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Lebanon says 13 killed in Israeli strike near southern Beirut hospital Lebanon says 13 killed in Israeli strike near southern Beirut hospital
(about 2 hours later)
Thirteen people including a child have been killed in an Israeli air strike near the main government hospital in southern Beirut, the Lebanese health ministry says. The strike near the hospital destroyed at least three buildings in a densely populated neighbourhood
The strike appeared to hit the car park of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, a hospital source told Reuters news agency. At least 13 people, including a child, have been killed in an Israeli air strike near Lebanon’s largest public hospital in southern Beirut, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The health ministry said 57 people had been injured, seven of whom were in a critical condition. Another 57 people were injured, seven critically, when at least three buildings about 50m (160ft) from Rafik Hariri University hospital were destroyed in the Jnah neighbourhood on Monday night.
It was among 13 air strikes that hit south Beirut on Monday evening. The Israeli military said it was attacking facilities linked to Hezbollah. The health ministry said the attack - one of at least 13 reported across the capital - caused “significant damage” to the hospital.
An Israeli spokesman had earlier warned people to move away from several locations in southern Beirut, however Rafik Hariri hospital was not among the locations mentioned. The Israeli military said it hit a Hezbollah target near the hospital, without giving details, and insisted that the facility was not affected, according to the Reuters news agency.
Videos from the Dahiyeh neighbourhood in southern Beirut, where seven locations to be targeted were announced in advance, showed locals fleeing in vehicles and on foot as the strikes began hitting. The military had warned people to move away from several locations in southern Beirut about 15 minutes before the strike, but the area around hospital was not among them.
One location identified as a target by the Israeli army was roughly 400m from Beirut airport, the only international airport serving Lebanon. A BBC producer who was close to the hospital at the time said a loud bang sent people running for cover. Paramedics and firefighters found locals in distress at the scene.
Local media shared images of some windows in an airport building that were blown in the blast. On Tuesday morning, rescuers searched the piles of broken concrete and twisted metal, some carrying shovels, others only with their bare hands, at the site of the strike.
Israel has not commented since issuing the earlier evacuation warnings. The location hit was an impoverished and densely populated neighbourhood. At least three multi-storey buildings collapsed and several others were heavily damaged.
Separately, the Israeli military said earlier on Monday that it had identified a Hezbollah bunker concealed under a different hospital in southern Beirut, which has since been evacuated. One of the rescuers said they did not know how many people could be under the rubble.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said without providing evidence that the bunker under the Sahel hospital in Haret Hreik held hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold that was being used to fund Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. A BBC team saw one body being recovered, while another had been located as they left.
The director of Sahel hospital denied there was a bunker underneath it and called on the Lebanese army to inspect the site. One resident said the attack happened after a car arrived in the area, but added that they could not say who might have been travelling inside.
Israel appears to have expanded its war against Hezbollah beyond military infrastructure and says it is targeting the group's financial networks. Rescuers said they did not know how many people could be under the rubble
Videos from elsewhere in southern Beirut, where the Israeli military warned that it was going to target seven locations in advance, showed locals fleeing in vehicles and on foot as the strikes took place.
One location identified as a target by the Israeli army was about 400m from Beirut airport, Lebanon’s only functioning commercial airport. Local media shared images of windows blown in by the blast.
The Israeli military said aircraft had struck “Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, command centres, and additional terror targets in Beirut”.
“Some of the targets were located underground and included aerial and naval equipment used by Hezbollah to carry out terror attacks,” it added, without identifying the locations.
Separately, the Israeli military said it had identified a Hezbollah bunker concealed under Sahel hospital in Haret Hreik, external, which was later evacuated.
Military spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said, without providing evidence, that the bunker held hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold that was being used to fund Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. He also said Israel would not strike the hospital itself.
Doctors denied the Israeli allegation and took the BBC through the building on Tuesday, including to the first and second level below ground. They insisted there was nothing underneath.
“We are an institution helping people,” said Dr Walid Alameh, the hospital’s medical director. “[The hospital] is private. It used to be and will remain. Hopefully, [the Israelis] will believe us. What we are doing is helping people.”
BBC tours hospital Israel says sits above millions in Hezbollah gold
Israel appears to have expanded its war against Hezbollah beyond military infrastructure. On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they would target the group's financial networks.
On Sunday night Israel carried out air strikes targeting branches of a financial association linked with Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital Beirut, as well as the south and east of the country.On Sunday night Israel carried out air strikes targeting branches of a financial association linked with Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital Beirut, as well as the south and east of the country.
The Israeli military said it targeted money held by Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH). It offers financial services to civilians in areas where Hezbollah has strong support, but Israel and the US accuse it of being a cover for the Iran-backed group to fund its activities. The Israeli military said it targeted money held by Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH), which offers financial services to civilians in areas where Hezbollah has strong support. Israel and the US accuse AQAH of being a cover for the Iran-backed group to fund its activities.
There was no immediate comment from AQAH or Hezbollah.There was no immediate comment from AQAH or Hezbollah.
Also on Monday, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy to the Middle East arrived in Beirut to explore the possibility of a negotiated end to the war.Also on Monday, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy to the Middle East arrived in Beirut to explore the possibility of a negotiated end to the war.
Amos Hochstein said the US wanted to see an end to the war in Lebanon end "as soon as possible". Amos Hochstein said the US wanted to see an end to the war in Lebanon "as soon as possible".
He said that UN resolution 1701 - which calls for the Lebanese state to be the only armed force in southern Lebanon - was "not enough" and the US was looking into what more needed to be done. He warned it was not in Lebanon’s interest to have its future tied to other conflicts in the region, a reference to Hezbollah’s close ties to Iran and its decision to support Hamas in the Gaza war.
Hezbollah fighters meanwhile continued to fire rockets into northern Israel, with the military reporting that 170 projectiles had crossed the border by late Monday evening. He also said the old “status quo” was not sustainable and called for a “comprehensive agreement” that implemented UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The resolution, which ended the last war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, called for southern Lebanon to be free of any armed personnel or weapons other than those of the Lebanese state and a UN peacekeeping force.
Israel has long complained that this formula failed to prevent Hezbollah from building a formidable military presence in southern Lebanon and firing rockets over the border.
As Mr Hochstein spoke, Hezbollah fired more rockets into northern Israel, with the Israeli military reporting that 170 projectiles had crossed the border by late Monday.
Israel began an intense air campaign and ground invasion against Hezbollah after almost a year of cross-border fighting sparked by the war in Gaza, saying it wanted to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of residents of Israeli border areas displaced by rocket attacks.Israel began an intense air campaign and ground invasion against Hezbollah after almost a year of cross-border fighting sparked by the war in Gaza, saying it wanted to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of residents of Israeli border areas displaced by rocket attacks.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Palestinians on 8 October 2023, the day after its ally Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel.Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Palestinians on 8 October 2023, the day after its ally Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel.
More than 2,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, including 1,800 in the past five weeks, according to the country’s health ministry. Israeli authorities say 59 people have been killed in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.More than 2,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, including 1,800 in the past five weeks, according to the country’s health ministry. Israeli authorities say 59 people have been killed in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.