Israel is preparing to stop arms transfers from Iran to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon while also rejecting a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal.

What Happened: "In Lebanon we're going to prevent any possibility of arms transfers in Lebanon from Iran," said Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar, Reuters reports. "Nasrallah's confidence … depends on the supply coming from Iran," he added, referring to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel Defense Forces are simultaneously carrying out major military operations in Gaza. On Thursday, Israeli armed forces said two Hamas militants were killed who participated in the Oct. 7 attacks in which Hamas militants abducted over 250 Israelis and killed about 1,200.

The U.S. considers both Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that Hamas has stopped responding to cease-fire proposals or hostage negotiations.

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Gaza: The Gazan health ministry estimates at least 41,534 deaths since last October.

Also on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York. The IDF onslaughts have caused a water shortage and diseases to spread while basic medicine supplies dwindle, he said.

Both the U.S. and IDF blame Hamas for stealing first aid shipments.

Abbas also appeared to call out claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he addressed the U.S. Congress in July. Netanyahu insisted that, for Israel, “every civilian death is a tragedy; for Hamas, it's a strategy.”

Both sides accuse the other of using civilians as human shields.

Abbas retorted: "I ask you, who is it then that killed more than 15,000 children of the 40,000 and an equal number of women and elderly persons. And who is it then that is continuing to kill them, I ask you?"

More than 2 million Palestinians have been displaced due to the conflict.

Lebanon: More than 600 Lebanese people have been reported dead in recent days.

The AP reports that a joint statement by world leaders was penned at the U.N. General Assembly calling the fighting in Lebanon "intolerable” and “an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation."

"We call for an immediate 21-day cease-fire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy," the statement said. "We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary cease-fire immediately."

Netanyahu rejected the plea. Instead, he has instructed the IDF to fight “at full power,” according to Newsweek.

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