Israel launched fresh strikes on southern Beirut early Thursday, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President-elect Donald Trump spoke of the “Iranian threat”.
The Israeli prime minister was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump, calling his re-election “the greatest comeback in history”.
In a phone call on Wednesday, the two “agreed to work together for Israel’s security” and “discussed the Iranian threat”, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Shortly afterwards, the Israeli military launched its latest strikes on the main bastion of Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Beirut, with AFP footage showing orange flashes and plumes of smoke rising above the densely populated suburb.
The Israeli military had issued evacuation orders ahead of the attacks, urging people to leave four neighbourhoods, including one near the international airport.
In eastern Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said 40 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday, and rescuers were combing the rubble for survivors.
Photo: archive
