Dozens dead in new Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and Gaza, as some countries step up evacuation plans for Lebanon

At least seven health and rescue workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Beirut overnight, an Islamic health organization said on Thursday, as Israel battled the Iranian-backed groups Hezbollah in Lebanon And Hamas in Gaza raged, stoking concerns about a larger regional conflict. The attack in Beirut's Bashoura neighborhood hit a multi-story apartment building that houses an office for the Health Society, a group of civilian first responders affiliated with Hezbollah.

It was the second airstrike to hit central Beirut this week and the second to hit the health society in 24 hours. The Associated Press said no Israeli warning was issued to the area before the attack. Residents reported a sulfur-like smell, and Lebanon's state-run National News Agency accused Israel of using it Phosphor bombs in attack, the use of which near civilian populations is prohibited under international law.

Human rights groups have done this in the past accused Israel of using white phosphorus Incendiary shells hit towns and villages in conflict-affected southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces issued a statement Wednesday evening saying they had “carried out a precision strike in Beirut,” but there was no further information about the attack. It came amid heavy Israeli bombing raids on southern Lebanon.

NOTE: This article contains images of injured children that may be disturbing to some readers.

CBS News' Haley Ott reported that Lebanese health officials said 46 people were killed and 85 injured by Israeli strikes in the country in the 24 hours ending Thursday morning. Israel's ongoing attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 1,000 people and forced about a million from their homes in the past two weeks alone, according to the Health Ministry.

The Israeli Air Force said in a statement on Thursday that “approximately 15 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated” in an attack on a local government building in Bing Jbeil in southern Lebanon, which the IAF said was used by the militant group.

Israel announced that it had begun the launch ground incursions They entered southern Lebanon this week and intensified their fight against Hezbollah, while continuing their devastating war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza killed more than 50 people, including children, on Wednesday near the town of Khan Younis, according to Palestinian health officials in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

The war in the densely populated Palestinian territories has killed more than 41,500 people since it broke out nearly a year ago with Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

Fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in Lebanon – a much larger and better armed group than Hamas – was described as intense by Israeli forces on Wednesday, they confirmed eight soldiers had died in the operations.

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to address the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Iran's UN ambassador said his country did so fired almost 200 rockets at Israel on Tuesday as a deterrent against further Israeli violence. His Israeli counterpart called the barrage an “unprecedented act of aggression.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday to retaliate against Iran, while an Iranian commander threatened major attacks on infrastructure if Israel did so.

President Biden said Wednesday that the United States and its other partners were in discussions with the Netanyahu government about Israel's upcoming response to the Iranian attack. Mr. Biden stressed that this must be “proportionate” to Iran’s missile salvo, which has been largely thwarted by the U.S. ally’s advanced missile defense systems.

Mr Biden said he would not support an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in response to the missile attack, but that the US and its global allies would support Israel's right to respond.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this week that Iran's attack was “completely unacceptable and the entire world should condemn it,” but that “Israel effectively repelled this attack with the active support of the United States and other partners.”

According to the Israeli government, there has been an almost daily firefight between Israel and Hezbollah on the border with Israel since the day after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which terrorists killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 others hostage to Gaza South Lebanon. Fighting has increased dramatically in the past two weeks since Israel was accused explodes Thousands of communication devices belonging to Hezbollah members and Assassination of the group's highest-ranking leader in a targeted attack in Beirut.

Countries are preparing for evacuations from Lebanon

The escalating bloodshed in Lebanon has led some governments to hastily draw up plans to evacuate their citizens from the country.

The British government has chartered more flights to help British nationals leave Lebanon, a day after an evacuation flight left Beirut. The government said in a statement that flights would continue “as long as the security situation allows” and that it was working to increase the capacity of commercial flights for British nationals.

Around 700 British soldiers, Foreign Office staff and border guards have been deployed to a British military base in Cyprus to help with evacuation plans. British citizens and their spouses, partners and children under 18 are eligible for the chartered evacuation flights.

Japan sent two Self-Defense Force aircraft on Thursday to prepare for a possible airlift of Japanese citizens from Lebanon, while Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government had 500 seats on commercial aircraft for Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families to leave Lebanon booked Saturday.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Monday that while the State Department has not issued a blanket evacuation order for Americans in Lebanon, the military is always planning “for all contingencies.”

The U.S. State Department has had a travel advisory for Lebanon in effect for more than a week, warning U.S. citizens not to visit the country and those already there to seek commercial travel options to leave. On September 28, the advisory was updated to order family members of some State Department employees to leave Lebanon, while others were given the option to leave Lebanon.

The State Department has banned U.S. Embassy personnel in Beirut from “personal travel without prior authorization,” saying further restrictions could be imposed “without notice due to increased security issues or threats.”

“Due to increased volatility following airstrikes in Beirut and the volatile and unpredictable security situation throughout Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon now while commercial options are still available,” the statement said, adding added a warning of deteriorating security. The situation could make travel difficult and the “US Embassy may not be able to assist US citizens who choose to remain in Lebanon.”