Israel says it struck Hezbollah’s headquarters as huge explosions rocked Beirut

The Israeli military said on Friday it had carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah's central headquarters in Beirut, flattening buildings in a massive explosion in the southern area and sending orange and black smoke billowing into the sky.

The attack in the Beirut suburb of Dahiya came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at the United Nations, vowing that Israel would continue its fight against Hezbollah. The explosion came shortly after thousands of people gathered in the suburbs for the funeral of three Hezbollah members killed in earlier attacks, including a senior commander.

There is no word yet on casualties from the strike. Israeli army spokesman Maj. Gen. Hagari said the attack targeted Hezbollah's main headquarters beneath a residential building. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said four buildings were reduced to rubble in the explosion, which was so powerful that windows and houses rattled around 30 kilometers north of Beirut. The ambulance drove towards the explosion site with its siren honking.

Earlier in the day, an Israeli airstrike killed nine members of a family in a village on the border with Lebanon, authorities said, as Lebanon grapples with a rising death toll, a wave of tens of thousands fleeing their homes and the possibility of a full-blown outbreak. war between.

Israel this week significantly stepped up air strikes in Lebanon and expressed determination to end Hezbollah's more than 11 months of artillery fire on its territory. The scope of the Israeli operation is unclear, but officials have said a ground incursion to drive militant groups from the border is possible. Israel has prepared thousands of troops to move to the border.

Netanyahu vowed at the United Nations to “continue to disparage Hezbollah” until Israel achieves its goals, further undermining hopes for international support for a ceasefire.

This has led Lebanese to fear a repeat of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, which lasted a month and wreaked havoc in parts of Lebanon. Or worse, they fear, Lebanon could suffer the same massive devastation caused in Gaza by Israel's nearly year-long campaign against Hamas.

Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said Israeli attacks early Friday killed at least 25 people, bringing the death toll in Lebanon this week to more than 720. women and children.

The Israeli military said it carried out dozens of attacks over two hours on Friday in southern areas, including the cities of Sidon and Nabatiyah. It allegedly targeted Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure. According to reports, Hezbollah fired a series of rockets towards the northern Israeli city of Tiberias.