4 killed in Israeli airstrike on Beirut building, marking first attack inside city limits

PTC News Desk: In the early hours of Monday, at least four people were killed when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in Beirut’s Kola district, marking the first such attack within city limits since the recent conflict escalation. Among the casualties were three leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a militant group, according to a report by Reuters.

The strike was part of a broader series of Israeli drone assaults that began on Sunday evening, focusing on Beirut’s suburbs. The Israeli military confirmed ongoing operations in both Beirut and Lebanon’s Bekaa region following the attack.

This intensification of Israeli air raids resulted in widespread casualties across Lebanon, with the Lebanese Health Ministry reporting at least 105 deaths from Sunday’s strikes alone. Near the southern city of Sidon, two separate strikes claimed 32 lives, while 21 people were killed and 47 injured in Baalbek Hermel, a northern province.

In northern Israel, sirens blared in multiple cities, including Haifa and Western Galilee, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted a missile launched from Lebanon. The interception triggered further alarms, causing panic over potential shrapnel fallout.

The conflict has extended beyond Lebanon, with Israel also conducting airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday, resulting in four deaths. Israeli forces targeted Houthi strongholds, including power plants and seaports, in response to recent missile and drone attacks on Israel. The Houthis, an Iran-backed militia, escalated these assaults following the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on September 27.

The death of Nasrallah marked a significant turning point, with Israeli forces deploying more than 80 bombs in a concentrated assault on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Dahiyeh, Beirut, leveling six apartments and causing widespread destruction.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for a diplomatic solution to halt the escalating violence. Meanwhile, the U.S. has urged a peaceful resolution while authorizing military reinforcements in the region. U.S. President Joe Biden stressed the necessity of avoiding an all-out war in the Middle East, stating he would continue talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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