At Least 14 Killed in Israeli Strikes Across Beirut and Southern Lebanon

Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs have killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens, Lebanese officials said, a day after Israel warned it might strike the Masnaa border crossing with Syria.

Lebanese health authorities reported that strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed at least four people, while attacks in southern Lebanon killed 10 others, including a family of six. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said 39 people were wounded in a strike on the Jnah neighbourhood, roughly 100 metres (330 ft) from Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the country’s largest public medical facility.

Israeli forces have carried out air strikes across Lebanon since March 2, following rocket fire from the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The campaign has involved jets, drones and, in some cases, naval fire. Israeli ground forces have also advanced into parts of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah on Sunday claimed it fired a cruise missile at an Israeli warship about 126 km (78 miles) off the Lebanese coast. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the claim, and Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify Hezbollah’s statement.

In a statement the Israeli military said it had "begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites" in Beirut’s southern suburbs but did not provide evidence for that specific claim.

On Saturday, Israel warned it would target the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria. The crossing — known on the Syrian side as Jdeidet Yabous — is a key trade route for both countries. The Lebanese side was quickly evacuated and reporters found the site largely deserted early Sunday, with only a few guards remaining on duty.

Syria’s General Authority For Borders And Customs said the crossing is "exclusively for civilian use" and confirmed traffic would be temporarily suspended because of the Israeli threat.

Lebanese authorities say attacks since March 2 have killed more than 1,400 people, including 126 children, and have displaced over 1.2 million people.

In the southern town of Kfar Hatta, the Health Ministry said an Israeli strike killed seven people, including a four-year-old girl and a Lebanese soldier. The army had issued a forced evacuation order for the town the previous evening; many displaced people from other parts of the south had sought refuge there.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun renewed his call for negotiations to prevent further destruction in the south. In a televised address he asked: "Why don’t we negotiate … until we can at least save the homes that have not yet been destroyed?"

Note: Casualty figures and certain operational claims are attributed to Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah; some battlefield assertions were not independently verified at the time of reporting.