Report says fighting escalated on two fronts on Sunday, with Israel striking a Hezbollah “command centre” in Beirut, while in Gaza, rescue workers reported 73 fatalities in a single air strike.
Israeli air raids targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in South Beirut’s Haret Hreik neighborhood, near a mosque and a hospital, according to reports.
The Israeli military said it hit Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters and underground weapons facility. Three Hezbollah militants were also reported killed in separate strikes.
These attacks followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, attempted to assassinate him by targeting his residence. This comes during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued along Israel's northern border with Lebanon. Around 70 projectiles were fired into Israel from Lebanon on Sunday, with some intercepted by Israel's defense systems. Israel responded by launching 14 strikes in 15 minutes on the southern Lebanese village of Khiam.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel would intensify its military actions against Hezbollah, which it accuses of planning attacks on Israel. The Lebanese army, which is not involved in the fighting, said three of its soldiers were killed when Israel struck their vehicle in southern Lebanon.
In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike on a residential area in Beit Lahia killed 73 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. A hospital treating the wounded from the strike was overwhelmed, with many patients receiving care on the floor, while the dead were laid in rows, wrapped in burial shrouds.
The Israeli military claimed it had struck a Hamas target in Beit Lahia but disputed the casualty figures provided by Gaza authorities.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has condemned the Gaza strike, calling Israel's actions "a stain on the conscience of humanity."
In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes targeted dozens of locations, including the city of Nabatiyeh. A Hezbollah-affiliated rescue center in Deir Al-Zahrani was also partially destroyed according to reports.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for multiple rocket attacks on Israeli military bases and the city of Haifa on Sunday. Israeli forces reportedly responded by blowing up buildings in several Lebanese border villages.
Tensions spiked further after Netanyahu’s office said a drone was launched towards his residence in Caesarea, though he and his wife were not present at the time. Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of orchestrating the assassination attempt, a claim the group has not acknowledged. Iran’s UN mission, however, hinted at Hezbollah’s involvement.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted last month, over 1,450 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to health ministry figures. The ongoing war was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on Israel last year that killed over 1,200 Israelis.
Israel’s military campaign to defeat Hamas and recover hostages has killed more than 42,600 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. The UN considers these casualty figures reliable.
Israel launched a major offensive in northern Gaza on October 6, aiming to stop Hamas militants from regrouping. The military action has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee, with many now trapped in dire conditions, facing severe shortages of food, water, and medicine.
“We are now trapped with no food, water or medicine, facing starvation amid the rubble and destruction,” said Ahmad Saleh, a resident of northern Gaza. “The situation gets worse every day, and we are terrified, wondering when our turn will come.”
Last week, the U.S. warned that it may reduce military assistance to Israel if humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza do not improve within 30 days.
