The number of people displaced in southern Lebanon as a result of Israeli airstrikes may be approaching half a million, according to Lebanese Foreign Minister Bou Habib, who stressed that "the war in Lebanon will not help the Israelis return to their homes, and negotiations are the only way to do so."

Israel announced Thursday that its air force struck and killed a Hezbollah commander, as its military continued its barrage of Lebanon despite ongoing international calls for a cease-fire.

The United States says it will not directly intervene militarily in Israel’s conflict with the Iranian-backed militant group, even as the threat of a wider regional war grows.