Lebanese president condemns more than a dozen Israeli strikes on Beirut

More than a dozen Israeli air strikes have hit Beirut's southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, late on Thursday evening, according to local reports.

Multiple videos on social media showed fiery blasts that left entire neighbourhoods under thick black smoke.

An Israeli military spokesperson warned of the attacks a few hours earlier, saying that the targeted buildings were being used by Hezbollah.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks in a statement cited by the Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed.

"This blatant violation of an international agreement, as well as the basic tenets of the United Nations and humanitarian laws and resolutions, on the eve of a sacred religious occasion, is damning evidence of the perpetrator's rejection of the requirements of stability, settlement, and just peace in our region," Aoun said.

"It is also a message sent by the perpetrator of these atrocities, primarily to the United States of America, its policies, and initiatives, through Beirut's mailbox and the blood of its innocent civilians. Lebanon will never submit to this."