Israel should extend its border with Lebanon up to the Litani River deep inside the country's south, Israel's finance minister said on Monday as Israeli troops bombed bridges and destroyed homes in the area in an escalating military assault.

Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, the first attack on the Hezbollah stronghold in days, as its military said it had captured two members of the Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon.

Israel said on Monday its own forces had misfired artillery that killed an Israeli farmer near the Lebanese frontier, the first Israeli civilian killed in a border

By Ahmed Fahmy, Amr Abdallah Dalsh and Alexander Cornwell Near Tyre, LEBANON/TEL AVIV, March 22 (Reuters) - Israel struck a main bridge linking Lebanon's south to the rest of the country on Sunday after ordering its military to destroy all crossings over the Litani River and to step up the demolition of homes near the southern border.

The French president says occupation and colonisation are unable to ensure the security of anyone, as Israel continues its aggression against Lebanon.

Israel’s military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, approved plans for further targeted ground operations in Lebanon. “The campaign against Hezbollah has only begun. We are prepared for a prolonged operation and will continue both offensively and defensively,

Israel has launched a new wave of attacks against Tehran and a top American commander is telling Iranians to remain in shelters for the foreseeable future as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of abating in its fourth week.