A Palestinian militant organization announced on Monday that an Israeli airstrike in Beirut resulted in the deaths of three of its leaders, marking the first such attack within the city as Israel intensified its military actions against Iran‘s regional allies. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reported that the strike specifically targeted the Kola district of Beirut.

According to witnesses cited by Reuters, the attack struck the upper levels of an apartment building in that area. There has been no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the incident.

The rising number of Israeli assaults on the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and the Houthi militia in Yemen has raised concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could escalate further, potentially involving Iran and the United States, Israel’s primary ally.

The PFLP is among the militant groups actively engaged in opposition to Israel. On Sunday, Israel conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen and targeted numerous Hezbollah sites across Lebanon, following the earlier assassination of a Hezbollah leader.

The health ministry controlled by the Houthis reported that airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals and left 29 others injured. Israel stated that these strikes were a reaction to missile attacks launched by the Houthis. In Lebanon, officials confirmed that Israeli airstrikes on Sunday claimed the lives of at least 105 people.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, over 1,000 Lebanese have died and 6,000 have been injured in the last two weeks, although the number of civilian casualties has not been specified. The government indicated that approximately one million people, representing a fifth of the population, have been displaced from their homes.

The ongoing Israeli airstrikes over the past fortnight have resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking Hezbollah officials, including the group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has pledged to continue its military operations, asserting that its goal is to restore security to northern regions for residents who have been compelled to evacuate due to Hezbollah’s rocket fire.

On Sunday, Israeli drones were observed flying over Beirut, accompanied by the sounds of new airstrikes resonating throughout the Lebanese capital. Displaced families sought refuge for the night on benches at Zaitunay Bay, a popular area filled with restaurants and cafes along Beirut’s waterfront.

Numerous attacks by Israel have predominantly occurred in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah, supported by Iran, conducts most of its activities, as well as in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The recent strike in the Kola district marks what seems to be the first assault within the boundaries of Beirut itself.

Local residents reported that Syrians who had fled the Israeli airstrikes were sleeping under a bridge in the area for several days. The United States has called for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict in Lebanon while simultaneously authorizing an increase in military presence in the region.

When asked about the possibility of avoiding a full-scale war in the Middle East, U.S. President Joe Biden stated, “It has to be,” indicating his intention to discuss the situation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.