Anger in Beirut as massive Israeli strike kills 15

An Israeli air strike in central Beirut killed at least 15 people, Lebanese officials said, destroying an eight-story building in the latest attack on the capital.

The explosion rocked the city following the strike in the densely populated Basta district, which occurred without warning around 04:00 (02:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said Saturday’s attack included a large bomb, a type of weapon that Israel has previously used to kill top Hezbollah figures, including. then leader Hassan Nasrallah.

This may indicate that a high-ranking officer was the likely target, but there has been no comment from the Israeli military or Hezbollah.

In the morning all the emergency workers are using heavy equipment to remove the debris and remove the bodies.

The Ministry of Health in Lebanon said that more than 60 people were injured, and it is expected that the number of victims will increase as DNA will be done on the recovered organs.

“It was a terrible explosion. All the windows and mirrors were on me, my wife and my children. My home is now a battlefield,” said Ali Nassar, 55, who lived in a nearby building.

“One person is hiding here… Should you destroy the three buildings with people sleeping inside? Is it necessary to kill all people because of one person? Or are we not human? That’s what I’m asking.”

Also on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out additional airstrikes in Dahieh, an area south of Beirut where Hezbollah is based, saying they were buildings linked to the group.

Israel’s attacks also hit the south, where Israel’s land offensive continues, and the east of the Bekaa Valley, two areas where Hezbollah is strong.

In the past two weeks, Israel has stepped up its campaign against Hezbollah, the military and political movement backed by Iran, amid international efforts to end the fighting, in what appears to be a ploy to pressure the group into accepting a deal.

The escalation comes as renewed talks to end more than a year of conflict have shown the first signs of progress. This week, Amos Hochstein, who led the efforts of the Biden administration, held talks in Lebanon and Israel to try to advance the agreement drafted in the US.

Since the conflict intensified in late SeptemberLebanese authorities have said any deal should be limited to the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

The decision includes the withdrawal of Hezbollah troops and weapons from the areas between the Blue Line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel – and the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border.

Israel says that has never been fully respected, while Lebanon says Israel’s violations include military airstrikes over Lebanese territory.

The proposal in question, according to a Western diplomat who did not wish to be named, includes a decision to stop the conflict for 60 days during which the Israeli army will be withdrawn from southern Lebanon and the removal of Hezbollah’s presence in this area. The Lebanese army will then increase its presence there, with thousands of additional troops.

But disagreements on other issues remain, the spokesman added, including a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal and the creation of an international mechanism to monitor the deal.

Hezbollah, as well as its main backer Iran, have both shown interest in the deal, according to a senior Lebanese source. After the initial shock, the group has reorganized itself, and continues to attack daily in Israel, although not with the same strength, and to face the invading Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

On Thursday, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said that the group has received the American proposal, clarified its reservations, and that it allows the negotiations to continue to check whether there are any results. He said the terms of the agreement were the complete cessation of hostilities and the preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Hezbollah was ready for a long war, he added.

Israel’s stated goal in its war with Hezbollah is to allow the return of approximately 60,000 civilians displaced from communities in northern Israel as a result of the group’s attacks.

In Lebanon, the conflict has killed more than 3,500 people and forced more than a million from their homes, Lebanese authorities said.

Additional reporting by Dearbail Jordan and Jaroslav Lukiv in London.