Israel attacks residential building in Beirut's southern suburbs

BEIRUT -- Israel launched an airstrike on an apartment in a residential building between Chiyah and Ghobeiry areas in Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday evening, Lebanese TV channel al-Jadeed reported.

The airstrike took place near an office for the Civil Defense, and the casualty count remains unclear, according to al-Jadeed.

The strike was followed by several other airstrikes in the Hay al-Sellom neighborhood, also in the southern suburbs of Beirut, bringing the number of Israeli airstrikes targeting the area to 17 in the day.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities by maintaining international peace and security and to condemn the Israeli aggression against the Lebanese land and people.

"We condemn the current cycle of violence and call for an immediate cessation of all hostilities," the ministry said, reiterating its calls on the Security Council to oblige Israel to fully implement Resolution 1701, withdraw from all occupied Lebanese territories, and respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

Israel has recently intensified its airstrikes on Beirut and its suburbs, mainly targeting Hezbollah officials and facilities. At the same time, it has launched what it describes as a "limited" ground operation into Lebanon.

Israel's escalations further fuel its ongoing clashes with Hezbollah that started on Oct 8, 2023, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, leading to retaliatory fire and airstrikes from Israel in southeastern Lebanon.