Israeli warplanes once again bombed the Dahiye district, the southern suburb of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, at dusk.
The violent explosions heard all over Beirut were followed by black smoke rising into the sky. Reporting from the capital of Lebanon, Al Jazeera correspondent Laura Khan said that the Dahiye district, known as the stronghold of Hezbollah, became completely unrecognizable after the Israeli air strikes.
Reporter Khan stated that no one could enter or leave the district, which was hit by jets five times in just a few hours, and informed that buildings and roads were destroyed in Dahiye.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Lebanon with a video message. Netanyahu said, “You have an opportunity to save Lebanon from a long war that will result in destruction and suffering similar to that in Gaza. Save your country from Hezbollah and let this war end.”
Netanyahu, who turned the Gaza Strip into hell with the support of his main ally, the USA, threatened Lebanon and received a reaction from France.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the Israeli Prime Minister’s words as a provocation. Minister Barrot said, “If this provocation takes place, it will drag Lebanon, which is a friend of France and is already in a fragile situation, into chaos.”
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr said that Netanyahu’s call for Lebanon to save itself from Hezbollah was seen as an attempt to ignite the civil war in the highly divided country.
In the current situation, Hezbollah announced that it is no longer seeking a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and will accept a ceasefire in Lebanon. According to Zeina Khodr, the position taken by the Lebanese group means rejecting the disarmament demanded by Israel.
Israel, which launched intense air attacks on Lebanon on September 23, launched a land invasion on Tuesday, October 1. Due to air strikes, one fifth of Lebanon’s population has already had to leave their homes, and approximately 1,500 people have lost their lives.
