Massive blast rocks Beirut as Israel targets Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah | BBC News

Huge plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the Lebanese capital today after Israel fired a series of rockets into Beirut.

The Israeli Defence Force says it was targeting what it said was Hezbollah’s headquarters and its leader Hassan Nasrallah. It’s unclear whether he was in the building and whether or not he survived the attack.

The IDF also issued warnings to people living in parts of the southern suburbs of Beirut to leave their homes after growing signals that Israel may be preparing a ground offensive in Lebanon.

Iran, which backs the Hezbollah militia group, called the latest bombing a “dangerous, game-changing escalation”.

The strikes came hours after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a defiant speech to the UN General Assembly in New York. He made no reference to US calls for an immediate ceaseffire between Israel and Hezbollah and instead vowed to keep fighting, telling world leaders at the United Nations “we are winning".  

Anna Foster in Beirut presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Hugo Bachega, Tom Bateman and Jeremy Bowen.

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