Israel airstrikes center of Lebanon's capital Beirut, 22 people killed

On the evening of October 10, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said that Israeli attacks on two locations in the center of the capital Beirut killed 22 people and injured more than 100.

Scene of Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon. Photo: THX

It was the deadliest attack on central Beirut since Israel intensified its air campaign against Hezbollah in the country two weeks ago. In the Basta district, which is populated mainly by Sunni and Shiite Muslims, two old four-story buildings collapsed.

Israel has repeatedly attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, over the past two weeks. The attack on the evening of October 10 was the third time the city center has been targeted by airstrikes.

It was the most serious incident reported by the peacekeeping mission since last week, when it said it had refused an Israeli request to "relocate" personnel from some of its positions.

UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since tensions between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah escalated on September 23, after nearly a year of cross-border fighting.

On the same day, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Doha to discuss bilateral relations and recent developments in the region.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said that during the talks, when mentioning the latest developments in the region, especially the situation in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed stressed the need to promote joint regional and international efforts to de-escalate and avoid widening the spiral of violence in the Middle East. He reiterated Qatar's full commitment to doing everything possible to enhance security and stability at the regional and international levels. For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi assessed that the region is facing significant challenges that need to be addressed through close consultations and joint efforts.

Also on October 10, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei Hamaneh stressed that Mr. Araghchi and Mr. Sheikh Mohammed had "important consultations" on bilateral relations and regional issues. He also added that all countries have a responsibility to maximize efforts to protect the region from disaster, by preventing "deadly attacks" in the Gaza Strip as well as airstrikes on Lebanese territory.

According to VNA

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/israel-khong-kich-trung-tam-thu-do-beirut-cua-liban-22-nguoi-thiet-mang-post763112.html