Hezbollah claims attacks on Tel Aviv, Haifa as Israel ramps up Lebanon strikes

Lebanon's Hezbollah group claimed Tuesday it targeted two positions in Tel Aviv's suburbs, including an intelligence base, and a naval base near Haifa, as Israel intensified its offensive in Lebanon.

The Iran-backed group said it fired rockets at the "Glilot base of the 8200 military intelligence unit" and another position in Tel Aviv's suburbs. Shortly after, Hezbollah reported launching rockets at the "Stella Maris naval base northwest of Haifa."

The attacks came after Israel said Monday it struck around 300 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over 24 hours, ramping up its offensive to hit the group's finances, as the United States called for the war to end "as soon as possible."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to begin a tour of the Middle East in Israel on Tuesday in a new push for an elusive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after more than a year of war there and to contain the regional escalation.

In Lebanon, the health ministry said four people were killed and 24 wounded Monday evening in Israeli strikes near the country's largest public hospital, in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut.

It earlier reported six people killed in the eastern city of Baalbek and said four rescuers linked to Hezbollah had died in the south in Israeli raids over 24 hours.

Israel's military said an underground vault with tens of millions of dollars in cash and gold was among nearly 30 targets belonging to Hezbollah-linked financial firm Al-Qard al-Hassan hit since Sunday night.

The money in the vault was "being used to finance Hezbollah's attacks on Israel", Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

Another bunker, yet to be targeted, was estimated to hold "at least half a billion dollars in dollar...