Israeli airstrike kills 9 in Beirut as Hezbollah pounds northern Israel with dozens of rockets

CAIRO – 20 September 2024: Israel conducted an airstrike on Beirut on Friday, killing at least nine individuals and injuring dozens, as confirmed by Lebanese health authorities. This marks the deadliest Israeli assault on the Lebanese capital in years.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched around 170 rockets towards northern Israel, following a vow made by the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, to respond to Israel's intelligence operation involving the detonation of pager and radio devices in Beirut.

Civilian casualties were reported over the past two days.

The attacks have led to a devastating toll, with 37 lives lost and around 3,000 individuals wounded in Lebanon, further exacerbating the already precarious situation in the region.

Recent hostilities escalated when two Israeli soldiers were killed and eight others injured during missile and drone attacks by Hezbollah in northern Israel, as confirmed by the Israeli military on Thursday.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared on Wednesday the commencement of a "new phase" in the war with Hezbollah, emphasizing the army's objective to facilitate the safe return of residents to their homes in northern Israel.

This escalation unfolds against the backdrop of heightened concerns regarding a potential full-scale war in the region, compounded by the enduring war in Gaza, which has persisted for nearly a year, claiming the lives of over 41,000 Palestinians and pushing the population to the brink of famine.