Israel-Hezbollah War: The Israeli military has resumed its attacks on the Lebanese capital city of Beirut early today (October 16), after halting strikes for six days, AP said, citing state media reports.
The casualty count from Beirut was not yet clear, but officials said the death toll from the attacks on Qana town has risen to 15, it added. Nuhad Bustanji, a spokesperson for the first responders, said rescue efforts were still underway and the toll could rise.
Israel-Hezbollah War Latest Updates — 10 Points
- The resumption of attacks on Beirut comes only a day after Lebanon’s caretaken PM Najib Mikati was assured of reduced strikes in the capital by the United States government, the AP report said.
- Israel claims it is striking Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs and said today’s strike hit a weapons warehouse under a residential building. The suburbs are busy residential and commercial areas, the report noted.
- An AP photographer in the area documented three strikes in the Haret Hreik neighborhood, with the first less than an hour after the IDF posted an evacuation warning on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
- As per the UN’s refugee agency, Israel has now told people in an area equal to about a quarter of Lebanon to move, with 1.2 million people displaced by the conflict. Around 1.9 million have been displaced in Gaza.
- Meanwhile, the US has reportedly warned Israel it could cut arms supplies if the humanitarian crisis in Gaza doesn’t improve, as per a Bloomberg report.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote to Israeli ministers on October 13 warning that the US may have to limit weapons flow to Israel if it doesn’t allow more aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave within 30 days.
(With inputs from Agencies)
