Lebanon, Hezbollah hold 'day of rage' as US Embassy ups travel alert

Several pro-Palestinian rallies took place across the country, with demonstrators heeding Hezbollah’s call for a "day of rage."
a rally in front of the French embassy complex in Beirut early on October 18, 2023, in support of Palestinians after a strike on the Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza that killed hundreds. Israel and Palestinians traded blame for the incident, which an "outraged and deeply saddened" US President Joe Biden denounced while en route to the Middle East. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)
A rally in front of the French Embassy complex in support of Palestinians after a strike on al-Ahli hospital in central Gaza that killed hundreds, Beirut, early on Oct. 18, 2023. - Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images
Beatrice Farhat headshot
Beatrice Farhat
@beatricefarhat

BEIRUT — Protests spread in Lebanon on Wednesday outside major Western embassies, including those of the United States and France, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip and in observation of Hezbollah's "day of rage." 

The US Embassy in Lebanon warned US citizens against approaching the area. "US citizens in Beirut should avoid the Awkar area on October 18 given the potential for further demonstrations following protests on October 17," it wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, adding that the embassy remains open for business. 

The embassy area in the town of Awkar, north of the capital Beirut, witnessed a tense night of protests that erupted hours after a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital, killing hundreds of people.

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