Christina Goldbaum

Deadly airstrikes pummeled Lebanon in Israel’s largest bombing wave yet in the monthlong war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Israel has issued sweeping evacuation warnings, and pressed some Christian and Druse leaders to expel Shiite Muslims from their towns, the leaders said.

The Israeli military widened its attacks to the districts in the center of the Lebanese capital, destroying buildings, forcing residents to flee and killing at least 10.

“We just want to be back in our homes,” said a Lebanese man who, like many others in the latest round of fighting, has to flee.

Plus, your Friday news quiz.

The country is waiting to see if the government seizes on this moment to disarm the Iranian-backed armed group and how the militants will respond.

Large crowds of people celebrated the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in American and Israeli strikes, while many others gathered to mourn.

As the government moves to assert control over areas under Kurdish rule, it will be the latest test of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s pledge to form an inclusive administration that empowers minorities.

New tensions flared a day after a Kurdish-led militia agreed to hand over control of prisons holding some 8,000 Islamic State fighters to the Syrian government.

U.S. authorities have accused Hezbollah of complicity in drug trafficking and money laundering schemes in Venezuela.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s announcement comes after days of deadly clashes between government and Kurdish forces that have underscored the difficulty he faces in uniting the country.