Series of Israeli strikes hit south Beirut: Lebanon state media

Lebanese television showed plumes of smoke rising from several locations in the area

Beirut: Israeli warplanes carried out a series of strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs Friday, Lebanese state media reported, triggering loud explosions that were heard by AFP journalists in the capital.

"Enemy warplanes carried out a series of strikes on the area of Beirut's southern suburbs," the National News Agency said. Lebanese television showed plumes of smoke rising from several locations in the area.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed at the UN Friday to press his country's offensive against Lebanon's Hezbollah, dashing hopes for a 21-day truce proposed by France and the United States this week.

Netanyahu's turn at the UN, during which he repeatedly denounced the global organization as anti-Israel, was met with jeers by some delegates who walked out, but cheers and applause from his backers.

"As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safe," Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly.

Delegates, including from Lebanon, Iran and the Palestinians, exited the room as Netanyahu took the rostrum for his speech.

Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in a deadly exchange of cross-border fire since the Iran-backed group's Palestinian ally, Hamas, attacked Israel on October 7.

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

The UN said Friday that a "catastrophic" intensification of Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah militants had left Lebanon facing its "deadliest period... in a generation."

The Israeli strikes have brought the overall death toll in Lebanon to more than 1,500 people killed in nearly a year of clashes, according to Lebanese authorities.

That toll surpasses the 1,200 mostly civilians killed during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, which also killed around 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.