Israeli fighter jets bombarded the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital Beirut overnight into Saturday, September 28, sending panicked families fleeing massive strikes that were reportedly targeting Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Israel said it was attacking Hezbollah's headquarters and weapons facilities, while US and Israeli media reported that Nasrallah was the target. Although a source close to the group said he was "fine".
The explosions that shook southern Beirut were the fiercest to hit the Iran-backed movement's stronghold since Israel and Hezbollah last went to war in 2006. After heavy shelling sounded across the Mediterranean city on Friday, Israel issued fresh warnings for people to leave part of the densely populated Dahiyeh suburbs before dawn on Saturday.
Hundreds of families spent the night on the streets, seeking shelter in downtown Beirut's Martyrs' Square or along the seaside boardwalk area.
The Israeli army declined to comment on Nasrallah but claimed on Saturday to have killed "Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy" as well as "other senior officials".
Hours earlier at the UN General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah until the country's border with Lebanon was secured. "Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safe," he said.
Hezbollah began low-intensity attacks across the border a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.
Israel has in the past days shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing has killed more than 700 people and sparked an exodus of around 118,000 people.