Israeli strikes hit beirut and southern lebanon

An Israeli strike on an area of Beirut’s southern suburb hit, causing a bright flash in the dark and scattering sparks around.

Israeli forces pounded southern Lebanon and the outskirts of Beirut, killing at least five medics, as ground troops clashed with fighters from Hezbollah in the south.

Israeli strikes on two villages in southern Lebanon killed five medics from a rescue force affiliated with Hezbollah, the Lebanese health ministry said.

Israel has pushed on with its intense military campaign against Hezbollah, tempering hopes that efforts by a US envoy will lead to an imminent ceasefire.

The casualty toll since Oct. 2023 stands at 3,583 people killed in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, most of them killed during the Israeli offensive since September. The figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Hezbollah strikes have killed more than 100 people in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. They include more than 70 soldiers killed in strikes in northern Israel and the Golan Heights and in combat in southern Lebanon, according to Israel.

Rescuers searched the rubble at the site of a powerful Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut as emergency vehicles and onlookers gathered nearby.

At least four people were killed and 23 wounded in the attack in Beirut's Basta neighborhood, citing the health ministry.

It marked the fourth Israeli airstrike this week targeting a central area of Beirut, where the bulk of Israel's attacks have targeted the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs.

Israeli strikes on two other villages in southern Lebanon killed five medics from a rescue force affiliated with Hezbollah, the Lebanese health ministry said.