Beirut's southern suburb suffers 'heaviest night of attacks' with 30 airstrikes by Israeli warplanes

By Mustafa Haboush

BEIRUT (AA) – Israeli warplanes carried out more than 30 overnight airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburb, marking the "heaviest night" of attacks since Israel expanded its military offensive against Lebanon on Sept. 23.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported on Sunday that the strikes targeted various locations across Beirut’s southern suburbs, resulting in widespread damage and a thick cloud of smoke that covered the area. The airstrikes were heard across the capital, Beirut.

According to the report, the airstrikes hit several areas, including a gas station near Airport Road, a building on Barjaoui Street in the Ghobeiry district, and other locations in Safir and Burj al-Barajneh.

In a statement, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed that the Israeli Air Force targeted "weapons and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Beirut."

He added that the strikes were based on “precise intelligence, aimed at Hezbollah’s arms depots and other military structures.”

He also claimed that Hezbollah stored weapons and operated out of residential buildings.

Hezbollah has yet to respond to the latest Israeli accusations, though the group has previously denied similar claims from the Israeli army.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,800 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

At least 2,036 people have since been killed, over 9,500 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi