Bombing in Beirut; Netanyahu Promises Victory Over Iran's 'Axis of Evil'

The Israeli army bombed the center of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, in the early hours of Thursday, October 12, resulting in at least six deaths according to the latest reports. Reuters reported that the Israeli army stated it conducted a 'precise airstrike,' but did not provide further details about its targets or the identity of the victims. According to a security source, a building in the Bashoura neighborhood near the parliament was targeted, marking one of the closest Israeli attacks to Lebanese government centers. Lebanese health officials confirmed that at least six people were killed and seven were injured. A photo circulating on social media shows a severely damaged building with its first floor on fire, but Reuters could not verify its authenticity. Simultaneously on Thursday, three missiles also struck the Dahieh area in southern Beirut; a region where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week. According to Lebanese security officials, this area had been subjected to Israeli airstrikes more than twelve times on Wednesday. Israel announced on Wednesday, a day after the second direct missile attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on its territory, that eight of its soldiers were killed in ground clashes in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video condolence message, stated, 'We are at the height of a fierce war with the axis of evil [the Islamic Republic of] Iran that intends to destroy us. This will not happen, as we will stand united and, with God's help, we will prevail.' These developments come amid the second missile attack from the Iranian government and Israel's promise of retaliation, raising concerns about the escalation of conflicts in the oil-rich Middle East region. According to the Israeli army, infantry and armored units have joined ground operations in Lebanon. Hezbollah announced that its forces have engaged with Israeli troops inside Lebanon. This Iran-backed group claimed to have destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks with anti-tank missiles near the border town of Maroun al-Ras. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours have claimed at least 46 lives in southern and central Lebanon.