Israel has launched heavy airstrikes on Baalbek, in eastern Lebanon, after it issued an evacuation warning for the city and its outskirts.
It comes as the new leader of Hezbollah, Naim Kassem, vowed that his group would keep fighting Israel until it was offered ceasefire terms it deemed acceptable, despite Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister saying he hoped a ceasefire deal between Hezbollah and Israel would be announced “within hours”.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council “strongly warned against any attempts to dismantle or diminish” the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), after Israel passed a law banning its operation on Monday.
Strikes on Baalbek
Around four hours after an evacuation warning, Israeli airstrikes began pounding the eastern Lebanese city.
The warning covered the entire city, including Baalbek’s ancient Roman temple complex – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and surrounding areas and key routes in the Bekaa Valley.
The Israeli Defence Forces said it had attacked fuel stores in Hezbollah military complexes in the eastern region.
Rescuers work at the site of an Israeli strike in the Bekaa Valley on Wednesday.
Pic: Reuters
Tens of thousands of mostly Shia Muslim Lebanese, including many who had sought shelter in the city after leaving others areas, were said to have followed the orders and fled.
Bilal Raad, regional head of the Lebanese civil defence, said the group had been asking residents to leave with megaphones.
“People are all over each other, the whole city is in a panic trying to figure out where to go, there’s a huge traffic jam,” he said, ahead of the heavy strikes.
Plumes of black smoke rising after Israel said it struck Hezbollah fuel reserves.
Pic: AP
Some areas people are fleeing to are already full of other displaced people.
Antoine Habchi, a politician representing Christian-majority Deir al Ahmar to the northwest of Baalbek, told Reuters more than 10,000 people were already sheltering in homes, schools and churches.
The ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage site at Baalbek. Pic: iStock
Israel ban on UNRWA
Speaking to Sky News, Martin Griffiths, former UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said that Israel’s attempt to ban UNRWA was “predicted and predictable”.
He added: “It’s still an incredible shock because it’s a complete act of effrontery, not only against the law, it’s also a blatant disregard for the obligations of every [UN] member state.”
When asked about Israel’s allegations that UNRWA had been “infiltrated by Hamas“, Mr Griffiths added: “It’s alright to allege, it’s alright to acclaim. It’s quite a different matter to provide the evidence to bring those people to court, and they haven’t been.”
He rubbished claims that anyone could step into UNRWA’s shoes after 75 years of work among the Palestinian people with 30,000 employees.
‘We will not beg for a ceasefire’
Hezbollah’s new chief, Naim Kassem, has spoken out publicly for the first time in his new role to say the militant group will keep fighting Israel until it’s offered ceasefire terms it deems are acceptable.
Analysis: Naim Kassem’s possible approach
Hezbollah’s newly named leader Naim Kassem delivers a televised speech on Wednesday.
Pic: AP
“If the Israelis decide to stop the aggression, we say that we accept, but according to the conditions that we see as suitable,” Kassem said, speaking from an undisclosed location in a pre-recorded televised address.
“We will not beg for a ceasefire as we will continue (fighting)… no matter how long it takes.”
Israel assassinated the group’s previous leader Hassan Nasrallah.
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Kassem was named on Tuesday as Nasrallah’s replacement after having served as his deputy for over 30 years.
In his remarks, Kassem said that a series of recent attacks on the group, including pager and walkie-talkie explosions, had “hurt” Hezbollah but wouldn’t stop it.
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“Hezbollah’s capabilities are still available and compatible with a long war,” he said.
He added that the group had received proposals to end the war, but so far none had been acceptable to both Hezbollah and Israel.
As he spoke, Israel bombarded Baalbek.
