The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced the launch of a new military campaign against Israel, as Israeli forces carried out heavy airstrikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Hezbollah said late Wednesday that its new campaign, named ‘Eaten Straw’, was launched in response to Israeli attacks.

Shortly after the announcement, the group fired a large barrage of missiles toward Israeli targets.

Israeli media reported that more than 100 rockets were launched toward northern Israel, marking one of the largest rocket attacks in the current escalation.

Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom said a woman and a man were slightly injured.

Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly for hours across the northern parts of the country.

The name of the operation references Surah Al-Fil (’The Elephant’) in the Qur’an.

The chapter recounts the destruction of an invading army that attempted to attack the Kaaba in Mecca and was defeated by divine intervention, leaving it “like eaten straw”.

Shortly after the rocket barrage, Israeli fighter jets were heard over Beirut, carrying out at least six near-simultaneous airstrikes.

Residents said the explosions sent shockwaves across the city, rattling windows and buildings in several neighbourhoods.

Earlier, the Israeli military said it had launched a “large-scale wave of attacks” targeting Hezbollah positions in the southern Dahiyeh suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

The army had previously called on residents to evacuate the area.

There were no confirmed reports of casualties from the strikes initially.

Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities said at least 64 people were killed and 142 wounded in Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, including attacks on Beirut and other areas.

Israeli strikes in central Beirut killed at least four people and injured four others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Lebanese media broadcast images of several floors of a residential building destroyed in the capital.

Heavy bombardment was also reported in the southern and eastern parts of Lebanon, causing casualties and extensive damage.

The health ministry said the overall toll since the violence escalated last week has reached 634 people killed and 1,586 wounded.

Israel’s military said it targeted command centres and weapons depots belonging to Hezbollah in the Dahiyeh suburbs.

The densely populated southern outskirts of Beirut are considered a stronghold of the group, which is backed by Iran.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported continued strikes in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, where officials said at least 14 people were killed and 29 others injured.

A report said that the troops have shifted to the northern front.

Amid the escalating cross-border attacks, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir ordered the transfer of troops from the Gaza Strip to Israel’s northern border.

The Golani Brigade, which has been deployed repeatedly in Gaza since the start of the war with Hamas more than two years ago, is being moved north to reinforce Israel’s Northern Command.

Hezbollah began targeted attacks on Israel about a week ago in support of Tehran during the joint U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran.

The attacks marked the militias’ first since a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into force in November 2024.

In spite of the ceasefire, Israel has continued to strike Hezbollah targets, arguing that the group has been attempting to rearm and is violating the terms of the agreement.

Hezbollah, on its part, has accused Israel of repeatedly breaching the truce.

(dpa/NAN)