CBS News
Israel launches “series of strikes in Lebanon” as tension with Iran-backed Hezbollah soars
Jerusalem — The Israeli military said Wednesday its fighter jets “began a series of strikes in Lebanon,” raising fears of a war between the two countries after months of cross-border fire and increasing tension fueled by the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military gave no further details on the airstrikes, but Lebanese media said three villages were hit.
The strikes came hours after fire from Lebanon wounded multiple people in northern Israel, according to medics. Seven people were wounded, five of them in the town of Safed, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.
JALAA MAREY/AFP/Getty
An AFP photographer saw medics and troops evacuating a wounded person by military helicopter from Safed’s Ziv hospital.
There was no immediate claim for the rocket launches from Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has traded near-daily fire with Israeli troops since the outbreak of the war in Gaza more than four months ago.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Tuesday that fire from southern Lebanon would end “when the attack on Gaza stops and there is a cease-fire” between the group’s Palestinian allies Hamas and Israel.
“If they (Israel) broaden the confrontation, we will do the same,” Nasrallah warned in a televised address.
Fears have been growing of another full-blown conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The cross-border fire has already forced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border to be evacuated.
Since the Hamas-Israel war was sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s brutal Oct. 7 terror attack, at least 243 people have been killed in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also 30 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
On the Israeli side, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to Israeli official figures.
A full war between Israel and Hezbollah, which like Hamas is backed by Iran, would be a worrying escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Hezbollah is considered a much larger, far better equipped fighting force than Hamas, and it’s also one of the most powerful political factions in Lebanon.
CBS News
Nasrallah boasted last year that Hezbollah had some 100,000 fighters at its disposal, which would make it a larger fighting force than Lebanon’s state military.
Like the group’s ally Hamas, Hezbollah has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government for almost two decades and several of its leaders, including Nasrallah, are listed as global terrorists.
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CBS News
$100 million in federal funds released for North Carolina to rebuild roads, bridges damaged by Helene
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation released $100 million in emergency funds on Saturday for North Carolina to rebuild its roads and bridges damaged by Helene.
“We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration will be with North Carolina every step of the way, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources.”
The storm caused rampant flooding that has devastated several towns and killed more than 225 people – with CBS News confirming at least 114 people killed in North Carolina. There was more than 8 inches of rain across the western North Carolina mountains, with some areas seeing more than a foot.
Hundreds of roads across Western North Carolina remain closed, leading to an increase in air traffic as teams scour the region for survivors by air. Air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared, the Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Mudslides blocked Interstate 40 and other highways in North Carolina and about 400 roads were closed due to damage from Helene. Interstate 40 was damaged at several locations, the Department of Transportation said.
President Biden visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying the flood damage by air from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Biden announced the federal government would cover “100%” of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months.
The Department of Transportation said these relief funds will allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to their damaged facilities.
Li Cohen and
contributed to this report.
CBS News
Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf; forecast to strengthen into hurricane headed toward Florida
Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane headed toward Florida with possible impacts to its western coast, the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are expected to be at 40 mph with higher gusts and Milton is currently moving north-northeast, NHC said in an advisory.
Milton is forecast to undergo a period of rapid intensification before it makes landfall as a Category 2 hurricane across Florida’s west coast, CBS News Miami reported.
The forecast comes a little more than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and across the Southeast, killing more than 200 people and causing immense destruction. President Biden on Thursday took an aerial tour of Florida’s Big Bend where Helene struck as a Category 4 storm. Hundreds of people are still missing and Mr. Biden said the work to rebuild will cost “billions of dollars” as communities suffer still without power, running water and passable roads.
NOAA
Milton is forecast to move across the southwestern Gulf of Mexico through Sunday night then across the south-central Gulf on Monday and Tuesday before reaching Florida’s west coast by the middle of the week, NHC said. Heavy rain is possible in the region starting Sunday into Monday, CBS Miami reported, and more rain and heavy winds will most likely arrive on Wednesday. Hurricane and storm surge watches will most likely be required for portions of Florida starting Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Along with the heavy rainfall, the hurricane center said to expect risks of flooding.
Residents in the area should ensure they have a hurricane plan in place, the National Hurricane Center said, follow the advice of local officials and check back for forecast updates.
