An Israeli airstrike on a central Beirut seafront killed 12 people and wounded 28 on Thursday, hitting an area where displaced families were sheltering in tents The deadly strike on the Ramlet al-Bayda district marks a significant escalation in a conflict that has killed nearly 700 people in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry An AFP correspondent at the scene described an aftermath of damaged vehicles and bloodstained streets in the area, which had been considered a refuge for civilians fleeing bombardment in southern Lebanon
In retaliation, the Lebanese group Hezbollah launched what was described as its “biggest barrage” of the conflict, firing approximately 200 rockets into Israel Following the major cross-border exchange, Israel's government threatened to expand its military operations and seize Lebanese territory The combination of a lethal strike on the capital, a massive rocket retaliation, and direct threats of a land incursion suggests the conflict is entering a more dangerous phase, moving beyond contained border skirmishes and raising concerns of a wider war
Mohsin Rana
