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<div class="gmail-inner-article-top"><h1 class="gmail-">Israeli jets carpet bomb Beirut in last-minute offensive before potential truce</h1><p class="gmail-">Israel destroyed several buildings in the Beirut southern suburb less than an hour after striking the heart of the capital </p><div class="gmail-another-name"><p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9" style="color:rgb(164,4,4)">News Desk</a></p></div><div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px"><p><span style="color:rgb(84,88,94)">NOV 26, 2024 - </span><font size="1"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-jets-carpet-bomb-beirut-in-last-minute-offensive-before-potential-truce">https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-jets-carpet-bomb-beirut-in-last-minute-offensive-before-potential-truce</a></font></p></div></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img src="https://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/595818e6-ac02-11ef-ad06-00163e02c055.webp" alt="" width="394" height="222" style="margin-right: 0px;"><span>(Photo credit: X)</span></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-content"><div class="gmail-row"><div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7"><div class="gmail-article-content"><span><p>Israel
 launched heavy and destructive air raids on Beirut and its southern 
suburb on 26 November, ahead of a cabinet session in which Israeli Prime
 Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to greenlight a<a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/lebanon-ceasefire-a-grave-mistake-israels-ben-gvir-warns"> potential ceasefire deal</a> with Hezbollah. </p><span></span><p>The
 attacks caused massive explosions and huge clouds of smoke were seen 
rising out of numerous locations across Beirut’s southern suburb on 
Tuesday afternoon, as shown in video footage on social media.</p><span></span><p>Several
 residential buildings have been completely destroyed by the strikes, 
which came after issued evacuation orders for over 20 buildings in the 
suburb. The Israeli army claimed it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets.</p><p>An
 Israeli strike completely leveled a building in central Beirut’s 
Nuwairi area less than an hour before the attacks on the suburb began.</p><p>“A
 fierce airstrike carried out on Tuesday by Israeli enemy warplanes 
targeted a building near Khatem al-Anbiyaa Mosque in Al-Nuwairi area of 
Beirut,” Lebanon’s <i>National News Agency</i> (<a href="https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/en/justice-law/742039/israeli-airstrike-destroys-building-near-khatem-al">NNA</a>) reported. </p><p>According
 to an NNA correspondent, the raid on Nuwairi targeted a four-story 
building housing displaced people. At least seven were killed and 37 
wounded, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Operations to remove rubble 
are ongoing, and the toll is expected to rise.</p><span></span><p>The intense bombing comes ahead of an anticipated announcement of a <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/us-france-ready-to-announce-israel-lebanon-ceasefire-despite-outstanding-issues-report">ceasefire </a>agreement
 between Hezbollah and Israel, which US and Israeli officials say is 
close. Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to approve the deal during a
 security cabinet meeting on Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>Beirut has 
expressed cautious optimism, as Netanyahu has consistently blocked a 
deal from going through in Gaza for over a year. </p><p>The <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/hamas-welcomes-potential-lebanon-ceasefire-hezbollah-stood-by-palestine">potential agreement</a>
 focuses on implementing UN Resolution 1701. As part of the deal, 
Hezbollah is required to withdraw beyond the Litani River, with the 
Lebanese army deploying its troops to the south and the Israeli army 
withdrawing its invading forces from Lebanon. This is all meant to 
happen within a 60-day period.</p><p>Beirut has vowed not to accept 
anything that violates Lebanon’s sovereignty. Yet Tel Aviv has signaled 
that it wishes to resume attacking Lebanon if it sees fit – to prevent <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/nearly-10000-buildings-destroyed-by-hezbollah-in-israels-north-report">Hezbollah</a> from “rebuilding.”</p></span></div></div></div></div>

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