Israeli strike near Beirut kills Lebanese Forces official

An Israeli air strike on an apartment building in a Christian area east of Beirut on Sunday killed three people, including a local Lebanese Forces party official. The incident deepened internal tensions in Lebanon, where disputes are escalating over the role of the militant Hezbollah movement.

A man and two women died, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Lebanese Forces party identified its official Pierre Moawad and his wife among the victims.

Israel said it had hit a ‘terrorist target’ and that civilian deaths, including Moawad, were not intended, according to the military.

The conflict, which Israel says was triggered by Hezbollah attacks in early March, has already claimed nearly 1,500 lives, according to Lebanese authorities, including civilians and medical personnel. The fighting has also driven more than a million people from their homes.

The Israeli army is continuing its attacks and ordering the evacuation of further areas, which already cover some 15 per cent of Lebanon. President Joseph Aoun warned that civil peace was a ‘red line’ that must not be crossed.

(reuters, est)