'Terrorism Has no Place in Our World': PM Modi Speaks to Netanyahu Amid Middle East Crisis

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday dialled Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and asserted that terrorism has no place in our world. “Spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu about recent developments in West Asia. Terrorism has no place in our world. It is crucial to prevent regional escalation and ensure the safe release of all hostages. India is committed to supporting efforts for an early restoration of peace and stability”, PM Modi tweeted. 

While PM Modi did not mention any specific incident, Israeli strikes in Lebanon last week killed seven high-ranking commanders and officials from the Hezbollah militant group, including the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah had been firing rockets and missiles into northern Israel after Hamas' October 7 attack from Gaza into Israel sparked a war there.

Meanwhile, an apparent Israeli airstrike on central Beirut has levelled an apartment building. It came after Israel hit targets across Lebanon and killed dozens of people as Hezbollah sustained heavy blows to its command structure, including the killing of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The early Monday airstrike — the first to hit central Beirut in nearly a year of conflict — hit a multistory residential building, according to an Associated Press journalist at the scene. Videos showed ambulances and a crowd gathered near the building in a mainly Sunni district with a busy thoroughfare lined with shops.

Separately, an Israeli airstrike early Monday killed a family of four in central Gaza, Palestinian officials said.

In the past week, Israel has frequently targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence — including a major strike on Friday that killed Nasrallah — but had not hit locations near the city centre.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said at least 105 people were killed around the country in airstrikes on Sunday. Two strikes near the southern city of Sidon, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Beirut, killed at least 32 people, the ministry said.

Separately, Israeli strikes in the northern province of Baalbek Hermel killed 21 people and wounded at least 47.

Lebanese media reported dozens of strikes in the central, eastern and western Bekaa and in the south, besides strikes on Beirut. Israel says it targets militants, but the strikes have hit buildings where civilians were living and the death toll was expected to rise.