Israel war: Israel conducts deadliest strike on Beirut since war began

Israel has conducted its most deadly air strike on Beirut since the war began leaving 22 dead and more than 100 injured in their relentless pursuit of Hezbollah terrorists.

Adella Beaini and Emily Macdonald

2 min read

October 12, 2024 - 4:31AM

National News Network

Israel bombs central Beirut: Attack kills 22 Lebanese people and injures 117

At least 22 people were killed and 117 wounded after Israeli air strikes hit residential areas of central Beirut, making them the deadliest attacks to target central Beirut since the start of the war.

The Israeli strikes hit a densely packed residential neighbourhood of apartment buildings and shops in working class districts in the heart of Beirut.

People gather at the site of an Israeli air strike in the Basta area, in Beirut, on October 11, 2024. Picture: AFP

Israel had not previously struck the area, which is removed from Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah’s headquarters have been repeatedly bombed by Israel.

The White House also condemned Israel’s military and said it was “deeply concerned” after their forces opened fire in the area where UN peacekeepers have their headquarters in south Lebanon.

“We understand Israel is conducting targeted operations near the Blue Line to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure that could be used to threaten Israeli citizens,” the spokesman said, referring to the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon.

“While they undertake these operations, it is critical that they not threaten UN peacekeepers’ safety and security.”

A woman stands in the rubble of the Israeli air strike on an apartment block in Beirut, Lebanon. Picture: Getty Images.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force has come under scrutiny, amid reports he is being investigated over his alleged ties to Israel.

Esmail Qaani has not been seen in public since Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a massive air strike on Beirut on September 27.

Some Arab outlets said Qaani is alive and unhurt, but under guard, as the IRGC investigates security breaches into how Israel was able to bring down the group’s most senior leadership and identify where and when he could be found.

Others, including Sky News Arabia, said he suffered a heart attack while being questioned as part of Tehran’s probe into intelligence leaks.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force leader Esmail Qaani, pictured, has not been seen in public since Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Picture: Getty Images

Suspicions escalated that senior Iranian commanders may have been compromised when the terrorist set to succeed Nasrallah — Hashem Safieddine — was most likely also killed in an October 4 air strike on his Beirut base in Lebanon.

Iran has “serious suspicions” that Jerusalem has infiltrated the IRGC’s ranks, the commander of one Iranian-backed terrorist group told the Middle East Eye website, adding that “everyone is currently under investigation.”

Qaani became the successor to former Quds boss Qassem Soleimani, who the US assassinated in 2020. After taking up Soleimani’s mantle, he has reportedly been dogged in his efforts to supply, train and co-ordinate regional terror groups.