Israel is stepping up airstrikes in areas south of Beirut

On Friday, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes in areas south of Beirut, which is seen as a stronghold of the Lebanese-Iranian group Hezbollah.

In the evening, the Israeli military carried out four airstrikes on the outskirts of the city, bringing the number of strikes on the area to 12 on Friday.

The latest wave targeted the areas of Ghobeiri, Galerie Semman, Chiyah and Haret Hreik.

The bombing sparked a fire and led to the collapse of buildings, reported the Lebanese news agency NNA.

Earlier, Israel attacked several buildings in the Hadath and Haret Hreik areas, where the Israeli army had issued warnings to evacuate.

Citizens are often told by Israeli soldiers to stay at least 500 meters away.

The head of a major hospital died in a separate strike

The head of a major hospital in eastern Lebanon was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.

Ali Rakan Alam, director of Dar Al Amal University Hospital, was killed along with six of his colleagues “in the name of treachery” in his home, the ministry said.

This hospital is the largest in the northeastern province of Baalbek-Hermel, according to the ministry.

“This martyrdom occurred amid ongoing attacks by Israeli enemy forces on health workers and facilities as war crimes have piled up,” the ministry said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The UN says four Italian peacekeepers were injured in the attack

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon reported a new attack on its facilities, injuring four of its staff.

The UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said four Italian peacekeepers were injured when two rockets hit the UN peacekeeping headquarters in southern Lebanon on Friday.

“Two rockets hit the Sector West headquarters in Shama, injuring four Italian peacekeepers who are now receiving treatment at the base hospital. Fortunately, none of the injuries are life-threatening,” UNIFIL said in a statement.

The rockets, which may have been launched by Hezbollah or its affiliated groups, hit an underground facility and an international military police station, causing extensive damage to nearby infrastructure, the statement said.

One of the affected buildings caught fire, but the fire was quickly extinguished by workers, UNIFIL said.

“This is the third attack on this UNIFIL base in Shama in a week.
Today's attack comes amid heavy bombing and ground fighting in the Shama and Naqoura areas in recent days, increasing tensions in the region.”

The peacekeeping force said it strongly urges the warring parties to avoid fighting near their positions.

And in southern Lebanon, five paramedics were killed in two separate Israeli strikes.

Another hit a vehicle belonging to the Islamic Health Authority Association, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, at the Deir Qanun-Ras al-Ain intersection, Lebanon's Ministry of Health said.

Three paramedics from the same organization were killed in another incident in Al Qatarni.

As of Thursday, Israel had killed at least 214 health workers and wounded 321 others, the ministry said.

About 3,600 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon since October 2023, although most of the deaths have occurred since September.

More than 15,000 people were injured and more than a million were displaced, according to Lebanese health authorities.

It is reported that women and children are among the eight people who died in Gaza

Women and children were among the latest victims in Gaza City following Israeli airstrikes, Palestinian media reported on Friday.

Eight people died, according to WAFA news agency. There were also injuries when a house in the Shejaiya district in the north of the city was attacked, reports said

The information could not be independently verified at first. The Israeli army said it is investigating the alleged incidents.

WAFA also reported on repeated deadly attacks carried out by Israeli forces in other areas of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Hamas-controlled health authority in the besieged coastal region warned that hospitals could be closed or restricted within 48 hours due to fuel shortages.

According to the Israeli military, it continues to fight Hamas fighters in the Jabaliya refugee district in the north of the Gaza Strip.

Officials said that so far Israeli forces have found about 300 exploded buildings there.

The Israeli army also said that last week they killed the commander of the rocket unit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ), which was responsible for many incidents of rocket attacks in Israel.