Lebanon's health ministry said the strike killed five people and wounded 28. It did not give the identities of the people killed.

The strike took place in the Haret Hreik area in Beirut's southern suburbs, a densely-populated area where Hezbollah holds sway.

Hezbollah confirmed a senior commander was targeted in the strike, while an Israeli government spokeswoman declined to give the name of the target at this stage.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the strike hit the third and fourth floors of a nine-storey building.

Debris littered the road below, with a car damaged in the street. Dust could be seen rising from the block, with rescue workers inside the apartments searching for survivors.

Ambulances and fire crews scrambled to the scene and rescuers evacuated a wounded woman on a stretcher. A crowd gathered in the street and Lebanese soldiers were deployed to secure the site.

Lebanon's official National News Agency said three missiles were fired at the building.

- 'Maximum enforcement' -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had ordered the attack -- the latest against targets in Lebanon despite a year-long ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

"In the heart of Beirut, the IDF (Israeli military) attacked the Hezbollah chief of staff, who had been leading the terrorist organisation's build-up and rearmament," the premier's office said in a statement.

"Israel is determined to act to achieve its objectives everywhere and at all times."

Separately, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off," warning that Israel would "continue the policy of maximum enforcement".

Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati told reporters Sunday's attack "crosses a new red line".

"The targeting was clearly aimed at a key... figure in the resistance, and the results are unknown," he added in front of the strike location, without disclosing the person's identity.

Israel has carried out regular strikes in Lebanon since the November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, saying it is striking members of the group or its infrastructure in the country's south and east.

Sunday's strike, however, was the first on Beirut's southern suburbs since June 5, when Israel said it hit a Hezbollah drone factory.

- Hezbollah weakened -

Hezbollah was weakened by its fight with Israel, which it started in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza in October 2023 with cross-border exchanges of fire that later escalated into two months of full-blown war.

Since then, Lebanon has come under increasing Israeli and US pressure to disarm Hezbollah, a move that the group has rejected.

"Hezbollah will not be allowed to rearm and operate inside of Lebanon and we expect Lebanon to hold Hezbollah's feet to the fire on this," Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian reiterated after Sunday's strike.

"Hezbollah's terrorist activities constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and the IDF will continue to operate to remove any threats to the citizens of Israel," she told reporters.

Netanyahu earlier Sunday told a cabinet meeting that Israel "will continue to do everything necessary to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its threat capability against us".

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community to intervene firmly to stop Israeli attacks on the country.

Beirut "reiterates its call to the international community to assume its responsibility and intervene firmly and seriously to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people", he said in a statement.

rjm-burs-glp/amj