An Israeli strike targeting a high-ranking Hezbollah leader in Beirut killed at least three people and wounded 25, the Hezbollah-affiliated TV channel Al-Mayadeen reported.
The attack hit an apartment in the southern neighbourhood of Haret Hreik, a Hezbollah stronghold, and was the first Israeli strike in the greater Beirut area in months.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said the blast caused significant damage to nearby buildings and vehicles.
Images from the scene showed a gaping hole in the side of a multi-storey residential building and debris scattered on the street below.
In September last year, an Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Haret Hreik.
Israeli media reported that Sunday’s strike was aimed at Haytham Ali Tabatabai, who is described as Hezbollah’s second-in-command. The United States has offered a reward for his capture since 2018.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the military had “attacked the Hezbollah chief-of-staff, who had been leading the terrorist organization’s buildup and rearmament.”
It was not clear if Tabatabai was among those killed.
Hezbollah has not issued an official comment on the attack, which marks a major escalation after months of smouldering conflict in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu ordered the strike on the recommendation of Defence Minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir, his office said.
Israel and the Iran-backed militia agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024 after more than a year of intense cross-border fire. But Israeli forces have continued to regularly carry out strikes, chiefly in southern Lebanon, as both sides accuse each other of violating the truce.