### Israel Continues Strikes Near Beirut as Two Medics Perish in South Lebanon

The Israeli military has intensified its bombing campaign targeting an area near Beirut controlled by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia. In tandem, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of two paramedics, confirmed Lebanon's health ministry.

Throughout Saturday, multiple waves of attacks hit Dahiya, a predominantly Shiite region south of Beirut where Hezbollah wields significant influence. The intensity of these strikes was such that after nightfall, powerful explosions could be felt in Beirut’s city center. Israel continues to issue evacuation warnings to local residents, asserting that the strikes aim at facilities used by Hezbollah, who they accuse of concealing "terrorist infrastructure" in residential neighborhoods. The day’s bombardments marked one of the heaviest waves since the onset of the conflict, although immediate casualty figures from Saturday’s attacks were not available.

Meanwhile, outrage is intensifying in Lebanon over the rising number of rescue workers being targeted by Israeli strikes. The Lebanese health ministry condemned these actions as "barbaric attacks" and has called for international intervention to uphold humanitarian laws. According to the ministry, almost two dozen rescuers have perished in the past week due to Israeli strikes, with over 145 healthcare workers killed in Lebanon since the conflict began in mid-September, per World Health Organization data.

One paramedic lost his life on Saturday in Kfar Tibnit, a town in southern Lebanon. Two more paramedics from the same town remain missing and unaccounted for. The Israeli military has yet to comment on these deaths. The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has strongly condemned the attacks, especially a strike that killed at least a dozen paramedics in Douris, a village in northeastern Lebanon's Baalbek region. Ghebreyesus decried the normalization of such attacks on healthcare facilities, urging for a halt to these violent actions globally.

On the Israeli home front, air raid sirens blared across the northern regions as Hezbollah launched new drone and rocket attacks. The Israeli military reported that these munitions either fell harmlessly or were intercepted, causing midair explosions audible in Haifa. Hezbollah’s rocket attacks, which began in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza last October, have been met with intensified Israeli military action, culminating in a ground invasion of Lebanon on October 1.

The conflict has led to significant displacement, with approximately one million Lebanese forced to flee their homes and tens of thousands of Israelis displaced due to Hezbollah's rocket attacks. Efforts by the Biden administration to broker a cease-fire have been obstructed by recent hostilities. While Iran has shown some support for a cease-fire, both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government remain opposed to Israel's stipulations, including a controversial clause allowing Israel to strike again if the agreement is breached.

Key meetings have taken place in Beirut, where Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, conveyed messages of support to Hezbollah while advocating for a cease-fire. Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker, Nabil Berri, cautiously expressed optimism about reaching an agreement, though he labeled certain American proposals as unacceptable, particularly those threatening Lebanese sovereignty.

These ongoing developments underscore the complexities and high stakes of achieving a durable peace in this troubled region.