Explosions Heard in South Beirut as Local Media Report Israeli Strike

Lebanese media reported that Israel struck the southern suburbs of Beirut early on Friday. AFP reporters heard multiple explosions from the Hezbollah stronghold, which Israel has repeatedly struck since the war began this month.

AFPTV footage shows smoke rising from the area following the raid.

Israel had previously issued broad evacuation warnings for the region, but did not issue a specific warning before the attack in the early morning hours of Friday.

The usually densely populated area has been largely emptied of residents since the fighting began, and it is unclear if there have been any casualties.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in revenge for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has been bombing Lebanon ever since, especially in areas long dominated by Hezbollah, and has sent ground troops to the region in an attempt to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said its fighters continued attacks against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon early Friday.

On Thursday, official Lebanese media reported deadly Israeli raids in the country’s south, with Hezbollah claiming more than 90 attacks on Israeli targets inside Lebanon and across the border.

Also Thursday, the Israeli military reported that two soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, while Israeli emergency services reported that a rocket fired from Lebanon killed a man in the Nahariya district of northern Israel.

According to the Lebanese, at least 1,116 people, including 121 children, have died in Israeli attacks since March 2.