Israel, Hezbollah trade fire as Beirut toll climbs
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH: The war rages on, with Israel and the Hezbollah guerrilla group ratcheting up attacks. It follows a fatal Israeli attack on a southern Beirut suburb that is likely to worsen regional tensions. The United States has called its citizens in Lebanon to leave the war-torn country, a place where death toll keeps rising.
State News: Beirut bombing death toll now 37
At least 37 people, including seven women and three children, were killed in a “targeted attack” by the Israeli military on a Beirut suburb, according to Firass Abiad, health minister of Lebanon. A total of 68 people were injured in the strike; 15 remain hospitalized. The explosion, last Friday, struck a crowded location at rush hour. Rescue operations are still taking place and there is likely to be more information about the number of casualties.
Background of the Conflict
In Beirut, the strike was the deadliest attack on Lebanon’s capital since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The Iranians operate in Syria against Israel from their bases there; they (the Iranian units) have been motivated by rockets fired by Iran’s “Lebanese arm,” the Shiite Hezbollah, to do so in response to bombing operations. Sixteen Hezbollah members were reported killed, with the Israel military confirming the deaths of commander’s Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi. Fifteen of its fighters have also been killed in Israeli raids, Hezbollah said.
Hezbollah’s Response
Hezbollah responded by firing rockets into northern Israel. Some 85 rockets were fired into Israel on Sunday, reaching as far as Kiryat Bialik and Tsur Shalom. Others were intercepted, some set off fires and at least one led to minor injuries. In retaliation, Israel has bombed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
U.S. Tells Citizens to Get Out of Lebanon
The State Department has issued a travel advisory urging Americans to get out of Lebanon while commercial flights are still available. Shrinking numbers of flights and the violence have expanded worries about other Americans being able to get out of the country soon.
Lebanese PM Cancels UN Trip
With violence continuing, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called off his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Mikati said it was essential to resolve the worsening standoff between Israel and Hezbollah.
Damage from the Beirut Strike
An Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut flattened an eight-story building and killed three Lebanese on a crowded street near the site, damaging several buildings. Lebanese troops cordoned off the area and the Lebanese Red Cross also assisted in recovery efforts. Hezbollah said the strike hit a meeting of its operatives in the basement of one of these buildings
More Attacks and Escalation
Hezbollah has also taken credit for rocket strikes on Israeli military targets as well as Israel’s Ramat David airbase. The group said the strikes were in response to some of the hundreds of Lebanese civilians killed by Israeli airstrikes. It was the same day Israeli forces attacked souther Lebanon with over 400 hits on Hezbollah rocket launchers.
New Safety Measures in Israel
In the meantime, as violence escalates, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has issued new security instructions for locations north of Haifa. Public gatherings have been capped at 30 people in outdoor areas and 300 persons indoors. In northern Israel, schools have started to cancel class, especially near the borders with Syria and Lebanon.
Israel and the Shiite militant group Hezbollah exchanged airstrikes Monday in the fiercest clashes since a cease-fire ended their 34-day war July, inflicting casualties and damage over broad areas of north Lebanon. The region remains dangerously destabilised and there appears no imminent resolution to the conflict. The international community, including the U.S., is watching developments carefully, and has told its citizens in Lebanon to leave.