Began its Ground Operation in Southern Lebanon on tuesday. This recent map shows weapons strikes across the region. Attacks by israel are shown in red and those by Hezbollah Rockets fired into northern israel are in purple. Israel has ordered residents in these southern lebanese communities around 30 villages, here marked in orange to leave their homes for their own safety. The areas in grey show places which have already received Evacuation Orders since tuesday. On friday morning, an israeli strike cut a key route with syria. Israel says it struck the Masnaa CrossingBecause the route was being used by hezbollah to transport weapons. The Masnaa Crossing has been used by thousands of refugees whove been fleeing the bombing by israel. 0ur Correspondent Lucy williamson has the latest from the israel lebanon border. In the last few hours more Air Strikes have been reported in Southern Lebanon and beirut. These are live pictures. 0ur Correspondent Lucy williamson has the latest from the israel lebanon border. Hezbollah rockets are no longer a response to israeli troops in gaza, but to israeli troops at home, mapping their path through Lebanons Border villages. Were starting to see more signs of resistance to israeli forces on The Other Side of the border. Even a year of Air Strikes, intelligence operations, raids by Special Forces have not destroyed hezbollah� S Ability to fight back just a few miles in. Sirens weve just heard some bursts of small Arms Fire and what sounded like some grenades from the Israeli Army, and now you can hear the sirens going off, telling us to get out of the area. Explosions weve just heard a series of very loud explosions, what seems to be rockets landing nearby, some small Arms Fire across the border. It seems the Israeli Army is pushing into a location, and this was the response. Go. Most of the residents along this border have been evacuated. Come on, time to go. But in the arab israeli town of jish a few miles down the road, many people have stayed. The sound of israeli Artillery Firing from The Hill above. The mayor is one of many here with Family Ties to lebanon. Israels Ground War has sparked mixed emotions, he says. Its more than afraid. Afraid is something forjust a few minutes. We have one year of afraid. Icant. I dont know how to say it, but its fear for a long time. And they dont know when, how, how it will finish. This is israels third Ground War in lebanon. So far, those wars have been easier to start than to end. This is israels third Ground War in lebanon. So far, those wars have been easier to start than to end. Lucy williamson, bbc news, the israel lebanon border. 0ur Correspondentjon Donnison has been following developments and sent this update from jerusalem. Well, israel is certainly not letting up in its offensive against hezbollah in lebanon. Its military says its now hit some 2,000 targets in Southern Lebanon, and its been continuing to hit as far north as beirut. We had those massive strikes near the airport in beirut last night, where its Thought Israel was targeting a possible successor to hassan nasrallah, the leader of hezbollah, who was assassinated last week. And the hezbollah fires continued as well. 0ur Colleagues up on the northern border this morning in northern israel, they had to run for cover, as Hezbollah Rockets came over the border. The big thing, though, that people are waiting for here is, what will israels response be to that unprecedented iranian ballistic Missile Attack on tuesday . Now, its been the new Year Holiday here in israel for the past few days, so things have been a little bit quieter, people thinking israel is going to wait to respond till after the holiday. Well, thats over now, and the thing is, you know, its not a question of if, its when. Israel will hit back. Now, its got a range of options. It could hit economic targets so, oil refineries, that sort of thing. That would be at the lower end of the spectrum. It could hit irans nuclear facilities, something that the united states is very much warning against. And i spoke to one very senior former Israeli Army general this week who didnt rule out israel targeting the Supreme Leader in iran, which would obviously be hugely escalating. So, its a nervous moment, notjust here in israel, notjust in the region, but really for the whole world. In a rare public address, irans Supreme Leader has defended attacks on israel, saying muslim nations must unite against what he called a common enemy. Ayatollah khamenei made the remarks as he led friday Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks as he led Friday Prayers in tehran for the first time in four years. He is is the ultimate authority in iran, outranking the president. Caroline hawley looks at the significance of his speech. This is the man who, as his title suggests, has ultimate power in iran. He very rarely leads Friday Prayers, so the world was watching what he had to say today. The crowds were huge, their regime trying to project an image of strength after a series of humiliating blows to its allies. Supporters gathered first to commemorate the hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah, killed in an israeli Air Strike a week ago today. And then out came the Supreme Leader, who Last Friday was reported to have gone into hiding amid fears for his safety. He tried to rally muslims across the Middle East against israel. He defended the Hamas Attack of October 7 and insisted irans Missile Attack earlier this week was a completely legitimate response to what israel had done. Translation what our Armed Forces did was the minimum punishment for the usurping zionist regimes astonishing crimes. On tuesday night, iran fired close to 200 ballistic missiles at israel, most of them shot down, with one palestinian man killed in the west bank. Benjamin netanyahu has said israel will pay a heavy price and warned there was nowhere in the middle East Israel could not reach. Iran is now central to the conflict spreading across the region. It backs armed groups that are enemies of israel, and israel is taking them on one by one. Take gaza, where hamas has been pounded by israel, with thousands of its fighters killed. Now, hezbollah in lebanon, where israeli Air Strikes are taking out its leaders and infrastructure. And then the houthis in yemen have been attacking shipping in the red sea. Israel has struck them too, and all of this is a direct challenge to iran and its regional power. The supreme Leaders Message Today was that despite these setbacks, its so called axis of Resistance Wont back down. Hey, folks. And tonight, President Biden said israel is still considering its response to irans Missile Attack. Look, the israelis have every right to respond to the vicious attacks on them, notjust from the iranians, but from everyone from hezbollah, the houthis. Anyway. But the fact is that they have to be very much more careful about dealing with civilian casualties. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also made it clear that iran will hit back if it feels it needs to, as it braces itself for Israels Retaliation in whatever form that comes. Meanwhile, a Situation Report by the uns agency in gaza has revealed a worsening crisis as israeli forces continue operations there. The Un Relief And Works Agency said 1. 4 million gazans did not get Food Rations in september. That number is up from i million in august, a 40 increase. The report says nearly 70 of crops have been destroyed. And when it comes to schools, unrWa Says 86 of its schools have been damaged or destroyed since October 7 Last year. These are the latest scenes coming to us from Deir Al Balah in central gaza, where multiple homes were destroyed. Palestinian medics said 29 people were killed across the Gaza Strip on friday. Joining me live is alex vatanka, director of the iran programme at the middle East Institute here in washington. Alex, thanks for joining alex, Thanks Forjoining us on bbc news. We saw iran attacked israel in april and israel respond, but whats different about this weeks iranian strike . ,. , strike . There are a number of Wa SWe Strike . There are a number of ways we can strike . There are a number of ways we can describe strike . There are a number of ways we can describe the ways we can describe the differences between the April Attack and the one that we just had. Last time around, the one thing that stands out is there was a clear effort by the iranian side to make it a coordinated but well known in advance retaliation. In other words, let the americans know what they were planning to do, they took about two weeks to carry out the attacks, it was a combination of drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles which were intercepted. This time around, they reacted much faster, it did not take two weeks, they took about three or four days, from Fridays Assassination of the hezbollah Leader Hossein Nostril until tuesdays attack, and im not sure if we can save he seemed kind of coordination happened. There are some convincing reports about that. But they really wanted to hurt. And again, i know there are conflicting reports in terms of success rate, it depends on who you ask. These are lisle tell you ask. These are lisle tell you most of these missiles were intercepted, the iranians will say 90 hit their targets. The truth is somewhere in between the two but we have all seen the two but we have all seen the videos of the images, a number of those ballistic missiles hit their targets. Air force bases. 0ne got close to the mossad had quarters in tel aviv. So thats how we describe the differences between the April Attack anyone we just had. April Attack Anyone we ust had. ,. , April Attack anyone we ust had. ,. Had. Israel has said he will re5pond had. Israel has said he will re5pond at had. Israel has said he will respond at a had. Israel has said he will respond at a time had. Israel has said he will respond at a time and had. Israel has said he willl respond at a time and place had. Israel has said he will. Respond at a time and place of its choosing. When do you think that might be . I its choosing. When do you think that might be . That might be . I have no way of tellin that might be . I have no way of telling you that might be . I have no way of telling you when that might be . I have no way of telling you when that that might be . I have no way of telling you when that will that might be . I have no way of telling you when that will be, i telling you when that will be, but i think it will be forthcoming, animal be as small as the last time they retaliated. Thus some around, backin retaliated. Thus some around, back in april, they took out an Air Defence Base site in central iran, in an inner city. Its going to hard to be for israel to come if you will, protect its image and show the world that it is not helpless, it needs to do something, but as you just described in your graphic, the something is still being debated. The White House is making another nuclear sites in iran are targets the 96 as i want to see israel hit, and increasingly as today has gone we have also heard that even irans Energy Infrastructure of the White House would rather see not be heard. I suspect that has something to do with the Election Cycle here in this country and the possibility that iran retaliates and the Energy Crisis and prices internationally will go through the roof. Politics and us is also now playing a factor in all this. ,. , all this. Notwithstanding those mornin. S all this. Notwithstanding those mornings that all this. Notwithstanding those mornings that have all this. Notwithstanding those mornings that have come all this. Notwithstanding those mornings that have come from President Biden at the White House, as you mentioned there, we have seen relations between israel and the us deteriorate. Do you think israel would strike at an iranian target without an agreement from the us . �. ,. , without an agreement from the us . ,. , us . Again, the israelis would tell ou us . Again, the israelis would tell you they us . Again, the israelis would tell you they dont us . Again, the israelis would tell you they dont need tell you they dont need anybody� s green light. That is what you hear repeatedly from folks like prime minister benjamin netanyahu, but the reality is, israel is much stronger going Hand In hand with the united states and doing it alone, and that has been true in the case of the iranian nuclear programme, going back to when this programme came to our attention back around 20 years ago now. The israelis have waited, have been together with the united states all these years, and i think the same thing will continue, and i know there are a lot of people out there who are saying, this is the perfect time to hit irans nuclear facilities, but the fact is, it was a quick Military Solution to irans nuclear programme, it would have been done along time ago. That quick solution does not exist regardless of what pundits out there are writing, with the problem right now we have is, a greek quick De Escalation which means suspension of hostilities and enforcing The Rain Regime to support a political solution and it comes to a two state solution, which means iran has to accept the basic reality of israels right to exist, something the iranian Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei today refused to acknowledge. Iranian regime. That is his ultimate decision, but i do not think iran will be a normal country as long as the regime maintains this ideological enmity towards the state of israel. , , enmity towards the state of israel. , ,. ,. , enmity towards the state of israel. , ,. , israel. Just briefly how do you think iran israel. Just briefly how do you think iran will israel. Just briefly how do you think iran will be israel. Just briefly how do you think iran will be preparing i think iran will be preparing for whatever comes next from israel . �. � , israel . Again, im Ust Telling Ou what israel . Again, im ust telling you what the israel . Again, imjust telling you what the Officials Israel . Again, imjust telling you what the officials are you what the officials are saying. The iranians, the last i picked up from the Iranian Regime media, is not that they are going to hit targets in the region, if their oilfacilities are hit, they are saying they are hit, they are saying they are going to go after is really energy facilities, Gas Plants and so forth, they are saying they had the capacity to have Pinpoint Stress against the sites in israel. They dont need to hit sites in the Gulf Region or elsewhere. I think the iranians really interested in making sure. That was one of the things that came out in the speech of