The strikes on Wednesday on the edges of Beirut sent thick columns of flames shooting up into the night sky one after the other, shortly after an Israeli military spokesman issued evacuation warnings for the neighbourhood.
Another strike came with no warning hitting the nearby office of pro-Iran broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, the station said. It said the office had been empty since the conflict began. Lebanon's health ministry said one person was killed and five others, including a child, were wounded.
A man searches through rubble of a destroyed building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, Lebanon./ (AP PHOTO)
Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement late on Wednesday that it had escalated its attacks on Israel, using "precision missiles" for the first time and launched new types of drones on Israeli targets, without offering further details.
It later said it had targeted an Israeli military factory on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Around the time of Hezbollah's claim, air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and neighbouring cities.
The Israeli military said four projectiles were identified as having been fired from Lebanon, two were intercepted, one fell in an open area and one was identified as having fallen in the area. There was no immediate indication of any defence facility having been hit around Tel Aviv.
The intensifying exchanges of fire come as Washington makes a final major push for peace between Israel and Iran-backed groups Hezbollah and Hamas before the November 5 US presidential election that could alter US policy.
Washington has called on Israel to do more to help Gazans, who have faced almost daily bombardments and the destruction of their homes by Israeli forces.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart that Washington had deep concerns about reports of strikes against the Lebanese armed forces. Austin also urged Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to make sure Israel takes steps to ensure the safety and security of the Lebanese armed forces and the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the Pentagon said.
Blinken, who has travelled to the Middle East regularly during the war, is making his first trip since Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, its most-wanted enemy, whose death Washington hopes can provide an impetus for peace.
Israel has achieved important strategic objectives to ensure that October 7th can never happen again. Now is the time to end the war, get the hostages home, and chart a new path forward that enables the Palestinian people to rebuild their lives. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) pic.twitter.com/ZS1VPmjb44October 23, 2024
But the conflict appeared to be spreading, with new strikes around midday on Wednesday on Tyre, a UNESCO-listed port city in south Lebanon, which also came after Israeli evacuation orders.
Tens of thousands of people have already fled Tyre as Israel steps up its campaign to destroy Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, both close allies of its arch Middle East enemy Iran.
The port is typically bustling - with fishermen, tourists and even UN peacekeepers on a break from deployments. Israel's evacuation orders this week have for the first time encompassed swathes of Tyre, right up to its ancient castle.
The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah command and control centres there, including its southern front headquarters. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah. Tyre Mayor Hassan Dabouq said the city's historic sites were not hit.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Israeli and Saudi Arabian officials. (AP PHOTO)
In Gaza, where Israel has intensified an assault on the northern edge of the territory since killing the leader of Hamas last week, health authorities and residents reported 42 people killed in fresh Israeli strikes, most in the north.
Washington aims to head off a widening of the conflict in anticipation of Israeli retaliation for an Iranian October 1 missile attack. Blinken said Israel's retaliation should not lead to greater escalation.
Blinken met with Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then travelled to Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Lebanon's government on Wednesday said at least 28 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in the previous 24 hours, raising the total toll since October 2023 to 2574.
