Middle East: Beirut attacked by six Israeli air strikes, as the Gulf Cooperation Council backs Lebanon

Israel has unleashed a fury of attacks on Lebanon after confirming eight Israeli soldiers had been killed in the conflict.

The action has been met with condemnation from the Gulf Cooperation Council, a union consisting of six powerful Arab states, announcing they are ready to support Lebanon, with all-out-war looming more than ever before.

Four large explosions rocked Beirut on Thursday morning, with the Israeli Defence Force confirming it had “conducted a targeted and precise strike” in Lebanon.

Initially, three explosions were heard, causing fiery blasts and sending smoke billowing into the air.

However, as local media was showing live footage of Beirut, a fourth devastating blast struck.

The strike is understood to have hit downtown Beirut, with reports suggesting it hit the Health Authority Centre in the Bachoura area.

The centre is connected with the terrorist group Hezbollah.

The strikes hit just meters away from Lebanon’s parliament in the heart of Beirut. The building is also flanked by the United Nations Regional Headquarters.

An additional two strikes have since hit Beirut, a total of six in about an hour.

Five people are already confirmed dead as emergency services race to the sites in a desperate attempt to rescue any survivors.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates affirm support for Lebanon

The Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional intergovernmental union consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have confirmed their support for Lebanon.

The Ministerial Council met in Qatar to review the “dangerous developments and the increasing escalations that destabilise the security and stability of the region”.

“The Ministerial Council condemned the escalation in the Lebanese and Palestinian territories, and warned of the serious repercussions of this escalation, the effects of which are not limited to this region alone, but extend to a wider circle, and the resulting threat to international peace and security, and the undermining of peace and security efforts in the region and the world, stressing the need to protect the security of the region and prevent the expansion of the scope of the war,” the countries said in a statement.

“Regarding Lebanon, the Ministerial Council affirmed the GCC’s support for the brotherly Lebanese people, with all its components, at this critical stage, and called for intensifying international and regional efforts to provide urgent humanitarian support to Lebanon to alleviate the suffering of civilians and protect them from any serious repercussions.

“It also called for restraint, avoiding involvement in regional conflicts, and preventing the expansion of the conflict in the region.

‘Evacuate immediately’: Israel warns of more strikes

The IDF’s Arab spokesperson Avichay Adraee has issued orders to “evacuate immediately” for five additional locations.

“Urgent warning to the residents of the southern suburb, specifically those located in the buildings designated as K in the attached maps in Haret Hreik and Burj al-Barajneh,” he wrote.

“You are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the IDF will operate in the near future.

“For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building and the surrounding buildings immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters.

Over the past few days, these warnings have been followed by strikes within the hour.

Social media was flooded with videos and images of burning buildings and rubble in the minutes after the blast, showing the reality of the capital city’s carnage of the ongoing strikes.

Officials in Lebanon had confirmed 46 people dead within the last 24 hours, however that is expected to climbs as reports emerge of large casualties from the newest strikes on Thursday morning.