At least 31 people were killed and more than 140 injured in Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon and Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, amid a sharp escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
Health authorities said around 20 people were killed in Beirut’s southern suburbs, while at least 11 others died in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it carried out strikes on “senior Hezbollah terrorists in the Beirut area” and a “central Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon.” The strikes reportedly hit areas including Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold in the capital’s southern suburbs.
Lebanese state media reported evacuations were underway following a series of Israeli attacks in the densely populated southern districts of Beirut.
The escalation comes after Hezbollah warned it would “fulfill our duty in confronting the aggression” following the killing of Ali Khamenei.
Hezbollah later confirmed it launched “missiles and a swarm of drones” at an Israeli army base south of Haifa, saying the attack was carried out “in revenge” for the killing.
