Beirut, Lebanon – Israeli airstrikes struck multiple targets across Lebanon on Friday, escalating the conflict with Hezbollah as diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire showed signs of progress. The strikes destroyed five buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, with intense bombardment focusing on the Tayouneh area.
Images captured by Associated Press photographers reveal the dramatic moment when an Israeli missile hit a multi-storey apartment block, igniting smoke and flames. Thick plumes of smoke billowed as the building collapsed, leaving the area engulfed in chaos.
### Precision Weaponry Identified
Richard Weir, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, analyzed the photographs and identified the weapon used in the Tayouneh strike as a Mk-84 series 2,000-pound general-purpose bomb equipped with Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition kit. The Israeli military claimed the strikes targeted Hezbollah munitions warehouses, command centers, and other infrastructure. Warnings were reportedly issued ahead of the attacks.
### Rising Civilian Toll
In southern Lebanon, an airstrike on a home in Ain Qana killed a family of five, including a mother, father, and their three children, according to Lebanese state media. Additional strikes in Tyre province claimed six lives and injured 32 others. Video footage from Horsh Beirut, the city’s main park, showed a building reduced to rubble in another airstrike.
Lebanon’s health ministry reports that more than 3,200 people have been killed since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated 13 months ago, with women and children making up 27% of the casualties. Most fatalities have occurred since September, as Israel has intensified its campaign to weaken Hezbollah’s presence along the border.
### Diplomatic Efforts
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister urged Iran, a key backer of Hezbollah, to push for a ceasefire. The call came during talks with Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has long supported Hezbollah, providing financial and military aid.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials suggested that the most promising ceasefire prospects since the conflict began are now emerging. Reports from the *Washington Post* indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to secure a deal as a potential foreign policy success for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
### The Bigger Picture
The ongoing violence underscores the high stakes for both sides in this protracted conflict. While military action continues to devastate civilian areas, diplomatic channels are increasingly active, offering a glimmer of hope for an end to the violence.
With international pressure mounting and regional powers involved, the coming days may determine whether diplomacy can outpace the relentless toll of war.
