Six Killed As Israel Launches Airstrikes on Beirut in Escalation of Conflict with Hezbollah

Israel initiated airstrikes on Beirut on Thursday morning, yielding the loss of at least six lives. Following Israel’s most lethal day on the Lebanese front in a year, the assault occurred amid ongoing confrontations with Iran-backed Hezbollah forces.

Israel announced that it had carried out a targeted airstrike in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. A large explosion was heard, and a security source indicated that the strike hit a building in the Bachoura district, close to the parliament—marking the nearest Israeli attack to Beirut’s central downtown area to date, according to Reuters.

Rami Mortada, Lebanon’s ambassador to the UK, according to the BBC, said that Israel has opted for an escalatory course in a volatile and dangerous region, describing the move as “opening Pandora’s box.” He expressed that the “hotheads in Israel chose a different path,” despite Lebanon’s desire for a diplomatic solution.

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon, shared on X Thursday about another restless night in Beirut, where repeated explosions rock the city without the sound of warning sirens. She described the pervasive sense of uncertainty, with fear and anxiety looming over everything as no one knows what will come next.

According to Lebanese security officials, three missiles struck the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week, with loud explosions reported in the area.

Hezbollah, along with other Iran-backed groups such as Yemen’s Houthis and militias in Iraq, have launched attacks across the region in support of Hamas in its conflict with Israel in Gaza. On Thursday, the Houthis, who have previously disrupted international trade by targeting shipping routes in the Red Sea, claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial hub.

Frances Ibiefo

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