An Israeli artillery unit deployed at a position in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the Lebanon border, fires towards southern Lebanon on March 14, 2026. JALAA MAREY / AFP
UN chief Antonio Guterres said Saturday, March 14, on a visit to Beirut that diplomatic channels remained open to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah and urged the international community to support Lebanon.
Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, and the Tehran-backed group's leader has said the militants were ready for a long confrontation with Israel.
On Saturday, Israel kept up strikes on Lebanon as Hezbollah claimed attacks against northern Israel and Beirut said the death toll in the country since March 2 had climbed to 826, including 106 children.
Hezbollah said it was involved in "direct clashes" with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam late on Saturday, March 14. In a statement, it said the clashes were ongoing, having started at 9:20 pm (1920 GMT) and involved "light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles."
