Israel strikes Beirut without warning amid ceasefire talks; 15 die

Beirut: When diplomats were running around pressing for a ceasefire, Israel struck Central Beirut through multiple airstrikes and killed at least 15 people. According to the Lebanon Health Ministry, at least 63 people were wounded in the attack, the Associated Press reported.

The escalation comes after US envoy Amos Hochstein travelled to the region in pursuit of a ceasefire deal to end months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has erupted into full-on war.

Israeli bombardment has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million, or a quarter of Lebanon's population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in northern Israel and the fighting.

Two Western diplomatic officials on Saturday described disputed points between Israel and Lebanon in ceasefire negotiations. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks.

The current proposal calls for a two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River.

Thousands more Lebanese army troops would patrol the border area with UN peacekeepers, and an international committee would monitor implementation.

The officials said Israel wanted more guarantees that Hezbollah's weapons would be removed from the border area.

Israeli officials have said they would not agree to a deal that did not explicitly grant them freedom to strike in Lebanon if they believe Hezbollah is violating it.

Lebanese officials have said the inclusion of such a term would violate Lebanon's sovereignty, and Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said this week the militant group would not agree to a deal that does not entail a “complete and comprehensive end to the aggression." Lebanon and Israel also dispute which countries would sit on the monitoring committee. The officials said Israel refused to allow France, which has been close with Lebanon since its colonial rule there ended.

The Palestinian death toll from the 13-month-long war surpassed 44,000 this week, according to the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. It has said more than half the dead are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants without providing evidence.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, and at least a third are believed to be dead.

The Israeli offensive in Gaza has devastated wide areas, and around 90 per cent of the population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands live in tent camps with little food, water or basic services.