Israel strikes Beirut suburbs and Germany closes Iranian consulates - Trending

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At least 10 strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs at dawn on Friday, Lebanon's National News Agency reported. Footage showed explosions in the area, a Hezbollah stronghold, after the Israeli army ordered residents of several buildings to leave.

The attacks caused “massive destruction”, levelling dozens of buildings and causing fires to break out in the area, the agency added.

Germany on Thursday announced the closure of three Iranian consulates in the country. The move came after German-Iranian activist Jamshid Sharmahd was executed in Iran.

The Iranian consulates in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich are to shut, with diplomatic relations between the countries at “more than a low point”, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said. The main Iranian embassy in Berlin will remain open and German representatives remain in Tehran.

Senior US officials arrived in Israel and Egypt as they lead efforts to negotiate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. CIA chief William Burns met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Cairo and reviewed ceasefire efforts in Gaza and a potential deal to exchange hostages in the enclave for Palestinian detainees in Israel, a statement from Mr El Sisi's office said.

US Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel on Thursday, with Mr McGurk set to discuss a Gaza ceasefire. Their arrival in the region marks the latest efforts by the US, alongside Egypt and Qatar, to bring Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon to an end.