Israeli attacks rock Lebanese cities, killing more than 20 people, officials said

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have killed more than 20 people, including several children, over the past day, Lebanese authorities said on Saturday, after heavy Israeli bombing hit the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut overnight.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least seven people were killed in the coastal city of Tire late on Friday evening. The Israeli military had previously ordered the evacuation of large parts of the city, but the Israeli military spokesman did not post orders on the social media platform X before Friday’s attacks.

The ministry said two children were among the dead. Rescue operations are underway and other body parts recovered after the attack are undergoing DNA testing to identify them, the ministry added.

At least 16 more people were killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday in the eastern plains around the historic city of Baalbek, the region’s governor said in a post on the social media platform X.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said Israeli attacks killed at least 3,136 people and injured 13,979 in Lebanon last year. The number includes 619 women and 194 children.

Israel has been involved in fighting with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah since October 2023, but fighting has escalated dramatically since late September this year. Israel has intensified and expanded its bombing campaign, and Hezbollah has increased daily rocket and drone attacks on Israel.

The Iran-backed group announced more than 20 operations on Saturday, including one that militants said it carried out the previous day against a military factory south of Tel Aviv.

More than a dozen Israeli strikes also hit Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight, once a bustling collection of neighborhoods and a key Hezbollah stronghold.

According to Reuters reporters taken on a tour of the area by Hezbollah, many buildings are now almost completely flattened and yellow Hezbollah flags protrude from the ruins.

Some buildings were partially damaged by the strikes, causing some floors to collapse and furniture and other personal items to fall onto cars parked below.

Men and women searched for their belongings in the rubble, shoving blankets and mats under their arms or in black plastic bags.

“We try to bring as many together as possible [of our possessions] As much as we can, we can live on them, nothing more,” said Hassan Hannawi, one of the men searching for his belongings.