Israel launches new strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs

BEIRUT: Israel staged new attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday (Mar 11), Lebanese state media reported, with the Israeli army saying it was again targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel, which kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, has since launched attacks across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said "the Israeli enemy launched a violent raid" on Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah holds sway. AFPTV's live footage showed plumes of smoke rising from places struck.

The Israeli military said in a statement it "has begun strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure" in the area.

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 at Israel, including at a "missile defence site" south of Haifa.

It later said it was engaging an Israeli force near the border town of Aitaroun "with light and medium weapons".

Lebanese authorities said Tuesday that 759,300 people had been registered as displaced, with 122,600 staying in shelters.

The health ministry on Wednesday said that "successive raids launched by the Israeli enemy" on the southern town of Qana, Tyre district, killed five people and wounded five others.

In Hennawiyeh, Tyre district, the ministry said the night prior that an Israeli strike wounded two people, and a follow-up attack killed them with the rescuer who came to the scene.