Israel expands Lebanon bombardment as thousands flee

Israel has expanded its bombardment in Lebanon, hitting Beirut's southern suburbs with a dozen airstrikes and striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.

Thousands of people in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to flee the widening conflict in the region while rallies were held around the world marking the approaching anniversary of the start of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's attack on the Beddawi camp near Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli killed an official with Hamas' military wing along with his wife and two young daughters, the Palestinian militant group said.

Hamas later said another military wing member was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.

Israel's military said it killed two senior officials with Hamas' military wing in Lebanon, where fighting has escalated in recent weeks.

Israel has killed several Hamas members there since the Israel-Hamas war began, in addition to most of the top leadership of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

At least 1400 Lebanese, also including civilians and paramedics, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from homes in less than two weeks.

Plumes of smoke dominated the skyline over Beirut's densely populated southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah commanders and military equipment and aims to drive the militant group away from shared borders.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamas' October 7 attack, calling it a show of support for the Palestinians.

Hezbollah and Israel's military have traded fire almost daily.

Last week, Israel launched what it called a limited ground operation into southern Lebanon after a series of attacks killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others.

Nine Israeli soldiers have been killed in the ground clashes that Israel says have killed 250 Hezbollah fighters.

The fighting is the worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a brief war in 2006.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Damascus that "we are trying to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon".

The minister did not name the countries putting forward initiatives, saying they include regional states and some outside the Middle East.

Araghchi spoke a day after the supreme leader of Iran praised its recent missile strikes on Israel and said it was ready to do it again if necessary.

Israel's military on Saturday said about 90 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

Most were intercepted but several fell in the northern Arab town of Deir al-Asad, where police said three people were lightly injured.

At least six people in Lebanon were killed in more than a dozen Israeli air strikes overnight and into Saturday, according to the Lebanese state-run National News Agency.

Nearly 375,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria in less than two weeks, according to a Lebanese government committee.

Associated Press journalists saw hundreds continuing to cross the Masnaa Border Crossing on foot, crunching over the rubble after Israeli air strikes left huge craters in the road leading to it on Thursday.

Much of Hezbollah's weaponry is believed to come from Iran through Syria.

The Israeli military said special forces were carrying out ground raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, destroying missiles, launchpads and weapons storage facilities.

It said troops dismantled tunnel shafts that Hezbollah used to approach the Israeli border.