At least eight people were killed early Thursday when an Israeli airstrike hit the seafront area of Beirut, Lebanese authorities said, as the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah fired additional missiles toward Israel.
The Israeli military said separately it had carried out strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs overnight against Hezbollah, which had announced a major new operation against Israel.
In a statement, the Lebanese Health Ministry said "the Israeli enemy strike on Ramlet al-Bayda" in the centre of Beirut killed eight people and wounded 31.
An AFP correspondent at the scene saw a damaged motorcycle and two damaged cars, with the area sealed off by security forces.
Blood stains were on the sidewalk, with a small hole in the ground.
