Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Powerful explosions rocked central Beirut in the early hours of Saturday as five Israeli air strikes hit an eight-storey building in the densely populated Basta neighbourhood. At least 20 people were killed and 66 injured, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The air strikes at around 4am marked the fourth attack by Israel on central Beirut this week as US-brokered negotiations to stop its war with Hezbollah reached a critical stage. Ground fighting has also intensified along the border in southern Lebanon, which Israel invaded in late September as part of an escalation against Lebanese armed group.
Israel used bunker-buster bombs in Saturday's attack, which left a large crater, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported. One building was destroyed and several others nearby were damaged, it said.
Civil defence rescuers on the scene said that around 30 people were missing. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers are still identifying victims through DNA testing of remains found at the site. The smell of burning explosives lingered in the capital hours after the attack.
Images and video circulating online showed rescuers rushing to the site amid smoke and the sound of ambulance sirens. In one video, a man reportedly filming from his balcony next to the strike site says his relatives' home was completely destroyed. “There was five buildings there, full of people, they’re all gone,” he says.
AFP, citing a Lebanese security source, reported that the target of the strike was a senior Hezbollah official, whose fate remains unclear. Israel and Hezbollah did not immediately comment. Hezbollah MP Amin Sherri has denied the presence of any Hezbollah members in the targeted building.
The last reported Israeli air strike on Basta was on October 10. The strike, which hit just dozens of metres away from the latest attack, killed 22 people. It was aimed at Hezbollah’s liaison and co-ordination unit chief, Wafiq Safa, who reportedly survived.
Hours after the latest strike, Israel bombed the Hadath and Chouaifet El Aamroussieh neighbourhoods in southern Beirut, less than 10km south of Basta, after issuing eviction orders to residents.
Israel has bombed southern Beirut heavily since it launched an all-out offensive against Hezbollah in late September, but attacks on central Beirut have been relatively rare until the past week.
The strike in Basta follows an air strike in Ras Al Nabaa last Sunday, which killed Hezbollah media chief Mohammad Afif and two other people. A busy shopping street in the Mar Elias district was struck hours later, killing three people, while the Zuqaq Al Blat district, near the Lebanese parliament and prime ministerial office, was hit on Monday night.
US special envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Tuesday to push forward a ceasefire proposal drafted by Washington. He extended his visit by a day amid signs of progress in the negotiations, before travelling to Israel on Thursday. Instead of returning to Lebanon after his meetings with Israeli officials, Mr Hochstein went straight back to the US, indicating that there had been a deadlock over the terms.
In a televised speech delivered on Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the group was prepared for a “war of attrition” if negotiations failed, threatening attacks on central Tel Aviv.
A key sticking point in the US-drafted deal is a provision giving Israel the right to strike in Lebanon in “self defence” even after the truce takes effect, sources familiar with the negotiations told The National.
“The Israeli side expects to achieve through the agreement what it could not secure in war, and this is not possible,” Mr Qassem said in his speech.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
