Huge explosions rock Beirut as Netanyahu says Israel has ‘every right’ to fight Hezbollah
CNN
Large blasts hit Lebanon’s capital after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a combative speech at the UN General Assembly. Follow for live news updates.
Six buildings were completely destroyed by several Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, state news agency NNA reported Friday. Video from the immediate aftermath of the explosion showed a massive crater that dwarfed the rescuers navigating the rubble nearby. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returning to Israel from New York a day early. He had originally been slated to return on Saturday after his address to the United Nations General Assembly, but the Prime Minister’s Office said that he would now depart Friday evening. The Israeli military has “high preparedness in attack and defense in all sectors,” according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released soon after it carried out a large airstrike in Beirut targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Some background: Intense Israeli airstrikes have been targeting the militant group in Lebanon. Monday saw the deadliest day for the country in two decades, when Israeli bombs killed more than 500 people, including women and children, and wounded more than 1,800 others.
