Israel Presses Forward on Two Fronts and Reports 8 Combat Deaths as Fears of a Wider War Mount

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel is pressing forward on two fronts. The Israeli military is pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead Wednesday and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. As Israel vowed to retaliate for Iran’s ballistic missile attack a day earlier, the region braced for further escalation. Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and the Hamas militants who run the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, launched dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday night. It was another escalation in a tit-for-tat cycle that is pushing the Middle East closer to a regional war. Israel warned that the attack would have “repercussions.”