An Israeli strike on the southern suburb of Beirut, November 14, 2024. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/AFP)
Since the beginning of the week, airstrikes have intensified both day and night on the southern suburbs of Beirut. The Israeli army has reported hitting "about 30 Hezbollah targets in 48 hours."
Since Thursday morning, at least seven airstrikes have targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut in two waves, following evacuation calls for several buildings. The first three, around 9 a.m., targeted a building in Ghobeyri near the ‘Rawdat el-Chahidayn’ military cemetery. This building, marked in red on a map published by the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, was indeed located near the cemetery. Videos circulating online and in the media show several people gathered in a nearby street to observe the bombing.
Another strike targeted Choueifat Amroussiyeh, hitting an area near the Dar el-Ouloum school, which was also close to the building identified by the Israeli army. A new round of airstrikes targeted Mrayjeh and Haret Hreik-Roueiss shortly after noon, following similar evacuation calls. Around 4:30 p.m., Ghobeyri and Chiyah were shelled again.
Bombardments had already occurred during the night, in two waves, hitting buildings in Haret Hreik and Bourj el-Brajneh after midnight and just before 5 a.m..
Children's TV channel
One of the strikes, around 3 a.m., reportedly destroyed a building in the Kafaat neighborhood housing the offices of a children's TV channel, Taha TV, which broadcasts religious content. The channel’s affiliation with the Hezbollah is not explicitly mentioned on its website or by the party. Taha TV describes itself as a media outlet for children aged 2 to 14, promoting "Islamic values while fostering children's creativity."
These airstrikes, which have continued throughout the week, are often accompanied by calls for residents in affected areas to "evacuate the premises immediately, at least 500 meters away," before strikes on "Hezbollah infrastructure."
The Israeli army also stated Thursday that it had hit "about 30 terrorist targets" in the southern suburbs of Beirut over the past 48 hours. These strikes aim to "dismantle and weaken Hezbollah's military capabilities," according to the army, which added that it had recently targeted "weapons warehouses, command centers, and other Hezbollah infrastructure."
Israeli advances in the Bint Jbeil region
This shelling of the southern suburbs coincides with continued strikes on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, alongside Israeli army advances on multiple fronts in several villages along the Israeli border, particularly in the Marjeyoun and Bint Jbeil regions. Clashes have been reported along different axes along the Blue Line in southern Lebanon, as exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces trying to infiltrate the area persist, reported our correspondent from southern Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah.
Fighting is concentrated on the outskirts of the towns of Aitaroun and Ainata, both south of Bint Jbeil, as well as along the Qaouzah-Beit Lif area, also in the Bint Jbeil region, to prevent Israeli forces from advancing toward the strategic Beit Lif valley. Hezbollah also claimed to have struck Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of Markaba and Houla.
The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had expanded its ground military operation.
Man Killed in an Olive Grove
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continue to target several southern towns along the border, including Nabatieh. In this strike, one civilian and two ambulance workers from the Islamic Health Committee, affiliated with Hezbollah, were lightly wounded. In Hebbarieh, according to our correspondent, a drone strike killed a man who was picking olives. In the Bekaa, a bombing in Baalbeck resulted in three deaths, according to an initial report from the Ministry of Health. Another strike on the Al-Chaab neighborhood in Baalbeck killed nine people and injured five others, reported our correspondent.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced multiple strikes on Israeli towns and military positions in the north, including Nahariya and "a logistical base of the 146th division" of the Israeli army, located at the Naftali barracks, northeast of Netiv Hashayara, east of Nahariya.
