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the u.s. says israel is currently conducting limited operations against hezbollah infrastructure in lebanon. more than 100 people are dead, hundreds more unaccounted for, and millions without power in the aftermath of hurricane helene in the u.s. and nearly 200 people have been killed by torrential flooding and landslides in nepal. ♪ hello and welcome to world news america. i'm caitriona perry. the u.s. says israel is currently conducting limited operations against hezbollah infrastructure in lebanon, after a fresh wave of daily israeli airstrikes targeting the iran backed militant group. during a visit to be lebanon border, israel's defense minister said israel is ready to use forces from air, sea, and land to achieve its objectives.

that includes assuring people who evacuated from their homes in northern israel are safe to return. hezbollah's deputy chief says the military is also prepared for an israeli ground offensive. president joe biden reiterated u.s. calls for an immediate cease-fire. the u.s. state department spokesperson matthew miller explained the u.s. position a little earlier. >> we recognize military pressure can enable diplomacy. it is also true that military pressure can lead to unintended consequences. we are in conversation with israel about all of these factors. these are decisions they have to make themselves, no one else can make them for them. we are going to continue to communicate that while we support our -- support their right to defend themselves against terrorism, ultimately we believe a diplomatic resolution is the best way to accomplish that. caitriona: lebanese officials

say more than 1000 people have been killed since the israeli military began its recent campaign against hezbollah targets. the world health organization says the mass displacement and poor living conditions in the country are likely to increase the risk of disease. for more on this, we have this report. correspondent: israeli authorities have said this campaign against hezbollah is going to continue, even after the assassination of the hezbollah leader. hezbollah is bowing to resist. the group's number two gave his first public speech since the assassination. he said fighters are ready to confront any ground invasion, and he also said israel would not achieve its goals. this is a group that has been weakened after two weeks of campaign by the israeli military of intense airstrikes and also assassinations that have decimated its leadership, but

hezbollah still has a vast arsenal of sophisticated weapons, thousands of experienced fighters. here in lebanon, this is a country already under pressure with an estimated one million displaced residents. the next chapter of this conflict is full of risks. caitriona: in a social media video, prime minister benjamin netanyahu appeared to wreck into iranians, saying that people should not let a small group of theocrats crush their hopes and dreams. israel's military campaign is steadily spilling over into many other countries in the region. he delivered this stark warning. >> there is nowhere in the middle east israel cannot reach. there is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and country. with every passing moment, the regime is bringing you, the normal persian people, close to the abyss. the vast majority of iranians no

there met -- know that their regime does not care about them. if it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars in wars across the middle east. caitriona: let's get the latest from jerusalem. our correspondent has been following israel's actions over the border. what do we know about what has happened tonight? correspondent: in this much -- if this much-anticipated ground offensive is not in the way already, it seems and it -- seems imminent. the israel defense minister gerard gallant said as much earlier today. he said the next phase of the operation could happen as soon as today. our correspondent up on the border says there have been israeli fighter jets flying overhead with heavy tank showing going into southern lebanon. it doesn't seem like this ground

offensive is imminent. what we do not know is the scale and scope. it might be quite incremental to start with, perhaps operating in certain areas of the border rather than a full-scale invasion across the entire frontier. caitriona: is there support in israel for what is happening with lebanon? given what has happened between the two companies over the last number of years, particularly since the eighth of october, is there something inevitable about this? correspondent: there is support for it, yes. the big difference between the war in gaza and israel's war against hezbollah is that in gaza there is a lot of divided opinion within israel on a strategy not just amongst the public. you've got the families of hostages being held there, saying they think the government should be pursuing a cease-fire and hostage release deal. there is division within the military about gaza.

and it comes to hezbollah, the country is much more united, and israel feels it's cut the boot on the throat of hezbollah at the moment, and it seems to push forward. caitriona: thank you for that. israel still faces international pressure to de-escalate tension in the region. on a call between antony blinken and uk foreign secretary david leming, both agreed that an immediate cease-fire would be the best way forward. for more on the u.s. response to what is happening in the middle east, let's bring in sabrina singh. thanks for joining us. we were just hearing from our correspondent there, trying to figure out what is happening at the moment between israel and lebanon. what has israel told you about its plans for this ground encourage and -- ground

incursion in lebanon? >> thank you for having me. i am not going to be able to detail too much on the private conversations. i would refer you to the israelis to speak for their operations, but we understand what they are doing along that northern border is conducting limited operations to this mental infrastructure. but it is for the israelis to speak to, their own operations. the secretary encourages a diplomatic solution. we want to see regional tension school. see that -- regional tensions cool. we see that the best path is through diplomatic means, and that is what we push for. caitriona: has the secretary spoken to his israeli counterpart today? >> he has not, but the day is not over. there could be a late night call, but the secretary spoke with minister gallant on saturday, and they have had daily calls with each other.

they are in touch pretty regularly. i think you can continue to expect that. they have a good relationship with each other. they have frank and honest conversations. that is important with our relationship with israel as a partner in the region. this administration is standing with israel in its self-defense. we know they are facing threats from all sides, and that is why the united states has continued to support israel in their self-defense. caitriona: you have been calling basically for a diplomatic solution for a cease-fire, for two weeks now calling for that restraint, but in that time, israel has killed more than 1000 people and caused the displays meant of around one million people in lebanon. why does the u.s. appeared to have such little influence over israel at this time, a country it considers an ally? sabrina: again, i am not going to go into private conversations, but i can tell you that israel is listening to

us. we are an important ally and partner to that. these conversations that the secretary has with mr. gallant are frank and honest ones. caitriona: sorry for interrupting, but it does not appear to be listening when you are calling for a cease-fire and a diplomatic solution, and as recently as friday yourself said a grand was not the right path forward, yet that is what they are doing. sabrina: i don't think those are my exact words. i said what it looked like on friday was not imminent, and that is still not imminent. we are seeing limited operations on the northern border. it is something for israel to speak to in their own operations. but when i can tell you about civilians being displaced, that is exactly why this administration continues to push for a diplomatic solution. the best way to get people back into their homes in israel and lebanon is going to be through diplomatic means. we continue, whenever we engage

with our cnterparts, the secretary always emphasizes the need to protect civilians in the battle space. that is something that comes up frequently on their calls. we are going to continue to emphasize that, continue to have these calls with minister gallant. it is not just here in this building. this administration is engaged with their counterparts and continuing to push for a diplomatic solution. caitriona: have you been given any indication that israel is interested in a diplomatic solution? sabrina: they have certainly said that. they don't want a regional bar. they want to see the best way for this to end is through diplomacy, but they also -- caitriona: that is not what they are doing with their actions, though. sabrina: what i would tell you is what they are doing with their actions is eliminating a threat that is on their border, a terrorist group that attacked and brutally on october 8. we can still push for a diplomatic solution, but they also have that right to

self-defense. caitriona: in terms of the u.s. position, you shelti and your colleagues have spoken about a change in the u.s. military posture in the region, reconsidering things. what are you preparing for? sabrina: we have a carrier strike group in the central command area of responsibility that remains in the middle east. we have fighter squadrons that have extended their stay within the middle east, and those replacement units that were going to come in for those additional capabilities are actually augmenting them. we are bolstering our force posture in the region for the protection of u.s. forces. if we saw an attack like we did on april 13 against iran, they would also assist in israel's self-defense. caitriona: are you planning this time to evacuate u.s. citizens from lebanon? sabrina: that is really a

decision that that state department would make. we planned for a variety of contingencies. we are a planning organization, so we have a variety of plans that can be activated at any time, but i have nothing to preview for you today. caitriona: sabrina singh, thank you so much for joining us. sabrina: thank you. caitriona: here in the u.s., the devastation wreaked by hurricane helene is becoming clearer. 116 people have so far been confirmed dead across georgia, florida, tennessee, north and south carolina. the u.s. homeland security chief warned that number could rise potentially to over 600. president joe biden said he hopes to visit some of the area's hardest hit later this week. thousands of search-and-rescue personnel have been deployed through states in the southeast have try to find them still missing or unaccounted for. helene made landfall last

thursday in florida's big band as a powerful category four storm. the hurricane that moved north over georgia, bringing historic levels of damage. over the weekend, helene plowed northeastern north carolina, where it was downgraded to a severe tropical storm, but that did nothing to slow its impact on north carolina as the storm unleashed devastating floods. the state of us if he, roy cooper, said many -- the state's governor, roy cooper, said many communities were practically wiped off the map. here is what joe biden had to say. pres. biden: we will be with you, as long as it takes. excuse me -- [coughs] hired everyone to listen to look -- i urge everyone to listen to local officials and follow all safety instructions. take this seriously. please be safe. caitriona: director of public affairs for fema gave me an update on the recovery process a

short time ago. can you describe to us the latest situation in terms of the scale of the recovery operation that you are facing? >> right now, administrator criswell is on the ground in north carolina. i just came back from traveling with her in florida and georgia. hurricane helene was a multistate event, and we have personnel spread across all of these states to help people recover. caitriona: the director of homeland security it said a little earlier that there had been over 100 people killed as a result of this weather, the storm, but that there were over 600 people still unaccounted for . are you expecting the death to rise? jaclyn: my heart goes out to everyone who is impacted. the bite and harass administration has been leaning forward. -- the biden-harris administration has been leaning forward. i would refer you to the states

when it comes to that count. the most important thing we need people to know is if you are needing assistance, we want people to contact the red cross, 1-800-733-2767. if you are a family member, we want you to call 91 one as well. caitriona: what conditions are you aware of right now? jaclyn: right now people are experiencing the aftermath of floodwaters and mudslides, so it is important for people to know that if it is safe to do so, make your way to a shelter. if it is not, please wait to listen to local officials. we don't want people wading through floodwaters or to be in dangerous situations. this is still very much an active response, but it is important if i can take the time for anyone seeking fema assistance to please call - 800-621-3362. we have emergency declarations

in several states and they can receive assistance today. caitriona: what is the latest position when it comes to power? there were people without power and problems with mobile phone service. jaclyn: we are aware of power adages across multiple states. when it comes to north carolina, we directed starling down to north carolina, 40 systems. communication is a major challenge, but we are working quickly across the federal government to restore power as quickly as possible as well with our state partners to make sure we can get critical infrastructure and communications up and running. caitriona: is there any kind of timeframe for getting that done. jaclyn: they are making headway in areas like florida and georgia, but given how things are happening in north carolina, we are hoping to work as quickly as possible. caitriona: what about the

long-term situation here? there will be lots and lots of people whose homes have been completely destroyed and are not habitable. jaclyn: this recovery can be very complicated, but it is possible. if you are in florida, south carolina, or north carolina, start applying for fema assistance. that number is 1-800-621-3362. you can also visit disasterassistance.gov. we want to help as many people as possible to apply for fema assistance. there have been several disasters declared in south carolina and florida. it is important to start documenting, take photos of your homes if it is safe to do so, collecting insurance documents. we want people to be there as long as it takes to recover. caitriona: what does fema resistance mean in a practical way?

is that mean rebuilding someone's home, finding them a place to live in the short-term term, or what? jaclyn: fema's assistance program provides support for people with damage to their homes. we also have support for personal belongings. if you are an entrepreneur and your computer got ruined, we have assistance for that in select counties. but we also have -- our partners at sba also provide loan support for people asking to rebuild. for those who are uninsured, you can qualify for assistance up to the statutory limit. caitriona: do you have enough resources and people to do everything needed in the aftermath of this disaster? jaclyn: yes. right now, fema is actively responding. we have a federal family behind me actively at work. we want to ensure people the federal family is here to help recover, as long as it takes. we have personnel across the

state, and we have used our search capacity to get more people on the ground to help people recover as quickly as possible. caitriona: both vice president kamala harris and former president donald trump have changed their plans on the campaign trail in response to hurricane helene. vice president harris cut a campaign visit to las vegas short and returned to washington, d.c. to attend emergency management briefings about the storm. while they each plan to travel to the affected region, biden and harris say they do not plan to disrupt ongoing recovery efforts there. mr. trump visited georgia on monday to view the damage. former president trump said he brought lots of relief material for displaced residents there. officials in nepal say the number of people known to have been killed by landslides and floods in recent days has reached 200. more than 20 others are still missing with rescue efforts

ongoing. nepal's army says more than 4000 people have been rescued with helicopters, motorboats, and wraps bringing stranded people to safety after roads and bridges in several areas were washed away. concerns have also been raised by eight groups about providing food, shelter, water, and sanitation for those impacted by the floods. let's return to our top story now following the ground incursion israel launched in lebanon a short while ago. our correspondent anna foster is in beirut, and we can join her on the ground for more. what can you tell us about what is going on in lebanon tonight? >> at the moment, there are some things we do know and some we do not. in the last 10 minutes or so, we have heard more loud here strikes here in beirut. they were in the southern suburbs, because the idf issued new warnings to areas in three areas, and we heard the loud rumbling sounds of explosions

really echoing a clonus -- echoing across the tall buildings here. what we know less about is what is happening on the southern border, because many who live in that area have fled already. as real has declared their side of the border a closed military zone. we know that discussions are ongoing in israel. cbs has told us that u.s. official says they have been told by israel that they are getting ready to launch what israel calls a limited ground operation into lebanon, but there is nobody there at the moment. there are no cameras, no reporters, so you have that information vacuum where people know what is happening. they know what is being prepared for, but as to whether or not it has started, until we have some kind of official announcement, probably from the israeli military when it comes, and we cannot say for sure whether that operation has begun. caitriona: you mentioned the

warnings that have been issued to residents there in beirut. where are people moving to? we are hearing from the lebanese authorities already, one million people displaced. jaclyn: that is a good question. -- anna: that is a good question. they are just moving out of the way, but they don't necessarily have anywhere to go to. when you look at the central area of beirut, the area behind me on the ground, there are people sleeping on the streets, and they have been for several days, a lot of them left after that large airstrike on friday evening that killed the leader of hezbollah. there have been more israeli airstrikes since then, and these warnings come from the idf, maybe 10, 20, 30 minutes before they strike a particular building. but when people leave, they don't always have places to go. sometimes they will stay with friends and family. they are on the streets. some are in shelters.

the internal displaced mike reisman at -- the internal displacement crisis at the moment is huge. around a million people could end up being displaced because of the violence here. caitriona: is there any indication as to how hezbollah may respond to this? anna: they have said through their deputy leader today that they are ready to fight israeli troops if they cross the border. they are not speaking through their leader anymore after he was killed on friday. what we do not know is what hezbollah's military capabilities of infrastructure is like here in lebanon after a week of near constant israeli bombardment from the air. we know they used to have a weapons that were provided by iran, but how many of those remain and how they may plan to use them is something that at the moment is very hard to tell. caitriona: cannot, thanks -- anna, thanks for joining us.

finally, climate change is having an impact on the world geography. art of the border between switzerland and italy is being we read juan -- is being redrawn due to melting glaciers. global warming caused swiss glaciers to lose 4% of their volume in 2023. this graphic shows how the peak of matterhorn mansion is coming to the effects of climate change. friday, switzerland approved a treaty with redefined borders. a joint italian-swiss commission agreed to the changes last year, but italy still needs to sign off on them. you can keep up with what is going on today between lebanon and israel on our website. i'm caitriona announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james.

announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz. on the "newshour" tonight, americans from florida to north carolina desperately seek help in the wake of hurricane helene, while the storm's death toll rises. geoff: israel launches ground raids in southern lebanon an