Beirut and Gaza City — Israeli air strikes on Saturday claimed the lives of more than 55 people in Lebanon and Gaza, many of them civilians, including children, according to local authorities.
Strikes Hit Central Beirut
In Beirut, a strike in the heart of the city demolished a residential building in the working-class Basta neighborhood, killing at least 20 people and injuring 66 others, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported.
"We saw two dead people on the ground… The children started crying and their mother cried even more," said Samir, a 60-year-old resident living opposite the destroyed building.
Israel has yet to comment on the central Beirut strike but stated that it targeted Hezbollah positions in the city's southern suburbs. A military statement mentioned strikes on "dozens of Hezbollah command centers, weapons storage facilities, and terrorist infrastructure in the Dahieh area."
Casualties in Eastern and Southern Lebanon
The Health Ministry reported additional air strikes in eastern Lebanon, resulting in 24 deaths, including 13 in the town of Shmustar overlooking the Bekaa Valley, a known Hezbollah stronghold. In southern Lebanon, at least 14 people were killed, including five in the coastal city of Tyre.
Gaza Under Fire
In Gaza, the civil defense agency stated that 19 people, including at least six children, were killed by Israeli air strikes and tank fire early on Saturday.
One strike hit a house in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City, killing seven people—three of them children—and wounding 10 others.
"What did these people do?" questioned Abdullah Shaldan, a family member whose house was destroyed. "They were sleeping in their homes—they are civilians who have nothing to do with Hamas or the resistance."
Other strikes in Khan Yunis, Nuseirat, and Rafah resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, including displaced people living in tents.
Israeli Hostage Reported Dead
The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, announced that an Israeli hostage was killed in northern Gaza due to Israeli bombardment. Israel's military stated it could neither confirm nor deny the claim.
"One of the female captives was killed in an area under attack in northern Gaza, while the life of another female captive who was with her remains in grave danger," said Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Brigades.
He accused Israel of causing "suffering and death" to the captives and warned that the Israeli government must prepare to deal with the "dilemma" of captives' bodies going missing amid ongoing attacks.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
