Israel-Hezbollah conflict updates: Building with ‘so many people’ inside collapses as Israel targets central Beirut

Witnesses of an Israeli strike in the centre of Lebanon’s capital have spoken out, and the IDF has been rebuked for firing on UN peacekeepers.

Israel has been rebuked by its own allies after its soldiers fired on a position held by United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon, wounding two of them.

The incident occurred at a UN observation post in Naquora, a town in southern Lebanon. According to the UN, soldiers from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) “fired on a UN position from an opening in the fence made by the IDF the previous day”.

In addition to the two injured peacekeepers, the gunfire caused damage to “several vehicles and a communications system”.

“Just yesterday, Israeli forces fired at cameras at the same UN position, and small arms fire hit another UN position also near Labuneh, damaging lighting and a radio relay station,” the UN added in its statement.

“This situation has put our peacekeepers at serious risk,” the head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told the body’s Security Council.

Israel has confirmed that its forces opened fire in the area in question. It stressed that the IDF “maintains routine communication” with the peacekeeping forces.

The United States said it was deeply concerned by the incident.

“We understand Israel is conducting targeted operations near the Blue Line to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure that could be used to threaten Israeli citizens,” said a spokesman for the White House’s national security council.

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

Meanwhile Israeli air strikes in central Beirut have killed 22 people and injured a further 117, according to the local health authorities.

Read on for the latest updates from the conflict in the Middle East.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut. Picture: Ibrahim Amro/AFP

‘So many people’: Building collapses in Israeli strike

Speaking to CNN, two witnesses of the Israeli strikes in central Beirut said they saw an entire building, full of recently displaced people, collapse.

“The bomb hit. And the entire building fell down,” said a man identified as Hassan.

“There were so many people in the building. Not just the residents, but also people who were displaced from other parts of the country.”

“Im waiting for my brother and sister,” said Partim, a migrant worker from Bangladesh.

“They were the concierges of the building. I’m sure they’re OK,” he said.

22 dead as Israel targets central Beirut

Israeli strikes on central Beirut on Thursday, local time, killed 22 people and injured 117 more, according to Lebanese health officials.

Attacks on the centre of the Lebanese capital have been rare; Israel has instead tended to target suburbs in the south of the city.

“I’m not scared usually, but it was like an earthquake,” a local resident told AFP, adding that she wanted to flee the area.

Rescuers pointed large spotlights at the rubble to see in the dark. Dozens of men, some in yellow vests, worked to clear the debris with shovels.

Several wounded people lay by the side of the road, while others collected their clothes in bags as they prepared to flee the area.

Ayman, who lives across the street from one of the targeted sites and declined to give his last name, said he “heard three explosions”.

“The kitchen windows exploded, and my son started crying,” he said.

A view of Beirut. Picture: Anwar Amro/AFP

Firemen worked to put out the blaze after the strike on what the state-run National News Agency described as a “residential building”.

They worked to evacuate residents from the upper floors using a ladder. Hassan Jaber, who lives in a nearby building, said he was wounded in the hand and leg.

“I went out to throw out the rubbish, opened the door of the lift and the strike hit,” he said.

“It was such a big shock,” he said, bewildered.

The atmosphere was tense after Hezbollah and the Lebanese army set up a security cordon around the area.

Hezbollah said it was cancelling a press conference planned for Friday, “in view of current developments”.

‘Unacceptable’: World reacts to IDF’s blunder

As mentioned above, Israel has acknowledged that its forces opened fire in the proximity of a United Nations outpost in southern Lebanon, injuring two peacekeepers.

The incident has sparked condemnation from some nations and concern from others.

Italy, a major contributor of troops to the peacekeeping force, said the acts “could constitute war crimes”, while the United States said it was “deeply concerned”.

The incident came after the peacekeeping mission last week rejected Israeli demands to “relocate” from some of its positions.

UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire ever since the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on September 23, after a year of cross-border fire.

The injured peacekeepers did not suffer serious injured but they do remain in hospital. A UNIFIL spokeswoman said they were from Indonesia.

Indonesia’s UN ambassador, Hari Prabowo, said the incident “clearly demonstrates how Israel positioned itself above international law, above impunity and above our shared values”.

The aftermath of an Israeli strike in Beirut. Picture: AFP

Italy’s defence minister said the attack, and other incidents UNIFIL blames on Israel, “could constitute war crimes”, and asked for an explanation because “it was not a mistake”.

Guido Crosetto described the “shooting” as “intolerable”, lodging formal protests with his Israeli counterpart and the country’s ambassador to Italy.

In Washington, the White House said it was “deeply concerned”.

“We understand Israel is conducting targeted operations near the Blue Line to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure,” a spokesman for the national security council said.

“It is critical that they not threaten UN peacekeepers’ safety and security.”

Spain’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns the Israeli firing that hit UNIFIL headquarters”, which it called a “grave violation of international law”.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, whose country has about 370 troops in the mission, said “any firing in the vicinity of UNIFIL troops or facilities is reckless and must stop”.

Canada’s foreign ministry said the incident was “alarming and unacceptable”.

“Canada reiterates its full support for UNIFIL and its critical role in contributing to a diplomatic settlement,” it said.

– with AFP