Israel Defense Force conducts overnight Lebanon strikes

Israel continues air strikes on southern Beirut in overnight strikes

Israel's military continued waves of air strikes which it said were aimed at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon throughout Friday night and into early Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was striking Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut, in particular the densely populated suburb of Dahiyeh.The strikes on the area come after Israel told residents to evacuate as they struck missile launchers and weapons storage sites the IDF claimed was situated beneath civilian housing.

Friday saw Israel target the headquarters of Hezbollah in a large strike, which reportedly targeted the militant group's leader Hassan Nasrallah. There is currently no confirmation as to the fate of Nasrallah.Lebanese authorities said that at least six people have been killed and 91 injured in the strike, adding that the toll was not final.

Overnight, the IDF said it had killed the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, whom it held responsible for launching rockets toward Israel. His deputy was also killed, the IDF added.

Hezbollah has not yet confirmed or denied Israel's announcement about the commanders.The attacks mark a sharp escalation in nearly a year of conflict. Hezbollah has been launching missiles at Israel since the Hamas-led terror attack on October 7th last year, saying it supports Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has rejected international calls for 21-day cease-fire, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to continue hitting Hezbollah during an address before the United Nations.(Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)<>