The military of Israel attacked central Beirut in an airstrike, killing nine people amidst ongoing clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. In that overnight strike, targeting a building in the Bashoura residential district near the parliament, 14 others were injured, of which four people are still in hospital.
This is the second attack on Beirut this week. Hezbollah-aligned al-Manar TV said the building that came under attack was affiliated with the group’s health unit. The Islamic Health Authority, affiliated with Hezbollah, said seven of its employees – including two medics – were killed.
The explosion was tremendous and shook the building next to it, witnesses added. However, the most threatening one on Lebanese soil came Saturday when at least four missiles hit the Hezbollah stronghold in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut, where its leader Hassan Nasrallah reportedly had been killed last week.
The Lebanese army said it had lost one soldier, and another one was injured during an Israeli attack while accompanying an evacuation operation with the Lebanese Red Cross in Taybeh village. Four paramedics of the Red Cross were wounded in this attack.
Earlier, Israel said it had killed 15 Hezbollah fighters in an airstrike on a municipal building in Bint Jbeil. That report came word that eight Israeli soldiers were killed in ground fighting as Israel stepped up military operations.
Hezbollah said its fighters had forced the Israeli troops to retreat from many border points. Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan says Israel appears to be turning to aerial bombardments amid setbacks on the ground.
With tensions mounting, Israel has issued new orders for the evacuation of towns along its southern border, advising everyone to move north of the Awali River and telling those already evacuated not to return until advised.
