Israel carries out further attacks in Lebanon – Houthis attack Tel Aviv

According to Lebanese sources, the Israeli army attacked the center of Beirut from the air on Thursday. The Lebanese Ministry of Health said six people were killed. The Israeli army had previously announced that it had recorded the first deaths in its own ranks since the start of its ground offensive in Lebanon.

The ministry said two people were killed immediately in the air strike in the center of the Lebanese capital. Four others succumbed to their injuries. Journalists from the AFP news agency in Beirut heard a loud explosion. Hezbollah circles said that Israel had carried out three attacks on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital on Wednesday evening. It was the third series of Israeli attacks on the pro-Iran militia stronghold in 24 hours.

The Israeli army called on the population in parts of southern Beirut to evacuate during the night. “They are located near facilities (…) linked to Hezbollah, which the Israeli army will take action against in the near future,” said army spokesman Avichai Adraee. He named the districts Haret Hreik, Burj al-Barajne and Hadath Gharb.

Fight against Hezbollah

Israel is currently carrying out massive air strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Immediately after the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah opened a second front against Israel with regular rocket attacks from Lebanon. Hezbollah shelling has continued to increase in recent days, particularly after the killing of the militia’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, last Friday.

The Israeli army said eight soldiers were killed in fighting against the Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. She first announced that the first soldier had been killed since fighting began in the neighboring country, then later stated that “seven more soldiers had died.”

Israel said it began a “limited” ground operation in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night. On Tuesday evening, Iran attacked Israel with around 200 missiles – the second time after an attack with hundreds of drones and missiles in April. According to the Israeli army, a large number of the rockets were intercepted. According to Tehran, it was a retaliatory operation for, among other things, the killing of Hezbollah chief Nasrallah.

Is Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities?

According to Israeli officials, oil production facilities and other strategic facilities in Iran could be targeted, the news portal further reported. The New York Times had previously reported, citing US officials, that in a possible scenario Israel could also attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. In particular, the enrichment facilities in Natans, the heart of Iran’s nuclear program, could be targeted, it said. Iran claims it is for civilian purposes only. Israel and the West see it differently.

“Israel must not miss this golden opportunity to destroy Iran’s nuclear program,” wrote former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Platform X. “If we don’t do it now, I don’t see it ever happening,” he said. UN Secretary-General António Guterres once again called on the conflicting parties for a ceasefire. “The raging fires in the Middle East are rapidly becoming an inferno,” he told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York.

Guterre’s “undesirable person” – UN: Political statement

Guterres did not address the fact that Israel had previously declared him an “undesirable person” and justified this, among other things, by the fact that the UN Secretary General had not clearly condemned the Iranian missile attack. The United Nations sees Israel’s statement as a political move. This is another attack on a UN employee by the Israeli government, said Guterres’ spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to take massive action against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. The army initially did not provide any details about the targeted nighttime attack in Beirut. Initial reports indicate an apartment in a building was hit. According to authorities, there were at least six dead and seven injured in the Basta-Bachoura district. Eyewitnesses in Beirut also reported several attacks on a southern suburb of the city. The sounds of explosions could be heard throughout the capital. Residents reported drones and fighter jets circling over the city.

Dead on both sides

For the first time since the start of the ground offensive, the Israeli armed forces suffered losses, with eight soldiers killed in battle with Hezbollah, the army announced. Almost a year after the start of the Gaza war on October 7th, the focus of the fighting is shifting towards the northern neighboring country. Israel’s stated goal is to drive the Shiite militia from the border so that around 60,000 evacuated Israelis can return to their homes. According to official figures, 46 people were killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Wednesday alone. 85 others were injured, the Ministry of Health announced.

The number of displaced people is increasing

As a result of the massive Israeli attacks, the number of displaced people in Lebanon rose to around 1.2 million, according to government figures. According to the head of the government’s emergency committee, Nasser Yassin, around 160,000 of them are in emergency accommodation. The others moved to friends, relatives, hotels or their own homes in other areas, the state news agency NNA reported. According to government figures, almost 300,000 people have crossed the border into Syria since the intensive Israeli attacks began last week.

Meanwhile, the Bundeswehr had another 130 German nationals flown to Germany via Beirut airport. The Germans who were particularly at risk were picked up by an Airbus A330 from the multinational air transport unit MMU (Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Unit), the Foreign Office and the Defense Ministry announced in Berlin. The plane landed in Frankfurt am Main in the evening. The “Spiegel” first reported on the flight. So far, a total of 241 people have been flown out of Lebanon using Bundeswehr aircraft, the ministries said.

About 100 US citizens and members of their families have left Lebanon, according to the State Department in Washington. They were taken out of the country on a flight arranged with a commercial airline. Ministry spokesman Matthew Miller said on Wednesday that the connection to Istanbul was not a charter flight, nor was it a plane operated by the Lebanese state airline Middle East Airlines (MEA), which is the only commercial airline with scheduled flights to and from Beirut offers.

Yemeni Houthi rebels attack Tel Aviv with drones

The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen says it has once again attacked the Israeli coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv with drones. The Israeli military said it had intercepted a drone off the coast of the Tel Aviv area. Another drone fell into open ground.

The Houthis said the drones had reached their target. The militia used the supposedly new drones called “Jaffa,” which Sari first mentioned in July. Tel Aviv is about 1,800 kilometers from Yemen. There was a rocket alarm in the city of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv. There were initially no reports of damage or injuries.