Breaking news Beirut hit as Israel vows ‘very strong’ response to Iran.(CNN NEWS)_
Israel launched fresh airstrikes in southern Beirut Thursday, targeting Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters. The latest attack comes after a strike in central Beirut — the first time Israel has struck the area since 2006 — killed at least nine people early on Thursday.
• Israel issued evacuation orders for additional villages in southern Lebanon, signaling a broadening of its ground incursion in the country. More than 1,000 people in Lebanon have been killed and about 1 million residents displaced since Israel escalated its war with Hezbollah.
• Lebanon’s foreign minister told CNN that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a 21-day ceasefire just days before his assassination by Israel.
• Meanwhile, Israel’s war cabinet is weighing its response to this week’s missile attack from Iran, with Israel’s UN ambassador telling CNN that retaliation “will be soon.” His comments came as US President Joe Biden said he does not support a potential Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites but left the door open for Israel to strike Iran’s oil reserves.
About 250 Americans and their family members have now departed Lebanon on two US-organized flights this week, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Thursday.
The second flight departed Beirut on Thursday morning, carrying 134 passengers, Miller said. Both that flight and the flight on Wednesday went on to Istanbul, Miller said.
“We’re going to continue to organize those flights as long as the security situation is challenging, as long as there aren’t sufficient commercial options available, and as long as there’s demand,” he said at a news briefing.
In addition, the US has worked with Middle East Airlines to increase the number of seats set aside for US citizens.
“In the past week, we have made over 1,400 seats on available on flights out of Lebanon, and many seats do remain available,” Miller said Thursday.
Miller acknowledged that the price on those commercial flights is high, which is part of why the US has organized its own flights.
“The most that any American will pay on those flights is $283. And if they can’t afford $283, they don’t have $283, we will provide them a loan from the US government for the cost of that ticket on board one of the flights that we have organized,” Miller said.Read more….(https://rb.gy/kthqji)
