Beirut: Israel continued to expand its bombardment in Lebanon on Saturday, reports stated. Its airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburb. The airstrikes also hit a Palestinian refugee camp in the north for the first time, reported the Hindustan Times.
Lebanese officials claimed that some of the strikes were ‘very violent.’ “Israeli enemy warplanes carried out four very violent strikes on (Beirut’s) southern suburbs, and one strike on the Chweifat,” area Lebanon’s National News Agency stated according to the AFP.
Here’s what happened?
- TheIsraeli strikes on Saturday night in Beirut sparked flashes of red and white for nearly 30 minutes. These came amid days of bombings by Israel on Beirut, which is a stronghold for Iran-backed, Hezbollah.
- 400 Hezbollah fighters eliminated: The Israeli military claimed that they had killed more than 400 Hezbollah fighters. The fighters were killed after Israel had launched ground operations inside southern Lebanon.
- Call to evacuate: The Israeli army issued a fresh call for residents to evacuate Beirut’s southern suburbs. “For your safety and that of your family members, you must immediately evacuate the designated buildings and those adjacent to them and move away from them at least 500 meters,” spokesperson of the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee said, as quoted by AFP.
- Successor to slain Hezbollah leader missing: The officials in Lebanon claimed that the potential successor to slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hashem Safiddine, couldn’t be contacted since Friday. It is feared that when Israel carried out a large strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday night, he may have been targeted.
- Exodus: Thousands of people in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to escape the conflict zone.
- Dismantled terrorist tunnel: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that they dismantled 250 meters of a terrorist tunnel in southern part of Lebanon.
- High alert: Israel is on high alert ahead of the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack. At least 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack, eventually leading to the massive conflict.
- Remark of French prez: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for a pause on arms deliveries to Israel for use in Gaza. He also criticized Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s move to send troops into ground operations in Lebanon.
- Sharp reaction from Netanyahu: Netanyahu reacted by calling Macron’s remarks a “shame”. He claimed that all civilised countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side. “Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, on Hamas and on its other proxies?,” he asked.
- UAE stands with Lebanon: Following the directives of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the country launched a national relief campaign to support Lebanon.
- Relief package: The UAE, in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO), dispatched an aircraft carrying 40 tonnes of urgent medical aid to Lebanon.
