Beirut, October 23 (RHC)-- Israel is intensifying its attacks on Lebanon.  Earlier today, Israel bombed the historic Lebanese port city of Tyre — one of the oldest cities in the world — after ordering residents to leave their homes and businesses. 

More Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight.  Israel’s army announced it had killed Hashem Safieddine, presumed to be the next head of Hezbollah after Israel assassinated its former leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in September. 

On Tuesday, Lebanese Cabinet member Nasser Yassin said Lebanon will need $250 million a month to help over a million people who’ve been displaced by Israel’s assault.  He spoke ahead of an international summit on Lebanon taking place in Paris later this week.   Nasser Yassin: “You know, overnight we’ve seen more than 1 million people being displaced by the attacks, hostilities, by the aggression.  And this is similar to an earthquake.  You don’t see this number in scale and the speed of it, except in major natural disasters. And this is what happened in 48 hours.”

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports Israel’s military forcibly entered a clearly marked United Nations base and is suspected of using the incendiary chemical white phosphorus close enough to injure 15 peacekeepers.  The use of white phosphorus as a weapon is a war crime under international law.