News Mania /Piyal Chatterjee/3rd October 2024
Following the worst day its soldiers have experienced on the Lebanese front in a year of fighting the Iran-backed group, Israel’s military claimed to have killed 15 Hezbollah members in south Lebanon on Thursday and to have struck Beirut.
Israel claimed to have killed the Hezbollah members in an attack on the municipality building in the town of Bint Jbeil, which is located in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the Islamic Health Authority, which is associated with Hezbollah, announced that two medical professionals and seven other employees perished in the Beirut attack.Israel declared that it had hit the capital of Lebanon with a targeted airstrike.
“Another sleepless night in Beirut. Counting the blasts shaking the city. No warning sirens. Not knowing what’s next. Only that uncertainty lies ahead. Anxiety and fear are omnipresent,” U.N. special coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said on X on Thursday.
Lebanese health officials said that at least six individuals had died and seven had been injured. Before Reuters could confirm it, a picture appeared on Lebanese WhatsApp groups showing a severely damaged structure with its first level on fire.Israel announced on Wednesday that eight troops had died in ground action in south Lebanon as its forces advanced into its northern neighbor, a day after Iran fired more than 180 missiles into Israel.Iran declared on Wednesday that, barring additional provocation, its missile barrage—its largest-ever attack on Israel—was stopped, but both Israel and the US vowed to retaliate severely.
The 36th Division’s infantry and armored battalions, such as the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armoured Brigade, and the 6th Infantry Brigade, were added by Israel, suggesting that the operation is growing beyond small-scale commando raids.
After the dramatic escalation on Tuesday, some Western countries have prepared preparations to evacuate their citizens from Lebanon; however, none have yet initiated a large-scale military evacuation; instead, some are chartering aircraft while Beirut airport remains operational.
