By Emma Farge and Olivia Le Poidevin GENEVA, March 3 (Reuters) - At least 30,000 displaced people have sought protection in shelters in Lebanon since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated this week,

Israeli strike hits Hezbollah-aligned media building in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an evacuation warning

The Israeli military said troops advanced to protect border towns from Hezbollah attacks, spurring fears that the government is weighing a wider ground war.

"His elimination has significantly degraded PIJ's ability to carry out terrorist operations against Israel," the IDF said

Across Iran’s capital, explosions rang out overnight as the U.S. and Israel pounded Iran with airstrikes. Iran and its allies have hit back against Israel and neighboring Gulf states.

The Israeli military said it had seized areas of southern Lebanon on Tuesday in an escalating conflict with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, as the State Department closed its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after drone attacks and urged Americans to depart immediately from 14 Middle East countries.

Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Katz order the Israeli army to start incursion into Lebanon.

Many people in Lebanon are fleeing their homes after Hezbollah launched missiles into Israel from Lebanon in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Israel retaliated