RT crew caught in Israeli strikes on Beirut amid ceasefire
Israeli strikes hit Beirut despite US-Iran ceasefire that mediators said covers Lebanon, with RT correspondent Steve Sweeney reporting from the attack scene.
Israeli attacks have escalated despite the announced two-week US-Iran ceasefire, which mediators said was supposed to include Lebanon. RT correspondent Steve Sweeney, who was caught up in the attack with his cameraman Ali Rida Sbeity, reports that Israel has stepped up air strikes across Lebanon, pounding central Beirut just hours after the ceasefire announcement. This escalation appears to violate the truce, which mediators such as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated covered "everywhere, including Lebanon," though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists it does not apply there.
The strikes hit the densely populated Barbour area of the Lebanese capital, where Sweeney's footage shows thick smoke rising near a bridge following the impact. One of the targets was a mosque, and videos from the scene show heavily damaged and destroyed buildings, with residents still present in the area. Sweeney said: "The very clear message from Israel is that there is no ceasefire in Lebanon. In fact, Israel has escalated its bombing starting in the early hours of the morning..."
Strikes were also reported across southern Lebanon, including the cities of Tyre and Nabatieh. The Lebanese state news agency NNA reported continued Israeli shelling, with artillery fire and a dawn air strike on a building near a hospital that killed four people. Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike on the southern city of Sidon killed eight people and wounded 22 others.
While Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks since the deal was announced and halted strikes on Israeli targets early on Wednesday according to sources cited by Reuters, Netanyahu expressed support for the US decision to suspend strikes on Iran but stated the ceasefire "does not include Lebanon" and that Israeli operations against Hezbollah will continue. Hezbollah, which said it is on the "threshold of a major historic victory," warned displaced residents not to return home until a formal ceasefire is clearly confirmed, and is reportedly expected to issue a statement clarifying its position.
