The US and French leaders pressed jointly Wednesday for an immediate 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, in a call joined by allies as the death toll mounts from Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.
Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York as they voiced fears that the conflict, after a year of bloodshed in Gaza, would escalate into a full-blown regional war.
US President Joe Biden warned Wednesday of the possibility of an "all-out war" in the Middle East but said he was hopeful a settlement was still achievable for the conflict-torn region.
Biden's comments as he appeared on ABC chat show "The View" came as Israel put troops on alert for possible entry into Lebanon and the war in Gaza grinds on.
"An all-out war is possible," Biden said when asked about the situation. "What I think is, also, the opportunity is still in play to have a settlement that could fundamentally change the whole region."
Israel's new UN ambassador accused the global body of pummelling his nation with unfair and disproportionate criticism since the October 7 onslaught, leaving the country feeling betrayed.
Israel has for decades accused various UN bodies of bias against it -- something they deny.
"We feel that the UN has betrayed Israel," ambassador Daniel Meron told AFP in an interview on Tuesday as the fighting with Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah has increased fears of a wider Mideast conflict.
As Israeli bombs flattened buildings and sent smoke billowing skywards over Lebanon this week, Gazans looked on with both empathy and fear over how the widening war might affect them.
Israel carried out a third day of air strikes against Lebanon on Wednesday, saying it was targeting weapons caches and infrastructure belonging to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group.
In a dramatic escalation after nearly a year of cross-border violence, Israeli air raids on Monday killed at least 558 people in Lebanon in the country's deadliest day since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Fadi, a type of rocket used for the first time by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah against Israel, has more explosive power and range than rockets deployed previously, but lacks precision, experts say.
"In an initial response" to the explosions of pagers and two-way radios, Hezbollah on Sunday said it had "bombed the Rafael military industry complexes" in northern Israel with "dozens" of Katyusha, Fadi-1 and Fadi-2 rockets.
International calls for restraint mounted Wednesday after Israel's army chief told soldiers to prepare for a possible ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon amid fears of all-out war in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel's military operations against the Iranian-backed militia would not stop until northern residents displaced by cross-border clashes could safely return to their homes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes center stage at the United Nations on Wednesday as he seeks to sustain global support ahead of US elections that could bring a sharp shift from his top backer.
Zelensky, clad in his trademark military fatigues, a year ago made a dramatic first wartime appearance before the annual UN General Assembly as he urged international pressure on Russia over its invasion.
At the border with Iran, streams of Afghan refugees return with children in their arms, their entire worldly possessions contained in a large bag.
Every day up to 3,000 Afghans -- some who were born in Iran -- arrive back in their home country after a failed attempt at a better life.
"Refugees face a lot of physical and mental torture," Abdul Ghani Qazizada, responsible for registering the arrivals in the border town of Islam Qala, told AFP.
Many entered Iran illegally or let their visas expire. Nearly 90 percent have been deported, with the rest returning voluntarily.
Since war began in Gaza on October 7, Israel's military campaign has received rolling coverage on domestic television, with just one notable aspect missing -- the Palestinians living, and dying, under the bombs.
Every night during prime time, Israeli viewers hear about military operations in the Gaza Strip, now ravaged by the ongoing retaliation for Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.
The health ministry in Gaza says the war that erupted after Hamas attacked on Israel on October 7 has killed more than 41,467 people.
With the Gaza Strip under Hamas's control for nearly two decades, and with belligerents throughout history using death tolls in their quest for legitimacy, many have questioned the veracity of the health ministry's figures.
Israel has criticised the data for failing to distinguish between fighters and civilians, and US President Joe Biden also raised questions about its credibility early in the war.
