A woman is seen guiding children as they cross from Lebanon into Syria on foot at the Masnaa border crossing, following an Israeli strike. They are fleeing the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in Al Masnaa, Lebanon, on October 27, 2024. — Reuters
Lebanon's state news agency reported an Israeli raid on southern Beirut on Sunday, shortly after Israel's army issued a fresh evacuation call. The National News Agency (NNA) stated that Israel had 'targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut' shortly after midnight. Earlier, the Israeli army urged residents of two neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate their homes, warning that they were near Hezbollah facilities and interests that the IDF would target in the near future. The evacuation call included maps showing buildings that would be targeted in Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath.
On Saturday, the Israeli army dynamited houses in Lebanese border villages, claiming it used 400 tonnes of explosives to destroy a Hezbollah tunnel, marking more than a month into an all-out war. The NNA reported that 'the army of the Israeli enemy has since dawn blown up and destroyed houses' in the border village of Adaisseh. Large explosions were also reported in the border village of Kfar Kila, with columns of smoke rising above the area.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed the use of 400 tonnes of explosives to blow up a 'strategic underground facility' in southern Lebanon. The 'tunnel' was over 1.5 kilometers long. The Israeli military had earlier reported a 'large quantity of explosives in Lebanon' that triggered earthquake warnings across large parts of Israel. The army published a video showing massive detonations at the border.
Lebanese state media has reported several incidents of Israeli blasts targeting houses in border villages in recent days. Israel's Channel 12 broadcast footage showing one of its presenters detonating a building while embedded with Israeli troops in the south Lebanon village of Aita al-Shaab. Hezbollah claims it is fighting Israeli troops at close quarters in Lebanese border villages. The conflict escalated into all-out war on September 23, when Israel intensified its air campaign against Hezbollah strongholds in south Lebanon, Beirut, and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
The war has resulted in at least 1,615 deaths in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures, though the actual number is likely higher due to data gaps. The war has displaced at least 1.3 million people, with more than 800,000 seeking refuge inside Lebanon and over half a million fleeing to Syria, mostly Syrians, according to Lebanese authorities.
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