Hezbollah leader says war with Israel has entered 'new phase' after killings of top militant figures
ABCThe leader of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has warned that the conflict with Israel has entered a "new phase", as he addressed mourners at the funeral of a commander from the group who was killed by an Israeli air strike this week in Beirut. US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington was committed to defending Israel's security "against all threats from Iran", the White House said. The Israeli military said earlier that it had confirmed that the head of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July. The apparent elimination of Haniyeh and Deif — two of Hamas's most senior figures — brings a victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israeli forces continue to operate in Gaza. In a statement issued Thursday, the Israeli military said confirmation of Deif's death was made "following an intelligence assessment".