Israel bombards Beirut after deadliest West Bank strike in decades

Flames rise from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo)

Israel bombarded south Beirut at least 10 times late Thursday, Lebanese sources said, after it launched its deadliest strike on the occupied West Bank in decades.

The escalating assaults by Israel come as it weighs retaliation for Iran's barrage of missiles fired at the country, with the United States saying Israel hitting Iranian oil facilities is on the table.

Iran said the attack was its response to the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, chief of its ally Hezbollah, and other top figures.

There was no let-up to Israeli strikes on Beirut.

The military launched 11 consecutive strikes on Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold late Thursday, a source close to the group told AFP, while the official National News Agency (NNA) put the tally at more than 10.

The Israeli military said it hit "targets belonging to Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut".

Israel's bombing in Lebanon has killed more than 1,000 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry, and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a nation already mired in economic and political crisis.

"We are peaceful civilians in our homes," said Hassan Ammar, 82, who had been staying in a building whose walls were partly blown out by a strike in Beirut after he fled south Lebanon.

Another strike late Thursday targeted a warehouse adjacent to the capital's airport, a source close to Hezbollah said.

Meanwhile, a source within the Palestinian security services told AFP that an air raid on the refugee camp of Tulkarm, killing 18 people, was the deadliest in the occupied West Bank since 2000.

The Israeli military said its strike in...