Israel struck central Beirut overnight and issued the first ever evacuation order for part of the capital, as Israel vows it will not stop until Hezbollah is defeated and nearly a million people are displaced in Lebanon alone.

An Iranian missile struck northern Israel early Friday, injuring 58 residents and damaging 300 homes in Zarzir, a Bedouin town near Nazareth. A woman in her 30s was moderately injured by shrapnel in her back,

Hezbollah fired around 200 rockets and drones at Israel overnight, Israel’s military said, in a sharp escalation that shows the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia is still an effective fighting force after being battered by Israel in earlier fighting.

Iranian state television aired footage Friday showing thousands of people across the Islamic Republic taking part in the annual Quds Day. Quds is the Arabic name of Jerusalem.

Explosions are reported on two more foreign tankers in the Persian Gulf killing at least one person, port authorities say.

Iran’s new supreme leader on Thursday rejected US threats of a widening war and its calls for his nation’s “unconditional surrender.” Instead, Mojtaba Khamenei doubled down on the Islamic Republic’s retaliation campaign against American allies around the Gulf and pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut.

MOSCOW, March ⁠12 (Reuters) - ⁠Russia on ⁠Thursday called on Israel ​and the United ‌States to end their ‌attacks ⁠on ⁠Iran and come to the negotiating ​table.

JERUSALEM, March 12 (Reuters) - Israel's military on Thursday dropped charges against five soldiers accused of torturing a Palestinian detained during the Gaza war, in a case that exposed divisions within Israel over whether soldiers can abuse enemy prisoners with impunity.

The war is expanding into Lebanon, as an Israeli offensive to dismantle Hezbollah has displaced 800,000 people there, with more than 680 people killed.