Heavy blasts shake Beirut as Israeli strikes intensify: 37 killed, 151 injured across Lebanon

Powerful blasts rocked Beirut overnight in what marks some of the heaviest Israeli strikes on the city to date. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports that at least 37 people have been killed and 151 injured in bombing attacks across the country in the past 24 hours, Al Jazeera reported.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli jet fighter attacks on the Tulkarem refugee camp resulted in the killing of at least 18 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the head of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, stated that at least 21 Palestinians lost their lives as three UN-run school shelters were targeted by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip over the last two days.

Amid these escalating tensions, Iran has sent a message to Washington via Qatar, indicating that it does not seek a regional war but emphasising that “the phase of unilateral self-restraint has ended,” according to an Iranian source cited by Al Jazeera.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen, with reports indicating that at least 41,788 people have been killed and 96,794 injured due to Israeli attacks since October 2023. In Israel, the situation remains dire as well, with at least 1,139 people killed in the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, alongside more than 200 individuals taken captive.