Israel-Lebanon latest: Netanyahu warns attacks will continue as Israel unleashes fresh wave of strikes

The Israeli military says it has carried out a “targeted” strike on Beirut.

Security sources in Lebanon said Israel targeted a Hezbollah commander in the capital’s southern suburbs, Reuters news agency reported.

It is the second consecutive day that Israel has struck the Hezbollah-controlled area of the capital.

Sources have not confirmed who was the target of the strike, and that the fate of the target is not known.

The strike hit a building in the typically busy Ghobeiry neighbourhood.

Defence Secretary John Healey has left the Labour Party conference early to chair an emergency Cobra meeting, Sky News reports.

The meeting is believed to be concerning escalating tensions in the Middle East, as Israel kills hundreds with a fresh wave of strikes in Lebanon since yesterday.

A source told Israeli outlet Haaretz that part of the aim of Israel’s airstrike was to signal to the “Iranian axis that Israel is unafraid to act decisively to prevent further escalation”.

They added: “Israel has additional potential targets in Lebanon and will not hesitate to strike if Hezbollah does not grasp the message.”

After arriving at the UN summit in New York, Iranian president said: "We do not wish to be the cause of instability in the Middle East as its consequences would be irreversible.”

"It’s Israel that wants to drag everyone into war and destabilise the region… They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go."

The Government has urged a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as the death toll from Israeli strikes targeting the terrorist group Hezbollah rose to nearly 500 people.

Thousands of people have been fleeing southern Lebanon since the attacks from Israel began on Monday, according to Associated Press.

Full report by Harry Taylor:

Around 100 projectiles, including rockets, were launched towards Israel by Hezbollah since midnight, the Israeli military says.

Lower Galilee and HaAmakim appear to be the targets of most of the rockets, a spokesperson told CNN.

Upper Galilee and Haifa were both also targeted, with buildings damaged and fires started in the north.

Most of the projectiles fired at Israel were intercepted by the Israeli military, it claims.

It comes as Israel continues to strike Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, having ramped up strikes once again in the last couple of hours.

The number killed by Israeli strikes on Lebanon this week has risen to 558 including 50 children, the Lebanese health minister said.

Firass Abiad added that 94 women were included in the dead, and 1,835 have been injured.

The death count was last counted at 492 and 1,645 wounded yesterday.

Beirut’s main airport, Rafic Hariri, has announced that at least 40 flights were cancelled as of Tuesday morning.

The airport’s website shows dozens of cancelations including for trips between Germany, France, Turkey, Iraq and Qatar.

Aviation authorities in Lebanon have denied that any full flight suspensions are taking place, and confirmed cancellations by certain airlines due to Israeli strikes.

Iranian president arrives at UN summit

The leaders of 193 countries have been invited to New York for the UN’s highest-level annual summit.

The Middle East will be high on the agenda following the most deadly day of Israeli strikes on Lebanon in decades.

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York yesterday. It is his first summit as president after the helicopter crash in May which killed former President Ebrahim Raisi - who many touted to be Iran’s next Supreme Leader.

Upon his arrival, Pezeshkian said: "We do not wish to be the cause of instability in the Middle East as its consequences would be irreversible.”

"It’s Israel that wants to drag everyone into war and destabilise the region… They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go."