BEIRUT — An Israeli strike targeted a "warehouse" in the village of Saadiyat, just north of Jiyyeh and about 20 kilometers south of Beirut, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, two security sources told Reuters and AFP. A large explosion was heard from the capital, and as far as Mount Lebanon shortly before 12:30 a.m.

Saadiyat, a coastal village in the Chouf district, has the main highway going south from the capital running through it. The Wednesday strike is the first time it has been targeted in this war.

According to local media, ambulances have been dispatched to the site of the strike.

In early September, residents in Jiyyeh and neighboring villages woke up to find leaflets scattered on the roads printed with messages denouncing Hezbollah and the former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Joumblatt.

The leaflets alleged that Hezbollah built tunnels and was storing weapons in the area, and called for an end to the party's cross-border fighting with Israel.

In February, there was an Israeli drone strike on the nearby town of Jadra, killing a Hezbollah member. It was the first time the Chouf district had been struck since Oct. 8. The Chouf area has mostly Christian and Druze inhabitants, with a significant number of Sunni Muslim residents as well.

Read a summary of today's events.

Recap: Israeli strikes on south Lebanon nearly double, Hezbollah fires record number of rockets

In the last two days, Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon, with 800 strikes on Monday and another 1,500 on Tuesday mostly in the Bekaa, Nabatieh and South Lebanon governorates. At least 569 people have been killed, almost 2,000 wounded, and tens of thousands displaced. The caretaker Health Minister told a press conference Tuesday afternoon that the vast majority of victims were civilians.

Hezbollah responded by firing around 300 of rockets into northern Israel on Tuesday. The Israeli army said it was the "highest number of missiles fired in one day since start of war."