Israel pounds Beirut suburbs with heavy daytime air strikes

Israel’s military has pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs with air strikes, mounting one of its heaviest daytime attacks yet on the area after the defence minister ruled out a ceasefire until Israeli war goals were met.

Israel launched at least 10 air strikes on southern Beirut on Tuesday morning, Lebanese state media reported, shortly after Israel’s army urged residents of several neighbourhoods to evacuate.

“Israeli warplanes launched a very violent 10th strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs,” the official National News Agency reported.

Footage from the AFP news agency showed grey smoke covering the area, with big plumes rising after each strike.

Earlier, the Israeli army told residents of four south Beirut neighbourhoods to leave immediately, warning it would strike Hezbollah targets there.

“You are located near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah, against which the [Israeli military] will act in the near future,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.

The post included a map showing the buildings it would target in the Lebanese capital’s south.

Witnesses told AFP they heard gunfire in the area before the strikes – warning shots by residents for people to leave following the evacuation call.

NNA also reported Israeli strikes across Lebanon’s south that destroyed a building in the main southern city of Nabatieh and also targeted the eastern city of Hermel.

Last month, Israeli strikes razed Nabatieh’s historic marketplace, with another wave of attacks also hitting its municipality building and killing several people, including the city’s mayor.

Since September 23, Israel has intensified its air campaign, mainly targeting areas in Lebanon’s east and south and in southern Beirut. A week later, it sent in ground troops.

In Lebanon, at least 3,243 people have been killed and 14,134 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 2023.