The fresh Israeli airstrikes in Beirut on Saturday were hit without warning and has killed at least 20 people. Meanwhile in Gaza, over 80 people have been killed in the last three days and dozens have been trapped under rubble.
The escalation came after US envoy Amos Hochstein went to the the troubled region to close the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the death toll from the 13-month-long war has surpassed 44,000 this week, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. It has said more than half the dead are women and children.
And the Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war began when Hamas-led militants invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead.
West Asia Crisis | Top Points
Israeli Strikes Kill 20, Destroys 8-Storey Building
Israeli airstrikes in the heart of Lebanon killed at least 20 people in Beirut. The strikes hit around 4 am of Saturday without any warning and destroyed an eight-storey building in central Beirut.
Hezbollah legislator Amin Shiri said no Hezbollah officials were inside but it managed to damage other nearby buildings too andncrumpled cars.
Walid Al-Hashash, a first responder with the Lebanese Civil Defence told AP, “The area is residential, with closely packed buildings and narrow streets, making the situation challenging."
According to reports, a drone strike on Saturday killed two people and injured three in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said 66 people were wounded in the strikes, which were the fourth in central Beirut in less than a week.
Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon's population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in northern Israel and the fighting.
Deadly Israeli Strikes Kill Over 80 People In Gaza Over Last 3 Days
Airstrikes in Khan Younis killed six people including three children and two women on Saturday.
A grieving father, Ahmad Ghassan told AP,“Suddenly we woke up to dust, smoke and a fire.” Meanwhile, another father carrying the body of his dead child said, “We found him dead and his brother injured.”
Al-Awda Hospital said it received six bodies after Israel shelled a house north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
In northern Gaza, the Health Ministry said at least 80 people, total, were killed on Thursday and Friday, including near the Kamal Adwan and Al-Ahli hospitals. It said dozens of people were trapped under the rubble.
Update On Ceasefire Talks
Two Western diplomats spoke to the Associated Press anonymously and revealed some key disputes in the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire talks.
The proposed deal includes - a two-month ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah’s departure from south of the Litani River and increased Lebanese army and UN peacekeeper presence.
Israel reportedly sought guarantees for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the right to strike if violated, while Lebanon views this as a breach of sovereignty.
Hezbollah has reportedly demanded a complete end to aggression.
The two countries have disagreement over countries involved in monitoring committee, Israel opposed France’s inclusion and Lebanon rejecting Britain.
