A series of massive blasts have rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs, shaking buildings miles away in the Lebanese capital after Israel ordered people to leave some areas of the country
A series of massive explosions rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut, causing buildings in the center of the Lebanese capital to shake for miles.
Over ten air strikes pounded the region, the National News Agency of Lebanon reported late Thursday night. Prior to the 2006 war, Israel had issued evacuation orders for towns and villages in southern Lebanon that were north of a UN-designated buffer zone.
Israel ordered evacuations from Nabatieh, a regional hub, and other places above the Litani River, the boundary of the border territory established by the UN Security Council 17 years ago after the conflict; a settlement that both parties claim was violated.
Within the last day, the World Health Organization confirmed the deaths of 28 health workers in Lebanon. Along with the partial or complete evacuation of five Beirut hospitals, thirty-two health facilities were closing in the south.
Firas Abiad, the head of the Lebanese Health Ministry, asserted that Israeli attacks on medical facilities and staff violate international norms and agreements.
Mr. Abiad stated, “There is no doubt about that. This is a war crime.” Paramedics are protected by international laws in a clear way. Who granted Israel the authority to act simultaneously as judge and executioner?”
As they were evacuating casualties from the south, an Israeli strike injured four of their paramedics and killed a Lebanese army soldier, according to the Lebanese Red Cross. Despite having coordinated its movements with UN peacekeepers, the convoy, which was accompanied by Lebanese troops and was near the village of Taybeh, was targeted on Thursday.
This comes in response to reports from the health ministry of Lebanon that an Israeli strike in central Beirut resulted in the deaths of at least nine people. In an effort to identify additional victims, the ministry is currently testing remains for DNA.
Earlier, Hezbollah claimed that a strike at its Bashoura office killed seven rescue workers and paramedics from the Islamic Health Committee, its medical arm. 14 more people were injured in the early Thursday strike, according to the Health Ministry.
The ministry had previously reported that Israeli strikes over Lebanon on Wednesday had injured 156 people and killed 55 people. The most recent strike occurred alarmingly close to Beirut’s central district, which is also near the United Nations headquarters, parliament, and the prime minister’s office.
It was the second air strike this week to hit central Beirut and the Health Society’s direct target in less than 24 hours. Israel did not give any warning before the area was hit.
After the strike in Beirut, residents reported a sulphurous odor, prompting Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency to accuse Israel of using phosphorous bombs despite the lack of evidence.
Israel has been accused of using white phosphorus incendiary shells in southern Lebanese towns and villages, according to human rights groups.
Hezbollah has a powerful armed wing with thousands of combatants, but it also has a political faction and a web of charities run by civilians.
Israel’s aerial assaults have ravaged Lebanon as a whole, killing a lot of civilians despite concentrating primarily on the south and eastern parts of the country and the southern suburbs of Beirut known as Hezbollah strongholds.
In response to Israel’s earlier online warnings urging residents to flee, the southern districts of Beirut, which are dominated by Hezbollah, were subjected to intense shelling under the cover of darkness.
Israel carried out airstrikes in Gaza simultaneously with its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which resulted in the deaths of numerous people, including children.
The Israeli Guard Powers affirmed the deficiency of eight fighters in the threats arranged in southern Lebanon.
Iran’s UN representative issued a severe warning to Israel, announcing that the country had fired close to 200 missiles on Tuesday in direct response to Israeli aggression. On the other hand, his Israeli counterpart branded the avalanche of missiles as an “unprecedented act of aggression.”
While US President Joe Biden anticipates no immediate Israeli countermeasures against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is steadfast in his resolve to respond, dispelling notions that the United States would support such a retaliation.
Following Iran’s recent launch of nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, an official clarified the following: First and foremost, we advise Israel and do not “allow” Israel. Additionally, nothing will transpire today.”
Japan has acted quickly by sending two Self Defense Force (SDF) planes to Lebanon with the intention of possibly flying out Japanese citizens.
According to information provided by the national television station of Japan, NHK, these C-2 transport aircraft are anticipated to land in Jordan and Greece on Friday.
Beforehand, in October and November 2023, Japan conveyed SDF airplane to clear more than 100 people from Israel, a blend of Japanese and South Korean residents effectively.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong made the announcement on Thursday that her country had secured 500 commercial flight seats to assist Australians, permanent residents, and their families in leaving Lebanon by Saturday.
According to Ms. Wong, providing these seats, which provide an escape route to Cyprus from Beirut, serves approximately 1,700 Australians who are known to be in Lebanon.
On Thursday, significant numbers of refugees arrived in southern Turkey, which was crowded with them. IHA, a Turkish news agency, confirmed that a ship carrying more than 300 passengers set sail from Tripoli, Lebanon, and reached a port in Mersin, Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast.
IHA noted that the Med Lines ship carrying foreign nationals was the third such vessel to arrive at the port of Mersin recently. According to the IHA report, passengers continued on to their respective homelands from there.
On Thursday, the Israeli military made the announcement that it had targeted approximately 200 Hezbollah locations throughout Lebanon, including observation posts and weapons storage facilities. They claimed that at least 15 Hezbollah members were killed in the strikes, but this has not been independently verified.
Following Israel’s warning to evacuate approximately 50 southern villages and towns, hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes in a mass exodus. The residents were told to move to areas 36 miles (60 km) from the border, which is a lot further north than a buffer zone declared by the UN.
Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in almost daily firefights across the Lebanon border since the day after Hamas’ cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and captured 250 others.
Israel declared war as a response to the militant group’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Over 41,000 Palestinians have died in the territory, with women and children accounting for just over half of the deaths, according to local health officials.
In a separate incident, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have launched two drones overnight at Tel Aviv.
The military said they saw two drones off the coast of the big city, and they were able to shoot one of them down while the other fell into the Mediterranean Sea.
