Israel continued to strike the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital Beirut on Wednesday, as massive airstrikes targeted various areas.
Loud blasts echoed throughout the capital Beirut and Mount Lebanon and black smoke covered the targeted areas.
Some eight powerful airstrikes were documented by a dpa reporter from an area that overlooks Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee had warned residents to evacuate the southern suburbs of Burj al-Barajneh, Laylaki and Haret Hreik in a post on X.
His warning coincided with a recorded televised speech given by Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem during which he vowed to continue confronting the Israeli "aggression on Lebanon."
Qassem was speaking to mark 40 days since his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike.
"We have weapons that will last us for a long time,” Qassem said. "The days will come when rockets will rain down on Israel.” He stressed that they will not accept defeat.
Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanon's Baalbeck-Hermel governor, Bashir Khodr, said Israeli warplanes launched 20 air strikes on eastern Lebanon, particularly on the ancient city of Baalbeck.
He added that one shell fell in a parking lot near the Roman ruins in Baalbeck city. It was not immediately clear whether the ruins were damaged.
Israel's army had issued evacuation warnings for Nabatiyeh but not for eastern Lebanon.
Lebanon's Civil Defense service said they have pulled 30 bodies from the rubble of an apartment building that Israel struck the night before. Search efforts were ongoing Wednesday, and it was unclear how many survivors or bodies were still trapped under the rubble.
The airstrike Tuesday night came without warning. There was no statement from the Israeli military on the strike, and it was not immediately clear what the intended target was.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a surprise announcement that sparked protests across the country. Gallant's replacement is Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister.
Since 2023, Israeli attacks killed at least 3,000 people in Lebanon and injured some 13,500 others, the Health Ministry reported. A report by Lebanon's crisis response unit said 361,300 Syrians and over 177,800 Lebanese crossed into Syria between Sept. 23 and Nov. 1.
