Ground Report: Hundreds huddle on Beirut’s streets, beaches amid Israeli strikes

Hundreds of residents in Beirut’s densely-packed southern suburbs camped out overnight in streets, seafront corniche, public squares and makeshift shelters hours after Israeli airstrikes pummelled Hezbollah stronghold. India Today’s Ashraf Wani, reporting from ground zero, saw families spend the night in the open sky.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated sharply following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike. Described as one of the most powerful blasts to hit Beirut in nearly a year of conflict, the attack prompted widespread fear. Hundreds of residents fled the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, with many seeking refuge along the seafront corniche and in makeshift shelters after Israel warned certain districts to evacuate.

India Today’s Ashraf Wani is the only Indian reporter present on ground zero. One of the videos by India Today showed flattened buildings, streets filled with rubble and clouds of smoke and dust in Dahiyeh.

Lines of people marched up to the mountains above the Lebanese capital, holding infants and a few belongings, hours after Israeli airstrikes.

Photo: AP

A day after Israeli airstrikes killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon has announced a 5-day mourning in the country. All shops, businesses and government offices will remain closed till Wednesday.

Including Nasrallah, Israel’s military said it has killed eight of Hezbollah’s nine most senior military commanders this year, mostly in the past week. These commanders led units ranging from the rocket division to the elite Radwan force, news agency Reuters reported.
According to the latest development, Hashem Safieddine will replace Hassan Nasrallah as the chief of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Safieddine is a cousin of Nasrallah, who served as the chief of the group for 32 years.
The assault is part of a rapid intensification of Israeli strikes over the past week, which have claimed over 700 lives in Lebanon. Israel has pledged to cripple Hezbollah and end its 11 months of fire on Israeli territory, which Nasrallah described as a “support front” for his ally Hamas in Gaza.