NDTV On Ground Zero: Israel Steps Up Lebanon Strike, Hezbollah Fights On

A fresh round of Israeli missiles hit the Rehab neighbourhood in Beirut this morning amid an intense firefight in South Lebanon. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked his army to expand the ground invasion in the region, Hezbollah says they fighting back against the occupation of their land.

Missiles landed in the Rehab neighbourhood near the Kuwait embassy in Beirut. The scale of damage and casualties was not immediately known. Ambulances and fire engines were seen rushing to the site of the impact.

Amid the chaos and panic among the local residents after the bombing, NDTV saw ambulances evacuating affected people. The attack indicates that Israel is targeting areas in Beirut that were not hit since the conflict began.

🎯STRUCK: A cell of Hezbollah military operatives who were dressed as paramedics and operated near an ambulance in southern Lebanon.

The military operatives systematically used ambulances to transfer weapons between northern to southern Lebanon. Additionally, dozens of rockets…

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 30, 2026

Over the past 24 hours, nine health workers and a member of the UN peacekeeping force are among the several people killed in the fresh wave of attacks in Lebanon. Six Israeli soldiers have been injured in the Hezbollah attacks. Israel has claimed the health workers were Hezbollah military operatives dressed as paramedics. 

More than 12 lakh people have been displaced in the past month, and about 1,100 have been killed. Among the victims are more than 100 children, health workers and journalists.

I strongly condemn Sunday's incident during which an Indonesian peacekeeper of @UNIFIL_ was killed amidst hostilities between Israel & Hizbullah. Another Indonesian peacekeeper was seriously injured in the same incident.

My deepest condolences to the family, friends &…

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 30, 2026

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for accountability after a member of the peacekeeping force was killed in Lebanon and called on all sides to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property. "I strongly condemn Sunday's incident during which an Indonesian peacekeeper of @UNIFIL_ was killed amidst hostilities between Israel & Hizbullah. Another Indonesian peacekeeper was seriously injured in the same incident," he said in a post on X.

Hezbollah has claimed that it has carried out rocket strikes and drone attacks on Israel after Netanyahu instructed the Israel Defence Forces to expand the invasion into south Lebanon.

According to reports, Hezbollah has said it fired rockets at Metula town in northern Israel and also targeted Israeli soldiers in the east of the Khiam in southern Lebanon. Israel has confirmed injuries to six soldiers in the latest firefight.

מהצהרתי מפיקוד צפון:

הנחיתי כעת להרחיב עוד יותר את רצועת הביטחון הקיימת. אנחנו נחושים לשנות את המצב בצפון מיסודו ולהחזיר את הביטחון לתושבי הצפון.

לא נשלים עם מציאות של איום מתמשך על יישובינו ואזרחינו. נמשיך לפעול בעוצמה, בנחישות ובאחריות עד שנשיג את המטרה.

צפו בהצהרה >> pic.twitter.com/4AUUV71ZGa

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 29, 2026

In a video statement from Northern Command, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "I have instructed to further expand the existing security buffer zone. We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north."