Israel launches massive attack in Beirut amid debate over Tel Aviv ceasefire

Beirut has been plunged into chaos after the Israeli army announced new attacks on safe areas of the city that had not been bombed so far in the war. All this comes as Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet of ministers decides whether to approve the ceasefire, which would end the 14-month war.

In that sense, Tel Aviv has announced that the Prime Minister will hold a press conference at 7 pm (Spanish time) to convey his decision on the ceasefire.

In parallel, its military has warned that “in the near future” its forces will attack several branches of the Al Qarad Al Hassan Association, a banking system used by Shia militias. “These strikes will be an additional blow to the Iranian financing chain for Hezbollah, which uses this consortium for its military purposes,” Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adrai said on Twitter.

Beirut residents panic

“Don’t leave buildings and stay away from windows.”

“Lebanon residents, in the next few hours, we will inform residents of buildings used by Hezbollah of the need to evacuate for their safety according to the maps that we will publish,” the Israeli military official said.

According to security sources, the bombings currently took place in Zoqaq al-Blat and Mazara, although the number of victims is unknown. The Lebanese armed group, for its part, responded in a statement that it would retaliate against any attacks in central Beirut with attacks on Tel Aviv.

“Don’t leave the building. Stay away from windows or go to the basement,” the manager of an apartment block in Hamra, one of the Lebanese capital’s Sunni neighborhoods, said in a community WhatsApp group. Hundreds of cars are currently trying to find their way out of the narrow network of local roads.

This latest wave of attacks adds to more than 20 incidents that occurred last night and this morning. Shortly after noon, an Israeli attack early Tuesday struck the Nouairi district, in the center of the capital, without issuing an evacuation warning. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least seven people were killed in the attack.

read this also

helena pelicano

A few minutes later, another Israeli fighter jet fired 10 projectiles at Beirut’s southern suburbs. It began about 30 minutes after the Israeli military issued orders to evacuate 20 locations in the area, the largest warning ever issued.

The international community has today called for an end to the conflict. This afternoon, foreign ministers of the G7 group called for an immediate end to hostilities. “We support ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah leading to an immediate ceasefire,” the world’s leading economies said in a statement. “Now is the time to reach a diplomatic settlement,” he said.

Hassan Fadlallah, a senior Hezbollah official and member of parliament, said the group would remain active even after the war with Israel ends, including helping displaced Lebanese return to their villages and rebuilding areas destroyed by Israeli attacks.

Fadlallah told Reuters that Lebanon faced “dangerous and sensitive hours” before the expected declaration of a ceasefire, given the intensity of air strikes in recent hours.

This information is current and will be updated.