[🇱🇧] Lebanon - Israel Conflict -2024

Ghazi52 · Oct 16, 2024

As Israeli strikes resume, there are no guarantees for people in Beirut

Nafiseh Kohnavard
Middle East correspondent, BBC World Service, in Beirut

The air strikes on Beirut this morning came less than 24 hours after Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati told Al Jazeera that the US had given "some kind of a guarantee" that Israel would de-escalate in Beirut and its suburbs.

But in the same hour the interview was being broadcast, here in Beirut, Israeli surveillance drones were flying low across the city, and Israeli jets caused sonic booms that sounded like actual explosions.

There had been days of anonymous quotes from US, Israeli and Lebanese officials regarding "a guarantee to stop attacks on Beirut and its southern suburbs".

Even Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the pause after talking to US President Joe Biden. Although this was denied by Netanyahu himself, some Israeli channels quoted unknown officials that such agreement was in place.

As we reported earlier, Israel says its air force targeted an underground Hezbollah weapons site.

Whatever the target was, the strikes sent a message that there is no guarantee that Beirut and its southern suburb will be excluded from Israeli attacks.

People in Beirut are back to square one - with PM Mikati’s words vanishing in the air.

Image source, Reuters
Displaced people in Beirut, in a school turned shelter

Ghazi52 · Oct 16, 2024

Hezbollah launches rocket barrages towards Israel

From CNN's Jessie Yeung

Hezbollah said it sent “barrages” of rockets into several areas of northern Israel overnight, while the Israeli military said it had identified dozens of projectiles launched from Lebanon.

About 50 “projectiles” were identified crossing into Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“Some of the projectiles were intercepted and fallen projectiles were identified in the area,” the IDF said.

The IDF did not report any injuries. The extent of the damage is unclear.

The attack comes a day after Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem called on Israelis to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon or face “pain” as the group changes its strategy to strike harder and deeper into Israel.

Israel is opposed to a “unilateral ceasefire” in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.