Official Lebanese media reported Israeli airstrikes on southern Beirut on Sunday, shortly after the Israeli army urged residents to evacuate Hezbollah’s stronghold, which has been repeatedly bombarded over the past several days.
“Enemy warplanes launched two strikes on the southern suburbs; the first targeted the Saint Therese area, and the second hit Burj al-Barajneh,” stated Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
An AFP correspondent noted that her windows shook during one of the strikes, and another reported hearing loud explosions.
Live video footage captured by AFP showed three strikes, one of which triggered a significant explosion with flames shooting out as thick black smoke billowed into the air.
From Saturday night into Sunday, the southern suburbs experienced more than 30 strikes, marking one of the most intense barrages yet, according to the NNA.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and Israel have engaged in near-daily cross-border fire for nearly a year, a consequence of the ongoing conflict stemming from the Gaza war.
Since September 23, Israel has conducted devastating airstrikes on targets in Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of over 1,110 people and forcing more than one million individuals to flee their homes.
Last week, Israel reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in southern Beirut, a densely populated area, prompting residents to evacuate amid the intensifying bombardment.