Israel-Lebanon live: Deadly strike on central Beirut kills 22 as UN decries ‘extermination’ of Gaza hospitals
It comes after an Israeli airstrike on school housing displaced people in Gaza killed 28 and injured 54 others
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At least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded as Israel launched fresh airstrikes on central Beirut, Lebanon’s health ministry has said.
The first strike on Thursday evening appeared to target an eight-story apartment block in Ras al-Nabaa, with witnesses reporting continued explosions within the building as a large emergency response rushed to the scene.
The second strike, in the area of Burj Abi Haidar, is reported to have collapsed an entire building. It was later seen engulfed in flames.
It came as the United Nations’s peacekeeping mission accused Israel of “deliberately” firing at the agency’s positions as two of its staff were injured after an Israeli tank shot at a watchtower in southern Lebanon.
A separate UN inquiry also found that Israel’s “relentless and deliberate attacks” on the health system in Gaza amounted to the crime against humanity of extermination, accusing Israeli forces of deliberately killing and torturing medical personnel, targeting medical vehicles and restricting permits for patients to leave the Gaza strip.
Israel strike on Gaza school kills 28, injures 54, including children
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Pictured: Huge Israeli strike hits Gaza school, killing 28 and injuring 54, medics say
Israel needs to address ‘catastrophic conditions’ in Gaza, US says
The US has called on Israel to urgently address the “catastrophic conditions” in Gaza and stop “intensifying suffering” by limiting the delivery of aid.
Speaking to the UN security council, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: “These catastrophic conditions were predicted months ago, and yet, have still not been addressed. That must change, and now.”
Ms Thomas-Greenfield added that there must be “no demographic or territorial change” in the Gaza strip, The Guardian reported.
Israeli tanks attacked northern Gaza with force this week, stating they were preventing Hamas from regrouping.
Biden and Netanyahu in first call for weeks – with focus on Israeli plans for retaliation against Iran
President Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu have held their first call in weeks, a conversation that comes as Israel expands its ground invasion into south Lebanon and considers how to respond to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.
Mr Netanyahu’s office also confirmed that the prime minister had recently spoken with former president Donald Trump, who is running again for the White House.
Rachel Hagan reports:
Biden and Netanyahu in first call for weeks
Middle East is waiting for Israel’s response to missile barrage from Tehran
ICYMI: US and France leading ceasefire charge, Mikati says
Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati says the United States and France are trying to revive a ceasefire deal for the Middle East.
“There are contacts taking place between the United States and France with the aim of reviving a ceasefire declaration for a specific period in order to resume the search for political solutions,” he is quoted as saying, according to Reuters.
Lebanese milotant group Hezbollah yesterday supported calls for a ceasefire, and dropped a Gaza truce from their ceasefire conditions.
“We support the political efforts led by (Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri under the banner of achieving a ceasefire. Once the ceasefire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively,” Deputy Secretery General Naim Qassem said.
But Israel’s invasion of Lebanon continues, and Netanyahu told the people of Hezbollah to throw out Hezbollah if they want to avoid the “destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza”.
Two UN peacekeepers injured after Israeli tank shoots at watchtower
Two UN peacekeepers have sustained minor injuries after an Israeli tank opened fire on a UN watchtower on Wednesday.
The watchtower was in the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon’s (UNIFL) main base in Naqoura.
We reported earlier that Israeli fired at three different UN peacekeeper positions in southern Lebanon over a 24-hour period.
Israel has not yet commented.
Pictured: Scenes of devastation following Israeli strike on Gaza clinic
Israeli troops open fire on UN peacekeeper positions
The Israeli military opened fire at three positions held by UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to a UN source.
Speaking to Reuters, the source did not immediately specify the type of fire.
One of the locations under fire was the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon’s (UNIFL) main base in Naqoura.
UNIFL is a peacekeeping mission established in 1978, with 10,000 members from 46 nations tasked with helping the Lebanese Army keep the south protected from armed groups such as Hezbollah.
Palestinian Red Crescent shares video of aftermath of huge Israeli strike
The Palestinian Red Crescent has shared a video on X showing the aftermath of a huge Israeli strike on a school in Gaza, which was serving as a shelter for displaced people.
The organisation reported 28 deaths and 54 injures. The death toll was later updated from that shown in the tweet.
Israeli military confirms strike on Gaza school
The Israeli military has confirmed it carried out a strike on a school which was sheltering displaced people on Thursday, saying they were targeting militants.
It said in a statement: “Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”
In pictures: Turkish citizens flee Lebanon by ship
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