Israel鈥檚 military said on Sunday its air strike on Beirut that killed Hassan Nasrallah also 鈥榚liminated鈥� another 20 Hezbollah members, as its forces kept pounding Lebanon.
It said 鈥榤ore than 20 other terrorists of varying ranks鈥� were present when Friday鈥檚 air strike killed Nasrallah, an attack that dealt the Iran-backed armed group a seismic blow.
Israel also said Nabil Qaouq, a member of Hezbollah鈥檚 central council, was killed in a strike on Saturday, adding that jets continued to hit 鈥榙ozens鈥� of targets around Lebanon.
In one attack which Israel called a 鈥榩recise strike鈥� in Hezbollah鈥檚 southern Beirut bastion, a witness said a rocket hit a building which collapsed instantly.
A source close to Hezbollah said the target had been Abu Ali Rida, a commander of one of the group鈥檚 sectors in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah later said Rida was 鈥榝ine鈥�.
Israeli air strikes have decimated Hezbollah鈥檚 senior command structure, with Nasrallah鈥檚 right-hand man Fuad Shukr, head of the elite Radwan Force Ibrahim Aqil and others among the dead.
A Hezbollah statement on Sunday confirmed that the group鈥檚 top commander in south Lebanon, Ali Karake, had also been killed on Friday.
The past week鈥檚 waves of strikes targeting Hezbollah have intensified fears in Lebanon and the wider region of more violence to come.
Hezbollah launched low-intensity cross-border strikes on Israeli troops after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel last October 7, sparking war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Nearly a year later, Israel announced a shift in its focus to battling Hezbollah on its northern front.
Hezbollah, a powerful political, military and social force in Lebanon, confirmed Nasrallah鈥檚 killing in the massive strike on the group鈥檚 main bastion in south Beirut.
鈥榃e all started crying,鈥� Maha Karit said in the Lebanese capital after Nasrallah鈥檚 death.
With Lebanon already mired in political and economic crisis, the escalation has pushed it to the brink.
Israeli bombardment has killed more than 700 people in a week, including 14 paramedics over a two-day period, according to Lebanon鈥檚 health ministry. Most of the deaths came last Monday, the deadliest day of violence since Lebanon鈥檚 1975-90 civil war.
Israel鈥檚 military said Sunday its aircraft had hit 鈥榙ozens of Hezbollah terror targets鈥� after 鈥榟undreds鈥� of strikes on Friday and Saturday.
AFPTV live images showed grey smoke rising beyond palm trees in the coastal city of Tyre, and more smoke further away across a bay.
It said Qaouq was 鈥榚liminated鈥� in south Beirut on Saturday. Hezbollah has yet to officially announce his death, but a source close to the group said he had been killed.
Hezbollah said it had again fired rockets on the northern Israeli town of Safed.
Lebanon鈥檚 National News Agency reported a series of raids in and around the city of Baalbek in Lebanon鈥檚 east.
At least six people were killed in a strike on a house in the northeastern Hermel region, it reported.
Hezbollah said its fighters fired 鈥榓 volley of Fadi-1鈥� rockets at an Israeli base in the Golan Heights early Sunday. Israel reported 鈥榓pproximately eight鈥� launches from Lebanon that fell in unpopulated areas near the Israeli-annexed territory.
Nasrallah was the face of Hezbollah, enjoying cult status among his supporters.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had 鈥榮ettled the score鈥� with his killing, and Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the world was 鈥榓 safer place鈥� without him.
US president Joe Biden 鈥� whose government is Israel鈥檚 top arms supplier 鈥� said it was a 鈥榤easure of justice for his many victims鈥�.
Analysts said Nasrallah鈥檚 death leaves a bruised Hezbollah under pressure to respond.
鈥楨ither we see an unprecedented reaction by Hezbollah or this is total defeat,鈥� said Heiko Wimmen of the International Crisis Group think tank.
Nasrallah鈥檚 killing also showcased Israel鈥檚 military and intelligence prowess.
鈥業t demonstrates just how deeply Israel has penetrated Hezbollah,鈥� said James Dorsey of Singapore鈥檚 S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Hezbollah backer Iran has condemned Nasrallah鈥檚 assassination, with first vice president Mohammad Reza Aref threatening it would bring about Israel鈥檚 鈥榙estruction鈥�.
On Sunday, Iran鈥檚 foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also vowed that the killing of its Revolutionary Guards general Abbas Nilforoushan alongside Nasrallah would 鈥榥ot go unanswered鈥�.
Allied groups across the region such as Yemen鈥檚 Huthi rebels, already drawn into the Gaza war, have vowed action against Israel.
An 鈥榰nmanned aerial target鈥� approaching Israel over the Red Sea 鈥� where the Iran-backed Huthis have launched attacks before 鈥� was intercepted on Sunday, Israel鈥檚 military said.
UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said 鈥榳ell over 2,00,000 people are displaced inside Lebanon鈥� and more than 50,000 have fled to neighbouring Syria.
Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati said up to one million people may have been forced from their homes, in potentially the 鈥榣argest displacement movement鈥� in Lebanon鈥檚 history, he said.
The World Food Programme said it had launched an emergency operation to provide meals and support for 鈥榰p to one million people鈥�.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot will travel to Lebanon on Sunday, his ministry said, after he spoke with Mikati and said Paris sought 鈥榓n immediate halt鈥� to Israeli strikes.
France also appealed for Hezbollah and Iran, to abstain from any action that could lead to 鈥榬egional conflagration鈥�.
In Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said an Israeli strike killed at least three Palestinians in a house in Gaza City, with three more killed in separate strikes in the territory鈥檚 north and centre.
Hamas鈥檚 October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.
Of the 251 hostages seized by militants, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel鈥檚 retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,595 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory鈥檚 health ministry. The UN has described the figures as reliable.
