The city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has been rocked again by a series of Israeli strikes. Explosions were reported Friday in the area known as Dahiyeh, a suburb south of the capital.
In this second round of strikes, two buildings were hit in the neighborhoods of Haret Hreik and Hadath.
In a warning on social media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was targeting Hezbollah installations and interests, without giving further details.
As the Israeli military intensifies its campaign against the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, it is pushing deeper into the country.
The fighting is taking a heavy toll on civilians. In the past 13 months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, the death toll in Lebanon has exceeded 3,200, according to the country’s Health Ministry.
Many deaths have occurred in the past seven weeks since the start of a heavy-handed air campaign and ground invasion in the south of the country.
More than 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes, with hundreds of homes burned to the ground.
Damage to physical infrastructure is estimated at $3.4 billion.
This escalation of violence and destruction in Lebanon underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution of conflicts in the Middle East. Innocent civilians continue to pay the highest price for regional tensions and political rivalries.
It is imperative that the international community fully engage in mediation and diplomacy to end the violence and restore stability in the region.
In the face of human suffering and the devastation caused by conflict, it is time to place peace and dialogue at the heart of relations between nations, to prevent further tragedies and build a safer future for all.