BEIRUT — Israeli warplanes conducted over 30 airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburb overnight, in what has been described as the "heaviest night" of attacks since Israel intensified its military campaign in Lebanon on September 23.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported on Sunday that the airstrikes targeted several locations, causing widespread damage and filling the area with thick smoke. The sounds of the strikes reverberated across the capital, Beirut.
Among the areas hit were a gas station near Airport Road, a building on Barjaoui Street in the Ghobeiry district, as well as other sites in Safir and Burj al-Barajneh.
An Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, claimed the strikes targeted "weapons and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah," and were carried out based on “precise intelligence” aimed at Hezbollah arms depots and military structures. He also accused the group of storing weapons in residential buildings.
Hezbollah has not yet responded to the latest accusations, though the organization has previously denied similar claims from the Israeli army.
The escalation comes amid cross-border warfare between Hezbollah and Israel, which has been ongoing since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza. The conflict has left more than 41,800 people dead in Gaza, predominantly women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October.
In Lebanon, at least 2,036 people have been killed, over 9,500 injured, and more than 1.2 million displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.
The international community continues to express concern that Israeli attacks on Lebanon could lead to a broader regional conflict. — Agencies