Israeli Airstrikes Rock Beirut On 1st Anniversary Of Israel-Hamas War, Hezbollah Retaliates

Smoke could be seen in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Sunday as Israel intensified its bombardment of the south of the city. The southern suburbs of Beirut were hit by more than 30 strikes overnight, the heaviest bombardment since Sept. 23, when Israel began a significant escalation in its air campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, state-run National News Agency reported Sunday. The targets included a gas station on the main highway leading to the Beirut airport and a warehouse for medical supplies, the agency said. Some of the overnight strikes set off a long series of explosions, suggesting that ammunition stores may have been hit. Israel also expanded its bombardment in Lebanon late Saturday, striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas fighters. The strong explosions began near midnight after Israel’s military urged residents to evacuate areas in Beirut’s Haret Hreik and Choueifat neighborhoods. Israel’s military confirmed it was striking targets near Beirut and said about 30 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory. It is still battling Hamas in Gaza nearly a year after its Oct. 7 attack, and has opened a new front against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has been trading fire with Israel along the border since the war in Gaza began.