Israel conducted an unprecedented airstrike on Beirut’s southern Dahiya district on Friday evening in what Israeli media described as an attempt to assassinate Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Hasan Nasrallah.
The strike targeted and leveled six residential buildings. The Israeli army’s spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, released a video statement shortly after the strike claiming that the buildings contained Hezbollah’s “Central Headquarters.” Lebanese media reported that over 10 Israeli missiles were dropped in less than three minutes on the complex, situated in the Haret Hreik area in Dahiya. The Israeli army’s radio said that Israeli F-35 fighter jets dropped 2000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the residential buildings.
Lebanese first responders continue rescue efforts to pull out survivors from under the rubble. As of the time of writing, the number of civilians killed has not been specified.
The Israeli army’s radio quoted a military source saying that any person who was present in the targeted buildings “will not come out alive.” The Lebanese Health Minister, Firas al-Abyad, said that some of the buildings targeted were “full of civilian residents.”
If you oppose massacres and genocide, get involved in work to oppose the “Israeli” project. BDS campaigns (like tabling for them, not just doing a boycott yourself) are a good way to get started. Just as important is to educate yourself on Palestine and Zionism, particularly its very recent European roots and the parallels it has with other settler colonial projects (the USA’s genocide of indigenous Americans, South Africa, etc) and other apartheid states (South Africa, etc). Most of what you are taught about “Israel” is a lie or a misleading equivocation to avoid the elephant in the room, of occupation, of stealing land and homes and orchards, of checkpoints and a two-tiered system, of torture and indiscriminate bombing, and of a cynical and, itself, antisemitic weaponization of claims of antisemitism.
Finally, confront the role your state plays and therefore what role you can play against its support for Israel. If you are American, this means being unfriendly towards both Biden and Harris, both of whom are supporting all of this. Ask yourself what will actually constitute consequences for their genocide. Ask yourself what it means to work against them rather than “reluctantly” supporting them.
If not now, when?