Israel’s military launched a series of airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, marking one of its most intense daytime offensives in the region since the defense minister dismissed the possibility of a ceasefire until Israeli objectives were fulfilled.
Thick plumes of smoke rose over Beirut as approximately a dozen airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs starting in the mid-morning.
An advisory from the Israeli army posted on social media cautioned residents that they were in proximity to Hezbollah facilities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
In northern Israel, civilians were compelled to seek shelter as attack drones were deployed from Lebanon, according to military sources.
Smoke emanates from the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
A strike by Israel resulted in the deaths of five individuals in the village of Baalchmay, located about 15km southeast of Beirut, as reported by Lebanon’s health ministry.
Another fatality occurred due to an Israeli strike in Hermel, a city in northeastern Lebanon, according to the ministry.
Since the onset of Israeli bombardments in September, many residents have largely vacated the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Video footage shared on social media depicted one airstrike where two missiles impacted a roughly 10-story building, demolishing it and sending debris into the air.
Security sources indicate that the recent airstrikes have led to the destruction of 15 buildings in the southern suburbs.
Spurred by the ongoing Gaza conflict, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah had been escalating for a year prior to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in September, during which extensive airstrikes and troop deployments occurred in southern regions.
Rescue teams rush to the scene of an Israeli strike in Baalchmay, located in the Lebanese mountains.
Israel has inflicted severe damage on Hezbollah, reportedly killing many of its leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, and devastating significant portions of the southern suburbs, along with border villages to the south and broader strikes throughout Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese health ministry, Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of over 3,200 individuals in Lebanon since hostilities began, with the majority of casualties occurring in the past seven weeks.
Hezbollah’s attacks have resulted in approximately 100 civilian and military deaths in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon over the last year.
The Israeli military asserted that the air force targeted around 100 Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, which included infrastructure, weapons storage sites, numerous militants, and launch systems that were used to fire projectiles into Israel.
‘Alarming’ human cost
Israel’s new defense minister, Israel Katz, stated yesterday that a ceasefire in Lebanon would not be entertained until Israel achieves its objectives.
“Israel will not consent to any arrangement that does not secure its right to enforce and avert terrorism independently, as well as fulfill the war’s objectives in Lebanon – disarming Hezbollah, ensuring its withdrawal beyond the Litani River, and safely returning the residents of the north to their homes,” he emphasized.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar mentioned yesterday that there had been “some progress” in ceasefire discussions, though he reiterated that the conflict was far from resolved and that enforcing any ceasefire agreement would present significant challenges.
The Lebanese government, which includes Hezbollah, has continuously advocated for a ceasefire in alignment with the full enforcement of a UN Resolution that concluded a previous conflict between the group and Israel in 2006.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that his country is not yet seeking a ceasefire.
This resolution stipulates that the area south of the Litani River should be devoid of any weapons except for those belonging to the Lebanese state. Both Lebanon and Israel have accused one another of infringing upon the terms of this resolution.
Israel’s conflict has displaced over 1 million individuals in Lebanon, contributing to a burgeoning humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s rocket fire directed at northern Israel has prompted tens of thousands of residents to evacuate the area throughout the past year.
Imran Riza, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, remarked that the conflict is exacting a severe human toll, indicating that airstrikes reportedly killed 23 people—including seven children—in a village in Mount Lebanon yesterday.
“On the same day, an airstrike in the city of Tyre resulted in the deaths of five siblings from the same family, all of whom had special needs,” he stated in a press release.
