Israeli strikes hit TV channel, southern Beirut suburbs

Israeli strikes hit TV channel, southern Beirut suburbs
TV channel hit in cross border airstrike / bne IntelliNews
By bne Gulf bureau October 23, 2024

Israel launched air strikes on Lebanese television channel pro-Iran broadcaster Al Mayadeen's Beirut office and the city's southern suburbs on October 23 evening, marking a significant escalation in cross-border tensions.

A massive explosion followed by smaller blasts rocked the southern suburbs after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for the area, a Hezbollah stronghold, according to footage. Lebanon's National News Agency reported at least 10 Israeli raids across the area throughout the night.

Al Mayadeen, which had evacuated its office when border hostilities began earlier this month, said it holds Israel responsible for targeting "a known media office of a known news channel."

The strike on the network's premises caused significant damage but no casualties were reported due to the prior evacuation.

The attack drew swift condemnation from Palestinian groups. Hamas senior official Mahmoud Al-Mardawi praised the channel's "pioneering work in revealing the truth" and said the network "defeats the Zionist narrative and fights against an enemy that wants to cover up facts and present misleading narratives."

The Palestinian Islamic movement Al-Mujahideen called the strike part of "a systematic Israeli campaign targeting Al Mayadeen and free media outlets" since the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

The group described the attack as "a badge of honour" for the channel and said it "reflects Israeli failure and inability to counter distinguished resistant media."

"The attack demonstrates Israeli failure to silence resistant media, despite unlimited Western media support for the Zionist narrative," Al-Mujahideen said in a statement.

The strikes represent a significant expansion of Israel's military operations in Lebanon, which have intensified in recent weeks amid growing regional tensions. The attacks on media infrastructure and civilian areas have raised concerns about further escalation in the conflict.

Earlier on October 23, Israeli Defence Forces announced they “disclosed intelligence information and numerous documents found in the Gaza Strip confirming military affiliation of six Al Jazeera journalists.”

“The documents include personnel tables, lists of terrorist training courses, phone directories, and salary documents for terrorists. These provide unequivocal proof that these individuals serve as military operatives for the terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip,”

 

 

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