BEIRUT: The Israeli military pounded Beirut's southern suburbs with air strikes on Tuesday, mounting one of its heaviest daytime attacks yet after the defence minister ruled out a ceasefire until Israeli goals were met. Smoke billowed over Beirut as at least 10 blasts were heard across the city. The strikes followed an Israeli army warning identifying 12 sites in the southern suburbs and saying it would take action against them soon. In northern Israel, people were forced to take shelter as attack drones were launched from Lebanon, the military said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in Beirut. Residents have largely fled the area since Israel began bombing it in September. Footage of one strike shared on social media showed two missiles slamming into a building of around 10 storeys, demolishing it and sending up clouds of debris.
The conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah had been rumbling on for a year before Israel went on the offensive in September, pounding wide areas of Lebanon with air strikes and sending troops into the south.
Meeting with Israel's general staff for the first time, Israel's newly appointed Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday there would be no ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel achieves its goals. "Israel will not agree to any arrangement that does not guarantee... Israel's goals of the war in Lebanon - disarming Hezbollah and its withdrawal beyond the Litani River and returning the residents of the north safely to their homes," he said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had said earlier on Monday there had been "a certain progress" in ceasefire talks, whilst adding the war was not yet over.
The Lebanese government has repeatedly called for a ceasefire based on the full implementation of a UN Resolution that ended a war between the group and Israel in 2006. The resolution calls for the area south of the Litani to be free of all weapons other than those of the Lebanese state. Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of violating the resolution.
Israel's offensive has driven more than 1 million people from their homes in Lebanon, sparking a humanitarian crisis. Since hostilities erupted a year ago, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3,243 people and injured 14,134, the Lebanese health ministry said. Hezbollah attacks have killed roughly 100 civilians and soldiers in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and southern Lebanon over the last year. — Reuters
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