23 killed as Israel escalates airstrikes in Lebanon for third consecutive day

At least 23 people were killed and at least 85 wounded in Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday at five different locations, according to a Reuters compilation of Lebanese health ministry statements.

Israel widened its airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday and shot down a missile that Hezbollah said it had fired at the Mossad spy service near Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah claimed to have targeted the Mossad headquarters with what it described as a ballistic missile. Reuters could not independently confirm the type of rocket fired.

World leaders meanwhile expressed concern that the conflict - running in parallel to Israel's war in Gaza - was rapidly intensifying as the death toll in Lebanon rose and thousands of people fled their homes.

Wednesday morning's Hezbollah strike was the first time since the start of the war that one of its missiles had been sighted above Tel Aviv.

90,000 newly-displaced: IOM

Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have fled their homes and hospitals have filled with the wounded since an intensification of bombing on Monday, when more than 550 people were killed in Lebanon's deadliest day since the end of a 1975-1990 civil war.

There was no let up on Wednesday. Israel said its warplanes were carrying out extensive strikes in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, a Hezbollah stronghold further north.

Heaviest air strikes of the war

Israel’s military has intensified its airstrikes this week, focusing on Hezbollah leaders and hundreds of targets deep within Lebanon.

On Tuesday, a strike in Beirut killed senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Qubaisi, who headed the group's missile and rocket force. He is one of several high-ranking figures assassinated since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated nearly a year ago, in parallel with the war in Gaza.

'Lebanon is on the brink'

The relentless Israeli airstrikes have so far claimed the lives of 569 people, including children, and wounded more than 1,835 since Monday morning (September 23), according to Lebanon's Health Minister Firass Abiad.

The new offensive against Hezbollah has raised alarms that the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is expanding, potentially destabilizing the entire Middle East.

The U.N. Security Council is set to meet on Wednesday to address the escalating violence. "Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, and the world cannot afford for Lebanon to become another Gaza," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib estimated that half a million people have been displaced in Lebanon due to the ongoing conflict. He added that Lebanon's prime minister is expected to meet with U.S. officials in the coming days. Thousands of displaced residents from southern Lebanon are now sheltering in schools and other buildings in Beirut.

Israel’s extensive strikes

On Tuesday, Israel’s military conducted "extensive strikes" on Hezbollah positions across southern Lebanon, targeting weapons storage facilities and dozens of rocket launchers aimed at Israeli territory.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by the attacks and vowed they would continue. "Hezbollah has suffered a sequence of blows to its command and control, its fighters, and its operational capabilities. These are severe blows," he told Israeli troops.

However, the violence continues to escalate. On Monday, Israeli strikes resulted in the deadliest single-day toll since the end of Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war.

Northern front takes focus

After nearly a year of war with Hamas on its southern border, Israel appears to be shifting its focus to its northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been launching rockets into Israel in support of Hamas.

(With input from Reuters)