At least 45 people have been killed according to local authorities in Friday's attacks on the northeastern parts of Lebanon. Ten of them were killed when Israeli fighter jets attacked the Baalbek region, reports the state news agency NNA.
The area in eastern Lebanon has been subjected to several Israeli attacks in recent days. On Thursday, at least eleven people were killed in attacks on Baalbek and its surroundings, according to media reports.
During the night towards Friday, Israel carried out at least ten attacks on the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut. The attacks caused massive destruction, reports NNA. Dozens of buildings are said to have been leveled to the ground and several fires are reported to have broken out.
Mikati critical
According to a statement from the Israeli military, the attacks targeted weapons factories, command centers, and other infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, which was preceded by an Israeli evacuation order. The suburb of al-Dahiya is generally considered one of the Iran-backed Shia militia's strongest strongholds.
Nabatieh in southern Lebanon was also attacked during the night, according to the Israeli military.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati criticizes the attacks.
The Israeli enemy's renewed expanded scope of aggression against Lebanese regions, its repeated threats to evacuate entire cities and villages, its renewed targeting of Beirut's southern suburbs with destructive raids are all indications that confirm the Israeli enemy's rejection of all efforts made to secure a ceasefire, he says according to AFP.
Thais killed
Friday's attacks took place a day after a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US envoy Brett McGurk, where a ceasefire in Lebanon was discussed. Crucial is that an agreement ensures Israel's security and that threats to the country cease, Netanyahu's office stated after the meeting.
Najib Mikati says that Israel's behavior indicates that the country rejects a ceasefire.
Israeli statements and diplomatic signals that Lebanon has received confirm Israel's obstinacy in rejecting the proposed solutions and insisting on the strategy of killing and destruction, he says.
Meanwhile, Thailand announces that four of the five people killed in rocket fire against northern Israel on Thursday were Thai nationals. The country's labor minister urges all Thai guest workers to leave northern Israel, writes The Guardian.
