Israel strikes Hezbollah’s main bastion in Lebanon

Also on Wednesday, the health ministry said Israeli strikes on the Bekaa Valley and the densely populated ancient city of Baalbek in east Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, killed 40 people.

Hezbollah and Israel have been at war since late September, when Israel broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border.

Hezbollah began low intensity strikes on Israel last year, in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attack.

The strike near the Beirut airport caused heavy damage to a heater factory warehouse, an AFP photographer reported.

Transport Minister Ali Hamie said the airport continued to operate as normal, with planes taking off and landing with no issue.

The raid caused minor damage to some of the airport’s buildings, including flag carrier Middle East Airlines’ premises.

The terminal building was safe, an airport official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Abu Elie, a taxi driver, was at the airport when the strikes hit.

“The entire car park shook. People were carrying their suitcases on their shoulders and running,” he said.

“When I made it to the street, there was so much smoke I had to turn the headlights on.”

Warm and cordial’

While some in Lebanon had hoped Tuesday’s US presidential election might offer a reprieve, Hezbollah’s leader said in a speech broadcast on Wednesday that the vote would have no bearing on the future of the conflict.

He also warned that Hezbollah had tens of thousands of trained militants ready to fight, and that nowhere in Israel was “off-limits” to attacks.

Israel’s airports authority said Wednesday that operations at its main airport near commercial hub Tel Aviv were not affected after Hezbollah claimed it fired missiles at a military base nearby.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to keep fighting Hamas and Hezbollah until victory, spoke to US president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday and discussed with him the threat posed by the militant group’s main backer Iran.

“The conversation was warm and cordial. The prime minister congratulated Trump on his election victory, and the two agreed to work together for Israel’s security. The two also discussed the Iranian threat,” Netanyahu’s office said.

In Lebanon, the overnight strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs were so intense many residents of the city were unable to sleep.

“We’ve had to flee our homes several times. Sometimes we sleep in the car,” said Ramzi Zaiter, a resident of south Beirut.

“Death has become a matter of luck. We can either die or survive.”

‘Bitter experiences’

Since September 23, more than 2,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad.

Many in Lebanon and beyond had been awaiting the result of the US election to gauge whether there was any hope the war could end soon.

But Hezbollah’s Qassem said in his speech: “We don’t base our expectations for a halt of the aggression on political developments.”

For its part, Hezbollah’s main backer Iran said Thursday Trump’s election win could be a chance for the United States to reassess past “wrong policies”.

“We have very bitter experiences with the policies and approaches of different US governments in the past,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Iran and the United States have been adversaries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the Western-backed shah, but tensions peaked during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021.

Tareq Hamad, a man displaced by the war from his south Lebanon village Kfar Kila, was cautious.

Trump “had said that if he wins, he would work towards a ceasefire. But these are just words,” he told AFP.

In Gaza, ravaged by 13 months of war since the deadliest attack in Israeli history, people were desperate for a solution.

“We were displaced, killed… there’s nothing left for us, we want peace,” said Mamduh al-Jadba, who was displaced to Gaza City from Jabalia.

“I hope Trump finds a solution, we need someone strong like Trump to end the war and save us, enough, God, this is enough,” said the 60-year-old.

Very happy’

The United States is Israel’s main political and military backer and despite pressure from President Joe Biden’s administration for a ceasefire, the support has not wavered.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 attack, which resulted in 1,206 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry the United Nations considers reliable.

In Israel, recent surveys have shown that a majority of people were hoping to see Trump return to the White House.

“Now we just need him to give us weapons,” said fruit vendor Yossi Mizrachi, 51, adding he believed Trump would be able to “bring an end to the war”.

In a cafe in Jerusalem, Yechiel Hajbi, 57, also said he was “very happy” Trump had won and felt hopeful his return to power would “bring peace”.