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The Israeli military had issued an evacuation notice for the site before the strikes early on Thursday, saying there were Hezbollah facilities there and without giving more details. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Beirut’s airport has not been directly targeted in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, and national air carrier Middle East Airlines has continued to operate commercial flights.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has expanded its month-old ground operation in northern Gaza to a town that has been heavily bombed since the earliest days of the war. The military said in a statement on Thursday that “troops started to operate” in the area of Beit Lahiya after intelligence indicated the presence of militants there. Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in areas where the military already conducted major operations.
The town in the north-western corner of Gaza was among the first targets of the ground invasion launched over a year ago, after Hamas’ attack into southern Israel. The northern third of the territory has been encircled by Israeli forces since then. Israel launched another major offensive in nearby Jabaliya, a decades-old urban refugee camp, in early October.
It has sharply restricted the amount of aid entering northern Gaza and ordered a full evacuation. Tens of thousands have fled to nearby Gaza City in the latest mass displacement of the war. Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a speech aired on Wednesday that the Lebanese militant group is open for ceasefire negotiations only once “the enemy stops its aggression”.
His speech marked the 40-day mourning period since former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in Beirut..
