Portugal Colonial - Lebanon says Israeli strikes hit hotel, residential building

Lebanese state media said the Israeli attacks targeted a building in Baalbek, in Lebanon's east far from the border, as well as a hotel in an area of Beirut so far spared from the violence.

In Aramoun and Saadiyat south of Beirut -- two towns outside the traditional strongholds of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah -- the health ministry said Israeli strikes killed six people and wounded eight others. It cautioned that this was a "preliminary toll".

The NNA said the strike on Aramoun hit a residential building. An AFP correspondent in the area saw rescuers getting people out.

It was not immediately clear what was targeted in these towns or in Baalbek, where Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said five people were killed in a residential complex.

It added that 15 people were wounded and three more were still missing.

Responding to the attack, Baalbek's mayor said only civilians lived at the complex that hosts the building.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which earlier announced "broad-scale strikes" against Hezbollah in Lebanon's south.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said among those killed in Lebanon were three paramedics, while another six people were wounded while recovering people who had been hurt by explosions.

Air raid sirens meanwhile sounded in parts of Israel's north along the border.

"Several projectiles that crossed from Lebanon... were intercepted," an Israeli military statement said, reporting no casualties.

Alerts were earlier activated in the border town of Metula, where Hezbollah said its fighters had targeted troops "with a missile salvo".

Hezbollah also said it had targeted northern Israel's Haifa naval base on Tuesday in response to the ongoing Israeli strikes, which began after an initial attack by Hezbollah in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes on Saturday.

Early Wednesday, the Israeli military called on people to leave 16 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, in an "urgent warning" before using force against Hezbollah militants.

It later called on residents in a further 13 villages in Lebanon's south to evacuate.

Israel has carried out successive air raids on the south of the country as well as some suburbs of the capital Beirut where Hezbollah holds sway.

But according to the NNA, some of the attacks on Wednesday hit areas outside of Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

The NNA said that "an Israeli air strike targeted a hotel in Hazmieh", in the first reported attack on the predominantly Christian area in Beirut's suburbs.

"Ambulances were dispatched to the scene," the report said.

An AFP correspondent in Hazmieh saw people stumble out of the hotel as rescuers rushed to check the scene.

Israeli strikes since Monday have killed at least 50 people in Lebanon, according to the health ministry.

- 'Aggression' -

Israel announced Tuesday morning it had begun a new round of "simultaneous strikes in Tehran and Beirut".

In an evening statement, it said it had hit "approximately 60" targets "belonging to the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organisations" as well as additional "broad-scale strikes" targeting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it targeted the Haifa naval base with "a barrage of high-quality missiles" at 8:00 pm local time (1800 GMT).

The Israeli military said shortly after 8:00 pm that several incoming projectiles were detected, and most were shot down.

Seeking to avoid being drawn into the regional war, the Lebanese government declared a ban on Hezbollah's military activities on Monday.

Israel said it had deployed troops to several locations in southern Lebanon in what it described as a "forward defence" measure along the border.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against Israel on Tuesday, saying it targeted at least five Israeli tanks, three of them in Lebanese territory.

These attacks came "in response to the criminal Israeli aggression on dozens of Lebanese cities and towns", Hezbollah said.

Lebanese authorities on Monday recorded the displacement of more than 58,000 people from areas targeted by strikes.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV broadcaster said its Beirut headquarters had been targeted.

A ceasefire agreement in November 2024 sought to end more than a year of war between Israel and Hezbollah, including an Israeli ground offensive.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has conducted regular air strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, citing Hezbollah's refusal to disarm.

J.V.Jacinto--PC