Israeli strike on Beirut seafront kills eight

BEIRUT:

An Israeli strike on central Beirut's seafront killed eight people early on Thursday, Lebanon's health ministry said, another attack in the heart of the capital, as Iran-backed Hezbollah launched more missiles at Israel.

The Israeli military said separately it had carried out strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs overnight against Hezbollah, which had announced a major new operation against Israel.

In a statement, the Lebanese health ministry said "the Israeli enemy strike on Ramlet al-Bayda" in the centre of Beirut killed eight people and wounded 31. An AFP correspondent at the scene saw a damaged motorcycle and two damaged cars, with the area sealed off by security forces. Blood stains were on the sidewalk, with a small hole in the ground. "We saw dead people on the ground," said Aseel Habbaj, a displaced woman who had been sheltering in a nearby tent after fleeing Israeli bombings in other areas of Lebanon.