Israel air strikes kill 37 in Beirut, tensions escalate.
Beirut: An Israeli air raid on Friday killed 37 people including three children and seven women in Beirut, taking the toll from recent attacks on Lebanon to new heights.
Health Minister Firass Abiad said more than 60 were injured while rescue operations continued on Saturday to find 17 still trapped under rubble. An enraged Lebanese interior minister termed it a “war crime”.
Israel claimed targeting senior Hezbollah commanders while the latter confirmed losing two top leaders. With Israel targeting sites in northern Lebanon and Hezbollah retaliating, clashes intensified raising fears of a wider conflict.
Expressing shock, residents said shops downed shutters in tense Dahiya as more exits followed explosions blamed on Israel earlier. Iran’s supreme leader decried “shameless attacks” on children.
Experts warned the violations risk normalizing amid Western silence. Escalation also threatens to distract from Gaza where rights violations continue, they said.
Top Israeli leaders indicated an appetite for tougher combat deeper inside Lebanon. But observers saw attempts to “monster” Hezbollah through multidimensional strikes to compel tactical retreat, reflecting nearly a year of efforts against Gaza militants.
Condemnations poured in as the UN reiterated calls for restraint and Lebanon entered a “decisive” new phase of defending its sovereignty.
