WPL: RCB chase down highest ever total, beat GG by 6 wickets
Israeli airstrikes targeting a medical center in central Beirut have killed at least six people, marking a serious escalation in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. This incident follows one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces on the Lebanese front in over a year, with eight Israeli soldiers reported killed during cross-border raids. Eyewitnesses in Beirut described hearing missiles overhead, followed by powerful explosions that caused widespread panic, leading residents to flee on scooters and in cars.
The attack struck a facility belonging to the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Organisation in the early hours of Thursday. This was the second airstrike on central Beirut within the same week, a shift from previous operations that were largely confined to the city’s southern suburbs. Along with the medical center strike, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched three missiles on Dahiyeh, a southern suburb where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly killed last week. Loud explosions were reported in the area, heightening fears among local residents.
In the previous 24 hours, at least 46 people had been killed in various Israeli strikes across Lebanon, according to Lebanese health officials. The violence has taken a devastating toll on civilian life, with reports indicating that seven more individuals were wounded in the latest airstrike. The situation is compounded by the fact that just a day earlier, Iran had fired over 180 missiles into Israel, its largest missile barrage yet, intensifying the already volatile regional conflict. U.S. President Joe Biden has publicly stated his opposition to any Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions.
Hezbollah has also claimed military successes, asserting that it successfully repelled an Israeli infiltration into southern Lebanon and inflicted losses on Israeli forces. Reports suggest that Hezbollah targeted an Israeli unit with explosives and destroyed three Merkava tanks during the clashes. As the IDF continues its operations, they have ordered evacuations in over 20 areas in Lebanon, and footage released by the military shows Israeli soldiers conducting ground raids in Lebanese territory.
Iran has threatened to ramp up its military response if Israel continues its aggressive actions against Hezbollah, defying calls from various international actors for de-escalation. The ongoing conflict has already claimed over 1,000 lives in Lebanon and shows no signs of abating as both sides prepare for further military engagement.