Watch: Israel hits Beirut airport in strikes targeting Hezbollah sites

Israel hit Beirut’s airport in airstrikes targeting the Lebanon capital's Southern suburbs, early Thursday, prompting evacuations of four neighborhoods.

The strikes targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah’s stronghold, with publicly available footages showing bursts of orange light and plumes of smoke over densely populated districts, as per AFP reports.


Previously, Israeli military representative Avichay Adraee had issued evacuation notices for inhabitants of four south Beirut districts, sharing maps on social media that encompassed an area adjacent to the Beirut airport. On Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported nine Israeli strikes on south Beirut, targeting what Israeli forces identified as Hezbollah facilities, including operational headquarters and weapons storage facilities.

Meanwhile, in eastern Lebanon, Israeli attacks killed at least 40 people, according to the health ministry, as rescuers searched the rubble for survivors.

The Israeli assault followed a call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president-elect Donald Trump, in which they discussed the "Iranian threat" and pledged cooperation on Israel’s security. The Israeli premier, who was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump, praised his victory as "history's greatest comeback." Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, warned that "nowhere in Israel" was safe from their forces and disclosed their possession of Iran-made missiles capable of reaching deep into Israel.

Amid the ongoing conflict with Israel Hezbollah also targetted Israeli sites with missiles. The Lebanese militant group announced on Wednesday announced its launch of missiles targeting a military installation in proximity to Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's primary international air terminal.

Israeli news outlets confirmed on Wednesday the impact of a projectile. However, airport authorities indicated that operations continued without disruption, maintaining normal service schedules.