The Israeli military is preparing a response to the Iranian missile barrage that targeted Israel earlier this week, as it expands its bombardment of Lebanon. The military official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation, stated, “The IDF (Israeli military) is preparing a response to the unprecedented and unlawful Iranian attack on Israeli civilians and Israel.” This escalation comes after Israel launched 12 airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and, for the first time, struck a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. The strike on the Beddawi refugee camp near Tripoli, much farther north than previous targets, resulted in the death of a Hamas military wing official, his wife, and two young daughters, according to a statement released by the Palestinian militant group. Since the Israel-Hamas war began last October, Israel has targeted several Hamas officials in Lebanon, including most of the top leadership of Hezbollah. Overnight into Saturday, more than a dozen Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least six people, as reported by Lebanon’s official news agency, National News Agency.
Israel’s intensified bombing campaign in Lebanon took a new turn on Saturday with its first strike in the northern city of Tripoli, a Lebanese security official confirmed. This follows the bombing of Beirut suburbs and Israeli troop raids in the south. Over the past few weeks, Israel has launched an intense bombing campaign in Lebanon and deployed troops across the border, following nearly a year of exchanging fire with Hezbollah. While the majority of the conflict has been concentrated along the Israel-Lebanon border, it has taken place simultaneously with Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza against Hamas. Israel maintains that its actions are necessary to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to their homes in northern Israel, which have been bombarded by Hezbollah since October 8, 2022. In this context, Israel’s military response underscores its position as a significant Middle East military power.
Meanwhile, China announced on Saturday that it has evacuated 215 of its nationals from Lebanon. The evacuations come as Israel continues its intense bombardment of Lebanon, which has resulted in over 1,100 deaths since last month. Earlier this week, Israel reported that its troops had launched “ground raids” into parts of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah, following days of heavy strikes across the country where the group maintains a presence.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a statement, urged Canadian citizens still in Lebanon to evacuate on special flights organized by the Canadian government. These flights have already helped more than 1,000 Canadians leave the country amidst the deteriorating security situation. Canada has 6,000 citizens registered to leave, with officials working to reach another 2,500 over the weekend. Additional flights are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. “We’ve still got seats on airplanes organized by Canada. We encourage all Canadians to take seats on these airplanes and get out of Lebanon while they can,” Trudeau stated at a summit of French-speaking leaders in France. The Canadian government has also extended the evacuation flights to citizens from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and some European countries due to the overwhelming demand.
