Two persons are useless and 20 others had been injured after Israel launched a strike on Beirut, the capital metropolis of Lebanon, on Tuesday that focused a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions alongside Israel’s northern border proceed to escalate.

The strike hit a residential constructing in Haret Hreik, in line with the Lebanese Pink Cross.

Fouad Shukr, often known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, was focused within the strike, in line with three safety sources aware of the operation. Shukr is a senior adviser on navy affairs to Hasan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah. He additionally had a $5 million reward for info resulting in his seize, by way of the U.S. authorities.

The IDF claimed that Shukr was killed within the strike.

“The IDF focused in Beirut the commander answerable for the homicide of the youngsters in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians,” the Israel Protection Forces advised ABC Information in an announcement.

“Hezbollah crossed the purple line,” Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned on social media.

Israel struck Dahiya, a district in Beirut’s southern suburbs that could be a stronghold of militant group Hezbollah.

Twelve folks, together with youngsters taking part in soccer, had been killed in a strike on the Golan Heights over the weekend. Hezbollah denied accountability, however each the U.S. and Israel have mentioned the missile used within the assault got here from a Hezbollah-controlled location.

“This assault was performed by Lebanese Hezbollah,” White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson mentioned in an announcement Sunday. “It was their rocket, and launched from an space they management. It must be universally condemned.”

In current days, Hezbollah has mentioned that any strike in Beirut can be met with a powerful response of their very own.

Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati mentioned the realm struck was meters away from one of many largest hospitals in Lebanon and mentioned they reserve the best to answer Israel’s assault.

“This felony act that occurred tonight is a hyperlink in a collection of aggressive operations which can be claiming civilians in a transparent and frank violation of Worldwide legislation and worldwide humanitarian legislation, which is one thing we put in place for the worldwide neighborhood, which should bear its obligations and press with all drive to oblige Israel to cease its aggression and threats and implement worldwide resolutions,” Mikati mentioned Tuesday.

The U.S. was given superior discover forward of Israel’s strike in Beirut, in line with a U.S. official aware of matter. The message was communicated by way of safety channels and restricted operational element was shared, the official mentioned.

It’s nonetheless unclear whether or not the strike efficiently eradicated its goal, and assessments are ongoing, in line with the U.S. official.

U.S. State Division deputy spokesperson Vedant Pate mentioned earlier that the U.S. has been in “steady discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts” because the weekend.

“The US goes to proceed to help efforts to achieve a diplomatic resolution alongside the blue line,” Pate mentioned.

“Our help for Israel’s safety is ironclad, and it is unwavering, particularly because it defends itself in opposition to Iran backed threats, together with threats from Hezbollah,” Pate advised reporters.

ABC Information’ Shannon Ok. Kingston contributed to this report.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, and TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel says its forces killed a high Hezbollah commander in a focused strike within the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital of Beirut, in retaliation for a lethal weekend rocket assault within the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

In an announcement late Tuesday, Israel’s army mentioned “Israeli Air Drive fighter jets eradicated the Hezbollah terrorist group’s most senior army commander and the top of its Strategic Unit, Fuad Shukr ‘Sayyid Muhsan,’ within the space of Beirut.”

Calling him a “right-hand man” to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the assertion mentioned Fuad Shukr was accountable for operations together with the assault that killed 12 kids and youngsters and wounded a number of folks on Saturday in Majdal Shams, within the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia and political motion supported by Iran, has denied involvement in Saturday’s Majdal Shams assault.

Israel didn’t say the way it decided the Hezbollah commander was killed or present proof of his loss of life. Hezbollah has not commented on Tuesday’s strike in Beirut or whether or not Shukr died.

A big explosion ripped by the streets of southern Beirut Tuesday night after Israeli forces struck an condo constructing, leaving it partially collapsed. Police closed off the roads and an ambulance wailed its solution to the realm. Folks had been shouting, “My household was inside, my household is inside!” as they ran towards the explosion.

Israel had made it clear that it could retaliate for Saturday’s rocket assault it blamed on Hezbollah. “Hezbollah crossed the pink line,” Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant wrote on X Tuesday.

The strike got here because the worldwide group has been urging restraint from either side, fearing that an escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border may spark an all-out struggle.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned: “Our goal shouldn’t be for struggle, however we’re well-prepared for it.”

He added that Israel is “in steady dialogue” with the US and its army, “particularly tonight.”

America says Israel has a proper to defend itself towards threats from Hezbollah, whereas diplomacy can be wanted to resolve conflicts within the area.

“Israel has a proper to defend itself and I unequivocally assist Israel’s proper to stay safe and to defend the safety of Israel,” Vice President Harris mentioned after touchdown in Atlanta for an election marketing campaign journey.

“What we all know specifically is it has a proper to defend itself towards a terrorist group, which is precisely what Hezbollah is. However all of that being mentioned, we nonetheless should work on a diplomatic resolution to finish these assaults and we’ll proceed to try this work,” she mentioned.

On Monday, White Home nationwide safety spokesperson John Kirby instructed reporters, “We do not wish to see the struggle escalate” and “to see a second entrance” open up between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. “What we wish to do and what we’re nonetheless targeted on is discovering a diplomatic resolution right here to scale back the tensions,” he mentioned.

U.S. diplomats consider the easiest way to defuse the Israeli-Hezbollah battle is to achieve a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Israel and Hezbollah have been buying and selling hearth for the reason that struggle in Gaza started on Oct. 7 of final yr, after the Hamas-led assault on Israel. The Israel-Hezbollah combating has largely remained confined to targets close to the border.

In January, Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a strike in Beirut that was extensively blamed on Israel, however that the Israeli army didn’t verify or deny.

Kat Lonsdorf and Hadeel Al-Shalchi reported from Tel Aviv, Israel; Jane Arraf and Jawad Rizkallah reported from Beirut.

The Olympic Video games are in full swing from Paris!

For a full rundown of all of the occasions every day, we have now a full breakdown of every part airing, together with the place and watch. Each Olympic occasion can be streaming dwell on Peacock.

With regards to the medal depend, the United States is the favourite to win probably the most medals. China is unlikely to overhaul the U.S. within the general medal haul, however has an opportunity to win extra gold medals than the People.

So which nation is main in medals as of the fourth day of competitors? Here’s a have a look at the Olympic medal depend (and maintain studying for some Workforce USA highlights from Day 4).

Final up to date: July 30 at 5 p.m.

Right here is the total leaderboard, final up to date July 28 at 5 p.m.

The U.S. will enter Day 5 of the Paris Video games with probably the most swimming medals at 15, main second-place Australia by seven. The Aussies, nevertheless, personal probably the most golds with 4, whereas the U.S. and Italy have two apiece.

Here is a breakdown of what occasions Workforce USA has gained medals in and the athletes concerned:

The final Summer time Olympics wherein america didn’t high the gold medal desk was in 2008 in Beijing. Nations at all times get a medal bump being the host nation, and France is anticipated to virtually triple the variety of gold medals it gained in Tokyo.

Workforce USA Highlights: Day 4

GOLDEN RETURN FOR BILES

Watch highlights of Simone Biles’ flooring routine through the ladies’s workforce competitors on the Paris Olympics.

Workforce USA is again on high.

After claiming silver in Tokyo three years in the past, the U.S. ladies’s gymnastics workforce recaptured the gold medal in Tuesday’s workforce last for the 2024 Olympics.

Simone Biles clinched the gold with a blinding efficiency within the last flooring train, which put the U.S. (171.296) effectively forward of silver-medalist Italy (165.494) and bronze-medalist Brazil (164.497).

Together with Jordan Chiles, Biles competed in all 4 occasions within the last. Suni Lee participated in three occasions (flooring train, stability beam, uneven bars) and Jade Carey did the vault. Now, they’re all gold medalists.

Simone Biles helped Workforce USA seize gold within the ladies’s workforce gymnastic competitors.

USA RUGBY STUNNER

Alex Sedrick ran her approach into U.S. rugby historical past.

The Salt Lake Metropolis native scored a attempt to hit the game-winning conversion on the ultimate play to present Workforce USA a 14-12 victory over Australia within the bronze medal match, giving the U.S. its first ever Olympic rugby sevens medal.

Ilona Maher, Kristi Kirshe, and Sarah Levy helped Workforce USA make historical past Tuesday, capturing the nation’s first medal in ladies’s rugby with a win over Australia within the bronze medal match on the Paris Olympics.

Australia bought its first attempt simply over a minute into the bronze-medal contest because of Maddison Levi. The U.S. then equaled the rating on an Alev Kelter attempt to her ensuing conversion.

Workforce USA’s protection held sturdy early within the second half, holding the rating to 7-7 till there was 1:25 remaining. That is when Maddison Levi and her sister, Teagan, mixed for a second attempt.

U.S. ladies’s rugby celebrated moments after profitable the bronze medal in rugby sevens on the Paris Olympics.

SILVER(S) AND BRONZE IN POOL

The U.S. quartet of Luke Hobson, Carson Foster, Drew Kibler and Kieran Smith gained silver within the males’s 4x200m freestyle relay. Workforce USA made the rostrum within the occasion after ending fourth on the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Video games. That ended a streak of 4 straight Olympic titles for the People.

Workforce USA’s Bobby Finke took silver within the males’s 800m freestyle, with Eire’s Daniel Wiffen incomes gold with an Olympic file.

On the ladies’s aspect, Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff completed second and third, respectively, within the ladies’s 100m backstroke last.

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown repeated as champion with an Olympic file time of 57.33 seconds.

Smith completed in 57.66 seconds to seize her second particular person silver medal and her fourth medal general. Berkoff, who completed in 57.98 seconds, made the rostrum for the primary time.

Stephen Wade of the Related Press contributed to this report.

With plans for athletes to swim the Seine River by means of the guts of Paris, Olympic organizers basically guess towards local weather change’s excessive climate. Now it’s wanting like they’ll lose — by ditching the swimming portion of triathlon races.

And a few scientists and engineers are saying advised you so.

Heavy rains — one thing that’s elevated with human-caused local weather change, particularly in Europe — working off from the city setting have left the Seine too filled with waste, together with fecal matter, for athletes to compete. Until E. coli ranges fall to protected ranges in coming days, a signature a part of the Olympics shall be washed out. So will an costly facelift to the Parisian infrastructure that was designed to forestall the issue.

“They only gambled, flipped the coin and hope for a dry season and it turned out to be the rainiest within the final 30 years,” stated Metin Duran, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Villanova College who has researched stormwater administration. Organizers didn’t take local weather change and its heavier rains into consideration, he stated.

Organizers “had labored by means of many of the eventualities associated to pc hacking and bodily threats with out totally assessing the implications of maximum occasions related to local weather,” stated College of Arizona local weather scientist Kathy Jacobs, who directs the Middle for Local weather Adaptation Science and Options. “It’s undoubtedly time to take local weather threats severely.”

If any metropolis may very well be anticipated to be aware of the challenges of local weather change, it’s Paris. It’s the place probably the most important local weather settlement in historical past was struck virtually a decade in the past — to attempt to restrict Earth’s warming to 1.5 levels Celsius (2.7 levels Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial ranges. And the Paris video games aspire to have half the carbon footprint of earlier video games held in London and Rio de Janeiro.

Paris, like many older cities all over the world, has a mixed sewer system, which signifies that town’s wastewater and stormwater move by means of the identical pipes. With heavy or extended intervals of rain, the pipes’ capability is reached, sending uncooked wastewater into the river as a substitute of a therapy plant.

Paris spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to enhance the water high quality within the Seine, together with constructing an enormous basin to seize extra rainwater and hold wastewater from coming into the river, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater therapy vegetation.

However persistent rains, which dampened the opening ceremonies and quickly gave option to a warmth warning on Tuesday, have labored towards all that. Tuesday’s males’s triathlon was postponed to Wednesday, when there’s extra rain within the forecast. The town has had at the very least 80 wet days in Paris to this point this 12 months, about two-and-a-half weeks greater than regular, in keeping with the French meteorological workplace.

An AP evaluation of climate knowledge discovered that Paris in 2024 had its second-highest variety of wet days since 1950, surpassed solely by 2016. There’s been just one weeklong dry spell this 12 months to offer the drainage system a break. Usually there’s at the very least three by this time, the AP evaluation reveals.

“Heavy rainfall in the summertime has all the time been a risk and with a warming local weather these heavy rainfall occasions have solely change into heavier, stated Friederike Otto, a local weather scientist on the Imperial School of London. ”Thus, that undoubtedly would wish to have gone into the planning.”

A examine final week within the journal Science discovered a noticeable world improve within the variability — the all-or-nothing high quality — of rain and snow up to now 100 years with an enormous soar beginning in 1960. Researchers then did the usual local weather attribution evaluation to check what truly occurred with what would have been anticipated in a fictional world with out human-caused local weather change. They discovered this improve in heavy rains punctuated by longer dry spells had world warming’s fingerprints on it.

The examine additionally discovered three areas — Europe, jap North America and Australia — had seen a lot greater jumps within the improve in rainfall extremes.

The legal guidelines of physics dictate that hotter air holds extra moisture, which comes down as heavier rain, whereas local weather change then modifications climate patterns, making them extra caught in downpours or sunny days with out clouds, stated examine co-author Peili Wu, a local weather scientist at the UK Meteorological Workplace.

Organizers stated what occurred was past their management.

“Primarily based on the information and regular rainfalls over the summer time, we had been actually assured that with the contingency plans now we have in place that every one the triathlon occasions may happen totally,” Aurélie Merle, the Paris 2024 director of sports activities, advised reporters Tuesday.

“We’re residing within the twenty first century the place sadly there are way more meteorological occasions that occur which can be past the management of the organizers,” Merle stated. “We’ve seen in earlier editions of triathlon competitions, a few of the occasions have been moved to a duathlon as a result of it’s complicated. We’ve seen that we go from heavy rain to excessive warmth like at the moment in only a few days. So it’s truly arduous to regulate the way it can have an effect on the standard of a river.”

The underground storage basins “are the very last thing any stormwater knowledgeable would recommend as an answer,” Duran stated. Few cities use that resolution any extra as a result of it’s restricted and simply will get overwhelmed by the heavier and extra frequent rains of local weather change. It’s an answer for the period earlier than world warming kicked in closely, he stated.

Duran stated it’s not the one danger organizers underestimate. He identified that the suitable air pollution degree for the triathlon is almost 4 occasions weaker than the U.S. Environmental Safety Company has for swimmable waterways. Paris’ mayor made a public present of swimming within the river earlier this month, one thing Duran known as a publicity stunt. He stated he wouldn’t swim within the Seine.

Future Olympics websites have to take a wetter world into consideration, Villanova’s Duran stated: “The sewer overflow problem is certain to worsen till local weather change is addressed.”

Los Angeles, the host metropolis for the 2028 video games, may study a lesson and work towards extra inexperienced areas and fewer non-public autos, Imperial School’s Otto stated.

“Olympic video games are an important alternative to vary cities as for some motive individuals settle for that athletes have to have a wholesome setting whereas extraordinary residents ought to reside inside air pollution, visitors, noise and danger their life and well being,” Otto stated.

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Learn extra of AP’s local weather protection at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment

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Comply with Seth Borenstein on X at @borenbears

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The Related Press’ local weather and environmental protection receives monetary help from a number of non-public foundations. AP is solely chargeable for all content material. Discover AP’s requirements for working with philanthropies, a listing of supporters and funded protection areas at AP.org.

Because the world’s best athletes compete for each particular person glory and nationwide pleasure on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games, spectators at residence can even marvel which nation could have the dignity of raking in essentially the most medals.

The U.S., Japan and China and the host nation, France, had been main the medal rely by Tuesday because the Paris Video games had been solely simply starting.

Staff France and Staff USA began this 12 months’s competitors in a neck-and-neck battle for many medals general, the nation placing on the Video games vs. the 2028 host. The U.S. edged forward to steer the pack Monday after a robust displaying in skateboarding, swimming and males’s gymnastics.

Simone Biles grew to become essentially the most embellished Olympic gymnast as she earned a gold medal with the ladies’s gymnastics staff.

The ladies’s rugby sevens staff additionally made Staff USA historical past Tuesday by incomes its first-ever medal within the bronze medal recreation towards Australia. It is the primary rugby medal for the U.S. because the males gained gold on the 1924 Olympics, which had been additionally hosted in Paris.

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Each international locations even have slight benefits by simply the sheer quantity of athletes who’re representing them.

The U.S. has the biggest delegation, with 594 athletes. France intently follows, with 571.

Japan led in gold medals — however not general medals — by the tip of Tuesday in Paris, with seven gold medals. Japan was helped by the lads’s gymnastics staff and a last-minute upset by skateboarder Yoto Horigome.

China, in second place in gold medals on the finish of day Tuesday with six, has the excellence of profitable the competitors’s first gold within the 10-meter air rifle combined staff occasion Saturday morning.

French Olympians have confirmed their vary in quite a lot of sports activities already by medaling in eight athletic genres as of the tip of day Tuesday. In the meantime, the U.S. began robust within the water, with 11 of its early medals coming from swimming competitions.

The U.S. is probably on the lookout for a repeat of its formidable presence on the 2020 Tokyo Video games, the place it gained 113 medals. That is essentially the most of any nation by a big quantity, with China’s 89 medals subsequent.

Russia, whose presence additionally dominated in previous video games, isn’t allowed to compete this 12 months. The Worldwide Olympic Committee banned Russia, together with Belarus, as a part of sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Opponents from these international locations could take part solely as “Particular person Impartial Athletes,” and their medals is not going to be counted for the nations. Nobody who has actively supported the struggle for both Belarus or Russia is eligible to compete.

NPR is in Paris for the 2024 Summer season Olympics. For extra of our protection from the video games head to our newest updates.

SAINT-DENIS, France — The U.S. girls are bringing residence the nation’s first medal in rugby sevens.

In a dramatic end, the U.S. defeated Australia, 14-12 to win the bronze medal over the 2016 gold medalists. It was Alex Sedrick’s try to game-winning conversion on the ultimate play that put the U.S. excessive within the ultimate moments.

The staff kicker wasn’t on the sector when Sedrick scored, so she stepped up for the kick that gave the U.S. the bronze medal.

“I’m not a kicker by any means, I’m not even second third or fourth in line for that place. However I used to be the one on the sector to take it, and by chance it went in,” Sedrick stated.

There was an emotional show by the American gamers on the Stade de France after the win. They rushed onto the sector, and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the united statesA.” boomed loudly within the stadium. On the sector, Ilona Maher raised each fingers overhead in victory.

“We needed to do that to indicate what rugby may very well be in America,” Maher stated after the medal ceremony. “We are saying in rugby loads that we need to go the jersey. You’re passing by the jersey, it’s not yours it’s the subsequent particular person’s….I feel in the present day actually made the jersey higher in order that different younger women can develop up desirous to play rugby, desirous to be professionals, desirous to dwell the life we dwell the place we journey the world and go to the Olympics.”

Earlier within the day, the U.S. staff misplaced to the defending Olympic champions New Zealand within the semifinal, 24-12. That arrange a gold medal match between New Zealand and Canada. Finally, New Zealand took residence the gold medal and Canada silver.