700 killed in Lebanon amid increase in Israeli strikes, 200,000 displaced

Nearly 700 people been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon's health ministry, as Israel dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capacities.

The International Organization for Migration estimated on Thursday that more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the Israel-Hamas war. That figure includes the more than 100,000 who were displaced before this week’s escalation. Lebanon’s General Security agency said more than 31,000 people crossed the border from Lebanon into Syria in two days.

Over the past week, Israel has carried out several strikes in Beirut targeting senior Hezbollah commanders. Earlier in the day, a strike in eastern Lebanon killed 20 people, most of them Syrian migrants, according to Lebanese health officials.

Also on Thursday, the health ministry said two people were killed and 15 were wounded after an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in a southern suburb of Beirut. The Israel Defence Force said the strike killed a Hezbollah drone commander, Mohammed Hussein Surour.

 The empty departure terminal at Beirut International airport on Friday. AFP

After the Beirut explosion, dozens of rockets were fired toward the northern Israeli city of Safed, with one hitting a street in a nearby town. In total, 175 projectiles were fired from Lebanon on Thursday, the military said. Most were intercepted or fell in open areas, some sparking wildfires.

The strikes came after Israel's military chief said on Wednesday that the country was preparing for a possible ground operation in Lebanon as Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets into Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is striking Hezbollah "with full force” and won’t stop until its goals are achieved.

Late on Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly called for an "immediate” 21-day ceasefire to allow for negotiations as fears grow that the violent escalation in recent days – following 11 months of cross-border exchange of fire – could grow into an all-out war.

Associated Press