MONITORING (SW) – At least 5 people have been killed and 8 wounded in an Israeli air strike on a building in central Beirut, Lebanese officials have said.
The multi-storey block in Bachoura allegedly housed a Hezbollah-affiliated health center, which Israel’s military said was hit in a “precision” attack.
This is the first Israeli strike close to Beirut’s center – just meters away from Lebanon’s parliament, reported BBC. There were five other air strikes overnight against targets in the southern suburb of Dahieh.
It comes after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said eight soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, its first losses since the start of ground operations against the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah said it had destroyed Israeli tanks during the fighting and insisted it had enough men and ammunition to push back the forces.
Earlier, the IDF announced that more infantry and armoured troops had joined the operation seeking to dismantle what it called “terrorist infrastructure” in Lebanese border villages.
It comes after US President Joe Biden pushed back against Israel, saying “the answer is no” when it comes to a plan the Netanyahu Government is reportedly mulling in revenge against Iran for this week’s attack.
The United Nations has urged a ceasefire but Israel seems in no mood to pull back.
Israel has said Iran needs to pay for its almost 200 strong rocket attack in which one man died. Seven people died in an attack at a Tel Aviv tram stop at a similar time which Hamas has now claimed responsibility for.
Iran’s relatively new president Massoud Pezeshkian has said his country is “not looking for war,” but if Israel retaliates Tehran will have a “stronger response”.
