BEIRUT, Lebanon: Israel carried out air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, hitting apartments in two buildings after its military said it intercepted projectiles fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah.
The strikes hit the Mreijeh-Tahwita al-Ghadir area in the densely populated southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Lebanon’s NNA reported that the Israeli strike killed at least two people and wounded 11 others, citing an initial casualty toll.
The news agency said the attack struck two apartments in separate buildings in a civilian neighbourhood.
Israel’s military said it struck a Hezbollah command centre in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district.
The strikes were launched after the military said it intercepted two projectiles launched from Lebanon into Israeli territory earlier on Sunday.
Air raid sirens were activated in northern Israel, and the military said the projectiles were intercepted. It later said it had “dismantled the launchers used by Hezbollah”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the army “just struck a militant command centre in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, in response to Hezbollah’s fire towards Israeli territory”.
Israel later issued an evacuation warning covering most of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and surrounding areas, which have been frequent targets of air strikes.
Lebanon’s civil defence evacuated around 500 families from schools being used as shelters and moved them to the city’s Christian quarter, AFP reported.
The escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts in Washington this week to outline a conditional truce framework.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes have killed at least 3,613 people and wounded 11,072 others between March 2 and June 7.
The ministry also reported continued Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon on Sunday, including near Sidon, where several people were killed.
Rescue workers said three members of a family and a civil defence worker were among those killed in a separate strike.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 131 rescuers have been killed during the ongoing conflict.
