UPDATE: The death toll resulting from the Israeli raid on southern Beirut has risen to 12 dead and 66 wounded, nine in critical condition, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Explosions rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday as an Israeli drone strike targeted a residential building in the city’s southern suburb.
According to the Lebanese news platform Al-Mayadeen, four missiles were employed in the attack, leading to the complete destruction of the building.
Al-Jazeera reported that the missile, launched by an Israeli aircraft, struck a building in the densely populated Al-Qaim area, which is surrounded by residential buildings and shops.
According to the Lebanese News Agency, an Israeli F-35 jet fired missiles at an apartment in the Al-Jamous neighborhood, also in the southern suburb.
Medical sources informed Al Jazeera that the airstrike resulted in casualties, including five children among those killed.
🚨AL-MAYADEEN: An Israeli raid with 4 missiles targeted a residential apartment in the Al-Qaim neighborhood in the southern suburb of Beirut. Details are emerging.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG https://t.co/Kup8X6ynJv pic.twitter.com/TkAoXYU7ln
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 20, 2024
While Israeli media reported that a senior Hezbollah leader was targeted, the Lebanese movement has yet to release information.
The Israeli news website Walla reported that preliminary estimates suggest the raid took place during a meeting of Hezbollah leaders and targeted Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Tahseen, who serves as the head of Hezbollah’s Special Operations Department and is a member of the Jihad Council.
In the immediate aftermath of the strike, the British Foreign Office urged its citizens to leave Lebanon without delay and advised against any travel to the country.
LEBANESE NEWS AGENCY: At least five children were killed in an Israeli raid on Beirut's southern suburb.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG https://t.co/Kup8X6ynJv pic.twitter.com/6PEuAnCd2z
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 20, 2024
Heightened Tensions
This comes amid heightened fears of an imminent conflict following the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, which reportedly resulted in thousands of Hezbollah communication devices being destroyed and hundreds of casualties.
On Friday, approximately 130 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon into northern Israel on Friday morning, causing power outages in several areas of Safed.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that firefighting and rescue teams were dispatched to several locations in Safed after fires broke out while Al-Mayadeen reported, citing Israeli media, that firefighters are not allowed to extinguish fires in Safed for fear of additional missiles.
Power Outages and Destruction in Northern Israel – 130 Rockets Fired from Lebanon
The Israeli military stated that the rockets were launched in two waves, targeting Safed in the Upper Galilee and the northern Golan Heights.
Power outages were reported in some areas of Safed as a result of the rocket fire.
One Israeli was reported to have been injured when his car was damaged during missile interceptions in the Golan Heights.
This is a developing story.
(PC, AJA)
Be the first to comment