UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – The Israeli army destroyed a residential building in the center of the Lebanese capital, and a Hezbollah stronghold located near the international airport.
Tonight and at dawn, Israel carried out a series of strikes in Beirut and the Gaza Strip while Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire on Friday. Le Figaro takes stock of the situation in the Middle East.
Intense strikes in the center of Beirut…
The Israeli army carried out intense strikes on Saturday in Beirut, destroying a residential building and killing at least four people according to authorities. Residents of the Lebanese capital woke up to the sound of three large explosions at dawn. The strikes targeted and completely destroyed a residential building in the popular and densely populated Basta neighborhood.
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Ambulances flocked to the site of the targeted building, where rescuers cleared the rubble in search of possible survivors, according to AFPTV images. The Health Ministry reported at least four deaths and 23 injuries. The Lebanese National News Agency ANI spoke of a “terrifying massacre by Israeli aircraft that destroyed an eight-story residential building with five missiles”.
…and in its southern suburbs
Strikes also targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold located near the capital's international airport, the day after a day of intense bombing in this area as well as in the south and east of Lebanon. , where the Lebanese movement is also well established.
The Israeli army, which sometimes issues evacuation calls before its strikes, claims in its press releases to target “Hezbollah terrorist command centers”of the “arms depots” or places or people linked to the movement.
Since October 8, more than 3,640 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, most since September 23. Israel says it wants to distance Hezbollah from the border areas of southern Lebanon to allow the return of some 60,000 inhabitants of the north of the country displaced by the movement's fire. Tens of thousands of residents have also been displaced. The pace of Israeli strikes accelerated after the departure from Beirut of American envoy Amos Hochstein, who shuttled between Israel and Lebanon in an attempt to achieve a ceasefire.
Deadly Israeli raids in Gaza
Israel, which is also fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip on its southern border, bombarded by air and artillery before dawn and in the morning three sectors of the besieged Palestinian territory, killing at least 19 people according to Civil Defense. Civil Defense reported strikes in Gaza City (north), Khan Younes (south) as well as tank fire in Rafah (south). “Nineteen Palestinians were killed and more than 40 injured in three massacres caused by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip”indicated the spokesperson for Civil Defense, Mahmoud Bassal, to AFP.
Biden and Macron discussed efforts towards a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday
US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed efforts for a ceasefire in Lebanon this Friday, the White House announced. “They took stock of developments in Ukraine and the Middle East, including efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, which will allow residents on both sides of the Line blue to return home safely”according to a press release.
Arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant
Monday and Tuesday near Rome, the G7 foreign ministers are due to discuss the arrest warrants issued Thursday by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the head of the armed wing of Hamas, Mohammed Deif. Israeli officials are accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
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