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Fears of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group continued to grow as Israel was poised to begin a ground offensive in its main warfront targeting a separate militant group, Hamas, in Gaza.
Israeli forces continued to exchange fire with Hamas, and there are signs that a long-awaited ground invasion of the northern regions of Israel’s western neighbor, Gaza, was imminent.
Additional warfare with longtime foe Hezbollah to the north could draw Israel’s biggest supporter, the United States, deeper into the morass, as Hezbollah’s patron is Iran, a U.S. enemy that happens to be allied with Russia.
Speaking on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said nobody wants a “second front” in Israel’s war with Hamas.
“But if that happens, we’re ready for it,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that war with Hezbollah would devastate Lebanon. Speaking to soldiers stationed in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon, he said it would be a “mistake” for Hezbollah to join the conflict: Israel would “cripple” the militant group, he said.
Overnight, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the United States’ defense posture in the region was being bolstered by the addition of an aircraft carrier strike group, a battery, multiple battalions, and an increase in readiness. Blinken said a main objective was to deter Hezbollah and Iran.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Hezbollah’s home turf, issued a security alert saying American citizens who “wish to depart Lebanon should leave now, due to the unpredictable security situation.”
Israel Defense Forces said it struck two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon, and the Syrian defense ministry said Israeli airstrikes put runways out of service at the international airports of Damascus and Aleppo. NBC News has not confirmed the strikes.
Israel announced it was evacuating the residents of 14 communities in the north, near the border with Lebanon. Officials estimate a few hundred thousand Israelis have been evacuated or have fled their homes since warfare began Oct. 7.
Almost 1.4 million people in Gaza have been displaced, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, said.
Hamas continued to hold hostages in Gaza as the United States demanded the release of Americans held by the militant group.
Speaking on “Meet the Press,” Blinken praised the recent release of an American mother and daughter held hostage by Hamas, but demanded other hostages be released as soon as possible and “unconditionally.”
The United States military is surging resources to the region amid the Israel-Hamas war, moving an aircraft carrier and attack ships to the Persian Gulf and deploying advanced missile defense systems to the region.
Department of Defense officials tell NBC News these latest moves are intended to deter Iran from threatening Israel or U.S. troops in the region.
Why Palestinians fear that if they leave northern Gaza they may never be able to return
When the Israeli evacuation order came to leave northern Gaza, airstrikes had already forced Nowar Diab and her family to relocate three times in five days.
They reluctantly decided to obey the Oct. 13 instructions for 1 million residents to move south for their own safety. As Diab, 20, peered out the window of the car carrying her from Gaza City, the English literature student feared that she was witnessing a repeat of something she had seen in old photographs and heard about from grandparents.
“I saw the exodus of Palestinians,” Diab said in a telephone interview. “I felt like I was dreaming and it’s not reality. And I’m a part of it; I’m taking part in it.”
Palestinians in Gaza, as well as members of the Palestinian diaspora, told NBC News that they fear Israel will use Hamas’ terrorist attack to permanently expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Fears of wider war growing as Israeli troops exchange fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon
With anticipation building for a ground invasion of Gaza by Israel, concerns are also growing that the war could widen. Netanyahu said tonight that if Hezbollah joins the war, he will order an attack on targets across Lebanon.
No evidence found linking synagogue president’s fatal stabbing to antisemitism, Detroit police chief says
Detroit police said today that they have found no evidence that indicates the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president this weekend was linked to antisemitism.
Police continue to investigate the death of Samantha Woll, 40, who was found stabbed outside her home Saturday morning, Police Chief James E. White said in a statement.
“No evidence has surfaced suggesting that this crime was motivated by antisemitism,” White said.
Mourners attended a funeral for Woll today.
Israeli military says it struck two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck two Hezbollah cells in Lebanon — one that it claimed planned to launch anti-tank missiles toward Israeli territory and another that it claimed planned to launch rockets.
NBC News has not confirmed the strikes.
"The IDF thwarted the attacks," striking the Hezbollah cells before the weapons were fired, the Israeli military said.
Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces have clashed repeatedly since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
Biden and Netanyahu agree critical humanitarian aid to Gaza will continue
Biden and Netanyahu "affirmed" on the phone today that critical humanitarian assistance will continue to flow into Gaza, according to a summary of the call released by the White House.
The summary said Biden welcomed the first two convoys of aid that crossed into the besieged Palestinian enclave this weekend and expressed appreciation for the Israeli government's support in helping accommodate the release last week of two American hostages held in Gaza — Judith Raanan and her daughter, Natalie.
They discussed their governments' efforts to secure the releases of all the other hostages Hamas terrorists took after the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
They also talked about the need to "provide for safe passage for U.S. citizens and other civilians in Gaza who wish to depart" the area, which has come under intense bombardment by the Israeli military.
‘Destroying Hamas is non-negotiable’: U.S. senators pledge support for Israel
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators expressed solidary and support for Israel during a visit Tel Aviv.
"Destroying Hamas is non-negotiable," said Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
"These were crimes against humanity. We are all involved in this. It's in the United States' interest," said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. "It's in the interest of the civility of our planet for us to stand united."
U.S. Embassy in Beirut says U.S. citizens who want to depart Lebanon 'should leave now'
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut issued a security alert today saying American citizens who "wish to depart Lebanon should leave now, due to the unpredictable security situation."
Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon have clashed repeatedly since Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. The clashes have stoked concerns about a wider conflict in the Middle East.
The State Department on Tuesday raised the travel advisory for Lebanon to "Level 4: Do Not Travel."
Ramaswamy criticizes CEOs who urged Harvard to name students in groups behind pro-Palestinian letter
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy criticized a call for the public release of the names of students associated with pro-Palestinian activist groups from Harvard University, his alma mater, saying it isn’t “good for our culture” to limit free speech.
Billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman and other company executives have asked Harvard to release a list of the names of students who issued a letter blaming Israel for Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7. “That feels like a witch hunt to me,” Ramaswamy, 38, said yesterday after a campaign stop in Iowa.
“I just don’t think it’s good for our culture. I don’t think it’s good for America,” he said. “We have to ask ourselves: What’s our national character as Americans?”
Ramaswamy, however, also criticized the letter itself — saying “it was odious, it was reprehensible, it’s disgusting” — and making it clear he doesn’t endorse it.
Some of Ramaswamy’s GOP rivals have taken hard-line stances on support for the Palestinians, with former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saying the visas of international students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests should be revoked.
French president, Dutch PM to visit Israel this week
French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will travel to Israel early this week to meet with Netanyahu, according to the Israeli prime minister's office.
Netanyahu earlier today spoke virtually with Macron, Rutte and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, his office said in a statement.
