The conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate as Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut overnight, causing loud blasts and huge plumes of smoke in the southern part of the capital. The Israeli military had previously demanded the evacuation of parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The attacks were part of a wider assault that has displaced over 1.2 million Lebanese people from their homes. The intense bombardment targeted Hashem Safieddine, a likely candidate to replace Hassan Nasrallah as the leader of Hezbollah. His fate remains uncertain.
Hezbollah reported ongoing clashes with Israeli soldiers near Lebanon’s southern border, stating that Israeli soldiers attempted to advance towards the village of Adaysseh.
In other news, media linked to Hamas claimed that a leader of the group’s armed wing, along with three family members, was killed in an Israeli strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in Tripoli. The leader was identified as Saeed Atallah. Additionally, at least four hospitals in Lebanon suspended operations due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment.
Israel blocked a key road near the Masnaa border crossing with Syria, which has been used by hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Israeli attacks. The Lebanese government stated that over 300,000 individuals, predominantly Syrians, have crossed from Lebanon into Syria to escape the escalating violence.
The conflict has resulted in over 2,000 deaths in Lebanon over nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with the majority occurring in the past two weeks. In Gaza, the health ministry reported over 41,800 casualties and 96,844 injuries from Israeli military attacks since last October.
Hezbollah launched approximately 100 rockets into northern Israel, while Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that Hezbollah and Hamas would emerge stronger with new leaders. US President Joe Biden expressed uncertainty regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s influence on peace deals in the Middle East.
Israeli soldiers detained over 24 individuals, including minors, in raids in the Hebron province of the West Bank. Funerals were held for the 18 people killed in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in Tulkarm, including a family of four. US forces conducted strikes on Houthi rebel-controlled areas in Yemen, while the UK government chartered flights for British nationals to leave Lebanon.
The situation in the Middle East remains volatile, with ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises affecting multiple countries in the region. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, urging for peace and stability to be restored in the war-torn areas.
