Beirut

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the outskirts of Beirut on Sunday to pay their respects to Hezbollah's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in a stunning blow to the Iran-backed group. The killing of Nasrallah, who led the Shi'ite Muslim group through decades of conflict with Israel and oversaw its transformation into a military force with regional sway, was one of the opening salvos in an Israeli escalation that badly weakened Hezbollah. Carrying pictures of Nasrallah and Hezbollah flags, supporters gathered early on Sunday for a mass funeral for Nasrallah and other slain leaders of the group at a stadium in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.

Israel Pounds Beirut's Southern Suburb To Target Hezbollah Facilities | N18G

Israel continued its airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in southern Beirut, with a focus on targeting Hezbollah facilities embedded in civilian buildings. The strikes, which have intensified over the past two weeks, coincide with ongoing U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire. On Sunday evening, Israeli airstrikes demolished two apartment blocks in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a region already heavily bombarded in previous weeks. Israel's offensive against Hezbollah began in September following heightened hostilities linked to the Gaza conflict. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported a rise in casualties, with 29 people confirmed dead after Saturday’s airstrikes. The total death toll from all Israeli strikes since October 2023 has now reached 3,754. Israel's military did not comment on the specifics of Saturday's airstrike in central Beirut but confirmed that its strikes are targeting Hezbollah command centers. This escalation is part of broader Israeli efforts to combat Iran-backed Hezbollah forces operating in southern Lebanon and beyond.

Hezbollah media head eliminated as Israel continues to pound Beirut | N18G

On November 17, 2024, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed Mohammad Afif, Hezbollah's media relations chief, in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood, a densely populated area. The strike hit a building, causing widespread destruction, but no evacuation warning was issued by the Israeli military beforehand. Afif had been a key figure in Hezbollah, serving as a media advisor to Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and managing the group's Al-Manar TV station. The Israeli military later released videos showing explosions in southern Lebanon, claiming to have destroyed Hezbollah munitions and underground facilities. Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah, which began in late September, has escalated due to cross-border hostilities, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. Over a million Lebanese have been displaced, and the conflict has led to significant civilian suffering. Israel aims to secure the return of citizens evacuated from northern Israel due to Hezbollah's attacks.

US envoy expected in Beirut on Tuesday for ceasefire talks

Israeli strikes in two Beirut neighbourhoods killed six people including at least one senior Hezbollah official on Sunday, the first time Israel has struck central areas of the capital in a month.

On this day, October 23 - Know what happened today in history

Discover the significant events, cultural milestones, and notable birthdays and deaths that occurred on October 23. Explore the historical context and lasting impact of this day.

Blasts Near Beirut Airport Creates Panic, Plane Lands After 40 Minutes Of The Explosions

Large explosions and a fire were reported near Beirut's international airport on the night of 20 October, filling the area with thick smoke. Planes had landed shortly before the blasts, as observed from nearby Baabda, amid escalating tensions between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. Following Israel's warnings of impending attacks on sites associated with Hezbollah's financial operations, hundreds of residents fled their homes late on Sunday. A flight from Dubai landed at Beirut's International Airport in the early hours of Monday, approximately 30 to 40 minutes after the explosions occurred, with smoke still visible during its descent. There was no immediate information on the cause of the explosions or any potential casualties. Witnesses reported that panicked crowds clogged the streets, causing traffic jams as people sought refuge in neighbourhoods they believed to be safer. The situation highlights the growing instability in the region.

India News Highlights: 2 labourers killed, 2 injured in terrorist attack in J-K's Ganderbal

India News Highlights: Two labourers were killed and two others injured in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district, officials said. The terrorists opened firing on the camp housing labourers of a private company working on construction of a tunnel at Gund area in the district, they said

Pentagon chief calls on Israel to scale back Beirut strikes

Austin's comments came hours after Israel carried out heavy strikes on several locations in the city's southern suburbs, leaving thick plumes of smoke wafting over the city horizon throughout the evening. Israel said it struck arms facilities belonging to Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Rare Israeli strike in central Beirut kills several as troops battle Hezbollah in southern Lebanon

Israel has been pounding areas of the country where the militant group has a strong presence since late September, but has rarely struck in the heart of the capital.

Four killed as Israel strikes Beirut in first attack within city limits

The strike, carried out by an Israeli drone, hit a flat in the predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Kola, close to Beirut airport, belonging to members of the Lebanese Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya, which has historical ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

US to 'adjust' force posture in Middle East after Israeli strikes in Beirut

Biden orders Pentagon to review U.S. military presence in the Middle East following Israeli strikes.

Israel says strikes Hezbollah HQ in Beirut

The strikes, heard across the city, sent huge clouds of smoke soaring above the densely populated south of Beirut, the main bastion of Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Two Hezbollah leaders killed in Israel's Beirut strike

The military said Saturday it was again hitting targets "belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in Lebanon", without elaborating.

Israel says Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil 'eliminated' in Beirut strike

"Following precise intelligence, the Israeli Air Force fighter jets carried out a targeted strike in the Beirut area, eliminating Ibrahim Aqil, commander of the Radwan unit" along with other "senior figures in the operations network and command chain" of Radwan, the military said in a statement.

Top Hezbollah commander among 8 killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

The Israeli military said it had conducted a "targeted strike", while the Lebanese health ministry said the attack had killed eight people and wounded 59 more.

Gandhi Jayanti 2023: When, in Beirut, I was asked ‘If you are Indian, have you read Gandhi?’

On a work trip in Lebanon, traipsing between the Hope for Peace Monument, Mahatma Gandhi Park and a local ice-cream seller who has read, understood and explained Gandhi's ideals with a drawing.

Where has the Beirut blast aid gone?

On August 9, the international community led by France pledged around $300 million in emergency aid. In early December, the European Union, United Nations and World Bank laid out a response plan over 18 months to help the city recover, estimating $426 million will be needed for the first year.

Beirut blast led litany of Middle East crises in 2020

The August 4 explosion killed more than 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed entire neighbourhoods of the capital. The most devastating single event in the region was neither war-related, nor a claimed terrorist attack, but an explosion in Beirut’s port caused by the detonation of a stockpile of explosive chemicals that had been improperly stored there for years. AP photographers covered the year of upheaval.

Lebanese prime minister-designate steps down amid impasse

The announcement by Moustapha Adib nearly a month after he was appointed to the job throws the small country deeper into political uncertainty. He told reporters he was stepping down after it became clear that the kind of Cabinet he wished to form was “bound to fail.”

Smoke from Beirut port remnants of September 10 fire, 'no danger to city': Report

The blaze on September 10, which began in the shattered duty-free zone of the Beirut port, came weeks after a massive blast devastated the port and ruined a swathe of the Lebanese capital.

Beirut port: Huge fire breaks out in the area a month after massive explosion

Television footage showed firefighters trying to douse the blaze at the port, where warehouses and concrete grain silos were shattered by the August 4 blast.

For Lebanese, recovery too heavy to bear a month after blast

Lebanese families are still struggling with rebuilding in the wake of the massive explosion centered at Beirut’s port. Many, already unable to make ends meet because of the country’s economic meltdown, now can’t bear costs of making homes livable. Frustration is high, with the state almost nowhere to be seen and promised international help slow in coming.

Desperate to leave Beirut, young Lebanese are also the ones fixing it

The young people leading the huge volunteer effort after the recent blast are bringing hope, but have lost it themselves. “I want to at least have Beirut on its feet before I go,” one said.

Nightmares, flashbacks, fatigue: Beirut faces mental health crisis after blast

Psychologists say this is being exacerbated by the constant stream of images on Lebanese TV and social media showing the blast and its bloody aftermath.

‘End of the world’: Countdown to Beirut’s devastating blast

Across the city, residents who noticed the grey smoke billowing over the facility were drawn to streets, balconies and windows, watching curiously as the fire grew larger. Phones were pulled out of pockets and pointed toward the flames. The firefighters piled into a fire engine and an ambulance and raced to the scene — and to their doom