In the wake of a minister’s warning of “carnage” from Israeli strikes, hospitals in Lebanon are experiencing difficulties. Lebanon’s health minister tells the BBC that hospitals are struggling to handle the number of casualties after days of Israeli strikes.
Dr Firas Abiad says Monday – the deadliest day in Lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990 – was “carnage”
More than 560 people, including 50 children, have been killed in the Israeli strikes, the health ministry says
Speaking to civilians in Lebanon directly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares, “Our war is not with you, our war is with Hezbollah.”
Earlier, Israel said it had killed a Hezbollah commander in a strike in Beirut – Lebanon says six people were killed and 15 injured
Israel says it aims to remove the threat from Hezbollah and return displaced residents to northern Israel; Hezbollah says it is resisting Israeli “aggression” and acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza
Edited by Sam Hancock and Aoife Walsh, with Hugo Bachega reporting from Beirut
Israel’s operation against Hezbollah could ‘take time’ – military spokesman
Israel wants its operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon to be as short as possible, but is prepared for it to take some time, according to a spokesman for the Israeli military.
Speaking at a briefing, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari says: “We strive that the operation is as short as possible, that is why we are striking with huge power, thus we have to be prepared for it to take time.
“Our mission in the end is to achieve the war goals and bring the residents of the north back to their homes, and we have to stand by our mission.”
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Edouard Beigbeder says displaced families in Beirut are “heavily traumatised”
“When you have a massive displacement, you need to race against the clock and think how you are going to serve 100 centres at the same time,” says Edouard Beigbeder, representative of the UN children’s agency Unicef in Lebanon.
“Today, we could reach 10 centres and we hope we can continue tomorrow.”
Beigbeder is visiting one of the schools in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, that have already received more than 1,000 displaced people from the south of the country since Monday.
Beigbeder says the stories he’s heard from women and children visiting these shelters have struck him.
“Most of them have left in a few minutes without taking anything, just getting their cars and leaving the house.
“Some of them have seen their house being destroyed, and some have witnessed their family members, siblings killed or injured. So, those who survived to reach Beirut are severely traumatized “tells me.
I ask him whether he thinks these families will be stranded here for a longer period, and whether Lebanon and aid organisations are able to handle this.
“It’s not going to be a short-term crisis,” he answers, saying that those families would need to be supported until they are able to return to their homes.
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