Welcome to bbc news broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. The un has warned that the middle east is on the brink of imminent catastrophe amid fears of an all out war as israel and the iran backed group hezbollah in lebanon carry out large cross border strikes. Israel said hezbollah launched more than a hundred rockets from lebanon towards them. Hezbollah said the attacks were in response to the wave of explosions of pagers and walkie talkies that s widely believed to have been carried out by israel. In haifa, hospital patients have been moved to underground facilities, schools have been closed and gatherings restricted, as well as in other northern areas up to the lebanese border. Meanwhile, israel said it carried out more air strikes on targets in southern lebanon, destroying thousands of hezbollah s rocket launchers. The un chief antonio guterres said he fears the conflict between israel and hezbollah could risk lebanon becoming another gaza. Our senior internat