One of the strikes on October 6, 2024, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/OLJ)
More than 30 Israeli strikes, some extremely violent, shook the southern suburbs of Beirut late Saturday night until the early hours of Sunday. This night was described by some media and observers as even more violent than that of Friday, Sept. 27, after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, during which the southern suburb was bombarded dozens of times.
Here are the four important pieces of information to know this Sunday.
1 - Israel gave no respite for the southern suburbs of Beirut, which were targeted by an unusually intense bombardment from Saturday night to Sunday. A new raid took place on Sunday morning.
2 - The Nurses' Syndicate of Lebanon has called on the international community, the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses to pressure Israel to stop its attacks on the healthcare sector.
3 - On Saturday, Emmanuel Macron announced that he would organize an international conference on Lebanon in October. He also advocated for a halt to arms shipments to Israel that are being used in the Gaza war. These remarks immediately prompted a reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated that Macron and some Western leaders "should be ashamed" for calling for embargoes on arms for Israel.
4 - During the night, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several operations against the Israeli army in the border area.
5- 40% of Lebanese students have been displaced by Israeli strikes. The caretaker Lebanese Minister of Education, Abbas Halabi, also announced that the start of the school year in public education will take place on Nov. 4.
6- During the night, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several operations against the Israeli army in the border area. Fighting continued throughout the day. Hezbollah notably stated that it launched explosive drones at an Israeli base south of Haifa.
7- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant threatened Iran on Sunday with strikes similar to those carried out “in Gaza and Beirut,” according to a statement from his office. Official figures reveal that 40% of Lebanese students have been displaced by Israeli strikes. Shortly thereafter, Iran announced the cancellation of all flights at Iranian airports starting Sunday evening at 9 p.m. local time until Monday at 6 a.m.
Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs
- After a night of hell, the southern suburbs of Beirut were again targeted by Israeli raids during the day.
- A new Israeli strike targeted a building near the al-Aytam gas station between Laylaki and Mreijeh shortly after 10 a.m., according to the National News Agency (NNA).
- The nighttime bombardment of the southern suburbs began around 11 p.m., following an initial evacuation warning. The intensity of the strikes was impressive, heard over 10s of kilometers. These bombings, totaling around 30 within a few hours, specifically targeted the neighborhoods of Burj al-Barajneh and Ghobeiri, as well as the locality of Choueifat.
- The Israeli army stated in a statement cited by Haaretz that the Israeli Air Force targeted a series of Hezbollah positions in Beirut, including ammunition depots and other infrastructures.
- Near Burj al-Barajneh, a fireball rose into the sky following a bombing that targeted a gas station located on the old road leading to Beirut's international airport. A fire raged for hours after the raid.
- Another bombing reportedly targeted al-Manar television studios of Hezbollah in Haret Hreik, which had previously been evacuated.
- In Ghobeiri, a particularly violent raid shook the capital and beyond, with some residents describing the explosion as similar to an earthquake. A column of fire rose above the targeted infrastructures, with unidentified debris projected into the air. While some internet users and media reported that an oxygen cylinder manufacturing company had been hit, Khaled Kadouha, the owner of Kadouha Oxygen located near the strike site, told Al Jadeed that "there is nothing true in what is circulating about the organization being targeted by Israeli airstrikes."
- In the face of these extremely violent bombings, residents still present in the area, such as those from the Sabra camp, attempted to flee. Ambulances rushed to the various strike locations as Israeli reconnaissance drones flew at low altitude.
- Air traffic at Lebanon's only airport, near the southern suburbs of Beirut, "continues despite the aggression of the Israeli enemy" against this area, NNA also specified. The agency added that several planes from Middle East Airlines (MEA), the only airline still servicing Beirut, had just landed.
In southern Lebanon
- An Israeli army strike on Saturday night in Jiyeh resulted in four fatalities, all of them women, according to our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah.
- Fighting continued in the border area of southern Lebanon between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah notably stated that it launched explosive drones at an Israeli base south of Haifa. The Israeli army, for its part, issued new evacuation orders for villages. Late at night, Hezbollah reported several actions against Israeli soldiers attempting to infiltrate. The Shiite party also claimed to have killed "more than 25 Israeli officers and soldiers" and injured 130. Meanwhile, the Israeli army claimed on Saturday to have killed 440 Hezbollah fighters since the start of its "ground offensive" launched on Monday against the Shiite party in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not issued any statements regarding losses in its ranks since late September.
- Strikes also occurred again in the Bekaa Valley. An Israeli strike targeted a position near the Roman temples of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on Sunday, a local official reported, noting that the ancient site was not directly hit.
- Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed late at night several operations against the Israeli army. It specifically stated that it had struck Israeli soldiers attempting to infiltrate Blida with artillery fire and had prevented Israeli military personnel from evacuating the dead and wounded at Menara. The party also claimed to have targeted the "Samson" logistics base in northern Israel, located near Tiberias, about 30 kilometers from the border.
More info
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant threatened Iran on Sunday with strikes similar to those carried out “in Gaza and Beirut,” according to a statement from his office. “The Iranians have not achieved the capabilities of the air force—no planes have been damaged, no squadrons have been rendered inoperative,” he said at ''Nevatim Air Base,'' which was recently targeted by Iranian missile attacks on Israel, according to the army. “Anyone who thinks that a mere attempt to harm us would deter us from acting should take a look at our successes in Gaza and Beirut,” he warned, as the Iranian missile attack last Tuesday, to which Israel claims it is preparing a response, has fueled exchanges of retaliatory threats between the two countries.
- All flights at Iranian airports will be canceled starting tonight at 9 p.m. local time until Monday at 6 a.m., the Iranian news agency Mehr reported later, citing an official announcement.
- The Syndicate of Nurses and Midwives of Lebanon has called on the international community, the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses to pressure Israel to stop its attacks on the healthcare sector, which should be considered "neutral" in the current war. The Israeli army has struck numerous medical centers and ambulances over the past two weeks, killing dozens of rescue workers, including those from the Islamic Health Committee affiliated with Hezbollah. The union condemns attacks that "flagrantly disregard international law." The U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, warned on Saturday about an "alarming rise in attacks on health services," as Israel claims to target Hezbollah positions. "Healthcare workers are paying the highest price, with their lives. The health system is on the brink of collapse," he warned on X, following announcements from four hospitals that they would suspend their operations due to Israeli strikes.
- The Lebanese government published a report on Saturday documenting 2,036 deaths and 9,662 injuries from "Israeli aggression" against Lebanon since Oct. 8, 2023, the start of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, which has been set up as a "support front" for Hamas following its Al-Aqsa Flood operation.
- French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that he would organize an international conference on Lebanon in October. He also called for a halt to arms deliveries to Israel that are being used in the Gaza war. These statements immediately prompted a reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that Macron and some Western leaders "should be ashamed" of calling for an arms embargo against Israel.
- Najib Mikati thanked Macron "who once again expresses his support for Lebanon and stands by the Lebanese people in the face of adversity." "We renew our support for the joint call for a cease-fire made [last week[ by France and the United States, with the backing of the European Union and Arab and foreign countries, and demand that pressure be exerted on Israel to respect the cease-fire and immediately implement Resolution 1701," Mikati added in his statement.
- The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, visiting Beirut in a "show of solidarity," stated on Saturday that Lebanon, subjected to intense Israeli bombardments, is undergoing a "terrible crisis." "Hundreds of thousands of people are destitute or displaced due to Israeli airstrikes," he wrote on X, assuring that he came "in solidarity with those affected, to support humanitarian efforts and to call for more international aid."
A recap of Saturday
- For the first time, the Israeli army struck the Palestinian refugee camp of Beddawi in northern Lebanon during the night from Friday to Saturday. A Hamas commander and his family were killed in this raid.
- Hezbollah stated that it was engaged in clashes with Israeli troops along the Lebanese border, particularly in the area of Odaisseh. On Saturday, Hezbollah intensified its strikes on northern Israel. Fighting continued throughout the day.
- Joe Biden mentioned that he was trying to "mobilize the rest of the world" to achieve peace in the Middle East and believed that Israel should "consider other options" than targeting oil sites in Iran.
- The Israeli army claimed to have killed 440 Hezbollah fighters since the beginning of its "ground offensive" launched on Monday against the party in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not published any updates on its casualties since the end of September.
- Speculation surrounded the fate of Hachem Safieddine. According to a Lebanese security source interviewed by Reuters, the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council has been "unreachable" since the strike that allegedly targeted him on the night from Thursday to Friday. AFP reported the same information, citing "a Hezbollah official on condition of anonymity," but the party issued a denial later that evening.
- The Irish presidency described as "scandalous" an Israeli request to "relocate" part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed along the border between Israel and Lebanon, which includes 347 Irish soldiers. This request was made on Sept. 30.
