Beirut covered in haze after Israeli bombardment
Israeli air strikes left Beirut’s southern suburbs covered in thick plumes of smoke on Saturday
Israel’s heavy bombardment has destroyed buildings, creating debris and contamination
The Associated Press news agency reports that early morning air strikes on the Lebanese capital have lit up the sky and smoke is billowing over Beirut city. The strikes follow after Israel carried out at least 10 air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dahiyeh on Saturday.
No reports have yet emerged of casualties or the extent of the destruction in Dahiyeh, which was reportedly targeted once again this morning.
Israeli army claims killing of Hezbollah commanders
In a statement, the Israeli military says its fighter jets killed three Hezbollah commanders.
It said the dead included Alhaj Abbas Salameh, a senior figure in the group’s southern command, Radja Abbas Awache, a communications expert, and Ahmad Ali Hussein, who was responsible for strategic weapons development.
It wasn’t clear if the three were killed in what the military said were strikes on Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in southern Beirut or in separate actions. Hezbollah made no immediate comment.
Early on Sunday, two Israeli strikes targeted the Harat Hreik neighbourhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut, hitting a residential building near Bahman Hospital, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said.
Israeli strike hit building housing ‘the absolute desperate unable to escape’
Hezbollah says it launched four separate attacks this morning. We had a relative period of calm from the Israeli side – not as many air strikes, drone attacks, or artillery shelling coming in. But that appears to be changing.
Hezbollah, however, has fired more than 120 rockets in the last 24 hours. In southern Beirut, what we’re hearing from the Israelis is they targeted a Hezbollah intelligence centre.
What we’re hearing from people on the ground is those living in that building were absolutely desperate, who aren’t able to escape, can’t afford to go anywhere, and are stuck in those southern suburbs.
They were given very short notice to evacuate by the Israeli military, and then those multiple air strikes came in.
