It’s morning in Beirut. Here’s what you need to know

 

People gather at the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on September 29, 2024. 

Hassan Ammar/AP

Israel’s military said Sunday morning it was continuing to strike Hezbollah targets and “terrorist infrastructure” in Lebanon – part of its ramped-up onslaught against the Iran-backed militant group.

It has also raised the possibility of a ground incursion into Lebanon which, if undertaken, would be the fourth Israeli invasion of the country in the past 50 years.

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced within Lebanon in the recent escalation, while more than 1,000 have been killed since airstrikes escalated last week, according to Lebanese government officials.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Ongoing air strikes: The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it conducted strikes on several areas in southern Lebanon. Four people were killed and an unknown number of others wounded in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the town of Tayr Debba in southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported early on Sunday. Meanwhile, six bodies were recovered after an Israeli strike in the Bekaa region, NNA said, adding that rescue efforts continue. In Beirut, live pictures from Reuters news agency on Sunday morning showed smoke rising above the skyline. The capital has been struck by multiple Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including one that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
• Seeking safety: Hundreds of families have resorted to sleeping on beaches and in public squares in Beirut after seeking shelter following the Israeli military’s airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Overall hundreds of thousands are estimated to have been displaced by recent fighting. Lebanese civilians say they cannot heed warnings from Israel’s military to avoid places where Hezbollah is operating, because the group is highly secretive. Evacuation warnings also often come just minutes before a building is hit.
• Potential ground incursion: The US sees the possibility of a limited Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon as Israel moves forces to its northern border, but officials speaking to CNN stressed that Israel does not appear to have made a decision on whether to carry out a ground incursion. Earlier Saturday, IDF spokesman Peter Lerner said the military was preparing for the possibility of a ground incursion, but it was only one option being considered.
• Hezbollah response? The Iran-backed militant group has yet to launch a major retaliation and is likely assessing how to meet, communicate and respond in the wake of recent attacks. Analysts say it’s unclear how severely Hezbollah munitions have been impacted by Israeli strikes, but the group may still be able to retaliate in a way that could impact Israel’s military and civilian infrastructure. The group will also now have to choose a new leader, prompting speculation over the future of the group and what it means for the country.
• Iran’s condemnation: Observers are also closely watching any response from Iran, which backs Hezbollah and has given an assurance of its solidarity in the wake of Nasrallah’s killing. Iran’s envoy to the United Nations on Saturday requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to “condemn Israel’s actions in the strongest possible terms.