Israel says senior Hezbollah officials killed as strikes continue on Beirut

Israeli fighter jets bombarded the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital Beirut overnight into Saturday, sending panicked families fleeing massive strikes reportedly targeting Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel said it was attacking Hezbollah's headquarters, while Israeli television networks reported that Nasrallah was the target, although a source close to the group said he was "fine".

The explosions that shook southern Beirut were the fiercest to hit the Iran-backed movement's stronghold since Israel and Hezbollah went to war in 2006.

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After huge raids sounded across the Mediterranean city on Friday, Israel issued fresh warnings for people to leave the densely populated Dahiyeh suburbs early Saturday.

The Israeli army declined to comment on Nasrallah but claimed early Saturday that its air strikes killed "Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy" as well as "other senior officials".

The Israeli military said it also killed Ibrahim Muhammad Kabisi and "other senior officials in Hezbollah's missile and rocket array".

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

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said: "We are still checking the results of the attack on Hezbollah's central headquarters, which is located under civilian buildings in the heart of the Da'aheh neighborhood, in an underground space. We will update as soon as we know. We know that our attack was very accurate."

Forced from their homes, hundreds of families sought shelter in downtown Beirut's Martyrs' Square or along the seaside boardwalk area.

Netanyahu speech at the UN

Hours earlier at the UN General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah until the country's border with Lebanon was secured.

"Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safe," he said.

Since Monday, Israel has shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing has killed more than 700 people and sparked an exodus of around 118,000 people.

A source close to Hezbollah said the initial wave of strikes had levelled six buildings, and, according to a preliminary toll, six people were killed and 91 wounded.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11, television network Channel 12 and the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper all reported the heavy overnight bombardment was targetting Hezbollah leader Nasrallah.

In Beirut's Haret Hreik neighbourhood, strikes left craters up to five metres (16 feet) wide, an AFP photographer said, adding that ambulances were coming from all sides while fires burned.

After the initial wave of strikes on Beirut, Hezbollah said it fired more rockets into Israel "in defence of Lebanon and its people". There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Israeli military warned civilians in parts of Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold to evacuate the area before conducting its second bombing.

Israel's army said the second wave of strikes had targeted Hezbollah targets in the Tyre area of southern Lebanon.

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