahu told the soldiers. "We put it into practice. We know the road is still long, but we are determined to restore security to the north and return the residents safely to their homes."

Hezbollah militants said they fired more than 200 rockets toward Israel earlier Thursday. Fires broke out in several areas of northern Israel due to UAVs and shrapnel from interceptions of the projectiles falling in the area, the Israel Defense Forces said. No one was seriously injured.

One person was killed in Houla in Marjayoun after an Israeli drone attacked a house, the Lebanese national news agency NNA reported.

-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz and Jordana Miller


Biden speaks with Netanyahu on efforts to finalize cease-fire deal: White House

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, a White House official said.

Vice President Kamala Harris also joined the call, which wrapped early Thursday afternoon, the official said.

The leaders discussed "ongoing efforts to finalize a ceasefire deal together with the release of hostages," as well as "the recent response received from Hamas," according to a readout of their call from the White House.

The call came after Netanyahu's office announced Thursday that Israel had received Hamas' latest cease-fire proposal from U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators and was "examining" the proposal.

During the call, Biden "welcomed" Netanyahu's decision to "authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal," according to the readout.

Even as Biden tries to stave off criticism for his debate performance in the U.S., he is also trying to tamp down the mounting conflict between Israel and Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon. Hundreds of rockets were fired into northern Israel on Thursday, though no one was seriously injured.

During the call with Netanyahu, Biden "reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security including in the face of threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah," the readout stated.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle


Hezbollah fires 200 rockets, drones toward Israel

Hezbollah militants said they fired more than 200 rockets and drones toward Israel on Thursday.

Sirens and alerts began sounding throughout northern Israel early on Thursday, officials said.

As the sirens began "numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory," the Israel Defense Forces said.

Israel's Iron Dome defenses intercepted "several" of those projectiles, including uncrewed drones, the IDF said.

"As a result of UAVs and shrapnel from the interceptions falling in the area, fires broke out in a number of areas in northern Israel," the IDF said. "The Israel Fire and Rescue Services are currently operating to extinguish the fires."

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey