An air raid on Beirut has resulted in at least 22 fatalities and numerous injuries following Israeli airstrikes on neighborhoods in Lebanon. The attack, the most lethal in over a year of conflict between the two nations, has heightened tensions with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
According to Lebanon's health ministry, the airstrikes targeted two residential buildings in separate neighborhoods simultaneously, resulting in the destruction of an eight-story building and severe damage to another.
The Israeli military has stated that they are investigating the reported strikes, which have been increasingly concentrated in Beirut's densely populated southern suburbs, where Hezbollah maintains a significant presence.
On the same day as the air raid, Israeli forces reportedly fired on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, injuring two of them. Hezbollah has also extended its rocket attacks into more densely populated areas within Israel, causing disruptions to daily life.
Israel is currently facing conflicts on multiple fronts, with ongoing hostilities with Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Biden recently discussed Israel's planned retaliatory actions against Iran following a significant missile strike on Israel last week.
The Biden administration has expressed concerns over Israel's handling of the situation, urging restraint and emphasizing the need for proportionate responses. The White House has advised against targeting Iranian nuclear or oil facilities and has called for measures to prevent a broader regional conflict.
Since the escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel last month, approximately 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon. Over 400,000 individuals have fled to Syria, and the conflict has resulted in the deaths of around 1,400 people, including combatants believed to have been killed by Israel. Additionally, some 70,000 Israelis have been displaced from northern communities since the conflict began.
