Israel pummels south Beirut as Lebanon mulls over US truce plan

Israel launched a wave of air strikes on Hezbollah bastions in Beirut and south Lebanon on Nov 16, a day after Lebanese government officials said they were studying a US truce proposal.

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An Israeli strike on neighboring Syria earlier this week killed two leaders from Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian group which has fought alongside Hamas militants in Gaza, a source told AFP.

Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad are all backed by Israel's arch-enemy Iran, which on Nov 15 said it backed a swift end to the nearly two-month war in Lebanon.

Since Sept 23, Israel has escalated its bombing of targets in Lebanon, later sending in ground troops after almost a year of limited, cross-border exchanges of fire begun by Hezbollah militants over the Gaza war.

AFPTV footage showed fresh strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Nov 16, following calls from the Israeli army for residents to evacuate.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said "the enemy" carried out three air raids in the morning, later reporting another attack in the neighborhood of Chiyah.