Iraqi militia launches surprise attack on Israel

Britain, America and European and Arab nations have jointly called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for negotiations that could avoid a full-scale war. Israel’s military leaders told troops on Wednesday to prepare for a ground offensive into Lebanon to push back the Iran-backed militant group as hopes faded that an invasion could be avoided. Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff, told soldiers their “boots will enter enemy territory”, after airstrikes by Israel killed more than 600 people in Lebanon over recent days. Hezbollah retaliated by continuing with rocket and ballistic missile attacks which have forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee the country’s north. Read the best of our journalism: Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: Find us on Facebook: