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By Michael D. Carroll and Amir Daftari
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An Israeli airstrike on an apartment in central Beirut has killed nine people, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Israel has been pounding areas of the country where the Hezbollah militant group has a strong presence since late September, but has rarely struck in the heart of the capital.
There was no warning before the strike late Wednesday, which hit an apartment in central Beirut not far from the United Nations headquarters, the prime minister's office and parliament. Hezbollah's civil defense unit said seven of its members were killed.
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The attack comes as countries around the world scrambled to evacuate their citizens from the war-torn region.
Israel is pressing forward with a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while continuing airstrikes in Gaza.
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The Israeli military reported that eight of its soldiers have been killed in the fighting along the southern Lebanese border.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting to address the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East, with global leaders calling for restraint on both sides.
Iran's ambassador to the U.N. said that his country launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday as a response to Israeli actions. Israel's U.N. ambassador labeled the attack as an "unprecedented act of aggression."
On Wednesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation, stating Iran "will pay," while Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed crowds in Tehran promising Iran would get "rid of the enemies' evil."
US won't support strike against Iran nuclear facility
President Joe Biden stated that he would not support any Israeli military action targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, however he confirmed the U.S. did provide support against the Iranian missile attack that targeted Israel from two naval destroyers in the region.
President Joe Biden stated on Thursday that he does not anticipate Israel will retaliate immediately against Iran following a recent missile barrage. Biden clarified, "First of all, we don't 'allow' Israel, we advise Israel," emphasizing that any immediate action from Israel is unlikely. "And nothing's going to happen today," he added.
Hezbollah media office struck
An Israeli airstrike on Thursday targeted a building in the southern suburbs of Beirut that housed the media office of Lebanon's Hezbollah group. The strike hit the Media Relations office of Hezbollah in the Mawad neighborhood, located on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital.
According to a Hezbollah official speaking to news agency AP, no injuries were reported, and all employees of the media office were unharmed despite the destruction of the building. The airstrike comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah as regional hostilities continue.
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Hamas 'Lynching' member killed
Aziz Salha, one of the perpetrators involved in an infamous 2000 Ramallah lynching of two IDF soldiers, was killed in an Israeli Air Force (IAF) strike in central Gaza, according to a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter from the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday.
"We eliminated terrorist Aziz Salha, who took part in the Ramallah lynching in Oct. 2000, in the area of Deir El Balah in central Gaza," said the post. "Salha was involved in terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria and remained involved in Hamas terrorist activities."
Salha gained notoriety for his role in the brutal killing of the two IDF reserve soldiers and became infamous after being photographed waving his bloodstained hands out of a window following the attack.
The IDF confirmed Salha's death as part of ongoing military operations in Gaza.
TV crew hospitalised
Belgium's VTM broadcaster says that one of its television reporters and a cameraman have been injured in central Beirut while reporting on the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
VTM said that correspondent Robin Ramaekers and cameraman Stijn De Smet were working on a report on Wednesday evening about a bombing in the Lebanese capital when they were attacked in unclear circumstances.
"Stijn is currently in a hospital in Beirut where he is being treated for a leg wound. Robin is also still being cared for, in another hospital, for some fractures to the face," a statement said. VTM said the two men have worked in conflict zones for more than a decade.
IDF evacuation order expanded to 76 villages
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued evacuation orders for 25 more villages in southern Lebanon, marking a significant expansion of its ground operations in the region. This brings the total number of villages ordered to evacuate since Tuesday to 76, as the IDF broadens its incursion up to 45 kilometers (28 miles) into Lebanese territory.
IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee listed the newly affected villages on Thursday and urged residents to evacuate. "For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Awali River," Adraee stated, adding, "Save your lives."
Red Cross medics killed
Amid Israeli bombing, Lebanese Red Cross reported that an Israeli strike killed four of its paramedics and a Lebanese army soldier as they were evacuating wounded individuals in southern Lebanon.
The Red Cross has stated the convoy, which was near the village of Taybeh, had been coordinating its movements with U.N. peacekeepers and was accompanied by Lebanese troops at the time of the attack on Thursday.
Further details from the Israeli military and U.N. officials are yet to be released.
Reports: Syrian depot bombed, Russia intercepts
Syrian television sources reported a large explosion and fire at an ammunition depot near an airport and air base in Syria overnight. The incident occurred near Khmeimim Air Base and Bassel al-Assad Airport in Jableh, a city on Syria's northwest coast.
According to Syria's Al-Watan News, Russian aircraft participated in an interception attempt against projectiles launched over Jableh. The reports indicate that air defenses intercepted numerous projectiles with as many as 30 missiles reportedly fired.
Hamas leader announced dead
The Israeli military announced on Thursday that it had killed a senior Hamas leader, Rawhi Mushtaha, during an airstrike in the Gaza Strip about three months ago. The strike, which targeted an underground compound in northern Gaza, also killed two other Hamas commanders, Sameh Siraj and Sameh Oudeh.
According to the military, the underground facility where the three were hiding served as a command and control center. Mushtaha was described as a close associate of Yahya Sinwar, the top leader of Hamas who played a key role in orchestrating the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that set off the current conflict.
Sinwar is reportedly still alive and in hiding somewhere in Gaza, though his exact whereabouts remain unknown. Hamas has not yet issued a statement regarding the deaths of the three commanders.
IDF claims to have killed 15 Hezbollah fighters
The BBC is reporting Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stating that overnight its warplanes "precisely struck the Bint Jbeil municipality building in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating, alongside large quantities of Hezbollah weapons stored in the building."
"As part of the strike, approximately 15 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated," the IDF says.
The IDF confirmed on Wednesday that over 150 Hezbollah targets have been destroyed.
Houthi drone attack
According to the U.K.'s Times newspaper the Iran-backed Yemeni group claimed responsibility for striking a "vital target" in the once predominantly Arab Tel Aviv suburb of Jaffa, using multiple drones.
"In continuation of the victory for the injustice of the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples and in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese resistances, the Yemeni Armed Forces' drone air force carried out a military operation targeting a vital target in the Jaffa (Tel Aviv) area in occupied Palestine," brigadier general Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces is reported to have said.
The IDF earlier reported that a drone was shot down by the Israeli Air Force over the sea off the coast of central Israel. Later, two additional drones were detected over the sea, according to the military. One was shot down, while the second drone landed in an open area. Sirens sounded in the coastal town of Bat Yam.
No injuries or damage were reported in the aftermath of the drone strikes.
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages, Israel has been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah across the Lebanon border. Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching large-scale military operations in Gaza. According to health officials, over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with more than half being women and children.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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