Are hezbollah terrorists. The crossborder strikes have intensified after a series of exploding device attacks on hezbollah members were blamed on israel. 0ur chief international correspondent 0rla guerin has more from beirut. Explosion. Southern lebanon awoke to this. It looks like allout war. The israeli army says it hit 1,300 hezbollah sites today. There were gazastyle warnings, telling residents to go, including from the israeli leader. Now, starting this morning the idf has warned you to get out of harm's way. I urge you, take this warning seriously. Don't let hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones. Don't let hezbollah endanger lebanon. Please get out of harm's way now. But where to find safety in the middle of all this? explosion. Screaming. For one man, too late. My siblings and their children were all killed here, he says. The israeli army insists its air strikes are destroying weapons, some hidden in homes, and it accuses hezbollah of using civilians as human shields. 0n the roads from the south, a mass exodus. So many heading to beirut that the motorway became a oneway system. Ahmed says everyone fled his village because of air strikes and destruction. There's no one left, he says, we took our belongings and went. So many new homeless now in this expanding war. In beirut, too, fear on the streets and a rush to get home. Are you feeling afraid? sure, mohammed tells me. I'm afraid for myself, my wife and my five children. I don't know what to do. How long will we be living through this? we can't keep going. Parents were summoned to schools to pick up their children early. There were threats by phone, he says, that they'll hit beirut. Some in the capital have been getting recorded messages telling them to go, including staff at lebanon's information ministry. For months, there have been fears of a wider war. Now, the waiting is over it's here. Israel's escalation is a huge risk, and notjust for lebanon, but for the entire middle east. 0rla guerin, bbc news, beirut. Let's bring in emily harding she was a middle east analyst at the cia, now deputy director of the international security program at the center for strategic and international studies in washington. Great to have you on. What do you make of what we've been seeing in the region? it's the deadliest day of conflict across israel's northern border in nearly two decades. Many people seeing this as a serious escalation. Absolutely, it seems israel _ serious escalation. Absolutely, it seems israel is _ serious escalation. Absolutely, it seems israel is following it seems israel is following through on its threat to send hezbollah a serious message. It's really hard to overstate how little tolerance for risk israel has right now, especially on its northern border. Since it made the declaration that it wants to send people back to the north, it seems committed to making the north safe from hezbollah attacks. ,. the north safe from hezbollah attacks.. attacks. Just looking at those casualty numbers, _ attacks. Just looking at those casualty numbers, nearly attacks. Just looking at those | casualty numbers, nearly 500 killed, 35 children among that number, 1600 others injured. We know israel issued warnings for people in lebanon to get out of harm's way, but does it appear to you that israel is doing enough to limit impact on civilians? civilians? one civilian casualty _ civilians? one civilian casualty is _ civilians? one civilian casualty is too civilians? one civilian casualty is too many, j civilians? one civilian casualty is too many, one child killed is too many. Hezbollah tend to hide weapons in residential areas and israel issued a warning. I think it's telling that 500 casualties and 58 were women, which suggests a lot of hezbollah fighters were the ones targeted. While any casualty is a tragedy, it seems israel is at least attempting to mineralise civilian casualties. to minimize civilian casualties. Casualties. To minimize civilian casualties. Casualties. To minimize civilian casualties. We know israel wants _ civilian casualties. We know israel wants to _ civilian casualties. We know israel wants to return civilian casualties. We know israel wants to return those j israel wants to return those 60,000 displaced people to the north of the country. Can this campaign of force we are seeing now convince hezbollah to deescalate and stop firing those rockets over the border? probably not. This is the tragic logic of this conflict. Both sides want to prove they are strong and want to have the last word. While i understand israel is deeply traumatised by what it has been through over the last year, it seems like this kind of escalation may not get them what they want very quickly. We know in a headtohead fight israel would win, but not without a lot of casualties in lebanon and likely not without some casualties inside israel too, so we may be at the beginning of something that's very tragic. Of something that's very tra. Ic. .. of something that's very tra. Ic. .. y of something that's very trai ic. .. y tragic. How do you view the role of the _ tragic. How do you view the role of the united _ tragic. How do you view the role of the united states? | role of the united states? yesterday the president said the us doing everything it can to deescalate the situation. Today we are hearing the us is sending more troops to the region. Sending more troops to the re i ion.,. , sending more troops to the reiion.,.,. ,. region. The us has a shortterm role that is _ region. The us has a shortterm role that is limited _ region. The us has a shortterm role that is limited and region. The us has a shortterm role that is limited and a role that is limited and a longterm role that is significant. Getting both sides to say enough is enough, it's time to calm down and maybe stop this round of fighting. The longterm is trying to help lebanon get back on its feet as a whole. The stronger lebanon is, the central government, the weaker hezbollah will be. They want hezbollah to move back north, so lebanon can be a wonderful and prosperous country in the middle east. It's a beautiful place and it's a shame to see this kind of fighting going on. Its a shame to see this kind of fighting going on. a shame to see this kind of fighting going on. It's been 11 months since _ fighting going on. It's been 11 months since the _ fighting going on. It's been 11 months since the attacks fighting going on. It's been 11 months since the attacks of. Months since the attacks of october the 7th and war breaking out in gaza, does it look to you now that israel and its military might not be shifting focus away from hamas and gaza, and now towards hezbollah in lebanon? it does look that way. _ hezbollah in lebanon? it does look that way. Before hezbollah in lebanon? it does look that way. Before october| look that way. Before october the 7th, israel was always looking out hezbollah as its number one threat. The attention shifted to gaza and hamas after the tragedy, and now they are saying that the tolerance is significantly lower, so they seem determined to make the north safe again for the residents and push back against hezbollah. against hezbollah. What about the role of _ against hezbollah. What about the role of iran? _ against hezbollah. What about the role of iran? hezbollah against hezbollah. What about the role of iran? hezbollah isi the role of iran? hezbollah is sponsored by iran, supplied by that country. We haven't heard much from iran. There were fears it might retaliate itself after an attack on its own soil in its capital city. in its capital city. Iran really is _ in its capital city. Iran really is hezbollah's l really is hezbollah's lifeblood, they provide them a lot of money and weaponry. Some of the 150,000 missiles in lebanon would not be there except for iran. They are really stoking this particular file. I'm sure they don't want to get involved directly in a conflict with israel because that would be bad politically and safetywise. Happy to let their proxy take this hit. this particularfire. Their proxy take this hit. This particular fire. This particular fire. Great to have you this particular fire. Great to have you on. _ ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky said that he believes ukraine's twoyearlong war with russia is closer to an end. Speaking to abc news on monday, he also pushed for the continued support of allies. It comes before expected meetings this week with us presidentjoe biden, kamala harris and donald trump to present his victory plan to end the conflict. Ukraine has been pleading with the us and other western allies to lift restrictions on its use of long range missiles in russia, but president biden has yet to change his position on the issue. Mr zelensky also met with a bipartisan senate delegation in new york on monday. The democratic leader of the delegation voiced his support for loosening constraints on ukraine. Meanwhile, russian president vladimir putin has warned western countries that any change in policy would be considered direct participation in military action by the nato military alliance in the war. President zelensky is one of many world leaders currently in new york for the 79th session of the un general assembly. The wars in ukraine, sudan, gaza and escalating tensions along the israelilebanon border will likely dominate discussions this week. Around two billion people currently live in conflictridden areas. That's almost one quarter of the world's population. Un secretary general antonio guterres painted a grim outlook of the world's state of affairs, saying that he's concerned for the safety of civilians living along the israeli and lebanon border. Us presidentjoe biden is in new york, and he's set to address the un assembly on tuesday morning. He'll also meet with world leaders to discuss cooperation in tackling threats to international peace and security, for more, let's bring in the former deputy assistant secretary of defence in russia, ukraine and eurasia and the executive director at the mcain institute for international leadership at arzona state university, evelyn farkas. Great to have you back on the bbc. Zelensky is going to be busy at the un general assembly, meeting the president, several other world leaders. What are you expecting to hear from volodymyr zelensky this week? * , , to hear from volodymyr zelensky this week? this week? apparently, he is toutini this week? apparently, he is touting this _ this week? apparently, he is touting this new this week? apparently, he is touting this new victory this week? apparently, he is| touting this new victory plan. It's unclear what is in this plan, but what he is trying to do is rally the countries that have been supporting ukraine very generously with military and economic assistance to provide him first of all with fewer restrictions on the use in particular of the military assistance, and then an endorsement of his victory plan. He believes this victory plan. He believes this victory plan is what it will take to convince russia that time is up and that russia has to negotiate a peace treaty with ukraine.. ukraine. Even 'ust that term, victory plan. ukraine. Even 'ust that term, victory plan. I ukraine. Even just that term, victory plan, i mean, ukraine. Even just that term, victory plan, i mean, this ukraine. Even just that term, victory plan, i mean, this is l ukraine. Even just that term, victory plan, i mean, this is a big change from a lot of what we have heard from ukraine. It sounds more optimistic. Zelensky telling abc news that he believes war is closer to the end. Does it feel like the tide could be turning in this conflict? i tide could be turning in this conflict?.. ,. , conflict? i mean, to be honest, riiht conflict? i mean, to be honest, right now _ conflict? i mean, to be honest, right now it _ conflict? i mean, to be honest, right now it doesn't _ conflict? i mean, to be honest, right now it doesn't feel conflict? i mean, to be honest, right now it doesn't feel that i right now it doesn't feel that way. Ukrainians are fighting what is essentially a war of attrition against the russians on their southern and eastern borders. This is a war, when i say attrition, it's just that the front line stays roughly the front line stays roughly the same but lots of people are dying. The russians have more manpower to flow into the war, they have more weaponry. So that has been grim. Ukrainians took some initiative recently, and this is where i think the new emboldened victory conversation is coming from, because they seized territory inside russia. Ukrainians actually invaded russia, if you will, counter invaded, and took russian territory temporarily to use as a bargaining chip. So ina to use as a bargaining chip. So in a sense, it doesn't feel that different, it doesn't feel like the war is going to end tomorrow. But there is this a little opening, so i think people are willing to listen to what president zelensky has to say. What president zelensky has to sa. ~ what president zelensky has to sa , ~. ,. ,. what president zelensky has to sa. ~. what president zelensky has to sa. . say. We also saw some relative success from say. We also saw some relative success from the _ say. We also saw some relative success from the drone success from the drone programme being sent into russian territory and striking an ammunition depot. We heard from the eu's foreign policy chief saying that the g7 will discuss sending longrange missiles to ukraine that could be used to hit russian territory. Is some of this recent success convincing some international leaders that they might want to loosen the reins with ukraine? with ukraine? yes, and at the same time. with ukraine? yes, and at the same time. I with ukraine? yes, and at the same time, ithink with ukraine? yes, and at the same time, i think the same time, i think the europeans are also motivated by an increased understanding that the risks them of the war spreading to european countries and nato have increased. We have heard reports of drones and pieces of missiles falling in poland and romania. More recently, russian aircraft have gone into latvian airspace, one of the baltic countries, most countries have downplayed these incursions. But it's only a matter of time before somebody loses a life and then there is a popular outcry in one of the nato countries, and then the rest of us going into direct war with russia increases. So i think the europeans have a renewed appreciation for the risks to them, and they would like to bring this war to a clos