Fresh wave of Israeli strikes in Lebanon fuels criticism across the globe
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00:00Israel's airstrikes in Beirut, targeting what it says is the central headquarters of Hezbollah,
00:06the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, has prompted a wave of criticism in Lebanon and
00:10further afield.
00:11Among those to denounce the strikes was Iran's President, Massoud Pazeshian, who described
00:16them as a clear and undeniable war crime.
00:19Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mostafa also condemned the strikes, accusing Israel
00:24of violating the sovereignty of Lebanon.
00:27Concerns of a wider war in the Middle East have been mounting for some time, with Israel
00:30and Hezbollah having exchanged fire for almost a year.
00:34But some, including the Saudi Foreign Minister, have voiced concern that the Beirut strikes
00:38have significantly heightened the risk of a broader regional conflict.
00:42The risk of the situation spiralling out of control is real, and that is not less the
00:50case now, it is indeed more the case.
00:53That is why we continue to push for a ceasefire, a ceasefire certainly in Gaza, but also now
00:58a ceasefire in Lebanon, because again, guns are not the answer.
01:02A concern shared by the UN Secretary General.
01:06Shock waves radiating from the unprecedented deaths and destruction in Gaza now threaten
01:12to push the entire region into the abyss.
01:15Today, Israeli defence forces struck civilian buildings in Beirut, saying they had targeted
01:21Hezbollah's main headquarters located underneath.
01:27War in Lebanon could lead to further escalation involving outside powers.
01:33The US Secretary of State also voiced his fears of further escalation in the Middle
01:37East in the wake of the strikes.
01:40The events of the past week and the past few hours underscore what a precarious moment
01:46this is for the Middle East and for the world.
01:50The choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this
01:56region is on.
01:58Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden stated that the US did not participate in the Beirut bombings,
02:03nor did it have any knowledge of them.