BEIRUT: Israel expanded its air strikes in Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting the area around the presidential palace near Beirut and other areas south of the capital as well as strongholds of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, killing at least 11 people. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on Monday when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes over the weekend.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon kill 31 following Hezbollah's attack, escalating the ongoing Mideast conflict amid U.S. warnings.

Lebanon's health ministry says 31 people were killed by Israeli strikes, while there are no reports of casualties in Israel.