Israeli airstrikes rock Beirut; Hezbollah command center hit

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM - A wave of air raids hit Beirut's southern suburbs early Saturday as Israel stepped up attacks on Hezbollah, after a massive strike on the Iran-backed movement's command center that apparently targeted leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Reuters witnesses heard more than 20 airstrikes before dawn on Saturday. Abandoning their homes in the southern suburbs, thousands of Lebanese congregated in squares, park