Israel expanded its bombardment in Lebanon on Saturday, hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs with a dozen airstrikes and striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.
Thousands of people in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to flee the widening conflict in the region, while rallies were held around the world marking the approaching anniversary of the start of the war in Gaza.
Israel's attack on the northern Beddawi camp killed an official with Hamas’ military wing along with his wife and two young daughters, the Palestinian militant group said. Hamas later said another military wing member was killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley. Residents confronted the aftermath: smashed buildings, scattered bricks and stairways to nowhere.
Israel’s military said it killed two senior officials with Hamas’ military wing in Lebanon, where fighting has sharply escalated. Israel has killed several Hamas officials there since the Israel-Hamas war began , in addition to most of the top leadership of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.
At least 1,400 Lebanese, including civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes in less than two weeks.
Plumes of smoke dominated the skyline over Beirut’s densely populated southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah commanders and military equipment and aims to drive the militant group away from shared borders so displaced Israelis can return to their homes.
Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, calling it a show of support for the Palestinians. Hezbollah and Israel's military have traded fire almost daily.
Last week, Israel launched what it called a limited ground operation into southern Lebanon after a series of attacks killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others. The fighting is the worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a brief war in 2006. Nine Israeli soldiers have been killed in the ground clashes that Israel says have killed 440 Hezbollah fighters.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters in Damascus that “we are trying to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and in Lebanon.” The minister did not name the countries putting forward initiatives, saying they include regional states and some outside the Middle East.
Araghchi spoke a day after the supreme leader of Iran praised its recent missile strikes on Israel and said it was ready to do it again if necessary.
On Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “Israel has the duty and the right to defend itself and respond to these attacks, and it will do so.” On Lebanon, he said ”we are not done yet."
Israel’s military on Saturday said about 90 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Most were intercepted, but several fell in the northern Arab town of Deir al-Asad, where police said three people were lightly injured.
At least six people in Lebanon were killed in more than a dozen Israeli airstrikes overnight and into Saturday, according to the Lebanese state-run National News Agency.
Nearly 375,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria in less than two weeks, according to a Lebanese government committee.
Associated Press journalists saw hundreds continuing to cross the Masnaa Border Crossing on foot, crunching over the rubble after Israeli airstrikes left huge craters in the road leading to it on Thursday. Much of Hezbollah’s weaponry is believed to come from Iran through Syria.
“We were on the road for two days,” said Issa Hilal, one of many Syrian refugees in Lebanon who are now heading back. “The roads were very crowded … it was very difficult. We almost died getting here." Some children whimpered or cried.
Other displaced families now shelter alongside Beirut’s famous seaside Corniche, their wind-flapped tents just steps from luxury homes. “We don’t care if we die, but we don’t want to die at the hands of Netanyahu,” said Om Ali Mcheik.
The Israeli military said special forces were carrying out ground raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, destroying missiles, launchpads and weapons storage facilities. It said troops dismantled tunnel shafts that Hezbollah used to approach the Israeli border.
Almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to the Health Ministry there, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. Almost 90% of Gaza’s residents are now displaced, amid widespread destruction.
Palestinian medical officials said Israeli strikes in northern and central Gaza on Saturday killed at least nine people. One in the northern town of Beit Hanoun killed at least five, including two children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Another hit a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least four, Awda hospital said.
Israel's military did not have any immediate comment but has long accused Hamas of operating from within civilian areas.
An Israeli airstrike killed two children in Gaza City’s Zaytoun neighborhood, according to the civil defense first responders’ group that operates under the Hamas-run government.
Israel's military warned Palestinians to evacuate along the strategic Netzarim corridor in central Gaza that was at the heart of obstacles to a cease-fire deal. The military told people in parts of the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps to evacuate to Muwasi, a coastal area it has designated a humanitarian zone.
It’s unclear how many Palestinians are in those areas. Israeli forces have often returned to areas in Gaza to target Hamas fighters as they regroup.
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16 Comments
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Yrral
Taiwan,was bombing before Oct 7,now they reaping what they sowed,with compounded interest,Oct 7 has happened everyday with Israel,until it finally happened to them
Yrral
Taiwan,I guess the US terrorism against others , should not go unpunished
Yrral
Their lobbyist do not control the Judicial system, even when lots of Judges are Jews,they are not swayed by the lobbyist
WoodyLee
""Israel expanded its bombardment in Lebanon on Saturday, hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs with a dozen airstrikes and striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.""
Standard Israeli fighting, Go after the civilians in order to pressure on the resistance, it hasn't worked yet and probably never will.
WoodyLee
That photo of the wounded girl in a hospital bed tells it all.
A Disgusting World, standing by and watching.
bass4funk
Israel is in the fight for their very existence, never give up, never give in.
wallace
Hundreds if not thousands of civilians have been killed.
Yrral
Bass4,I guess Israelis Jews like living in perpetual hell ,not only with their government ,but with occupation of Palestine
Yrral
Bass4,when is MAGA gonna put some coherent resistance
Yrral
Iran is not done with you Bibi
bass4funk
Seems like they are raining hell on Hezbollah
?
If they continue, Bibi won't be done with them and I really wouldn't want to be on that receiving end.
kurisupisu
No!
The Jewish people are not at all satisfied with their government.
There are MASS protests, at present,in Tel Aviv demonstrating against Nentanyahu and his government!
JJE
Pull the other one.
It's called an invasion.
By one UN member state against another.
Also, neighbours remember.
TokyoLiving
Wait for more Iran and Hezbollah counterattack..
bass4funk
Bad for them, talk about a death wish.
They absolutely are.
Honestly, that is the plan of the Arabs, so kill or be killed, the Jews are not trying to kill the Arabs, but what happened on Oct. 7 is a wake-up call to every Jew that the Arabs absolutely don't want peace, so the only thing they can do is a pre-emptive strike and kill the main aggressors or be killed, because the Arabs will never live in peace next to the Jews, they can will not, no matter how many concessions they make.
mrtinjp
That photo of the wounded girl in a hospital bed tells it all.
Taking about photos and videos, may want to watch the oct7-23 unedited ones, that's what the caliphate
ideology does, and that's what Israel/west is fighting.