By Abdelaziz Boumzar, Emilie Madi, Jana Choukeir and Alexander Cornwell BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 11 (Reuters) - An Israeli strike hit an apartment block in central Beirut on Wednesday, Lebanese authorities said,

Forces from the IDF's Mountain Brigade locate weapons, launcher position, used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon’s Mount Dov area.

As Israeli strikes rained down, the number of people registered as displaced rose by 100,000 on Monday and Tuesday, according to figures released by the government.

By Ahmad Al Kerdi and Alexander Cornwell BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 9 (Reuters) - Escalating hostilities have forced nearly 700,000 people to flee their homes in Lebanon, a U.N. agency said on Monday, as the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah entered a second week.

The Lebanese parliament has extended its term by two years due to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which has pushed the region into an escalating conflict, and Israel stepped up its attacks on Lebanon.

Nearly 700,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon after Israel’s bombing campaign against Hezbollah, the United Nations has said.

It has been just over a week since the new escalation in conflict started on 2 March, when Israeli evacuation warnings to residents of more than 53 villages and densely populated areas in Lebanon and intensified airstrikes forced families across Lebanon to flee within minutes.

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon are driving thousands of families to flee again, and some longtime Hezbollah supporters are now openly blaming the group.

In a remarkable statement Monday afternoon, Lebanon called for direct talks with Israel on “permanent arrangements for security and stability on our borders,” while accusing the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah of betraying the country.

The US president says Iran's "leaders are gone" and "we could do a lot worse". Meanwhile, the UAE says it's responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.