Israel carries out 'targeted strike' on Lebanese capital Beirut

Israel has carried out what it said is a “targeted strike” on Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday.

The move comes after Hezbollah unleashed an intense barrage of fire across the border following a wave of stunning attacks targeting the group's communication device.

The prospect of an all-out war between US-backed Israel, and the Iran-backed Hezbollah appeared closer than ever, leaving the Middle East on edge as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed revenge and Israel moved ahead with the "new phase" it said the conflict had entered.

The attacks earlier this week saw thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives explode nearly simultaneously across Lebanon, killing at least 37 people, including two children, and injuring close to 3,000. Most of those injured were civilians, Lebanon’s health minister said Friday.

The blasts sowed fear and chaos across the nation, overwhelming hospitals and leaving people fearful of using electronic devices.

They also left a trail to companies in Asia and Europe, with authorities in Taiwan and Bulgaria on Friday playing down links to the complex operation.

The Israeli military said Friday it had “conducted a targeted strike in Beirut,” though the target was not immediately clear.

Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV channel said one person was killed and 14 others were injured, including children, in the strike.

The Lebanese National News Agency also reported that an Israeli warplane launched two missiles, targeting an apartment in the Al-Jamous area in the southern suburb of the capital.

Earlier the IDF had struck southern Lebanon, where its air force hit about 100 Hezbollah launchers and other infrastructure sites late Thursday it said were set to be fired at Israeli territory — one of the heaviest barrages on the area since the two sides began exchanging regular fire in the wake of the Hamas-led terror attacks and Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah said it responded by bombing an air defenced base and military barracks in northern Israel early Friday. The IDF said approximately 140 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with some successfully intercepted.

“Make no mistake: those who harm the people of Israel will pay the price,” Israel’s foreign ministry said on X, confirming “intensive Hezbollah rocket fire from Lebanon” toward northern Israel.

It came a day after the Hezbollah leader delivered his much-anticipated response to the device attacks.

“There is no doubt that we have been exposed to a major and severe security and humanitarian blow,” Nasrallah said in a televised address on Thursday.

He accused Israel of an act of war against Lebanon, but stopped short of specifying how or when his group would retaliate.

“The enemy has crossed all red lines and all laws in this attack,” Nasrallah said, as Israeli warplanes flew above the Lebanese capital, Beirut, creating a deafening sonic boom.