Major Israeli airstrike in Beirut targeting senior Hezbollah figure kills at least 22 and wounds hundreds

A MAJOR Israeli airstrike successful Beirut targeting a elder Hezbollah fig has killed astatine slightest 22 and wounded hundreds.

The terrifying aerial raid connected the superior is 1 of the deadliest truthful acold arsenic tensions successful the region spiralled successful caller weeks.

The chilling airstrike deed 2 residential buildings successful abstracted neighbourhoods simultaneously - tearing down 1 eight-story gathering and wiping retired the little floors of the other, according to AP.

Loud explosions billowed from the metropolis arsenic rescuers were spotted digging done rubble astatine the scene.

Reports person suggested that the evident people was 1 of Hezbollah's high-ranking information officials Wafiq Safa - who is besides Hassan Nasrallah's brother-in-law.

Hezbollah's Al Manar TV claimed that the evident effort to termination Safa had failed - adding that helium hadn't been wrong of either of the targeted buildings.

The Israeli subject person said it is looking into the reported strikes.

Israeli airstrikes connected Hezbollah targets person go much communal successful Beirut's confederate suburbs since the deadly warfare began.

But the metropolis had seen 2 comparatively quiescent days pursuing intensive strikes successful caller weeks.

Tensions betwixt Iran and Israel person go palpable with Israel carrying retired waves of dense strikes crossed Lebanon and launching a crushed invasion.

Huge blasts person continued to stone Beirut - with dramatic footage showing a gigantic explosion rising up supra the city.

The immense plumes of fume billowing implicit the Lebanese superior travel arsenic the Israeli larboard metropolis of Haifa was besides struck by Hezbollah rockets connected Sunday evening.

Local Israeli media reported that 5 radical were injured by shrapnel successful the blitz connected the eve of the October 7 panic attack anniversary.

Hezbollah has said successful connection it targeted a subject basal adjacent Haifa, which is located successful bluish Israel.

But footage posted to societal media appeared to amusement harm to roads successful civilian areas.

The IDF said astir 120 rockets were fired from Lebanon astatine bluish Israel connected Sunday.

In a station connected X, Israel's subject said its combatant jets had deed the quality office of Hezbollah successful the caller strikes connected Beirut.

They said: "In addition, warplanes person precocious attacked the organisation's munitions warehouses successful the Beirut area.

"During the attacks, secondary explosions were seen, indicating the beingness of weapons.

"The violent organisation Hezbollah places its office and means of warfare nether residential buildings successful the bosom of the metropolis of Beirut and endangers the colonisation successful the area."

It comes aft Israel deed Beirut connected Saturday starring to another massive acceptable of blasts in the aforesaid suburb arsenic wherever Hezbollah's person was precocious killed.

Hezbollah's person Hassan Nasrallah was killed successful an underground bid station successful Dahieh past week.

The IDF past pounded the suburb with 80 bombs implicit conscionable respective minutes successful the precocious day destroying the hideaway.

The bunker reached 50m underground and held a fig of different elder members of the group.

Israel has continued to prosecute its aerial run against Hezbollah arsenic it appears to beryllium acceptable to onslaught Iran.

The Islamic Republic tonight grounded each flights for a nine- hr period, to lone past unfastened its airspace backmost up respective hours later.

MIDDLE EAST ON FIRE

Israel launched their crushed violative into Lebanon last week arsenic they proceed to look to destruct Iran-backed panic radical Hezbollah from the Middle East.

The IDF said it began "limited" and "localised" crushed raids against Hezbollah violent targets successful confederate Lebanon.

Thousands of civilians person already fled the country's southbound as the showdown betwixt Hezbollah and Israel intensifies.

The Israel Defense Forces has present poured much troops into Lebanon - deploying a 4th division.

Its 146th Reserve Division has joined 3 lasting service divisions -  the 98th, 36th, and 91st - already operating successful the south.

Israel present has a apt 15,000-strong service successful Lebanon.

The absorption of the cognition is clearing retired Hezbollah panic sites to halt rocket attacks which person driven 60,000 from homes successful Northern Israel successful the past 11 months.

It claimed actions determination would stay "limited and localised".

Israel has killed Hezbollah person Hassan Nasrallah in a bid of monolithic craft strikes that rocked Lebanon.

Following Nasrallah's death, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - 1 of his closest allies - ordered a monolithic aerial blitz that saw much than 180 ballistic missiles attacking Israel.

Khamenei said Lebanon would marque Israel "regret their actions" and blasted the "shortsighted and foolish" policies of Israeli leaders.

He claimed Israel was "too small" to origin immoderate harm to Hezbollah.

Israel is present said to beryllium preparing a revenge blitz for a tit-for-tat onslaught that could propulsion the Middle East into a wider all-out war.

It comes as...

• Israel launched airstrikes in Beirut and expanded no-go zone
•  Sinwar’s ‘right manus man’ was killed successful bunker blitz successful Gaza
•  Brits fleeing Lebanon successful superyachts to Aiya Napa for £2,500
•  Iran could have nuclear missiles successful six months, expert warns
•  Iran’s rocket blitz ‘killed much of its ain soldiers than Israelis'
•  Vid shows guards connected Brit vessel firing at Houthi drone boat
•  Eight IDF soldiers died in Hezbollah ambush successful Lebanon
•  Israel plans revenge on Iran from concealed upland bunker

Benjamin Netanyahu has promised Iran would wage for that rocket attack, portion Tehran said immoderate retaliation would beryllium met with immense destruction.

The Israeli PM is expected to talk to US President Joe Biden to sermon immoderate plans Israel whitethorn person to onslaught backmost astatine Iran.

Experts speculate that Israel could take to onslaught either IRGC subject locations and Iranian lipid fields - which could cripple Iran's sanction-hit system - oregon people Iran's concealed atomic bases.

The second could spot the determination struggle crook into a devastating warfare with wide casualties and demolition connected some sides.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah's acting person issued a chilling informing to Israel from wrong a hidden bunker - vowing to furiously combat on.

Naim Qassem, 71, gave a television address from wrong war-torn Lebanon as the biggest-ever rocket blitz from the panic radical rained down connected an Israeli city.

The stand-in brag Qassem defiantly said the panic radical is inactive intact contempt Israel dealing “powerful blows” successful caller weeks.

He said: “The party’s enactment and the absorption [Hezbollah] are meticulously organised.

“We person flooded achy blows.

“We are firing hundreds of rockets and dozens of drones. A ample fig of settlements and cities are nether the occurrence of the resistance.

“Our capabilities are good and our fighters are deployed on the beforehand lines.”

The acting main besides said determination are “no vacant posts” successful Hezbollah’s enactment arsenic helium appeared to talk from a concealed underground bunker.