The Israeli military said it targeted positions in the Lebanese capital following overnight operations that included the destruction of a bridge linking Sohmor and Mashghara over the Litani River, a route it said was used to transfer reinforcements.

An AFP journalist reported hearing two explosions in Beirut early Saturday, with smoke seen rising from one of the strike locations. Local media said Israeli warplanes hit areas in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold that has been repeatedly targeted in recent days.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed the bridge strike, while local reports indicated a second crossing was also hit. Israeli forces have previously targeted multiple bridges along the Litani River, an area roughly 30 km north of the Israeli border where Israel has signaled it seeks to maintain security control.

The escalation follows Hezbollah’s entry into the broader regional conflict on March 2, when the group launched rockets at Israel after a U.S.-Israeli strike killed Iran’s supreme leader.Lebanon’s health ministry said two people were killed and 15 wounded in Sohmor after an Israeli strike hit as worshippers were leaving a mosque following Friday prayers.

Separately, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon reported that three peacekeepers were wounded in an explosion at one of its positions in southern Lebanon, the third such incident in recent days. The origin of the blast remains unclear, with Israel accusing Hezbollah of launching a rocket that struck the site.

According to Lebanese authorities, more than 1,300 people have been killed since the latest round of hostilities began. Israel’s military says it has struck over 3,500 targets across Lebanon in the past month, while Hezbollah reports carrying out more than 1,300 operations against Israeli positions.

Residents in Beirut’s southern suburbs continued daily life amid the strikes, with religious observances taking place despite the ongoing bombardment.

The conflict has also taken a toll on UN peacekeeping forces, with multiple fatalities reported in recent days. The United Nations says 97 personnel have been killed in violence since the mission was established in 1978.

The Israeli military said it had begun a “wave of strikes” on positions in the capital’s southern districts, including areas such as Tahouitet Al-Ghadir, following evacuation warnings issued to residents earlier in the day.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported multiple strikes across south Beirut, as well as in southern and eastern regions of the country. The health ministry said an attack on the town of Saksakiyeh in the Sidon district killed six people, including three children, and wounded 17 others.

In the Bekaa region, authorities said a strike killed a pregnant woman and injured seven people. Lebanese officials estimate that more than 1,100 people have been killed since the escalation began, with over one million displaced, including around 136,000 sheltering in collective facilities.

Hezbollah said its fighters had engaged Israeli troops “at point-blank range” in the villages of Bayada and Shamaa, near the border, and claimed additional attacks on Israeli targets.

It also said it had fired a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli warplane over Beirut. The claims could not be independently verified.The Israeli military said its forces had uncovered weapons, including anti-tank missiles, in a school in Khiam, a strategic border town that has seen repeated fighting.

Israeli troops are advancing into multiple towns in southern Lebanon as part of efforts to establish a buffer zone extending to the Litani River, aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces away from the frontier and securing northern Israeli communities.

Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said Hezbollah continued to operate from southern Lebanon despite earlier commitments by the Lebanese government, adding that Israeli forces would act to neutralize the group if it was not disarmed.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that Lebanon faces a worsening humanitarian crisis, with representative Karolina Lindholm Billing saying the risk of catastrophe was “real.”International Committee of the Red Cross regional director Nicolas Von Arx said civilians were bearing the brunt of the conflict and urged all parties to ensure their protection.

The escalation follows Hezbollah’s entry into the conflict on March 2, when it fired rockets toward Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, triggering a broader regional confrontation.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces had destroyed five bridges over the Litani River that were allegedly used by Hezbollah for moving fighters and weapons, adding that the military would control remaining crossings and maintain a security zone up to the river.

Katz also said displaced residents from southern Lebanon would not be allowed to return until security conditions improve for communities in northern Israel.

The announcement came as Lebanese authorities reported Israeli air strikes near Beirut and across the country. The health ministry said at least two people were killed and five wounded in a strike outside the capital.

Witnesses described heavy damage to residential buildings in Bshamoun, southeast of Beirut, with civilians reporting widespread destruction to homes and property.

Overnight strikes targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, following Israeli evacuation warnings. An AFP photographer reported extensive damage in the Haret Hreik area, with debris and rubble covering streets.

Lebanon’s state news agency said Israeli strikes also hit southern regions and the Hermel area near the Syrian border, including fuel infrastructure linked by Israel to Hezbollah financing.

It reported that Israeli forces carried out a ground incursion into the southern border town of Halta, where one person was killed, another wounded, and a resident allegedly detained before troops withdrew.

Separately, Israeli shelling was reported near Qawzah, while a bridge connecting southern Lebanon to the Bekaa Valley was destroyed for a second time in two days.

Hezbollah said it had launched multiple attacks on Israeli forces and positions, including strikes targeting troops in southern Lebanon and sites in northern Israel.The latest escalation follows Hezbollah’s entry into the conflict earlier this month, when it began firing rockets into Israel.

Since then, Israeli operations across Lebanon have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced over a million, according to Lebanese authorities.

The conflict continues to widen geographically, with sustained air strikes, ground operations, and retaliatory attacks raising concerns of a prolonged regional confrontation.