Four killed in Israeli strike near Beirut hospital

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, four individuals, including an infant, were killed in a lethal Israeli air strike that occurred on Monday evening and occurred in close proximity to the Rafik Hariri University Hospital in southern Beirut. A source from the hospital verified to sources that the strike, which struck a car park near the main government hospital in southern Beirut, also injured 24 other individuals.

This assault was a component of a broader Israeli military operation that targeted Hezbollah-related sites in southern Beirut. The area was the target of 13 air strikes, which served to escalate tensions as Israel escalated its offensive against the Iran-backed organisation.

The Israeli military verified that its air operations were directed at Hezbollah facilities. In anticipation of the attacks, Israeli authorities had issued warnings to residents in southern Beirut to evacuate several critical locations earlier in the day. Nevertheless, these warnings did not specifically identify Rafik Hariri University Hospital as one of the locations.

As the bombardment commenced, civilians fled in vehicles and on foot in the Dahiyeh neighbourhood, where numerous strikes were conducted, as evidenced by numerous videos. One of the sites that was targeted was situated approximately 400 meters from Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, which is the sole operational airport in the country. Although there were no casualties reported, local media outlets shared images of the damage, which included fractured windows in an airport building.

The Israeli military asserted that a Hezbollah shelter was discovered beneath Sahel Hospital in Haret Hreik, a district in southern Beirut, earlier on Monday. According to Israel, the Hezbollah’s assaults on Israel were financed by the hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold that were purportedly stored in the bunker. The director of Sahel Hospital has denied the existence of any shelter, and these claims have not been substantiated. He has extended an invitation to the Lebanese army to conduct an inspection of the facility to ensure transparency.

It appears that the Israeli military is broadening its campaign against Hezbollah by specifically targeting its financial networks in addition to its military infrastructure. On Sunday night, Israeli officials announced that they had conducted air strikes against branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH), a financial entity associated with Hezbollah. AQAH is recognised for its provision of financial services to civilians.

Amos Hochstein, the special envoy to the Middle East for U.S. President Joe Biden, arrived in Beirut on Monday to investigate the feasibility of a ceasefire in the face of the increasing violence. Hochstein emphasised that the United States is committed to a rapid resolution of the conflict. However, he also emphasised that UN resolution 1701, which stipulates that the Lebanese state should be the sole entity responsible for the control of armaments in southern Lebanon, is insufficient. He suggested that additional measures would be required to guarantee lasting calm.

Hezbollah fighters persist in launching missiles into northern Israel as the Israeli air campaign becomes more intense. The Israeli military reported that approximately 170 projectiles had been launched across the border by late Monday, which further exacerbated the tension in the region.

Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in solidarity with Palestinians following Hamas’s fatal assault on October 7, 2023, which sparked the conflict that has persisted for more than a year.