Lebanon crisis: Israel escalated its air campaign in Lebanon on Saturday, launching a dozen strikes on Beirut’s southern suburb.
How did Lebanese officials describe the nature of the strikes in Beirut’s southern suburb?
Israel intensified its bombardment in Lebanon on Saturday, launching a dozen airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburb and targeting a Palestinian refugee camp in the north for the first time. Lebanese officials described some of the strikes as “extremely violent,” according to local reports. Lebanon’s National News Agency, via AFP, noted, “Israeli warplanes executed four intense strikes on (Beirut’s) southern suburbs and another on the Chweifat area,” with ambulances quickly responding to the scene.
The escalating assaults followed reports in Israeli media that the military was gearing up for a “major” strike on Tehran after around 200 missiles were launched at Israeli targets earlier this week.
Latest developments in the Lebanon crisis are as follows:
1.Saturday night’s Israeli strikes in Beirut echoed across the city, lighting up the sky with red and white flashes for nearly 30 minutes. These attacks followed days of Israeli bombings targeting Beirut, known as a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group
2.The Israeli military reported having killed over 400 Hezbollah fighters since launching ground operations in southern Lebanon. “Since the start of the ground maneuver, forces have neutralized approximately 440 terrorists through both ground and air strikes, including 30 commanders of different ranks,” Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced in a televised update..
3.Amid continuous airstrikes, the Israeli military renewed its call for residents to evacuate Beirut’s southern suburbs. “For your safety and the safety of your loved ones, you must leave the targeted buildings and surrounding areas immediately, and move at least 500 meters away,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated, as reported by AFP.
4.Lebanese officials reported that Hashem Safiddine, the likely successor to slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has been unreachable since Friday, according to Reuters. As part of its campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah, Israel launched a major strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday night, which may have been aimed at Safiddine.
5.Thousands in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to escape the escalating conflict in the region, while demonstrations took place globally to commemorate the upcoming anniversary of the onset of the war in Gaza.
6.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Saturday that they had destroyed 250 meters of a terrorist tunnel in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military stated that this tunnel was intended for use by Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces in an invasion of Israel.
7.Israel is on heightened alert as the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack approaches, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 Israelis and sparked a significant conflict. In preparation for this date, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated during a televised briefing: “We are ready with increased forces, anticipating potential attacks on the home front.”
8.On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged a suspension of arms shipments to Israel intended for use in Gaza and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s choice to deploy troops for ground operations in Lebanon.
9.Macron’s remarks prompted a strong reaction from Netanyahu, who labeled them a “shame.” “As Israel confronts the forces of barbarism spearheaded by Iran, all civilized nations should stand firmly with Israel. Yet President Macron and some other Western leaders are now advocating for an arms embargo against Israel. Shame on them. Is Iran enforcing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, the Houthis, Hamas, or its other proxies? Of course not. The terror axis is united, while countries that claim to oppose this terror network are calling for an arms embargo on Israel. What a disgrace,” Netanyahu stated.
10.Following the directives of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the country has initiated a national relief campaign to aid Lebanon and its “brotherly people” amidst the ongoing escalation, named “UAE Stands with Lebanon,” as reported by ANI.
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