Beirut death toll from Israeli strikes rises to 10, with 27 injured

Lebanon’s health ministry has reported that casualties from Israeli air strikes on Beirut’s Basta and Zuqaq al-Blat districts this morning have increased, with 10 dead and 27 injured so far.

The Israeli military warned of further escalation in southern Lebanon, saying it intends to target bridges across the Litani River, and reiterated its evacuation order to the tens of thousands of residents living in the south of the region.

Israel previously struck the Zrarieh Bridge, which connects villages on either side of the Litani river, on Friday.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the bridge served as a “key crossing for terrorists from the Hezbollah terrorist organisation”, but did not provide any evidence for this claim. 

Targeting of civilian infrastructure such as bridges is prohibited under international law, with possible exemptions in some cases if it is being used for military purposes.