HIGHLIGHTS:
At least 558 people, including 50 children, have been killed and 1,835 wounded in Israel’s fierce bombardment of various parts of Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
…Lebanon’s Hezbollah fired a barrage of missiles at Israeli air bases in response as world leaders and the United Nations called for urgent de-escalation.Israel,
… meanwhile,Israel has continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 12 Palestinians across the besieged territory over the last 24-hour.
…The Israeli military says it has conducted a “targeted” strike in Lebanon’s capital Beirut – details are still emerging
…Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry says 558 people have been killed, including 50 children, in Israeli strikes since Monday
…Thousands of people are fleeing southern Lebanon, with families crammed into cars and gridlocked traffic on the road to Beirut
…Monday was the deadliest day in Lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990
Cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah have continued today – schools on both sides of the border have closed, with some in Lebanon used as makeshift shelters
Israel says it aims to remove the threat from Hezbollah and return displaced residents to northern Israel; Hezbollah says it is resisting Israeli “aggression” and acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza
Attacks on both sides of the border have escalated, and fears of an all-out regional conflict have grown, since a series of exploding device attacks on Hezbollah members.
An Israeli airstrike targeted a Hezbollah commander in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, two security sources in Lebanon said, as Israel struck the Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital for a second consecutive day.
The sources declined to identify who had been targeted in the strike and said his fate was unknown.
The Israeli military said it had carried out a targeted strike in Beirut, but gave no details.
The airstrike hit a building in the usually busy Ghobeiry neighbourhood. One of the security sources shared a photo showing damage to the top floor of the five-storey building.
Israel carried out a new wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and said it would keep up pressure on the armed group as its Iran-backed foe fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, amid growing fears of all-out war in the Middle East.
A day after Israeli forces launched airstrikes that Lebanese authorities said had killed more than 500 people and sent tens of thousands fleeing for safety, Israel’s military chief said attacks on Hezbollah would be accelerated.
“The situation requires continued, intense action in all arenas,” said Military Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi after holding a security assessment.
After almost a year of war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza on its southern border, Israel is shifting its focus to the northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas, which is also backed by Iran.
Lebanese authorities said 558 people had been killed, including 50 children and 94 women, in Israel’s airstrikes on Monday. A further 1,835 were wounded, they said, and tens of thousands more have fled for safety.
Calls for diplomacy are growing as the conflict worsens, with UN human rights chief Volker Turk urging all states and actors with influence to avert further escalation in Lebanon.
“I believe that we can still find a path forward to get de-escalation between Israel and across that northern border between Israel and Lebanon and bring about a diplomatic solution that allows people to return to their home,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told MSNBC.
Airlines suspending Beirut flights
Gulf airlines, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, temporarily suspended flights to Beirut as tensions soared between Israel and Hezbollah.
“The safety of our crew and customers is of utmost importance and will not be compromised,” Emirates said in a statement, announcing the suspension of flights on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Etihad Airways and flydubai also joined several international carriers in suspending Beirut services.
Etihad Airways, the United Arab Emirates’ national airline, cancelled its return flight from Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, it said in a statement sent to AFP.
And flydubai, Emirates’ low-cost sister airline, cancelled its daily flights on Tuesday and Wednesday “due to the ongoing developments”, a spokesperson said.
Germany’s Lufthansa, Air France and Delta Air Lines of the United States have also suspended flights to Beirut, with some carriers’ services to Israel and Iran also affected.
Air France extended its suspension to October 1. Lufthansa, which had suspended Beirut flights to October 26, cancelled services to Tel Aviv and Tehran until October 14.
A source at Lebanese flag carrier Middle East Airlines told AFP its flights were booked out for days.
“Our flights are all overbooked because of the cancellations of other airlines,” the source, who is not authorised to speak to media, said on condition of anonymity.
“There is not a single seat available for any destination before Sunday.”
UN spokesperson says region can’t afford full-scale war
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, has told Al Jazeera “it is not too late to go back to diplomacy.”
“It’s clear that the people of Lebanon, the people of Israel and of the region cannot afford a full-scale war,” he said.
He added that UN representatives were on the ground to push for a diplomatic solution.
Hezbollah says Israel dropping ‘dangerous’ leaflets Lebanon: Report
Hezbollah’s media office says Israel has been dropping leaflets with a “very dangerous” barcode on them onto Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, Reuters has reported.
The group warned that scanning the code by phone would “withdraw all information” from any device.
There was no statement from the Israeli military on this issue.
Hezbollah says Israel dropping ‘dangerous’ leaflets Lebanon: Report
Hezbollah’s media office says Israel has been dropping leaflets with a “very dangerous” barcode on them onto Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, Reuters has reported.
The group warned that scanning the code by phone would “withdraw all information” from any device.
There was no statement from the Israeli military on this issue.
This violence has to stop immediately’: UNICEF
UNICEF has warned that a further escalation in the conflict will “catastrophic” for children in Lebanon, particularly those who have been forced into displacement by Israel’s attacks.
“This violence has to stop immediately or the consequences will be unconscionable,” said Ettie Higgins, the UN agency’s deputy representative to Lebanon.
“Schools are closed today across the country, leaving children at home in fear. Their caregivers are themselves afraid of the uncertainty of the situation.
Reports from Agencies
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com
