The Israeli military attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut, seen as a stronghold of Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, with at least four airstrikes on Thursday, according to a dpa reporter who witnessed them.

Plumes of smoke rose over Beirut, while airstrikes and artillery shelling inflicted heavy damage on buildings in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil.

Israel has carried out airstrikes in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah group targets in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group since the Oct. 7, 2023 start of Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip.