The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate, with Israeli airstrikes hitting the southern suburbs of Beirut for the first time in six days. This aggressive action comes despite recent assurances from the United States government to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati that Israel might be easing its strikes in the Lebanese capital.
While Israel claims that these strikes target Hezbollah assets in the suburbs, which are a stronghold of the militant group, the affected areas are also heavily populated with residential and commercial buildings. The Israeli military specifically stated that their Wednesday strike aimed at a weapons warehouse beneath a residential building, posting an evacuation warning on X (formerly Twitter) shortly before the attack. An Associated Press photographer witnessed three strikes in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, confirming the Israeli account.
This escalation in violence follows a week of intense fighting, sparked by Hezbollah’s rocket fire into Israel on October 8th in solidarity with Hamas after their surprise attack on southern Israel. What was initially a low-level conflict has now transformed into an all-out war, displacing an estimated 1.2 million people in Lebanon.
Adding to the grim situation, Israeli strikes in the southern town of Qana on Tuesday night resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defense. Nuhad Bustanji, a spokesperson for the first responders, reported that rescue efforts are ongoing and the casualty count could rise. Videos shared on social media show the devastating impact of the strikes, depicting the smoking ruins of the targeted building and damage to surrounding structures. Local media reported multiple strikes in the town on Tuesday night.
Qana holds a particularly tragic significance, as it was the site of an Israeli artillery strike on a United Nations compound in 1996, killing dozens of civilians. This latest attack in Qana is a stark reminder of the human cost of this ongoing conflict.
With each passing day, the situation in Lebanon grows more dire, raising concerns about the potential for further escalation and the devastating impact on the civilian population.