Israel Intensifies Attacks on Lebanon in Expanding War #

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continued to escalate overnight into early Saturday as part of its expanding war against Hezbollah and allied armed groups. Strikes near Beirut were ongoing Saturday morning, according to Lebanese state media.

Late Friday, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for civilians in an area south of Beirut known as the Dahiya where Hezbollah has influence, signaling further attacks would follow. This came after a massive Israeli strike in the area the previous day targeting a senior Hezbollah figure.

Israel appears to be systematically targeting leaders of Hezbollah and its regional allies deep inside Lebanon. An allied militant group reported one of its commanders was killed early Saturday in an Israeli strike in the Lebanese city of Tripoli in the north.

Concerns are growing about whether the broadening conflict could further draw in Iran, which supports both Hezbollah and its allies. Iran’s supreme leader said Friday that Iran could carry out additional attacks on Israel “if necessary.”

Other key developments:

• Iran’s foreign minister visited Syria on Saturday, following a trip to Beirut the previous day in an apparent diplomatic effort.

• The U.S. President commented on Israel’s potential response options to Iran’s recent attacks.

• Multiple hospitals in southern Lebanon are now out of service due to Israel’s bombardment.

• Israel struck Lebanon’s border crossing with Syria, damaging a key evacuation route.

• The U.S. military conducted strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen to protect shipping lanes.

• Israel has expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon and continues airstrikes across the country.

• Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting in both Israel and Lebanon.

The conflict has rapidly escalated in recent weeks following Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah’s leader and subsequent strikes targeting other senior figures. Both sides continue to exchange fire, with civilian casualties mounting and infrastructure being damaged. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing but the situation remains highly volatile.