Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut early Thursday morning, killing at least six people amid escalating tensions with Iran-backed Hezbollah forces.
The airstrike targeted a building in the Bachoura district, close to the Lebanese parliament, marking the closest Israeli attack to Beirut’s downtown area to date. The attack follows Israel’s most lethal day on the Lebanese front in over a year.
Lebanese officials condemned Israel’s actions, with Rami Mortada, Lebanon’s ambassador to the UK, accusing Israel of taking an escalatory path in an already volatile region.
He emphasized Lebanon’s preference for diplomacy while warning of the dangers posed by further aggression.
The U.N.’s special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, highlighted the growing fear and uncertainty in Beirut, where explosions occurred without warning.
Israel’s airstrike also came after Hezbollah, along with other Iran-backed groups, launched attacks in support of Hamas in its conflict with Israel.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed the previous week in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where three missiles reportedly struck.
Meanwhile, the Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Tel Aviv, signaling the broader regional implications of these ongoing confrontations.
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