The Fort Worth Press - Israel strikes Hezbollah's main bastion in Lebanon

USD -
AED 3.673042
AFN 67.503991
ALL 94.250403
AMD 389.764479
ANG 1.803631
AOA 913.000367
ARS 1003.850089
AUD 1.537516
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.878951
BBD 2.020559
BDT 119.587668
BGN 1.87774
BHD 0.37683
BIF 2895
BMD 1
BND 1.348865
BOB 6.915269
BRL 5.801041
BSD 1.000769
BTN 84.471911
BWP 13.672019
BYN 3.275129
BYR 19600
BZD 2.017245
CAD 1.39845
CDF 2871.000362
CHF 0.893615
CLF 0.035758
CLP 986.680396
CNY 7.243041
CNH 7.25914
COP 4420.25
CRC 509.751177
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 106.303894
CZK 24.326204
DJF 177.720393
DKK 7.157904
DOP 60.450393
DZD 134.27504
EGP 49.650175
ERN 15
ETB 123.010392
EUR 0.95985
FJD 2.27595
FKP 0.789317
GBP 0.798085
GEL 2.740391
GGP 0.789317
GHS 15.803856
GIP 0.789317
GMD 71.000355
GNF 8631.000355
GTQ 7.725046
GYD 209.369911
HKD 7.78445
HNL 25.230388
HRK 7.133259
HTG 131.367086
HUF 395.010388
IDR 15943.55
ILS 3.70204
IMP 0.789317
INR 84.43625
IQD 1310.5
IRR 42075.000352
ISK 139.680386
JEP 0.789317
JMD 159.42934
JOD 0.709104
JPY 154.77504
KES 129.503801
KGS 86.503799
KHR 4051.00035
KMF 472.503794
KPW 899.999621
KRW 1404.510383
KWD 0.30785
KYD 0.834002
KZT 499.690168
LAK 21960.000349
LBP 89600.000349
LKR 291.267173
LRD 180.000348
LSL 18.130381
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.885039
MAD 10.074504
MDL 18.253698
MGA 4670.000347
MKD 59.076288
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999946
MOP 8.023845
MRU 39.905039
MUR 46.850378
MVR 15.460378
MWK 1735.000345
MXN 20.428404
MYR 4.468039
MZN 63.910377
NAD 18.130377
NGN 1696.703725
NIO 36.750377
NOK 11.072604
NPR 135.155518
NZD 1.714237
OMR 0.385003
PAB 1.000793
PEN 3.794039
PGK 4.02575
PHP 58.939038
PKR 277.803701
PLN 4.163902
PYG 7812.469978
QAR 3.640504
RON 4.776604
RSD 112.339038
RUB 104.308748
RWF 1370
SAR 3.754663
SBD 8.383555
SCR 14.282217
SDG 601.503676
SEK 11.036204
SGD 1.346504
SHP 0.789317
SLE 22.730371
SLL 20969.504736
SOS 571.503662
SRD 35.494038
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.756761
SYP 2512.529858
SZL 18.130369
THB 34.470369
TJS 10.658046
TMT 3.5
TND 3.180504
TOP 2.342104
TRY 34.553704
TTD 6.797003
TWD 32.583504
TZS 2660.000335
UAH 41.401274
UGX 3697.761553
UYU 42.558915
UZS 12830.000334
VES 46.55914
VND 25419
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.791591
XAF 630.19767
XAG 0.031938
XAU 0.000369
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.761283
XOF 624.503595
XPF 114.875037
YER 249.925037
ZAR 18.09614
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 27.645705
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    -0.5000

    59.69

    -0.84%

  • AZN

    1.3700

    65.63

    +2.09%

  • NGG

    1.0296

    63.11

    +1.63%

  • SCS

    0.2300

    13.27

    +1.73%

  • CMSD

    0.0150

    24.46

    +0.06%

  • RELX

    0.9900

    46.75

    +2.12%

  • CMSC

    0.0320

    24.672

    +0.13%

  • BTI

    0.4000

    37.38

    +1.07%

  • GSK

    0.2600

    33.96

    +0.77%

  • RIO

    -0.2200

    62.35

    -0.35%

  • RYCEF

    0.0100

    6.8

    +0.15%

  • BCC

    3.4200

    143.78

    +2.38%

  • BCE

    0.0900

    26.77

    +0.34%

  • BP

    0.2000

    29.72

    +0.67%

  • VOD

    0.1323

    8.73

    +1.52%

  • JRI

    -0.0200

    13.21

    -0.15%

Israel strikes Hezbollah's main bastion in Lebanon
Israel strikes Hezbollah's main bastion in Lebanon / Photo: © AFP

Israel strikes Hezbollah's main bastion in Lebanon

Israel conducted air strikes on Hezbollah's main bastion in south Beirut on Thursday, with one raid hitting an area near Lebanon's only international airport.

Text size:

The pre-dawn raids came after Hezbollah claimed a slew of attacks on Israel, including a missile strike targeting a military base near Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport.

Also on Wednesday, the health ministry said Israeli strikes on the Bekaa Valley and the densely populated ancient city of Baalbek in east Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, killed 40 people.

Hezbollah and Israel have been at war since late September, when Israel broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border.

Hezbollah began low intensity strikes on Israel last year, in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attack.

The strike near the Beirut airport caused heavy damage to a heater factory warehouse, an AFP photographer reported.

Transport Minister Ali Hamie said the airport continued to operate as normal, with planes taking off and landing with no issue.

The raid caused minor damage to some of the airport's buildings, including flag carrier Middle East Airlines' premises.

The terminal building was safe, an airport official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Abu Elie, a taxi driver, was at the airport when the strikes hit.

"The entire car park shook. People were carrying their suitcases on their shoulders and running," he said.

"When I made it to the street, there was so much smoke I had to turn the headlights on."

- 'Warm and cordial' -

While some in Lebanon had hoped Tuesday's US presidential election might offer a reprieve, Hezbollah's leader said in a speech broadcast on Wednesday that the vote would have no bearing on the future of the conflict.

He also warned that Hezbollah had tens of thousands of trained militants ready to fight, and that nowhere in Israel was "off-limits" to attacks.

Israel's airports authority said Wednesday that operations at its main airport near commercial hub Tel Aviv were not affected after Hezbollah claimed it fired missiles at a military base nearby.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to keep fighting Hamas and Hezbollah until victory, spoke to US president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday and discussed with him the threat posed by the militant group's main backer Iran.

"The conversation was warm and cordial. The prime minister congratulated Trump on his election victory, and the two agreed to work together for Israel's security. The two also discussed the Iranian threat," Netanyahu's office said.

In Lebanon, the overnight strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs were so intense many residents of the city were unable to sleep.

"We've had to flee our homes several times. Sometimes we sleep in the car," said Ramzi Zaiter, a resident of south Beirut.

"Death has become a matter of luck. We can either die or survive."

- 'Bitter experiences' -

Since September 23, more than 2,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad.

Many in Lebanon and beyond had been awaiting the result of the US election to gauge whether there was any hope the war could end soon.

But Hezbollah's Qassem said in his speech: "We don't base our expectations for a halt of the aggression on political developments."

For its part, Hezbollah's main backer Iran said Thursday Trump's election win could be a chance for the United States to reassess past "wrong policies".

"We have very bitter experiences with the policies and approaches of different US governments in the past," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Iran and the United States have been adversaries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the Western-backed shah, but tensions peaked during Trump's first term from 2017 to 2021.

Tareq Hamad, a man displaced by the war from his south Lebanon village Kfar Kila, was cautious.

Trump "had said that if he wins, he would work towards a ceasefire. But these are just words," he told AFP.

In Gaza, ravaged by 13 months of war since the deadliest attack in Israeli history, people were desperate for a solution.

"We were displaced, killed... there's nothing left for us, we want peace," said Mamduh al-Jadba, who was displaced to Gaza City from Jabalia.

"I hope Trump finds a solution, we need someone strong like Trump to end the war and save us, enough, God, this is enough," said the 60-year-old.

- 'Very happy' -

The United States is Israel's main political and military backer and despite pressure from President Joe Biden's administration for a ceasefire, the support has not wavered.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas's October 7 attack, which resulted in 1,206 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry the United Nations considers reliable.

In Israel, recent surveys have shown that a majority of people were hoping to see Trump return to the White House.

"Now we just need him to give us weapons," said fruit vendor Yossi Mizrachi, 51, adding he believed Trump would be able to "bring an end to the war".

In a cafe in Jerusalem, Yechiel Hajbi, 57, also said he was "very happy" Trump had won and felt hopeful his return to power would "bring peace".

H.M.Hernandez--TFWP