Hezbollah on Wednesday confirmed the death of its senior military commander Fouad Shokor in an Israeli attack in southern Beirut the day earlier.
Sources close to Hezbollah said earlier Wednesday that Shokor's body was found in the rubble of a building in Beirut's southern suburbs, Al-Jadeed local TV channel reported.
An Israeli drone fired on Tuesday evening three missiles at a position near the Shura Council of Hezbollah, aiming to target Shokor. The attack also killed at least five others -- three women and two children -- and wounded more than 70 others, according to the health ministry of the Lebanese caretaker government.
The attack completely destroyed the top three floors of the targeted eight-story building, and also damaged surrounding structures, despite a claim by the Israeli Defense Forces that it was a precision strike.
After the attack, Hezbollah confirmed Shokor's presence in the building.
Speaking during an exceptional Cabinet session on Wednesday, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the Israeli attack, warning of worsening conditions if Israel continues its "reckless and murderous madness".
Mikati stressed Lebanon does not want war and that the international community should call on Israel to cease fire and abide by the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to avoid escalation.
The same day, the Israeli army's chief of staff Herzi Halevi commented on the Beirut attack when inspecting a military exercise conducted by the Israeli army along the northern border with Lebanon. He pointed out that Israel is committed to driving Hezbollah away from the temporary Israel-Lebanon border, rather than a "return to Oct. 8".
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a letter to dozens of foreign ministries around the world that "Israel is not interested in an all-out war." He said that the "only way " to prevent "all-out war" with Hezbollah is the immediate implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that bans armed factions in southern Lebanon from being near the frontier with Israel.
Hezbollah confirms death of top military commander in Israeli strike on Beirut
Hezbollah confirms death of top military commander in Israeli strike on Beirut
Hezbollah confirms death of top military commander in Israeli strike on Beirut
Hezbollah confirms death of top military commander in Israeli strike on Beirut
A large array of newly developed products and technologies for smart construction is on display at the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, demonstrating how smart manufacturing facilities can make engineering more efficient and energy-saving.
At the Shougang Park in western capital city, one of the major exhibition areas of this year's CIFTIS, a total of 123 leading construction enterprises from home and abroad have been showcasing their groundbreaking achievements of intelligent engineering construction.
One of the highlights is an unmanned tower crane designed by China Construction Eighth Engineering Division. With multiple sensors and intelligent control systems, the equipment can be operated remotely and reduce costs by more than one-third.
The product is part of the company's engineering solution of 5G smart construction sites. The overall architecture of the system is supported by a 5G telecom network and various advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and Internet of Things (IoT). According its developer, the solution enables effective labor management, workplace safety inspection and quality control.
"The 'smart construction site' significantly reduces costs, saving about 70 to 80 percent, which greatly lowers our management expenses," said Liu Dawei, design manager at General Contracting Company Beijing Branch of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division.
China Construction First Group showcases its containerized concrete modules at the exhibition. This structure, integrating interior and exterior decorations, electromechanical, equipment piping, kitchen and sanitary facilities, can be directly lifted and assemble together, making house construction as easy as building blocks.
"The modules produced by the factory are already rooms with decoration done. When assembling them on site, we mainly use the dry operation including welding and bolted connection, free from the need for another concrete pouring. This approach significantly shortens the construction period and minimizes weather-related limitations, allowing an early completion of the entire building," said Ruan Hao, head of the design manager department of the Design and Research Institute under China Construction First Group.
The five-day CIFTIS 2024 kicked off simultaneously at the China National Convention Center (CNCC) in eastern Beijing and the Shougang Park in the western capital area on Thursday, spotlighting the latest achievements and trends of trade in services, with activities ranging from summits and exhibitions to business negotiations and promotions, as well as achievement releases.
Smart construction technologies displayed at CIFTIS 2024
