Israel intensified its strikes on Lebanon on Friday as a massive blast rocked Beirut close to the city’s international airport, despite a new appeal from its G7 allies for restraint in the region.
At least one Israeli strike hit outside the perimeter of Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, transport officials said.
The airport is close to the suburb of Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold and still appeared to be operating.
Another plane carrying fleeing Britons touched down in Birmingham late on Thursday, a day after more than 150 British citizens and their dependants left Beirut on the first UK Government-chartered flight.
The Foreign Office said a “limited number” of additional flights had been chartered.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our number one priority. That’s why we are announcing additional chartered flights to help those who want to leave.
“I urge all British nationals still in Lebanon to register with the FCDO (Foreign Office) and leave the country immediately.”
A separate strike near Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing with Syria cut off a road used by hundreds of thousands of people to flee Israeli bombardments in recent days, Lebanese officials said.
Transport Minister Ali Hamieh said the strike hit inside Lebanese territory near the border crossing, creating a 12 feet-wide crater.
An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) military spokesman had accused Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Thursday of using the crossing to transport military equipment into Lebanon.
US media reported at least one of the strikes was targeting Hezbollah's next presumed leader Hashem Safieddine, whose condition is unknown.
The escalating fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has raised fears of a wider regional war involving Iran, which backs Hezbollah and which fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel this week.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday said he did not believe there was going to be “all-out” war.
Asked by reporters in Washington on Thursday how confident he was that a wider conflict could be averted, Mr Biden said: “How confident are you it's not going to rain? Look, I don't believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it.
“But there is a lot to do yet, a lot to do yet.”
Mr Biden said the US was discussing with Israel its options for responding to Tehran's assault, which included Israel striking Iran's oil facilities.
"We're discussing that," he told reporters.
His comments contributed to a surge in global oil prices amid traders’ worry about potential supply disruptions.
But Washington also stepped up its calls for restraint, joining Britain and other G7 nations in a statement that warned against a “dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation” leading to “uncontrollable” escalation.
“We, the leaders of the G7, express deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct military attack against Israel, which constitutes a serious threat to regional stability,” a joint statement released on Thursday said.
“We unequivocally reiterate our commitment to the security of Israel. Iran’s seriously destabilising actions throughout the Middle East through terrorist proxies and armed groups — including the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas — as well as Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq, must stop.”
But it urged all regional players to act with “responsibility and restraint”, adding: “We encourage all parties to engage constructively to de-escalate the current tensions. International humanitarian law must be respected.”
Israel said on Friday that Hezbollah had launched about 230 rockets from Lebanon towards Israel on Thursday.
Hezbollah said it targeted what it called Israel's "Sakhnin base" for military industries in Haifa Bay on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel with a salvo of rockets.
Late on Thursday, Hezbollah said it also targeted Israel's "Nesher base" in Haifa with a salvo of Fadi 2 rockets.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry said 14 people have been killed in an Israeli strike on a refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
The Israeli army said it carried out a strike in Tulkarem, a militant stronghold. It said the operation on Thursday was carried out in coordination with the Shin Bet internal security service.
The army provided no further details on the target.
Violence has flared across the Israeli-occupied territory since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last October. Tulkarem and other northern cities have seen some of the worst violence.
