Israeli airstrike hits central Beirut amid escalating conflict

By AJP Posted : November 19, 2024, 09:49 Updated : November 19, 2024, 09:50
 
Rescue workers search for survivors at the scene of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon on Nov. 19, 2024. AP-Yonhap
SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Israeli airstrikes targeted a neighborhood in the heart of Lebanon's capital late Monday evening, slamming into an area near the Parliament, several embassies and the UN headquarters. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least five people were killed and 31 wounded.

Since late September, Israel has dramatically escalated its bombardment of Lebanon, vowing to cripple the militant group Hezbollah and end its barrages into Israel. Over the past year, more than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli fire — 80 percent of them in the past month — Lebanon's Health Ministry says.

The current wave of conflict gripping the Middle East began when the Palestinian militant group Hamas stormed from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas.

Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 43,800 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. The officials do not distinguish between militants and civilians but say most of those killed are women and children. The fighting has left 77 people dead in Israel, including 31 soldiers.

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