A man rides his scooter through debris of destroyed buildings hit by Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. AP
Israeli forces were on high alert ahead of Monday's anniversary of the Gaza war.
Lebanon's official National News Agency said south Beirut was hit by more than 30 strikes, which were heard across the city. Targets included a petrol station.
Israel's military claimed it "conducted a series of strikes on a number of weapons storage facilities" and infrastructure of the Hezbollah group.
AFPTV footage showed a massive fireball over a residential area of south Beirut, followed by a loud bang and secondary explosions. Smoke still billowed from the site after dawn.
In the Sabra area, near the southern suburbs, dozens of people, some carrying bags on foot and others on motorbikes, fled one of the most intense Israeli bombardments on Lebanon.
Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli forces with artillery after they tried to infiltrate towards Khallat Shuaib in Blida, in southern Lebanon.
A statement said fighters fired a rocket barrage at Israeli troops during the evacuation of "dead and wounded soldiers" in the Menara border area shortly after midnight.
Hezbollah also said it launched assault drones against an Israeli military base.
Late Saturday Israel issued a new order for residents of southern Beirut to evacuate.
Across Lebanon, strikes against Hezbollah have killed more than 1,110 people since September 23, according to a tally based on official figures.
Hamas said Israeli strikes had killed two of its operatives in north and east Lebanon Saturday, which the Israeli military confirmed.
One of them was hit near Tripoli, Hamas said, the first such strike in the northern area.
'Never-ending nightmare'
UN's refugee agency head Filippo Grandi said Lebanon "faces a terrible crisis" and warned "hundreds of thousands of people are left destitute or displaced by Israeli air strikes".
Israeli bombardment has put at least four hospitals in Lebanon out of service, the facilities said.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said it rejected a request by the Israeli military to "relocate some of our positions" in south Lebanon.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in Damascus Saturday after visiting Beirut, renewed his call for ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon, while threatening Israel with an "even stronger" reaction to any attack on Iran.
Ahead of the war on Gaza anniversary, thousands joined pro-Palestinian rallies in London, Paris, Cape Town and other cities.
Israel placed its forces on alert Saturday ahead of the anniversary of the war after a military official said the country was preparing its retaliation for Iran's missile attack.
Iran on Tuesday launched around 200 missiles at Israel in revenge for Israeli killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
One Israeli military official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to discuss the issue publicly, said the army "is preparing a response" to Iran's attack.
This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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