Germany’s foreign minister has visited Lebanon today.

Annalena Baerbock met with the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, Nabih Berri, in Beirut.

She said Germany would “not look away” or leave Lebanon on its own as it tries to cope with ongoing fighting between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel across the country.

She also said the conflict will not be solved only militarily, calling for the election of a Lebanese president to help a political solution to end the fighting.

Ms Baerbock also reiterated calls for all parties to protect UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, saying they play a crucial role on the day after a ceasefire is eventually put in place.

Iran condemns Israeli killing of medic in Lebanon as war crime

Tehran has strongly condemned the killing of an Iranian medic in Lebanon, calling it a war crime.

Dr Ali Heydari had been based in Beirut “for some time” in order to provide medical assistance to victims of Israeli attacks, Iran’s foreign ministry said.

“The act of the Zionist regime in targeting Dr Heydari, who was acting as a medic to treat the wounded and help patients, is a clear violation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions that forbid attacks on hospitals and medical centres and doctors and medical professionals, and is considered a war crime,” it said.

The ministry also called on relevant organisations to document instances of “gross violations of international humanitarian law” by the Israeli military in Lebanon.

Israel is keeping up its military actions in both Lebanon, where it is fighting the Hezbollah militant group, and in Gaza, where it is fighting Hamas.

The world is still waiting for Israel to launch an attack on Iran, which it vowed to carry out after Iran sent a missile barrage at the country on 1 October, which was mostly intercepted.

Elsewhere, US secretary of state Antony Blinken is wrapping up his 11th visit to the Middle East since the 7 October Hamas attacks last year.

Yesterday he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, where the two discussed ways to end the war in Gaza and achieve a diplomatic solution in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 2,574 people in the country have been killed during a year of conflict, while the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 42,792 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive.

Beirut hit by intense Israeli bombing overnight

Lebanese media have reported at least 17 Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in one of the most intense nights of bombing the capital has seen in recent weeks.

An Israeli military spokesman issued evacuation warnings “to all residents in the southern suburb area” before the strikes.

One airstrike hit the office of pro-Iran broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, the station said. It said the office had been empty since the conflict began. 

Lebanon’s health ministry said one person was killed and five others, including a child, were wounded. 

Lebanon’s national news agency described the strikes as the “most violent” in the area since the conflict began.