Israel expands its bombardment in Lebanon as thousands flee widening war

MASNAA BORDER CROSSING, Lebanon (AP) — Powerful new explosions rocked Beirut's southern suburbs late Saturday as Israel expanded its bombardment in Lebanon, also striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.

Thousands of people in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to flee the widening conflict in the region, while rallies were held around the world marking the approaching anniversary of the start of the war in Gaza.

The strong explosions began near midnight and continued into Sunday after Israel's military urged residents to evacuate areas in Dahiyeh, the predominantly Shiite collection of suburbs on Beirut’s southern edge. AP video showed the blasts illuminating the densely populated southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. They followed a day of sporadic strikes and the nearly continuous buzz of reconnaissance drones.

Israel's military confirmed it was striking targets near Beirut and said about 30 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with some intercepted.

The strikes reportedly targeted a building near a road leading to Lebanon’s only international airport, and another building formerly used by the Hezbollah-run broadcaster Al-Manar. Social media reports claimed that one of the strikes hit an oxygen tank storage facility, but this was later denied by the owner of the company Khaled Kaddouha.

Shortly thereafter, Hezbollah claimed in a statement that it successfully targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near the Manara settlement in northern Israel “with a large rocket salvo, hitting them accurately.”

On Saturday, Israel's attack on the northern Beddawi camp killed an official with Hamas’ military wing along with his wife and two young daughters, the Palestinian militant group said. Hamas later said another military wing member was killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley. The aftermath showed smashed buildings, scattered bricks and stairways to nowhere.

Israel has killed several Hamas officials in Lebanon since the Israel-Hamas war began , in addition to most of the top leadership of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah as fighting has sharply escalated.

At least 1,400 Lebanese, including civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes in less than two weeks. Israel says it aims to drive the militant group away from shared borders so displaced Israelis can return to their homes.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, calling it a show of support for the Palestinians. Hezbollah and Israel's military have traded fire almost daily.

Last week, Israel launched what it called a limited ground operation into southern Lebanon after a series of attacks killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others. The fighting is the worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a brief war in 2006. Nine Israeli soldiers have been killed in the ground clashes that Israel says have killed 440 Hezbollah fighters.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters in Damascus that “we are trying to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and in Lebanon.” The minister said the unnamed countries putting forward initiatives include regional states and some outside the Middle East.

Araghchi spoke a day after the supreme leader of Iran praised its recent missile strikes on Israel and said it was ready to do it again if necessary.

On Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “Israel has the duty and the right to defend itself and respond to these attacks, and it will do so.” On Lebanon, he said ”we are not done yet."

Israel’s military earlier Saturday said about 90 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Most were intercepted, but several fell in the northern Arab town of Deir al-Asad, where police said three people were lightly injured.

At least six people in Lebanon were killed in more than a dozen Israeli airstrikes overnight and into Saturday, according to the Lebanese state-run National News Agency.

Nearly 375,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria in less than two weeks, according to a Lebanese government committee.

Associated Press journalists saw hundreds continuing to cross the Masnaa Border Crossing on foot, crunching over the rubble after Israeli airstrikes left huge craters in the road leading to it on Thursday. Much of Hezbollah’s weaponry is believed to come from Iran through Syria.

“We were on the road for two days,” said Issa Hilal, one of many Syrian refugees in Lebanon who are now heading back. “The roads were very crowded … it was very difficult. We almost died getting here." Some children whimpered or cried.

Other displaced families now shelter alongside Beirut’s famous seaside Corniche, their wind-flapped tents just steps from luxury homes. “We don’t care if we die, but we don’t want to die at the hands of Netanyahu,” said Om Ali Mcheik.

The Israeli military said special forces were carrying out ground raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. It said troops dismantled tunnel shafts that Hezbollah used to approach the Israeli border.

Almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to the Health Ministry there, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. Almost 90% of Gaza’s residents are displaced, amid widespread destruction.

Palestinian medical officials said Israeli strikes in northern and central Gaza on Saturday killed at least nine people. One in the northern town of Beit Hanoun killed at least five, including two children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Another hit a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least four, Awda hospital said.

Israel's military did not have any immediate comment but has long accused Hamas of operating from within civilian areas.

An Israeli airstrike killed two children in Gaza City’s Zaytoun neighborhood, according to the civil defense first responders’ group that operates under the Hamas-run government.

Israel's military warned Palestinians to evacuate along the strategic Netzarim corridor in central Gaza that was at the heart of obstacles to a cease-fire deal. The military told people in parts of the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps to evacuate to Muwasi, a coastal area it has designated a humanitarian zone.

It’s unclear how many Palestinians are in those areas. Israeli forces have often returned to areas in Gaza to target Hamas fighters as they regroup.

Mroue reported from Beirut and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, early Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Billboards with a picture of the late Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah are displayed on a Beirut airport highway, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

People take part in a performance during a protest against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A man rides his bicycle next to a billboard with information about upcoming events marking the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Vehicles drive past a billboard showing the late Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone attack in 2020, kissing forehead of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

People carry their luggage as they cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A journalist documents the damaged buildings at the site of an Israeli airstrike, in the village of Temnin, Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People carry their luggage as they cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People carry their luggage as they cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People carry their luggage as they cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A family cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Families cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People carry their luggage as they cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A girl who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike, lies in Rayak Hospital, in the village of Rayak, Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People carry their luggage as they cross into Syria on foot, through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A firefighter works to extinguish a fire after a rocket, fired from Lebanon, hit an area next to a road near Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Smoke rises from a fire in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A firefighter works to extinguish a fire after a rocket, fired from Lebanon, hit an area next to a road near Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, in northern Israel, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

An Israeli Apache helicopter fires a missile towards southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

DUBAI (AP) — England batter Joe Root and India pacer Jasprit Bumrah are among the four players in contention for the International Cricket Council's men's player of the year award.

Prolific England batter Harry Brook and Australia's Travis Head are the other two men's nominees announced by the ICC on Monday.

Bumrah has been superb with his seam bowling this year and produced another near unplayable spell when he took 5-57 in the fourth test against Australia, which finished Monday with a dramatic victory for the Australians.

It was his 13th five-wicket haul in tests and the 31-year-old now has 203 test wickets at an average of 19.42. He took 71 wickets in 13 tests this year, averaging a remarkably low 14.92. He also captured 15 wickets as India won their second men’s T20 World Cup title.

Root has enjoyed a brilliant year with the bat, scoring 1,556 runs from 17 tests with an average of 55.57.

It was the fifth time he has scored 1,000 test runs in a calendar year and his six hundreds — including a career-best score of 262 — took him to 36 test tons and joint fifth place all-time with India's Rahul Dravid.

He also surpassed Alastair Cook to become England's leading run-scorer with 12,972.

Brook compiled 1,100 runs from 12 tests at a strike rate of 85.00, showcasing both his brutal hitting and ability to improvise under pressure with some exquisite timing.

He hit four hundreds, including a superb triple century with a blistering 317 off 322 deliveries against Pakistan on an admittedly pancake-flat track in Multan — where Root made his 262 during their marathon 453-run stand.

Head, meanwhile, has stood out with his aggressive counter-attacking batting in both tests and T20s.

South Africa batter Laura Wolvaardt and Sri Lanka’s all-formats captain Chamari Athapaththu are the women’s nominees along with allrounders Annabel Sutherland (Australia) and Melie Kerr (New Zealand).

Wolvaardt scored 697 runs across 12 ODIs, averaging 87.12 with a highest score of 184 not out. She complied 223 runs across three tests, averaging 37.16 with a best knock of 122.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

FILE - New Zealand's Amelia Kerr reacts as she leaves the field after losing her wicket during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)

FILE - Australia's Annabel Sutherland celebrate the wicket of New Zealand's Isabella Gaze during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 match between Australia and New Zealand at Sharjah Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)

Australia's Travis Head plays a shot during play on the day four of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

FILE - Sri Lanka's captain Chamari Athapaththu celebrates after she runout India's Smriti Mandhana during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and Sri Lanka at Dubai International Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)

FILE - South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt plays a shot during the women's cricket T20 preliminary round match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)

India's Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the wicket of Australia's Travis Head during play on the day four of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)