MIDDLE EAST
AN HOUR AGO
Live blog: Israel launches new wave of air strikes on southern Beirut
Israel’s war on Gaza, now in its 381st day, has killed at least 42,603 Palestinians and wounded nearly 100,000, with 10,000+ possibly buried under debris. Israel has also killed at least 2,464 people in Lebanon since October last year.
Smoke and flames rise following an Israeli attack on Dahiyeh in Beirut. / Photo: AA
AA
Smoke and flames rise following an Israeli attack on Dahiyeh in Beirut. / Photo: AA
Monday, October 21, 2024
2059 GMT — The Israeli army has launched a series of new air strikes on Beirut, targeting the Lebanese capital’s southern suburb, following Israeli threats to bomb buildings housing branches of the Qard al Hassan financial institution affiliated with the Hezbollah group.
Israeli warplanes carried out at least nine strikes within an hour, targeting the association’s branches in Hayy al Sellum, Borj al Barajneh, and Ghobeiry in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
Earlier, the Israeli army threatened to attack “important economic assets” of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Qard al Hassan is one of the key financial institutions of Hezbollah, established in the 1980s as a charitable association.
More updates 👇
2334 GMT — Israeli air strike on ambulance in southern Lebanon
An Israeli air strike targeted an ambulance in southern Lebanon, leaving several people injured.
The attack took place in the town of Khirbet Selm, east of Tyre, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
Medical teams and relief workers in Lebanon have been targets of Israeli aggression since the escalation of attacks in late September.
2239 GMT — Israeli forces destroy homes, shelters in northern Gaza
The Israeli army is carrying out extensive attacks in northern Gaza, destroying homes and shelters, the Palestinian Civil Defence in the enclave said.
Spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told Anadolu that the Israeli attacks aim to displace residents from northern Gaza and empty the area of its buildings.
He said what is happening in Jabalia represents “ethnic cleansing and the destruction of all life’s essentials” amid an escalation of Israeli bombardments on dozens of homes in Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun.
“The bodies of dozens of martyrs are still under the rubble due to the intense Israeli bombardment in the northern areas, which exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe in the region,” Bassal said.
The Israeli army has pressed ahead with a massive offensive in northern Gaza, now in its 16th day, amid a suffocating siege of the area.
2223 GMT — Thousands rally in Brussels to demand ceasefire in Gaza, Lebanon
Nearly 32,000 people took to the streets of Belgium’s capital to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, according to the police.
At the event in Brussels, demonstrators also called on the Belgian government to push for a complete international military embargo against Israel.
The event was organised by a coalition of civil society organisations, the Belga News Agency reported.
2054 GMT — Death toll from Israeli onslaught in Lebanon surges to 2,464
The death toll from Israel’s ongoing onslaught in Lebanon since October 8 last year has surged to at least 2,464, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.
A ministry statement said at least 16 people were killed and 59 others injured in Israeli attacks over the last 24 hours, raising the number of injured to 11,530.
Israel has mounted a massive air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since September 23, displacing more than 1.34 million people.
2029 GMT — Two Palestinians killed in Israeli attack on southern Gaza
Two Palestinians were killed and 19 others were injured in two Israeli air strikes targeting a home and a tent housing displaced people in central and southern Gaza.
The two Palestinians were killed in an air strike on the Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, which also injured eight others, a medical source told Anadolu.
Eyewitnesses said an Israeli helicopter targeted a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in Mawasi, which is designated as a “humanitarian safe zone” by the Israeli army.
For our live updates from Sunday, October 20, 2024, click here.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD AND AGENCIES
