Israel launched a sweeping wave of airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting Beirut, the southern city of Tyre, and multiple areas in the south and Bekaa Valley, following a large-scale rocket barrage by Hezbollah into northern Israel the previous night.

The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out in response to the barrage, which it described as one of the heaviest since the war began, involving rockets, missiles, and drones. It added that the operation also followed evacuation warnings issued to civilians in southern Lebanon, particularly in Tyre, which it called a Hezbollah “center of gravity.”

Beirut Under Heavy Fire

Airstrikes hit central Beirut in a concentrated assault overnight and into the morning, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Strikes targeted the neighborhoods of Zoqaq al-Blat, Basta, and Bashoura, areas located within walking distance of the capital’s downtown and government headquarters.

Four strikes were reported over an eight-hour period. Around 1:30 a.m., a missile struck an apartment block in Zoqaq al-Blat, followed by another hit in nearby Basta that damaged multiple floors of a residential building. At around 5:30 a.m., a more powerful strike flattened a building in Bashoura after an Israeli warning was issued on social media. A fourth strike later in the morning again hit Zoqaq al-Blat, near the site of the earlier attack.

استهداف المبنى المهدد في الباشورة pic.twitter.com/6JK2EEJaHp

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) March 18, 2026

No prior warnings were issued for the strikes on Zoqaq al-Blat and Basta. The affected neighborhoods are densely populated and historically mixed areas where Hezbollah and the Amal Movement maintain political influence.

In one of the attacks, a residential apartment in Zoqaq al-Blat was struck, sparking a fire that spread through the building. Residents were heard calling for help as flames engulfed upper floors. Local media reported that the strike killed a Hezbollah operative, identified as Hussein Qabalan, along with Al-Manar TV journalist Mohammad Sherri and his wife.

زقاق البلاط pic.twitter.com/FVS9tRv8wX

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) March 18, 2026

زقاق البلاط pic.twitter.com/YAwBsYi4vP

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) March 18, 2026

The Health Ministry said the toll from the strikes on Basta and Zoqaq al-Blat rose to 10 dead and 27 wounded, later updated to at least 12 fatalities and 41 injured. Human remains recovered from the rubble are undergoing DNA testing for identification.

The Israeli military said it targeted assets linked to Hezbollah, including facilities belonging to the Al-Qard al-Hasan association, which it described as a financial arm of the group. It also said the navy carried out a strike on a “key” Hezbollah operative in Beirut, without providing further details.

Strikes Spread Across South and Bekaa

Simultaneously, Israeli forces expanded their campaign across southern Lebanon, striking towns and villages and targeting what they described as Hezbollah infrastructure. The military said it hit weapons depots, command centers, and rocket launch sites, including facilities embedded within civilian areas.

In the south, strikes hit locations including Shaabiya, Ghandooriyeh, Srifa, and Aaqbiya, while a drone strike in Borj Qalaouiyeh killed one person. Airstrikes also targeted fuel stations operated by Hezbollah-linked “Al-Amana,” in what Israel said was an effort to disrupt the group’s financing and mobility. Additional strikes hit fuel stations in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr and Beit Yahoun, causing damage to nearby buildings.

مشاهد من الغارة الإسرائيلية على محطة وقود "الأمانة" في بلدة دير قانون النهر pic.twitter.com/FY0NZZ9zG1

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) March 18, 2026

In Sidon, a drone strike on a car killed two people and wounded another; one of the victims was a Lebanese Civil Defense paramedic who later died of his injuries.

معلومات أولية عن استهداف سيارة امام مسجد الزعتري وسط صيدا وأخرى على الكورنيش البحري pic.twitter.com/dRSH45tDmL

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) March 18, 2026

Elsewhere, Israeli attacks continued across the south. A shell struck a residential apartment in Qlayaa, killing two people, including a child. Artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Majdal Selm, while an airstrike hit Kherbet Selm in the Bir al-Salasel area. Shelling also struck Jdeidet Marjayoun, landing near a house without causing casualties, and hit a home in Ibl al-Saqi.

Israeli warplanes carried out two consecutive strikes on Kfar Tebnit, while a drone strike targeted a house between Choukine and Zibdine. Another strike hit Harouf in the Nabatieh district.

Around 10 a.m., airstrikes targeted areas near a public school in Deir al-Zahrani and near Abraj restaurant. A child in critical condition was transported to Nabatiyeh Governmental Hospital.

Borj al-Shemali was hit by three strikes, causing extensive damage, including to an Al-Amana fuel station on the road linking Burj al-Shamali and Bazouriyeh.

An Israeli force reportedly infiltrated an area near Shebaa at dawn and detonated a house, with no casualties reported. Airstrikes also targeted a house near the Lebanese-Italian hospital in Tyre’s Hosh district and struck the industrial area twice. Additional dawn raids hit empty residential complexes in nearby districts.

Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of strikes on towns and villages across southern Lebanon, including Khiyam, Ghassaniyeh, Qantara, Touline, Zefta, Beit Yahoun, Bint Jbeil, Ameriyeh east of Tyre, and Toul. A mosque at Abbasiyah junction was destroyed.

Civil Defense said 11 of its personnel were wounded in a strike near its regional center in Nabatieh. In the western Bekaa, strikes on the town of Sohmor destroyed several homes, killing at least six people in separate attacks.

An earlier strike near Baalbek targeted the vicinity of the home of Hezbollah political council head Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, while another drone strike hit a house in Qaraoun reportedly linked to a Jamaa Islamiya figure.

On Wednesday, Israel's Shin Bet announced that a senior Hamas operative responsible for fundraising was killed in a strike on Sunday in the coastal city of Sidon. The target was identified as Wissam Mustafa Hussein Taha, describing him as a key figure who “raised hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide for Hamas.” Taha reportedly operated under the leadership of Essam Khashan, who heads Hamas’s fundraising network. Israeli forces targeted the offices of this network in Sidon on March 6, the Shin Bet said. According to Israeli authorities, the funds collected by Taha and other operatives were used to finance terrorism, support military infrastructure, and pay salaries to members of Hamas’s armed wing.

Displacement and Panic

The escalation triggered widespread displacement, particularly after Israel issued evacuation warnings to residents of Tyre and surrounding areas, as well as villages south of the Zahrani River. Panic spread among displaced families sheltering in Sidon after receiving evacuation alerts on their phones, prompting some to flee immediately while aid groups relocated others.

The Israeli military urged civilians to move north of the Zahrani River, warning that proximity to Hezbollah fighters or facilities could put them at risk.

Hezbollah Barrage and Israeli Response

The escalation followed a large Hezbollah barrage on northern Israel late Tuesday, which included dozens of rockets, missiles, and drones. Lebanese sources said the group initially attempted to launch nearly 100 rockets.

The Israeli military said it intercepted most of the projectiles or that they landed in open areas or fell short inside Lebanon. One rocket struck a house in the northern Israeli city of Karmiel, causing damage, while all drones were intercepted.

Israel said it carried out preemptive and real-time strikes on launchers and firing teams, destroying several before they could be used and hitting at least 10 others after the barrage.

According to Israeli estimates, Hezbollah has been firing an average of around 150 rockets per day in recent days, with about two-thirds targeting Israeli forces along the border and in southern Lebanon, and the rest aimed at Israeli territory.

The military believes Hezbollah retains thousands of short-range rockets and hundreds of longer-range projectiles, though much of its remaining arsenal is positioned deeper inside southern Lebanon, including north of the Litani River. It also says the group has shifted to smaller, decentralized launch systems, making them harder to detect but limiting the scale of each attack.

Ongoing Ground Operation

As Israel continues its ground offensive in southern Lebanon, the military said fewer than 1,000 fighters from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force have crossed south of the Litani to confront its troops. It added that at least 200 Radwan fighters have been killed so far, with many operating in small units and retreating upon engagement.

The Israeli army also said it struck a headquarters belonging to the Imam Hossein Division, an Iranian-backed militia operating alongside Hezbollah.

Mounting Toll

Lebanese authorities say more than 900 people have been killed since Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran earlier this year, and over one million have been displaced.

Israeli officials say no civilian fatalities have been reported in Israel from Hezbollah attacks so far, though two Israeli soldiers have been killed during ground operations in southern Lebanon.