Explosions in Beirut UPDATE-August 4, 2020

On August 4, 2020, massive explosions rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, causing hundreds of casualties. The explosions seemed to originate in buildings at Beirut’s port area.

Initial comments from Lebanese sources indicated that this area was used to store fireworks, and that may have been the source of the explosions. However, the port is also known to be a main entry point into Lebanon for weapons supplied to the Lebanese Hezbollah from their patron, Iran.

Recent events along Lebanon’s border with Israeli-occupied Golan have been tense, with Israel launching strikes into Lebanese territory in response to Hezbollah infiltrations. Following that incident, continued fighting between Hezbollah, Syria and Israel led to Israeli airstrikes inside Syria only a day prior to the huge Beirut explosion. Israeli sources said they had nothing to do with the destruction at the Beirut port.

Destruction in Beirut Port, August 4, 2020

With Lebanon already suffering from the COVID-induced economic downturn, and continued Hezbollah/Lebanese-Israeli conflict, this tragedy is just one more blow to Lebanon. Given the long-standing Hezbollah participation in the recent Middle Eastern wars, especially the Syrian Civil War, the fact that many believed this explosion to be the work of Israel is not unusual.

During the 34-day Israeli-Lebanese War in 2006, Israeli warplanes flattened large swaths of downtown Beirut in attempts to damage Hezbollah’s infrastructure and to kill (unsuccessfully) the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The damage in Beirut’s port area today is reminiscent of the destruction to the city from the 2006 war.

Hassan Nasrallah, Leader of Hezbollah

Many security cameras captured the August 4, 2020 explosions, and in this video from the Guardian show, there were more than one explosion, with the second one leveling multiple buildings.

This video from DW News also shows the effects of the explosion some distance away.

Regardless of the cause of this tragedy, it is clear that Lebanon continues to suffer through the pandemic, war, and severe economic problems. If the Beirut port is closed for a significant period of time, as it now appears is likely, then the Lebanese economic situation will only get worse.