Middle East latest: Major airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs as Israel expands operations in northern Gaza

Several large airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut early Thursday, including one in an area adjacent to Lebanon’s only international airport. The Israeli military issued an evacuation notice from the site, saying that Hezbollah facilities were located there, without giving further details.

Also on Thursday, the Israeli military announced it had expanded its month-long ground operation in northern Gaza to include part of Beit Lahia, a city that has been heavily bombarded since the early days of the war, where Israel says Hamas militants have regrouped.

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a speech broadcast on Wednesday that the Lebanese militant group was open to ceasefire talks only when “the enemy stops its aggression.” His speech marked 40 days of mourning following the assassination of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

Hezbollah began shelling Israel on October 8, 2023 in solidarity with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the conflict in Lebanon, more than 3,000 people have died and about 13,600 have been injured.

The war between Israel and Hamas began after Palestinian militants invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others. Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half of the dead were women and children.

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Here are the latest:

Israel is expanding its ground operation in northern Gaza

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has expanded its month-long ground operation in northern Gaza into the city, which has been under intense bombardment since the early days of the war.

On Thursday, the military said “troops began to operate” in the Beit Lahiya area after intelligence indicated the presence of militants there. Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in areas where the military has already conducted major operations.

The city in the northwestern corner of Gaza was one of the first targets of the ground invasion launched more than a year ago, after Hamas attacked southern Israel. Since then, the northern third of the territory has been surrounded by Israeli troops.

In early October, Israel launched another major offensive in nearby Jabalia, an urban refugee camp that has existed for decades. He sharply limited the amount of aid coming to northern Gaza and ordered a complete evacuation. Tens of thousands fled to neighboring Gaza City in the latest mass displacement of the war.

Airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut, including one of the airports

BEIRUT — Several large airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut early Thursday, including one in an area adjacent to Lebanon’s only international airport.

Earlier, the Israeli military issued a notice of evacuation from the site, saying that Hezbollah facilities were located there, without giving further details.

There were no reports of casualties.

Beirut airport did not become a direct target of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, and the national carrier Middle East Airlines continued to operate commercial flights.