Israel strikes Beirut buildings after reportedly targeting Hezbollah leader

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of Friday’s strikes on Beirut, according to US media including the BBC’s partner CBS, citing a US official.

Israel’s military said it carried out a “very accurate” strike on Hezbollah headquarters earlier but it has not stated whether Nasrallah was the target.

It has not been confirmed if he was in the buildings when they were struck. Fresh strikes are under way in southern Beirut, with a BBC correspondent hearing at least seven loud explosions and seeing smoke filling the skyline.

Israel says it is conducting “targeted strikes” on buildings which it claims store weapons belonging to Hezbollah. Lebanese officials say six people have been killed and 91 injured in an earlier air strike, with local officials saying that nearly 800 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Monday.