Middle East updates: IDF conducts overnight Lebanon strikes

The British government has urged citizens to leave Lebanon immediately amid a sharp increase in hostilities.

"British nationals in Lebanon should leave now. You should take the next available flight. We are working to increase capacity and secure seats for British nationals to leave," The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. 

The FCDO advised nationals to register their presence on the department’s website in order to stay up to date with any developments.

The move comes after UK Defence Secretary John Healey warned that air strikes and rocket fire exchanged between Israel and Hezbollah present a "risk that this escalates into something that is much wider and much more serious."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had killed the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon.

In a post on X, the IDF said that warplanes had killed Muhammad Ali Ismail along with his deputy Hossein Ahmed Ismail.

The IDF said that other Hezbollah commanders and members of the group "were eliminated."

The IDF said Muhammad Ali Ismail had been responsible for launching rockets toward Israel and had also launched surface-to-surface missiles targeting the central part of the country last Wednesday.

Hezbollah has not yet confirmed or denied Israel's announcement about the commanders.

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has denied that any weapons or arms depots were located in the "residential buildings" targeted by Israel earlier on the same day.

Israel conducted back-to-back airstrikes on the densely populated neighborhood of Dahiyeh in the south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. 

Announcing a new wave of airstrikes in the early hours of Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) repeated earlier claims that Hezbollah was storing weapons under residential buildings in the neighborhood.

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported 11 fresh Israeli strikes so far.

Israel's military continued waves of air strikes which it said were aimed atHezbollah targets in Lebanon throughout Friday night and into early Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was striking Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut, in particular the densely populated suburb of Dahiyeh.

The strikes on the area come after Israel told residents to evacuate as they struck missile launchers and weapons storage sites the IDF claimed was situated beneath civilian housing.

Friday saw Israel target the headquarters of Hezbollah in a large strike, which reportedly targeted the militant group's leader Hassan Nasrallah. There is currently no confirmation as to the fate of Nasrallah.

Lebanese authorities said that at least six people have been killed and 91 injured in the strike, adding that the toll was not final.

Overnight, the IDF said it had killed the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, whom it held responsible for launching rockets toward Israel. His deputy was also killed, the IDF added.

Hezbollah has not yet confirmed or denied Israel's announcement about the commanders.

The attacks mark a sharp escalation in nearly a year of conflict. Hezbollah has been launching missiles at Israel since the Hamas-led terror attack on October 7th last year, saying it supports Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has rejected international calls for 21-day cease-fire, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to continue hitting Hezbollah during an address before the United Nations.

kb/rmt  (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)