Rain of fire over Beirut. Israeli forces hit the Lebanese capital with a massive simultaneous attack, in which several neighborhoods were hit, from the center to the seafront to the southern suburbs.
Violent raid on Beirut
The explosions hit densely populated areas, causing panic among residents. Various testimonies speak of “apocalyptic scenes”, with destroyed buildings and columns of smoke visible in several points of the city. Medical sources report the presence of numerous corpses in the streets and a huge number of injured, with hospitals under pressure launching an urgent appeal for blood donations. Rescue operations are ongoing, made difficult by the simultaneity of the attacks and the damage to infrastructure.
Lebanon, massive Israeli raid on Beirut (Photo LaPresse)
Over 250 dead and more than a thousand injured
The toll becomes more and more dramatic as the hours pass. “There is a huge number of victims,” said the head of the Lebanese Red Cross. “Many people are still trapped under the rubble. The attacks were directed against densely populated areas.” In the evening, the toll rose to at least 254 dead and 1165 injured, according to data declared by the Lebanese Civil Protection in Al Arabiya.
According to the Lebanese news agency Nna, at least ten people were killed and four others were injured following the attack which hit a cemetery in the village of Shmestar, in the Bekaa Valley, where a funeral was taking place.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam launched an appeal to his country’s friends to intervene to put an end to Israeli attacks, after raids across Lebanon: “While Beirut welcomes the agreement between Iran and the United States and intensifies efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon, Israel continues to intensify its attacks. We ask all friends of Lebanon to help us stop these attacks by any means available.”
IDF: “160 bombs dropped in 10 minutes”
Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported some numbers of the attack: the vast wave of raids against Hezbollah saw the use of 50 fighters that dropped around 160 bombs on 100 targets in just ten minutes. The wave of attacks has been internally dubbed the “Eternal Darkness.” The IDF said it struck command centers and military infrastructure in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed responsibility for the attack: “Hundreds of Hezbollah operatives were targeted in surprise attacks on headquarters across Lebanon, in the largest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since the “pager” operation in September 2024. The pro-Iranian group’s leader Naim Qassem had been warned that Hezbollah would pay a very high price for attacking Israel on behalf of Iran, and that its own will come as well. turn”.
Unifil vehicle damaged
The Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, taking stock of the situation in Lebanon during Question Time in Montecitorio, denounced the involvement of a Unifil contingent, announcing an immediate request for clarification: “An Italian Unifil column, which was bringing elements to Beirut for repatriation, was blocked by the IDF. The Israeli warning shots damaged one of our vehicles. Luckily no one was injured, but the column had to return. As soon as I leave this Chamber I will ask the ministry Foreign Minister to request immediate information from the Israeli ambassador in Italy on what happened and led to the damage of an Italian military vehicle to reiterate that the Italian soldiers in Lebanon do not touch each other, the Israeli armed forces have no authority to touch the Italian soldiers”.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also intervened on the case, with a post on social media: “I express my firmest and most indignant protest for what happened this morning in the sector of responsibility of Unifil in southern Lebanon. A logistics convoy of the Italian contingent, moving from Shama towards Beirut, was subjected to warning shots fired by the IDF about two kilometers from the starting base. Following the episode, the column immediately stopped the movement and returned to the base. Only minor damage to the vehicles and no injuries were reported, but for how long? It is unacceptable that Italian soldiers engaged under the flag of the United Nations, with tasks exclusively to guarantee peace and stability, are exposed to risky situations by the Israeli army.”
“Unifil personnel operate in Lebanon in implementation of United Nations resolutions, to contribute to security and de-escalation – he added -. The endangerment of convoys clearly identified with the UN flag cannot be tolerated. This is serious behavior which risks compromising the safety of the peacekeepers and the credibility of the mission itself. I ask the United Nations to intervene with the Israeli authorities with the utmost urgency to clarify the incident, adopt all the necessary measures to guarantee safety of the Italian contingent and of all Unifil personnel, and firmly reiterate respect for the mandate and protection due to the blue helmets. Italy will continue to support the peacekeeping mission, but demands full respect for the role of Unifil and the protection of its military. Episodes like this are intolerable and must not be repeated”.