Hundreds of Israeli tanks have gathered along the border with Lebanon amid growing fears that the anticipated ground invasion will plunge the Middle East into an all-out war.

According to reporters on the ground, apparent Israeli airstrike also hit central Beirut on Monday morning for the first time since the 2006 war.

The Mail Online reports: The Israel-Hamas war has escalated in recent days after the IDF said it had wiped out Hezbollah’s top brass in the airstrike on southern Beirut that killed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli troops and tanks were last night seen gathering in the north, on their border with southern Lebanon, in apparent preparation for a ground invasion. 

The last time Israel launched a ground offensive of Lebanon was in 2006, when 34 days of intense cross-border fighting with Hezbollah ended in a stalemate.

The United States has issued an 11th-hour appeal to both sides for restraint, with US president Joe Biden warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that an all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided.

Israel claimed that more than 20 senior Hezbollah members including Ali Karaki – who was in charge of the southern front – were assassinated in the attack on Friday alongside Nasrallah.

Reuters reported Nasrallah’s body was found yesterday, and videos circulating on social media purport to show his body being retrieved.

Hezbollah – the Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon – confirmed that Nasrallah, who led it for 32 years, was killed in Friday’s strike. Hashem Safieddine is expected to take over as the leader.

Several foreign embassies have now begun to evacuate non-essential staff as the country braces for the possibility of an all-out war.