With nearly 700 killed in a week, Lebanon fears Gaza-level violence

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00:00Let's speak to our correspondent in Beirut, Rawad Taha, standing by, hello to you, Rawad.

00:05What's the latest you have on the strikes this Friday, as well as the fallout from Thursday's

00:09events?

00:10Indeed.

00:11So, we have another round of airstrikes, mostly focusing on the Bekaa Valley and southern

00:18Lebanon.

00:19Over the past 24 hours, overnight, we saw a number of significant airstrikes near the

00:26city of Nabotiyeh, near the town of Shaba'a in the southern eastern part of Lebanon.

00:31We've also seen a significant number of airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley, which is located in the

00:36northeast around the city of Baalbek and surrounding towns.

00:40So the scope of the Israeli shelling and attacks has widened in terms of geographical location.

00:50So we're seeing daily strikes, often deep into southern Lebanon, and daily strikes deep

00:56into the northeast of Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley and around the city of Baalbek.

00:59We've also seen the assassination of a commander yesterday in Beirut's southern suburb, Srour.

01:07He was responsible for one of Hezbollah's anti-air defense units.

01:12So a lot of developments.

01:15But for the time being, we've only seen some airstrikes in southern Lebanon for today.

01:20Rawad, stay with us.

01:22I want to get your reaction on something.

01:23As we heard in the report at the top of the bulletin, Israel's prime minister dismissing

01:27calls for a truce.

01:28He's scheduled to address the General Assembly this Friday.

01:30On Thursday, we heard from Lebanon's acting foreign minister and the head of the Palestinian

01:35Authority, both pleading for an end to the fighting.

01:37Take a listen.

01:43Mr. President, we welcome the ceasefire proposal delivered yesterday by the U.S. and by France

01:48and supported by a number of friendly states.

01:52It opens the possibility of long-term peace and could help ensure the return of stability

01:57at the border, as well as the return of displaced persons.

02:02We're asking that all possible measures be adopted in order for this proposal to be implemented.

02:15Stop this crime.

02:17Stop it now.

02:21Stop killing children and women.

02:24Stop the genocide.

02:27Stop sending weapons to Israel.

02:31This madness cannot continue.

02:33The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank.

02:43Impassioned pleas from the UN General Assembly floor there, Rawad.

02:47Where do those negotiations for a potential ceasefire stand?

02:52According to an Arab diplomatic source, the negotiations aren't heading anywhere, at least

02:56for the time being.

02:58Israel has rejected the proposal of a 21-day ceasefire, which was put forward by the U.S.

03:04and France and other allies.

03:06Israel has rejected that proposal, claiming that it will not accept any initiative that

03:12does not immediately push Hezbollah's forces north of the Litani River.

03:17On the other hand, the Arab source mentioned that the responses from Hezbollah on that

03:22proposal, as well, were considered vague, while Hezbollah is interested in some sort

03:27of a de-escalation.

03:28It still prefers some sort of a de-escalation that happens on both the Gaza front and the

03:35Lebanon front.

03:36The ceasefire proposal we saw by the U.S., France and other allies decouples the Gaza

03:42front from the Lebanon front, which is something that Nasrallah and Hezbollah don't want.

03:47And last but not least is the fact that the ceasefire proposal, which has been put forward

03:53on the table, the 21-day ceasefire, does not explicitly commit to ending the war in Gaza,

04:01which is something that Hamas rejects, and thus Hezbollah in turn, even if he was interested

04:08in de-escalation, rejects.

04:09So we have multiple roadblocks in front of the proposal, which was put forward by the

04:13major global powers, and it seems that for the time being, Israel is continuing its military

04:18action inside Lebanon, while Hezbollah is also committed to supporting Hamas in Gaza

04:24and this war of attrition, which has significantly expanded over the past week.

04:29All right, Rawad, thank you very much.

04:30Stay safe.

04:31Rawad Taha reporting from Beirut.

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