Outrage, pro-Hezbollah chants after Israeli strike on Dahieh
Anger simmered after Israel struck a southern Beirut suburb that is also a Hezbollah stronghold, with young men chanting in support of the group at the site of the strike.
Israel hit Hezbollah's stronghold in retaliation for rocket fire from Lebanon that killed 12 children over the weekend in the occupied Golan Heights, saying it had targeted the commander responsible for the attack.
An AFP photographer at the scene saw an eight-story building that had partially collapsed in the strike, while ambulances struggled through crowds and rescue workers combed through the rubble for survivors.
In nearby streets, the impact of the blast smashed the windows of dozens of cars and shop facades.
Young men gathered at the site amid dust and broken glass shards, chanting "We are at your service, Nasrallah", a reference to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah security quickly cordoned off the site of the strike, while ambulances transported the wounded.
Mohammed Alaam, 27, who lives half a kilometer from the site of the strike, said he was at home when he heard two explosions.
"We looked out the balcony and saw smoke... They said there had been a strike," he said, adding that "people were running to donate blood".
"People are angry, but you don't see anyone who is afraid. Everyone was expecting a strike," he said.
"They are now demanding retaliation".
Source: Agence France Presse
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