Intense Israeli strikes rock Beirut, Gaza ahead of war anniversary

A huge fireball lit up the sky and plumes of smoke rose over Beirut on Sunday as Israel unleashed intense air strikes targeting the city's southern suburbs, nearly a year since the Gaza war erupted.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the international community to put pressure on Israel for a ceasefire as another strike hit the capital's southern suburbs.

After a devastating year-long conflict in Gaza, Israel has now turned its focus northwards to Hezbollah, Hamas's ally in Lebanon.

Lebanon's official National News Agency said south Beirut was hit by more than 30 strikes, heard across the city. A petrol station and a medical supplies warehouse were hit.

"The strikes were like an earthquake," said shopkeeper Mehdi Zeiter, 60.

Israel's military claimed it struck weapons storage facilities and infrastructure while taking measures "to mitigate the risk of harming civilians".

AFPTV footage showed a massive fireball over a residential area, followed by a loud bang and secondary explosions. Smoke still billowed from the site after dawn.

In the Sabra area, near the southern suburbs, dozens of people, some carrying bags on foot and others on motorbikes, fled one of the most intense bombardments of Israel's aggression on Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli forces with artillery after they tried to infiltrate towards Khallat Shuaib in Blida, in southern Lebanon.

A statement said fighters fired rockets at Israeli troops during the evacuation of "dead and wounded soldiers" in the Menara border area after midnight.

Hezbollah also said it launched assault drones against an Israeli military base.

'Never-ending nightmare'

Ahead of Monday's grim anniversary, Israel's war in Gaza continues despite the focus shifting to Lebanon.

On Sunday the military said it had encircled the Jabalia area of northern Gaza after indications Hamas was rebuilding despite nearly a year of fighting.

The army said it had killed about 440 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon "from the ground and from the air" since Monday, when troops began "targeted" ground operations against Hezbollah.

UN's refugee agency head Filippo Grandi said Lebanon "faces a terrible crisis" and warned "hundreds of thousands of people are left destitute or displaced by Israeli air strikes".

Israeli bombardment has put at least four hospitals in Lebanon out of service, the facilities said.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said it rejected a request by Israel's military to "relocate some of our positions" in south Lebanon.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in Damascus Saturday after visiting Beirut, renewed his call for ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon, and threatened Israel with an "even stronger" reaction to any attack on Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron said it was time "that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza" and criticised Israel's decision to send ground troops into Lebanon.

US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators tried unsuccessfully for months to reach a Gaza ceasefire, which would include the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and end to the war and the return of the remaining captives held in Gaza.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Sunday an Israeli strike on a mosque-turned-shelter in central Deir al-Balah killed 26 people. 

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,825 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory's health ministry and described as reliable by the UN.

Ahead of the October 7 anniversary, thousands joined pro-Palestinian rallies in London, Paris, Cape Town and other cities.