The Lebanon’s Health Ministry says that Israeli air strikes in central Beirut on Thursday killed at least 22 and injured 117 other people.
* BBC reporters heard loud blasts echoing in Bachoura, an area of the city that is dominated by Shias.
Local media reports indicate that the apparent target is Wafiq Saffa, Hassan Nasrallah’s brother-in law and one of Hezbollah’s highest ranking security officials. The group’s press office has not yet responded.
Israel reported that Hezbollah had fired more than 190 missiles from Lebanon at Israel yesterday
Live Reporting
* Thousands of UN Peacekeepers to Remain in Southern Lebanon Published at 08:21 British summer time08:21 BST Image Source, EPA Image Caption, UN Peacekeepers, pictured Here Last Month, Patrol Wazzani Village in Southern LebanonMore Than 10,000 UN Peacekeepers will remain south Lebanon amid growing concern for their safety, as the cross border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is continuing. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN peacekeeping chief, said that 300 Unifil personnel had been relocated to bigger bases due to safety concerns. His comments follow yesterday’s injuries of two Unifil peacekeepers after an Israeli tank opened fire on a watchtower in the force headquarters in Ras al Naqoura. The UN described the attack as “a grave violation” of international law, along with others that have been made against UN positions over the past 24 hours. The IDF claimed that its troops fired from the area surrounding the base after ordering base members to remain in “protected areas”. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is a peacekeeping force that was created in 1978 to monitor hostilities in southern Lebanon and to help ensure humanitarian access for civilians. Share page About sharing
* Total shock at the site of the latest Israeli strikepublished on 07:56 British Summer Time07;56 BSTCarine TorbeyBBC Arabic Correspondent, in Beirut At the site of an Israeli airstrike in the heart Beirut, Basta, the shock is total. Everyone I spoke to said they never imagined that their popular residential neighbourhood would be targeted. As tractors remove rubble from the building, passersby stare in disbelief. One teenager told of her visit to check on the house of her grandfather, while the other named the residents. She says, “We’ve been neighbours for decades.” A lady, who was looking at the dust-covered fruit and vegetable stands, told me that she thought this neighborhood was very safe. “People who were displaced from their homes sought refuge here. She asks, “How could they have done that?” The attack also killed a family of five that fled the airstrikes at Tyre, in southern Lebanon. Nweiri, a mixed neighbourhood, is home to both Sunni and Shiaa citizens. It is located in the heart Beirut. Israeli media claim that the army targeted an important political official within Hezbollah during the attack which killed 22 people and injured over 90. Hezbollah claims the official was not even at the location of the attack. Share page About sharing
* IDF claims it has killed a senior figure in a Palestinian militant group Published at 07:35 British Summer Time07;35 BSTThe Israel Defense Forces say they have killed Muhammad Abdullah on the occupied West Bank. Abdullah, they say, is the leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in the Nur Shams Refugee Camp in Tulkarm. In a posting on X, IDF claims that the attack was a joint effort with Israeli security agency Shin Bet. Weapons and vehicles were also confiscated. Share page About sharing
* IDF: Drone shot down near Lachishpublished on 07:12 British Summer Time07;12 BSTThe IDF claims to have shot down a “unmanned aircraft” that had crossed into the country’s territory in a posting on X. The drone was shot west of Lachish. Separately, reports have been made of rocket sirens being heard in the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel, and in areas near the Lebanon border. Share page About sharing
Hezbollah delays public appearance of its media chiefpublished at 06:56 British Summer Time06;56 BSTHezbollah’s media relations office postponed a scheduled public appearance by its chief, which was scheduled for today following Israel’s attacks on the Lebanese Capital. Hajj Mohammed Afif had been scheduled to meet with the ministers of information, culture and the National Media Council’s speaker. The office announced that a news conference that was scheduled to follow the talks had also been postponed until a later date. Share page About sharing
EPA Image source. Let’s quickly review the main points this morning after Israel’s latest attacks on Beirut. Lebanese officials have confirmed that 22 people were killed and 117 injured in Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut yesterday. There was no warning before the strikes, which targeted residential buildings in two densely populated neighbourhoods in Bachoura, a small Shia district in the capital. This is the third air strike Israel has conducted on the city, outside of Dahieh where it has repeatedly struck. BBC reporters heard the explosions and missiles. Safa, a senior Hezbollah member and close ally to Hezbollah’s former long-term leadership Hassan Nasrallah, is believed to have survived. Hezbollah media nor the Israeli military have commented. Share page About sharing
Lebanese officials report that 22 people were killed and 117 injured in Israeli airstrikes against central Beirut on yesterday evening
* No warning was given before the strikes that hit residential buildings in two densely populated neighbourhoods in Bachoura, a small Shia district in the capital
* This is the third air strike by Israel on the city outside the suburb of Dahieh where it has repeatedly struck
* BBC reporters heard the explosions and missiles after two days of relative quiet in Lebanon’s capital
* Media outlets citing security sources claim that the apparent target, Wafiq SAF, survived. Safa, a senior Hezbollah member and close ally to Hezbollah’s former long-term head Hassan Nasrallah, is a Hezbollah leader. Hezbollah media and the Israeli military have not commented.
The video cannot be played. To play this video, you must enable JavaScript in the browser. Media caption: Watch: Rescuers dig in rubble in central Beirut following fresh strikesTwo loud thuds shook the doors and windows in our hotel. Two large columns of smoke rose into the night sky. This signaled a shift of Israeli targets from the southern suburbs where they had concentrated most of their attacks against Hezbollah in the capital. Rescuers pulled away rubble to search for survivors throughout the night and ambulances transported dozens of injured to hospital. This was the deadliest attack on central Beirut since Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah in the last month. It hit a densely built residential area. The Israeli Defence Force did not issue a warning as it has done in the past before other attacks. Share page About sharing
* Lebanon says 22 dead and 117 injured in Israeli strikes on central Beirutpublished on 06:25 British Summer time06:25 BST Image Source, Reuters Israel carried out its most deadly attack on central Beirut, since its war against Hezbollah escalated last month. The Lebanese Health Ministry said at least 22 people were killed in air attacks on residential neighbourhoods. Rescuers are digging through the rubble of Bachoura, the small Shia district in the capital where the strikes struck, to find the injured 117. Security sources are quoted by media outlets as saying that Wafiq safa, a close ally to assassinated Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah who was the apparent target of the latest attacks, survived. Hezbollah and Israel’s military have not commented. Israel Defense Forces has not made any comment. Stay with us as we update you from our London newsroom, along with our Beirut and Jerusalem reporters, throughout the day. Share page About sharing
JavaScript is required to play this video.
Read More @ www.bbc.com