Israel intensified airstrikes in Beirut on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 individuals and the destruction of a 10-story building near the city center during the third week of its conflict with Hezbollah, as reported by Lebanese authorities. Additionally, two people lost their lives in an airstrike in Lebanon’s western Bekaa Valley, according to officials. Initially, reports indicated that all 12 casualties on Wednesday were in Beirut, but this was later clarified.
Furthermore, Israeli warplanes commenced targeting bridges over the Litani River connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, with at least two bridges destroyed, as stated by Lebanese state media. The Israeli military announced its intention to strike bridges on the Litani to impede Hezbollah’s movement of fighters and weapons, reiterating a warning for southern residents to evacuate.
The ongoing Hezbollah-Israel conflict has become the deadliest spill-over of the U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran since March 2 when the Iran-backed group supported Tehran by firing at Israel. The death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon rose to 968 on Wednesday, up from 912 the previous day, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. This figure includes 116 children and 77 women, with over one million individuals displaced in Lebanon due to the conflict.
Throughout the night and into the morning, airstrikes persisted in Beirut, illuminating the sky over the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, which have been heavily targeted by Israel. The escalation in central Beirut, where Israel struck four buildings within eight hours, followed a significant rocket attack against Israel by Hezbollah late on Tuesday, with around 100 rockets fired, as per Lebanese security sources.
The Israeli military asserted that preventive strikes had thwarted the Hezbollah assault and completed a series of overnight strikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon. The airstrikes in Beirut targeted buildings in close proximity to the rebuilt downtown area post the 1975-1990 civil war and the Lebanese government’s headquarters. These districts are historically diverse neighborhoods where a significant Shia Muslim population resides, and where Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, wield political influence.
Notably, Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported the death of one of its broadcasters, Mohammad Sherri, and his wife in a strike in the Zuqaq al-Blat neighborhood. Additionally, the Israeli military announced targeting Hezbollah’s financial arm, Al-Qard Al-Hassan, in Beirut, and confirmed the Israeli navy’s strike on Hezbollah militants within the city.
Residents in Beirut, like Abu Khalil, assisted in evacuating people from their homes in the Bachoura district after Israel’s military issued a warning on social media indicating its intention to target the 10-story building before demolishing it with a strike. Khalil expressed dismay, stating, “It’s just an operation to hurt, to terrify people, to terrify children. What is there here?”
The Israeli military issued a warning on social media ahead of the strike in Bachoura, highlighting the target building as a Hezbollah facility. However, no warnings were issued for the strikes in Zuqaq al-Blat and Basta. Israel also conducted airstrikes in eastern and southern Lebanon, areas under Hezbollah’s influence that have witnessed extensive bombing in recent weeks.
No casualties have been reported in Israel from Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks. However, the Israeli military confirmed the deaths of two soldiers in southern Lebanon during its ground operations. In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike hit a petrol station, and another strike resulted in the death of a town council member, as reported by state media. Additionally, four individuals lost their lives in an airstrike in Baalbeck in eastern Lebanon, while ten people were killed in airstrikes across three different locations in the south, according to the state news agency, citing the Health Ministry.
