Tonight on PBS News Weekend, rising tensions in the Middle East, the heaviest exchange of attacks in months on the Israeli-Lebanese border, while Israel intensifies its offensive in Gaza.

Then the effects sweeping cuts to NIH funding are having on major research projects around the country.

And we head to the U.S. Mint to see the creation of a quarter celebrating civil rights activists and journalist Ida B. Wells.

You can look at the beautiful quarter itself and you can ask questions about who is this woman? How did she contribute to

American society and culture? Why is she important to history?

Good evening. I'm John Yang.

Tonight, there's renewed violence in the Middle East.

The Israeli-Lebanese border saw the heaviest exchange of attacks since Israel and the militant group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire four months ago.

Early this morning, Israel struck Lebanon in retaliation for rockets that targeted Israel.

Lebanese officials said two people were killed, including a child.

Now the Israeli army says it's launching a second wave of strikes in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the rocket attacks.

They say they are committed to the truce.

This comes as Israel says it will intensify its offense of Gaza until Hamas releases the remaining

Israeli hostages.

Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes overnight, killed at least nine people,

including three children.

They estimate that 600 people in Gaza have been killed since Israel relaunched the war earlier

this week.

Joseph Federman is a news director for the Associated Press covering Israel, the Palestinian

territories in Jordan. Let's start on the border with Lebanon. What's behind this renewed

rocket firing from Lebanon? It's not entirely clear what sparked this.

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