Lebanon's Beirut under massive Israeli air strikes

Israel has bombed central Beirut in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least six people, after its invading military suffered their deadliest day on the Lebanese front in a year of clashes against Hezbollah.

Witnesses reported hearing a massive blast, and a security source said Israel targeted a building in central Beirut's Bachoura neighbourhood close to parliament, the nearest Israeli strikes have come to Lebanon's seat of government.

At least six people were killed and seven wounded, Lebanese health officials said. A photo being circulated on Lebanese WhatsApp groups, showed a heavily damaged building with its first floor on fire.

Three missiles also hit the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week, and loud explosions were heard, Lebanese security officials said. The southern suburbs came under more than a dozen Israeli strikes on Wednesday.

Lebanon's disaster management agency said earlier that 1,928 people have been killed in the country by Israel since October 7, 2023.

2137 GMT — Hassan Nasrallah agreed to truce before Israel assassinated him

Former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a ceasefire with Israel shortly before he was assassinated by Tel Aviv in an air strike in Beirut, Lebanon's foreign minister has said.

"He agreed. Yes, the Lebanese side agreed," Abdallah Bouhabib told CNN.

"We consulted with Hezbollah, (Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri consulted with Hezbollah, and we informed US and French representatives (about the decision)," he added.

"The US and France told us that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed on the statement that was issued by (US President) Joe Biden and (French President) Emmanuel Macron."

2127 GMT — Israel kills 46 people, wounds 85 in Lebanon in 24 hours

The Lebanese Health Ministry has said that 46 people were killed and 85 others wounded by "enemy Israeli strikes" across the country over the past 24 hours.

Lebanon's disaster management agency said earlier that 1,928 people have been killed since October 8, 2023.

2039 GMT — Hospitals in Lebanon 'overwhelmed' with influx of wounded

Hospitals in Lebanon are "overwhelmed" with the influx of wounded patients amid the ongoing aggression by Israel, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

"The death toll in #Lebanon is rising, and hospitals are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients. The health system has been weakened by successive crises and is struggling to cope with the immense needs," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

Tedros said that he met with Arab League ambassadors in Geneva to discuss the health situation in Lebanon and the region, adding that they agreed patients, health workers and civilians, including refugees, "must be protected and offered the health care they need."


The WHO has been working closely with the Lebanese Health Ministry to ensure hospitals have enough medical supplies and health workers are trained for mass casualty events, he added.


"But more help is needed, and we are scaling up our response. However, what the people of Lebanon, Gaza, Israel and throughout the Middle East need is peace," the WHO secretary general said.

2029 GMT — Qatar urges halting of Israeli aggression in Gaza, Lebanon

Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has urged the international community to halt Israeli aggression against Lebanon and besieged Gaza.

His remarks were made during a news conference in Doha alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which was broadcast by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news outlet.

The emir said his meeting with Pezeshkian was "part of the ongoing dialogue between the two countries, during which areas of cooperation, particularly in trade and economics, were discussed."

"We also addressed the critical situation in our region, marked by Israeli aggression against Gaza, the West Bank, and its continued attacks on Lebanon," he added.

He warned that "the (Israeli) aggression is pushing the region to the edge of the abyss and increasing the risk of escalating violence" and urged "the international community to pressure Israel to stop its brutal attacks on Gaza and Lebanon."