Israel bombs Beirut: LIVE UPDATES

Iran has condemned Israeli strikes on the densely-populated southern suburbs of Beirut, warning of a “dangerous escalation.”

“This reprehensible crime... represents a dangerous escalation that changes the rules of the game,” the Iranian embassy in Beirut said in a post on X, adding that Israel “will receive the appropriate punishment.”

Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign ministry condemned it as a “brutal terrorist airstrike on several residential buildings in Beirut.”

Israeli jets have launched another round of strikes in the Lebanese capital, targeting residential buildings allegedly used as weapons production and storage facilities, and as key command centers. “Following precise IDF intelligence, the IAF is currently conducting strikes on strategic terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the area of Beirut,” the IDF has claimed.

The Israeli military claims to have “eliminated” the alleged commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, Muhammad Ali Ismail, and his deputy, Hossein Ahmed Ismail.

“The IAF struck and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Ali Ismail, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, the terrorist Hussein Ahmad Ismail,” the IDF said in a statement, further claiming that “additional Hezbollah commanders and operatives were eliminated alongside them.”

The United States had “no knowledge of or participation in” Israeli strikes on Beirut, President Joe Biden has said. “We’re gathering more information. I’ll have more to say when we have more information,” Biden told journalists after he arrived in Delaware for the weekend.

Israel has launched a series of “targeted strikes on weapons belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization” in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut, the IDF has announced.

The death toll from Israel’s bombing of southern Beirut has risen to six, with 91 others wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. However, the number of casualties is expected to increase, as the strike destroyed six residential buildings, burying many people under the rubble.

The IDF has conducted another round of strikes against alleged “terror targets” in southern Lebanon.

“Over the past hour, IAF fighter jets struck dozens of Hezbollah launchers aimed toward Israeli civilians, as well as buildings in which weapons were stored,” it said in a statement.

READ MORE: Israeli strike targets Hezbollah chief – media

The leader of the Shia Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, is alive following a “massive” airstrike on the group’s central headquarters earlier in the day, Reuters reported, citing a source close to the movement. Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported that Nasrallah was safe.

Axios reported on Friday, citing an Israeli source, that Nasrallah was the target of the operation and that the Israeli military was checking whether he had been affected by the strike. West Jerusalem did not officially confirm this information. Israeli media maintain that the Hezbollah leader was likely killed in the strike.

The IDF has ordered civilians in Beirut to flee the Dahieh neighborhood, warning them of imminent strikes.

“In the last hour, we have contacted the residents of the three buildings in the Dahieh – these residents are above and near Hezbollah’s strategic assets and must evacuate immediately for their safety and security,” spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.