6 residential blocks targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Beirut while Netanyahu claims "Israel seeks peace" at UN

No.

5817

Date

27 September, 2024

Found by

Prem Thakker

Location

Original Social Media Post

"The US was reportedly informed of this mass Israeli attack on Beirut in Lebanon shortly beforehand. Comes just one day after US released $8.7 billion more in aid to Israel & hours after Netanyahu told the UN “Israel seeks peace. Israel yearns for peace.” "
- Source

Tags

Archivist Notes: Bombardment of residential blocks in Beirut's southern suburbs

Chronology

1) On Friday, around 18.30, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs as Lebanese state media reported, triggering loud explosions that were heard by AFP journalists in the capital.

  • "Enemy warplanes carried out a series of strikes on the area of Beirut's southern suburbs" the National News Agency said. Lebanese television showed plumes of smoke rising from several locations in the area.
  • According to Al-Manar, more than 20 airstrikes.
  • Information about the destruction of 4 buildings in a series of raids on the suburb and a massacre against civilians.
  • The targeted areas include the road to Beirut International Airport, Bir Hassan, and behind Al-Zahraa Hospital. The location of the strikes is near to the charity association "Wa Ta'awano," which was threatened with bombing earlier this morning.

There was no previous warning.

2) On Friday, around 23:06 Beirut time. Avichae Adraee broadcasts an evacuation order to residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut: Al-Laylaki neighborhood, Munir Shadid building and adjacent buildings, Al-Hadath District, Sheet building and adjacent buildings, Al Hadath District, Al Salam Complex building and adjacent buildings as shown on the map.

"You are located near Hezbollah interests, and for your safety and that of your loved ones, you are obliged to evacuate the buildings immediately and move away from them for a distance of at least 500 meters." https://x.com/AvichayAdraee/status/1839758471388115330

The IDF live-streamed its press conference on today's strikes in Beirut to YouTube. Instead of using their official account, they uploaded it as an unlisted video to the channel ”siteolympus9593”.

3) The aftermath of the first IDF strike on Beirut (ongoing) :

  • One residential building geolocated : 33.851666, 35.504080, Haret Hreik, geolocation
  • Two other residential building geolocated : buildings destroyed by the Israeli airstrike in Beirut : 33.85037478518815, 35.504322224537226 photo geolocation
  • Blast damage to the road about 200m northeast of the destroyed building, perhaps with a "Bunker busters" bomb. 33.853018, 35.505523, Haret Hraik, Lebanon geolocation

4) Second wave of Bombardment While the population of Dahiye flees in panic to the parks and streets surrounding the targeted neighborhoods, the bombings resume after midnight on September 28th.

5) The aftermath of the second IDF strike on Beirut (ongoing) :

6) On Saturday, in the middle of the nigth, around 3.00 a.m. Avichae Adraee broadcasts an new evacuation order to residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut:

  1. in the Burj Al-Barajna neighborhood, in the building housing the Rony Cafe, and surrounding buildings
  2. in the Al-Hadath neighborhood, near the Al-Bayan school, and surrounding buildings
  3. in the Burj Al-Barajna neighborhood, in front of the Al-Amir school, and surrounding buildings

Just like the previous evacuation order a few hours ago, the broadcast maps place multiple schools and pharmacies, stadiums in the danger zone.

7) Following some sources Israel bombed the suburbs of Beirut in Lebanon non-stop, starting around 11:30 PM and continuing until 6:30 AM.

The IDF claims it carried out an assassination attempt targeting Nasrallah and the Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Hezbollah confirms the dead of Hezbollah leader, Nasrallah, on September 28, in the afternoon.

Weapons

  • Israeli media reports that Israeli warplanes used bunker-buster and 2,000-kilogram bombs in the attack.
  • The Israeli Army confirmed the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, reportedly due to an attack involving 85 bunker-buster bombs. These munitions are designed to penetrate deep into the ground, generating powerful shockwaves. Known as ground penetraton munitions, these bombs can weigh between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds

archivist note : These highly powerful bombs were not designed for precise strikes, but to reach targets in depth, producing massive destruction. Due to the potential for mass casualties, the use of such bombs in densely populated areas is outlawed under the Geneva Convention.

Source

Casulaties

The operation destroyed several buildings and killed at least 33 people, with over 195 injured.

context

Following "Le courrier international", The operation against Hezbollah's leader on September 28 was finalized two days earlier, once Israeli intelligence confirmed a meeting of Hezbollah's top officials in Beirut's Dahiya bunker. Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to New York served as a diversion to mislead Hezbollah leaders into holding their meeting. Israeli security services determined on September 25 that the political and operational conditions were right to target Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary-general. Preparations for the strike began immediately, awaiting confirmation of the exact time and location of the Hezbollah meeting.Netanyahu maintained a façade of normalcy, engaging in ceasefire talks and traveling to the U.S. on September 26, continuing consultations with intelligence and military officials during the flight.The Israeli Security Cabinet held a phone meeting late into the night for final preparations. Israeli forces obtained confirmation of the Hezbollah meeting just before Netanyahu’s scheduled speech at the UN. On September 28, Nasrallah and other Hezbollah leaders gathered in a heavily fortified underground bunker in Beirut. The operation had been planned for months, with Israeli military strategists developing a way to penetrate the underground bunker. The strike used 900-kg bombs, similar to those used in Gaza against Hamas leaders. Footage confirmed the use of U.S.-made BLU-109 bombs capable of penetrating underground bunkers. The large-scale attack aimed to maximize the chances of killing Nasrallah, reflecting Israel's determination to neutralize Hezbollah. The successful strike highlighted improvements in Israeli intelligence since the 2006 Lebanon war and demonstrated Israel's willingness to cross "red lines" for national security. Nasrallah’s death creates a leadership vacuum in Hezbollah and alters the power dynamics in the Middle East.

Statements

Israel statements

  • After the first wave of bombardment, the Israeli military said it struck the headquarters of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday & sayd it targeted Hezbollah HQ in Dahiyeh. "The military carried out a precise strike on the central headquarters of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah in Dahiyeh," military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. The headquarters *"served as the epicentre of Hezbollah's terror".The headquarters is "located under residential buildings in the heart of Dahiyeh in Beirut"
  • Israeli television channels claim that Hezbollah leader Nasrallah was the target of Beirut's strikes.
  • A few hours before, the Israeli Prime Minister. B. Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly, Israel rejects demand for 21-day ceasefire and vows to continue fighting Hezbollah. "We will continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met" he told world leaders at the UN.

Hezbollah statemenr Hezbollah has confirmed the death of Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, following Israel’s massive bombardment of Beirut, which leveled six apartment buildings. In a statement, Hezbollah blamed “the treacherous Zionist raid on the southern suburb” of Beirut, and vowed to continue “confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.”

source

The United Nations Statement "The UN is watching with great alarm" the strikes on Beirut, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a briefing.

Lebanon PM Mikati Statement

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged the international community to "stop" Israel from waging a "genocidal war" against Lebanon, following a huge Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs : "This new Israeli aggression proves that the Israeli enemy doesn't care about all the international efforts and calls for a ceasefire," Mikati, who is in New York, said in a statement issued by his office, urging the international community to stop the "genocidal war that it (Israel) is waging on Lebanon".

Since Israel escalated aggressions on Lebanon on Monday September 23

  • Israeli airstrikes have killed 700+ Lebanese before these airstrikes
  • Lebanon facing deadliest period 'in a generation' followin United nation
  • Following @UNmigration, there are more than 200,000 people displaced in Lebanon since Oct, when Hezbollah & Israel began cross-border fires amid Gaza war

Reject of a ceasefire

  • UK PM Keir Starmer discusses ceasefire with Lebanese PM Najib Mikati
  • Israel rejects push for 21-day ceasefire & vows to keep fighting Hezbollah
  • Netanyahu to address UN General Assembly, he distances himself from ceasefire talks

Evacuation of foreign nationals

  • Japan urges citizens to leave Leb
  • Philippines will evacuate 11,000 citizens in Leb if Israel invades
  • US to conduct 'special flights' in bid to evacuate nationals from Lebanon. But on Friday evening, U.S. Embassy in Beirut (@usembassybeirut) says that "The U.S. Embassy is not evacuating U.S. citizens at this time. There is a commercially available flight that U.S. citizens who expressed interest in departing Lebanon will have to book and pay directly with the airline."
  • Amid Israel's bombing of Lebanon, more than 30,000 people, mainly Syrians, have crossed the border into Syria in 72hrs, the UN refugee agency says

Other targeted areas:

  • Israeli air strike kills 5 Syrian soldiers near the border with Leb
  • Iraq's Islamic Resistance claims attacks on Golan Heights
  • Israeli airstrike kills 9 members of same family in the Leb border-town of Shebaa this morn. 4 were kids.
  • Israel kills 25 Lebanese since this morning

Source : https://x.com/SuppressedNws/status/1839694566024204585 https://www.newarab.com/news/rescue-operations-underway-after-heavy-israeli-strikes-beirut?blockId=block_36513 https://x.com/trbrtc/status/1839730202840047722 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1839714009630580945?refresh=1727514164 https://www.livemint.com/news/world/israels-85-bunker-buster-bombs-used-to-kill-hezbollah-hassan-nasrallah-understanding-the-geneva-banned-weapon-11727527180860.html

The details for each video come from social media. None of it has been verified.