Israel-Lebanon live: Israel’s deadliest strike on central Beirut kills 22 as UN decries ‘extermination’ of Gaza hospitals

Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut killed 22 people and wounded dozens, Lebanon’s health ministry said.

The air raid on central Beirut — the deadliest in over a year of war — apparently targeted two residential buildings in separate neighborhoods simultaneously.

The bombing brought down one eight-story building and wiped out the lower floors of the other.

Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside of either of the targeted buildings.

Over 100 Israeli soldiers have threatened to stop fighting if Netanyahu’s government does not secure a hostage release deal.

In a letter addressed to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant, 130 soldiers said: “If the government does not change course immediately and work towards securing a deal to bring the hostages home, we will not be able to continue serving.

“For some of us, the red line has already been crossed, and for others, it is rapidly approaching: the day when, with broken hearts, we will stop reporting for service.”

The group includes both reserve and regular soldiers, some of whom have served in Gaza and on Israel’s northern border since last year’s 7 October Hamas attacks.

Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday about a potential Israeli response to Iran’s missile strike last week.

Biden and Netanyahu talked about Israel’s plans in a call that lasted 30 minutes, the White House said.

The discussion was “direct and very productive,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, while acknowledging the two leaders have disagreements and are open about them.

Relations between Biden and Netanyahu have been tense over the Israeli leader’s handling of Gaza and Lebanon. The US has tried to prevent hostilities from escalating and has unsuccessfully sought to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel has promised that arch-foe Iran will pay for its missile attack, which caused little damage, while Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with vast destruction, raising fears of a wider war in the oil-producing region that could draw in the United States.

Biden last week made comments discouraging Israel from striking Iranian oil fields and said he would not support Israel striking Iranian nuclear sites.

Some analysts say Israel is most likely to respond to Iran’s Oct. 1 attack by targeting Iranian military installations, especially those that produce ballistic missiles like those used in the attack. It could also seek to destroy Iranian air defence systems and missile-launching facilities.

Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday that firing on UN bases is “totally unacceptable”.

He added in a statement that Israel’s actions clearly flout international law, Reuters reported.

Two UN peacekeepers were injured after Israeli forces fired at a UN watchtower.

UNIFL accuses Israel of “deliberately” firing at other UN peacekeeper positions. They said that “any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law”.

A UN inquiry said on Thursday that Israel has carried out a concerted policy of destroying Gaza’s healthcare system, amounting to the crime against humanity of “extermination”.

The inquiry also found that the actions amounted to war crimes.

A statement from ex-U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, released ahead of a full report, accused Israel of “relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities”.

“Children in particular have borne the brunt of these attacks, suffering both directly and indirectly from the collapse of the health system,” Pillay said.

The inquiry also accuses Israeli forces of deliberately killing and torturing medical personnel, restricting permits for patients to leave the Gaza strip and targeting medical vehicles.

Israel accuses Hamas militants of using hospitals and medical facilities as cover.

Nearly 1,000 medics have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The World Health Organisation says this is an “irreplaceable loss and a massive blow to the health system”.

UNIFL have issued a statement after two UN peacekeepers were injured by an Israeli strike.

Israeli troops fired at the watchtower in UNIFL’s main base in Naqoura, adding that the injuries are “fortunately” not serious.

UNIFL says Israel also “deliberately” fired at other UN peacekeeper positions, adding that “any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law”.

Here is the statement in full:

“Recent escalation along the Blue Line is causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continue to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas.

In the past days we have seen incursions from Israel into Lebanon in Naqoura and other areas. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have clashed with Hezbollah elements on the ground in Lebanon. Unifil’s Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit.

This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at Unifil’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital.

IDF soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.

Yesterday, IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras. They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura, where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station.

We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon to support a return to stability under security council mandate.

Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council resolution 1701. We are following up with the IDF on these matters.”