Israeli Strikes Kill 22 In Beirut

Israeli strikes killed 22 people and injured more than 100 in central Beirut on Thursday, Lebanese authorities said, as a senior Hezbollah official evaded an Israeli assassination attempt in the city, according to three security sources.

In Lebanon’s south, two United Nations peacekeepers were injured when an Israeli tank fired at a watchtower at the force’s main headquarters in Naqoura, prompting the UN to say its personnel were facing increasing danger.

Israel has been pursuing a widening offensive against Hezbollah in that area.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted one year ago when the Iranian-backed group opened fire in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.

Targets
It has intensified dramatically in recent weeks, with Israel bombing Beirut’s southern suburbs, the south and the Bekaa Valley, and killing many of Hezbollah’s top leaders.

Wafiq Safa, who heads Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, was targeted by Israel on Thursday night but survived, the security sources said.

The Israeli strikes hit a densely packed residential neighbourhood of apartment buildings and small shops in the heart of Beirut.

“I was praying. We heard the first strike and I thought it was in my house. The second one was much more powerful than the first one,” said Ala’a Baydoun, a resident whose house was damaged. “I went to see where the strike was, and I saw that in my house, the glass and windows had shattered. We came and saw this scene. It was a horrifying scene. It was something unbelievable.”

Evacuation Warnings
Israel did not issue evacuation warnings ahead of the strikes and had not previously attacked the area, which is removed from Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah’s headquarters have been repeated bombarded by Israel.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 22 people killed and 117 wounded. Among the dead was a family of eight, including three children, who had evacuated from the south, according to a security source.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,169 people in Lebanon over the last year, the Lebanese government said in its daily update. The majority have been killed since Sept. 23, when Israel expanded its military campaign. The toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq