Israel said it had conducted a precise air strike on the Lebanese capital early on Thursday.
Reuters witnesses reported hearing a massive blast, and a security source said it targeted a building in the district of Bachoura near parliament, the closest an Israeli strike has come to the central downtown district of Beirut.
At least six people were killed and seven wounded, Lebanese health officials said.
"Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what's next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent," UN special co-ordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said on X on Thursday.
Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what's next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent.— Jeanine Hennis (@JeanineHennis) October 3, 2024
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani called for serious ceasefire efforts to stop Israel's "aggression" in Lebanon and said no peace was possible in the Middle East without the creation of a Palestinian state.
What was happening in the Middle East was a "collective genocide" he said, adding his country had always warned of Israel's "impunity".
Three missiles also hit the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week, and loud blasts were heard, Lebanese security officials said.
The elimination of Nasrallah dealt a major blow to the movement and removed Iran's most powerful proxy in the Middle East.
Hezbollah and Iran's other regional allies, Yemen's Houthis and armed groups in Iraq, have launched attacks in the region in support of Hamas in its war with Israel in Gaza.
The Houthis, who have been carrying out attacks in shipping lanes in and around the Red Sea that have disrupted international trade, said on Thursday they attacked Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv with drones.
"The operation achieved its goals successfully by the arrival of the drones without being detected or shot down by the enemy," spokesman Yahya Saree said.
Three Israeli missiles also hit the southern Beruit suburb of Dahiyeh. (AP PHOTO)
Israel said it intercepted a suspicious aerial target in the area of central Israel early on Thursday.
The Israel Defence Forces urged residents of Lebanese villages who had left their homes not to return until further notice, while its operations continue.
More than 1900 people have been killed and over 9000 wounded in Lebanon in almost a year of cross-border fighting, with most of the deaths occurring in the past two weeks.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said about 1.2 million Lebanese had been displaced by Israeli attacks.
A day after Iran fired more than 180 missiles into Israel, Israel said on Wednesday eight soldiers were killed in ground combat in south Lebanon as its forces thrust into its northern neighbour.
The Israeli military said regular infantry and armoured units joined ground operations in Lebanon on Wednesday as Iran's missile attack and Israel's promise of retaliation fanned concern of a wider conflict in the oil-producing Middle East.
Hezbollah said its fighters engaged Israeli forces inside Lebanon, reporting ground clashes for the first time since Israeli forces pushed over the border on Monday.
About 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced by Israeli attacks, Lebanon's government says. (AP PHOTO)
Hezbollah said it had destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with rockets near the border town of Maroun El Ras.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a condolence video, said: "We are at the height of a difficult war against Iran's Axis of Evil, which wants to destroy us.
"This will not happen because we will stand together and with God's help, we will win together."
Iran said on Wednesday its missile volley - its biggest-ever assault on Israel - was over, barring further provocation, but Israel and the United States promised to hit back hard.
However, US President Joe Biden said he would not support any Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites in response to its ballistic missile attack and urged Israel to act "proportionally" against its regional arch-foe.
Western nations have drafted contingency plans to evacuate citizens from Lebanon after Tuesday's dramatic escalation, but none have launched a large-scale military evacuation yet, though some are chartering aircraft as Beirut airport stays open.
Flights have resumed in Iran since Thursday morning after restrictions were imposed on Tuesday when Tehran launched missiles at Israel.
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