‘18 killed’ in fresh Israeli strikes on central Beirut: Middle East live

UNIFL have issued a statement after two UN peacekeepers were injured by an Israeli strike.

Israeli troops fired at the watchtower in UNIFL’s main base in Naqoura, adding that the injuries are “fortunately” not serious.

UNIFL says Israel also “deliberately” fired at other UN peacekeeper positions, adding that “any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law”.

Here is the statement in full:

“Recent escalation along the Blue Line is causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continue to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas.

In the past days we have seen incursions from Israel into Lebanon in Naqoura and other areas. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have clashed with Hezbollah elements on the ground in Lebanon. Unifil’s Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit.

This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at Unifil’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital.

IDF soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.

Yesterday, IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras. They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura, where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station.

We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon to support a return to stability under security council mandate.

Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council resolution 1701. We are following up with the IDF on these matters.”

At least 400,000 people remain trapped in northern Gaza, the UN has said, as Israeli forces press on with a raid on the Jabalia refugee camp.

The commissioner general of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has warned that tens of thousands of people have nowhere to go despite evacuation orders from the Israeli army.

The reported death toll from Israeli strikes in central Beirut this evening has now risen to 18, with a further 92 people wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

At least 11 people have been killed and 48 wounded in Israeli airstrikes that hit two different areas in central Beirut this evening, Lebanon’s health ministry has said.

An Associated Press photographer who went to the scene of the strikes said the lower half of an eight-story apartment building in the first targeted area of Ras al-Nabaa appeared to have been hit, with explosions ongoing inside the building. A large number of ambulances arrived at the scene.

The second strike, in the area of Burj Abi Haidar, collapsed an entire building, which was engulfed in flames.

Two UN peacekeepers have sustained minor injuries after an Israeli tank opened fire on a UN watchtower on Wednesday.

The watchtower was in the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon’s (UNIFL) main base in Naqoura.

We reported earlier that Israeli fired at three different UN peacekeeper positions in southern Lebanon over a 24-hour period.

Israel has not yet commented.

The Palestinian Red Crescent has shared a video on X showing the aftermath of a huge Israeli strike on a school in Gaza, which was serving as a shelter for displaced people.

The organisation reported 28 deaths and 54 injures. The death toll was later updated from that shown in the tweet.

The death toll for the strike on a school in Gaza is now 28, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

54 people were also injured in the strike, the organisation reported.

The Palestinian Red Crescent is a humanitarian organisation which serves as Palestine’s branch of the International Red Cross.

Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati says the United States and France are trying to revive a ceasefire deal for the Middle East.

“There are contacts taking place between the United States and France with the aim of reviving a ceasefire declaration for a specific period in order to resume the search for political solutions,” he is quoted as saying, according to Reuters.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah yesterday supported calls for a ceasefire, and dropped a Gaza truce from their ceasefire conditions.

“We support the political efforts led by (Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri under the banner of achieving a ceasefire. Once the ceasefire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively,” Deputy Secretery General Naim Qassem said.

But Israel’s invasion of Lebanon continues, and Netanyahu told the people of Hezbollah to throw out Hezbollah if they want to avoid the “destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza”.