DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Hezbollah says it has completed the first phase of its attack on Israel with “a large number of missiles” in response to the killing of commander Fuad Shukr at the end of July.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene a meeting of the security council on Sunday morning while the defence minister has declared a “special situation” for 48 hours.

Ben Gurion Airport was closed in the early hours of Sunday, as Israeli forces struck southern Lebanon in what they say was a “preemptive” attack launched when they detected Hezbollah preparing to attack northern Israel.

Reports are coming in of injuries in northern Israel and cities have opened public bomb shelters.

While Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging tit-for-tat attacks across the border with some intensity since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, this marks a significant escalation.

More to follow.