The Israeli military launched a series of strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon on Saturday, intensifying the ongoing conflict with the militant group.

The strikes hit key Hezbollah locations, including the group’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs and strategic sites in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. 

The sites included buildings where weapons were stored and rocket launchers aimed at Israel, according to the Israeli military.

This escalation follows intense overnight bombardments on Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut, where fighter jets targeted key infrastructure, sending panic through the capital.

Early Friday night, the Israeli army struck three buildings in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut under which, according to army Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Hezbollah had stored coast-to-sea missiles, weapons that threaten Israel and international shipping. 

Earlier, the Israeli army warned civilians in the proximity of the three buildings to evacuate immediately as they would soon be struck.

Israeli airstrikes overnight into Saturday devastated large areas of the southern suburbs of Beirut, a known Hezbollah stronghold. Several apartment buildings, covering an area larger than a city block, were flattened.

The Israeli army expanded its operations to southern Lebanon, launching strikes near the city of Tyre. The Israeli army announced it had killed the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit, along with his deputy and several other leaders. 

In addition to targeting Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces also struck the mountain town of Bhamdoun, southeast of Beirut. Lebanese lawmaker Mark Daou confirmed the strikes on Bhamdoun early Saturday morning, further heightening concerns of a broader escalation.

As the strikes continued, Lebanon's health ministry ordered the evacuation of hospitals in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have borne the brunt of the attacks. The ministry urged hospitals in less affected areas to halt admissions of non-urgent cases to cope with the influx of patients.

In retaliation, Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on northern Israel. The group claimed responsibility for a barrage of Fadi-1 rockets targeting Kibbutz Kabri, marking its first strike following the overnight Israeli bombardment. In a statement, Hezbollah said the attack was in defense of Lebanon and its people, calling the Israeli strikes "barbaric."

A barrage of five rockets was also launched from Lebanon at the Jezreel Valley on Saturday, setting off sirens in several towns east of Haifa. The Israeli army said some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses. 

Another barrage of ten rockets was fired at the Safed area, with some being intercepted. 

A surface-to-surface missile launched from Lebanon was shot down by Israeli air defenses over northern Israel on Saturday as it set off sirens in several towns across northern Israel, the military announced.