Israel launched new strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, as the Israeli military said it was again targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Lebanon was drawn further into the Middle East conflict last week after Hezbollah attacked Israel following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel, which had continued attacks on Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, has since expanded its operations across Lebanon and deployed ground troops in border areas.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that “the Israeli enemy launched a violent raid” on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah. Live footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the area.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it “has begun strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure” in the district. It also reiterated its call for residents to evacuate the southern suburbs.
Hezbollah said in separate statements on Tuesday that its fighters had attacked Israeli troops near the southern border towns of Khiam and Odaisseh and launched rockets into Israel, including at a “missile defence site” south of Haifa.
The group later said it was engaging Israeli forces near the border town of Aitaroun “with light and medium weapons”.
Lebanese authorities said on Tuesday that 759,300 people had been registered as displaced, with 122,600 staying in shelters.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Wednesday that “successive raids launched by the Israeli enemy” on the southern town of Qana in the Tyre district killed five people and wounded five others.
In Hennawiyeh, also in the Tyre district, the ministry said an Israeli strike wounded two people overnight, and a follow-up attack killed them along with a rescuer who arrived at the scene.
Another strike on Zalaya in southeastern Lebanon killed one person, according to the ministry.
Source: AFP/BSS
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
