Smoke and flames rise over southern Beirut after an Israeli air strike (Fadel ITANI) (Fadel ITANI/AFP/AFP)
AFP: Israel's military said Thursday it had hit Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut, as troops battled militants near the border and warplanes bombarded their strongholds around the country.
Israel announced this week that its troops had started "ground raids" into parts of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after days of heavy bombardment of areas across the country where the group holds sway.
The bombing has killed more than 1,000 people, according to Lebanon's health ministry, and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a country already mired in economic and political crisis.
Israel, at war in Gaza since Hamas's October 7 attack, has expanded its focus to secure its northern border and ensure the safe return of more than 60,000 people displaced by Hezbollah attacks over the past year.
On the Gaza front, the Israeli military said a strike three months ago killed three senior Hamas leaders, including Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the militant movement's government in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Meanwhile, a source within the Palestinian security services told AFP that an air raid on the refugee camp of Tulkarm, killing 18 people, was the deadliest in the occupied West Bank since 2000.
The Israeli military said its strike in the northern West Bank killed Hamas leader Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who it accused of participating in numerous attacks.
In Lebanon, the Israeli military said it hit "targets belonging to Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut".
US news site Axios cited three unidentified Israeli officials naming the target of the attack as Hashem Safieddine, a potential successor as Hezbollah chief to Hassan Nasrallah who was killed a week ago. The Israeli military did not confirm the report when questioned by AFP.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP Israel had conducted 11 consecutive strikes on the group's south Beirut stronghold late Thursday. Sources had earlier said another Israeli strike had targeted a warehouse next to Beirut airport.
Israel told Lebanese people to "immediately" evacuate more than 20 villages and the city of Nabatiyeh.
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