Hours after Israel lost its eight soldiers in the ground invasion in Lebanon and Iran fired over 100 missiles into its territory, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) hit back with vengeance, bombing the Lebanese capital, killing six and injuring seven.
Israel said it conducted a precise airstrike in central Beirut in the early hours of Thursday, with Reuters quoting sources as saying that a building in Bashoura neighbourhood close to parliament was targeted. Lebanese authorities confirmed that at least six people had died and seven were wounded, and that three missiles also hit Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week.
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV station said the strike targeted its health unit.
Israel's latest airstrikes came after it lost eight soldiers, including four belonging to the Egoz Commando Unit, in the grou nd combat with Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. Hezbollah also said it had destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with rockets near Maroun El Ras.
In the past 24 hours, at least 46 people have died in central and south Lebanon in Israeli airstrikes.
Late on Wednesday, an apartment building near the Lebanese capital's city centre, the second time Israel has struck central Beirut this week. At least two people were killed and 11 wounded in the strike in the residential Bashoura district.
An Israeli airstrike also hit a residential building in Damascus on Wednesday evening, killing three people and wounding at least three others, according to Syria's state-run SANA news agency.
Iran fires 'warning shot' to Israel
Tuesday saw Iran, which supports both Hezbollah and the Hamas which runs the Gaza Strip, firing a wave of at least 180 ballistic missiles into Israel, in a bid to dissuade it from attacking Lebanon. However, Israel and the US said they will respond to the attack.
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Most of the missiles were intercepted by Israel's air defence mechanism. IDF confirmed that its airbases suffered damages in the attack, but no aircraft, drones or fighter jets at these facilities were hit and none of its personnel suffered any injuries.
Tension between Israel and Iran escalated after Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader of the Hamas, was killed in Tehran on August 1. Iran blamed Israel for Haniyeh’s death and vowed strong retaliation. With the US backing Israel, the attacks could well escalate into a wider regional conflict.
In Gaza, IDF's ground and air operations killed at least 51 people, Palestinian medical authorities said. Israel has been attacking “Hamas targets” across the Gaza Strip nearly a year after Hamas' October 7 attack in Israel.
Israel lashes out at United Nations
Israel declared Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata, or banned from entering the country. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused him of failing to unequivocally condemn Iran's missile attack.
"I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a cease-fire," Guterres had said in a brief statement.
"This is an anti-Israel Secretary-General who lends support to terrorists, rapists, and murderers," Katz was quoted as saying by the Haaretz.
The move deepens an already wide rift between Israel and the United Nations.