Israeli air strikes hit Beirut, south Lebanon

An Israeli airstrike yesterday destroyed the municipal headquarters in Nabatieh, a major town in south Lebanon, killing the mayor and at least five others as they met to coordinate aid for those suffering from war.

The attack raised fears that Israel's expanding air campaign, designed to crush Iran-backed Hezbollah, could increasingly include public officials and buildings, which so far have been spared.

The Israeli military said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh area and dismantled underground infrastructure. Its navy forces, meanwhile, have struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, in cooperation with troops on the ground, Israel's military said.

• US opposes air assault on Beirut
• Israeli navy strikes Hezbollah infrastructure
• Over a quarter Lebanese under evacuation order

Hours earlier at least one Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs, Reuters witnesses said, after the US said it opposed the scope of Israeli attacks in Lebanon's capital.

Reuters witnesses heard two blasts and saw plumes of smoke emerging from two separate neighbourhoods. It came after Israel issued an evacuation order early yesterday, which mentioned only one building.

Separately, the Israeli military said Hezbollah in Lebanon fired around 50 projectiles targeting sites in Israel early yesterday, without any reports of casualties.

Israeli military evacuation orders now affect more than a quarter of Lebanon, according to the UN refugee agency.  The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said civilian suffering was reaching an unprecedented level after the Israeli strike on Nabatieh.

Lebanon's Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati appeared to cast doubt on diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said yesterday that Israel will not stop fighting a now weakened Hezbollah before it can safely return its citizens to their homes near the Lebanese border and any ceasefire negotiations will be held "under fire".

On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the US had expressed its concerns to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration on the recent strikes.

Israel has also come under scrutiny because of its dealings with the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in south Lebanon.

The strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 2,350 people over the last year and left nearly 11,000 wounded, according to the health ministry, and more than 1.2 million people have been displaced.