More than 490 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Hezbollah -- a record for a single day, Lebanese authorities reported. Escalating clashes between Israel and Hezbollah threatened to overshadow US President Joe Biden's final appearance at the UN's signature annual event on Tuesday as diplomats scrambled to avert an all-out regional war. UN Security Council member France called for an emergency meeting on the crisis engulfing the Middle East. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman said he was 'gravely alarmed' as focus shifted from Gaza to Lebanon, and the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell warned 'we are almost in a full-fledged war.' Israel's closest ally the United States again warned against a full-blown ground invasion of Lebanon, with a senior US official promising to bring 'concrete' ideas for de-escalation to the UN this week.