The Matrix phone to the iPhone – and that unforgettable ringtone: 50 moments in 50 years since first mobile call
Fifty years ago today, the first-ever mobile phone call was made.
Wielding a chunky handset that more closely resembles a clown shoe than a sleek modern smartphone, Motorola engineer Martin Cooper put his biceps to work and called his friend Joel Bell at rival company AT&T.
It was a proof of concept that has gone down in the annals of communications history alongside Alexander Bell’s invention of the telephone in 1876.
Here are 50 moments from the last 50 years that made our smartphones what they are today.
1. Dawn of 1G (1979)
You can’t get to 5G without one to four, and Japan introduced the first widely available analogue cellular system in 1979 – the catch was it didn’t work outside cars, as portable batteries weren’t powerful enough to go truly mobile.
2. The first mobile (1983)
The device used by Cooper in Manhattan on 3 April 1973 was a prototype of Motorola’s DynaTAC 8000X – the first commercially available mobile. It cost $3,995 ($12,000 today) and took 10 hours to charge for half an hour of call time.
Martin Cooper holds a replica of the first mobile phone at a trade show in 2008
3. UK’s first mobile phone call (1985)
Michael Harrison made the UK’s first mobile call from London’s Parliament Square on 1 January 1985 to his dad, Vodafone chairman Sir Ernest Harrison.
“Hi Dad, it’s Mike. This is the first-ever call made on a UK commercial mobile network,” he said, prompting raucous celebrations at Vodafone’s original HQ above an Indian restaurant in Newbury.
Michael Harrison makes the UK’s first mobile phone call. Pic: Vodafone
4. Flippin’ ‘eck! (1989)
The mobile phone went from potential doorstep to something that James Bond might have considered using with Motorola’s MicroTAC 9800X. The device itself was sexier than the name, as it introduced the flip phone format.
The MicroTAC 9800X. Pic: Redrum0486 at English Wikipedia
5. Mobiles go digital (1991)
Another extremely catchy name here – Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). That was the European standard for what became known as 2G. It’s what we have to thank for SMS text messaging.
6. ‘Merry Christmas’ (1992)
That was the festive greeting in the first text message sent to a mobile on 3 December 1992. It was sent by British engineer Neil Papworth from a PC to an Orbitel 901 phone. Sky News interviewed him for the 25th anniversary – suitably, it was done by text.
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What was the first SMS message?
7. Nokia brings UK up to speed (1992)
While Orbitel had introduced 2G by the time Nokia launched its 1011 phone, the Finnish firm’s effort was more pocketable and affordable, which helped bring the technology to Britons en masse.
Nokia’s 1011
8. A phone called Simon (1994)
Forget the iPhone, the first smartphone was Simon – a touchscreen device from IBM. It only worked in 15 US states and sold around 50,000 units, but in many ways was ahead of its time.
IBM’s Simon phone. Pic: TheToyChannel on YouTube by Mike Mozart
9. That ringtone… (1994)
Mariah Carey, Bon Jovi, Wet Wet Wet – just some of the artists in the charts in 1994. But there was one sound that defined the year, and that was the iconic Nokia ringtone that had an entire generation reaching for their pockets.
10. GSM gets an A (1995)
The founding of the GSM Association brought mobile operators into a trade body. It hosts Mobile World Congress, where many companies make big product announcements.
11. Slide into your SMS (1996)
We’ve had phones that flip and fold, but don’t forget ones that slide. The Nokia 8110, perhaps best known for appearing in The Matrix, had a hidden number pad revealed by sliding a cover off.
12. The first colour screen (1997)
A year before Nintendo‘s Game Boy got the colour treatment, the Siemens S10 was the first mobile to do it. Alas it couldn’t even show all the colours of the rainbow – only managing red, green, and blue.
13. Snake gets us gaming (1997)
The Game Boy would gain an unexpected rival when the Nokia 6110 arrived with Snake on board. Few games have been so synonymous with one device – it’s up there with Tetris on the Game Boy and Wii Sports on the… Wii.
Best. Game. Ever? Pic: James Hamilton-Martin
14. Showing your style (1998)
We’ve long been used to phones coming in different colours and lots of case options, but it wasn’t always easy to customise them. It took until the Nokia 5110 for a manufacturer to try to cash in with interchangeable covers.
15. For the kids! (1999)
The Nokia 3210 is pure 90s nostalgia, and probably one of the most recognisable mobiles ever. It was thinner and lighter than the company’s previous phones, came with multiple games (including Snake, obvs), finally ditched the walkie-talkie-style external antenna, and could send picture messages.
Throw in a £150 launch price and the arrival of pay-as-you-go SIM cards and parents would soon find out that Tamagotchis just weren’t going to cut it any more.
Nokia 3210. Pic: MiNe/Flickr
16. Surf the web! (1999)
Not content with the 3210, Nokia also launched the 7110 model in 1999 – the first web phone. It could give you news, email, and – get this – even download new ringtones.
17. The first camera phone (2000)
You may not have heard of the Sharp J-SH04, given it was only available in Japan. But its place in mobile phone folklore has always been assured, as it was the first to be equipped with a camera.
The Sharp J-SH04 camera phone. Pic: Morio
18. Colour me impressed, Mr Bond (2001)
The first mobiles with full colour screens arrived in 2001, led by the Sony Ericsson T68I. It was also the first commercially available mobile to appear in the James Bond films, debuting in Die Another Day.
19. Camera phones go mainstream (2002)
Nokia took Sharp’s camera phone concept and ran with it across Europe with the 7650. The 0.3 megapixel lens was hidden behind a slider on the back.
20. BlackBerry means business (2002)
If you walked past a busy looking person in a suit in 2002, chances are they were packing a BlackBerry. The 5810 model smashed a full QWERTY on to a mobile to appeal to business types. No fun allowed here – this was a serious work phone for serious work people, who wanted to write serious emails about meetings and stuff, not play Snake.
BlackBerry phones have since been killed off
21. The arrival of 3G (2003)
3G was so much faster than 2G, people could do things usually reserved for a PC – like video calls. It laid the groundwork for many of the features key to the incoming wave of smartphones, like downloading apps.
22. Crazy Frog… (2003)
3G also made it easier to get new ringtones – and there was an annoying mascot to take advantage. A dark time.
23. Nokia’s best-selling phone (2003)
The arrival of 3G didn’t stop the relatively basic Nokia 1100 from becoming a runaway success, largely thanks to its cheap price and famous battery life. Its popularity in developing countries made it the best-selling mobile ever, with more than 250 million sold.
The Nokia 1100 is the best-selling phone ever
24. The world’s favourite flip phone (2004)
There was one obvious downside to flip phones – you couldn’t see the screen at a glance. But that changed with Motorola’s Razr line, which popped a little display on the cover to show information like the time. The V3 model that launched in 2004 sold more than 130 million units, making it the most popular phone of its type.
Motorola’s Razr line proved incredibly popular
25. Google buys Android (2005)
Google is still thought of as mostly a search company, but its $50m purchase of Android transformed the phone landscape forever. It’s the backbone of just about every non-Apple handset, and has batted away would-be rivals like Microsoft and Nokia to become the iPhone maker’s only real rival.
26. Nokia makes a familiar pitch (2006)
Ah, Nokia. A staple of the history of mobile phones, but also a sign of how quickly things can change.
The firm was on top of the world when it made a familiar pitch for the future: its N95 would be not a phone, but an all-in-one entertainment device. But by the time the N95 hit store shelves in early 2007, the iPhone was on the way.
The Nokia N95. Pic: Asim18
27. The iPhone (2007)
Riding high on the success of the iPod (remember those?), Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in January 2007 and Apple’s first phone was in people’s hands by June. Its innovative multi-touch display covering most of the device helped see it named Time Magazine’s invention of the year.
Steve Jobs unveils Apple’s iPhone in 2007
28. App to the future (2008)
It’s easy to forget that the iPhone launched without its ubiquitous App Store, which opened on 10 July 2008. There were 500 apps at launch (remember the lightsaber one?) – now there are almost two million.
29. The first Android phone (2008)
Google’s Android purchase came to fruition in hardware terms with the G1 phone, which was made by HTC. It had a BlackBerry-style keyboard that slid out from under the touchscreen, and introduced push notifications.
Google’s G1 phone was also known as the HTC Dream
30. WhatsApp launches (2009)
The brainchild of a couple of former Yahoo employees, WhatsApp made an unspectacular debut in 2009 but has become the world’s most popular messaging platform.
31. 4G brings the speed (2009)
Mobile networks got ready for another speed boost as 4G entered the market, helping power our increasing media habits while on the move.
32. Angry Birds (2009)
One of the most notoriously addictive smartphone games ever, Angry Birds invited millions of players to slingshot wingless chicks to destroy an army of green pigs. Weird pitch but you can’t argue with its success – there have been multiple sequels, spin-offs, two films, tonnes of merchandise and a TV show.
These guys are kind of a big deal…
33. Google’s first smartphone (2010)
The first smartphone in Google’s own Nexus line was pitched as the purest Android experience you could get, providing rapid updates whenever the latest version of the software (always named after a dessert) was released.
The Google Nexus One smartphone
34. Instagram launches (2010)
Few social media startups became a staple of the App Store as quickly as Instagram, with its focus on a feed of square-shaped photos from your friends making it a go-to.
Its rise prompted Facebook to pay what seemed an extortionate $1bn for it in 2012, but it’s become one of the most popular apps in the world – even with unpopular changes and concerns around its impact on mental health.
35. Windows… on a phone? (2010)
Microsoft fancied it could take on Apple and Google when it tried to build a smartphone experience around its most famous product – Windows. It had a PC-like start screen and Microsoft apps like Internet Explorer and Skype, but Clippy was nowhere to be seen.
Windows Phones launched in 2010
36. Apple’s massive misstep (2010)
Likely the iPhone’s greatest scandal emerged in 2010, when the iPhone 4 arrived with a serious antenna design flaw that meant users would lose signal if they held it in their left hand. Apple eventually acknowledged the problem after initially downplaying it, and sent out free cases to help. The company also settled a class action lawsuit.
Steve Jobs shows off the iPhone 4
37. Unlock phones with your face (2011)
Most of us probably unlock our phones with our face these days, but it wasn’t always so reliable. Google and Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus took tentative steps into facial recognition, and while cool, it quickly became apparent it wasn’t particularly secure – you could trick it with photos.
38. ‘Hey, Siri…’ (2011)
Voice assistants started to go mainstream with Siri on the iPhone 4S, helping us collectively become too lazy to turn our own living room lights on. The likes of Alexa, Bixby, and “Hey Google” would follow.
Siri has become a staple of all Apple products
39. The Google Play Store (2012)
Google’s answer to the App Store launched in 2012, replacing Android Market. The timing turned out to be good, as that year also saw the launch of a certain game called Candy Crush.
40. Fingers at the ready (2013)
Mobile biometrics like fingerprint scanners and the aforementioned facial unlocking didn’t become a staple of smartphones until Touch ID on the iPhone 5S. It later made its way to iPads and Macbooks.
The iPhone and other smartphones adopted fingerprint technology
41. Facebook buys WhatsApp (2014)
Not content with his Instagram purchase, Mark Zuckerberg chucked $19bn at WhatsApp to bring the messaging company under the Facebook umbrella. It’s only more recently regulators seem to have started wondering whether allowing tech giants to monopolise was a good idea…
42. An iPhone on your wrist (2015)
Apple hadn’t released a new product in five years when the Watch arrived. You could say it was about time. The wearable has become a must-have gadget for many, inspiring lots of competitors, while recent versions are capable enough for you to go out without a phone whatsoever.
Apple’s Watch series has become one of its most successful products
43. Pokemon Go gets us outside (2016)
Of course, nobody was going out without a phone in summer 2016, when Pokemon Go took over the world. The augmented reality game let 90s kids fulfil their childhood dreams of catching pocket monsters in the wild – this reporter’s best catch was a Pikachu at Strood train station.
Pokemon Go sent millions of people on scavenger hunts
44. Samsung’s exploding batteries (2016)
Samsung is the world’s leading manufacturer of Android phones, so the crisis that engulfed the launch of its highly anticipated Galaxy Note 7 was hard to comprehend. The South Korean firm suspended sales of the phone due to faulty batteries causing some to explode or catch fire, which saw them banned from being taken on flights.
45. Google launches the Pixel (2016)
Google started making its own phones with the Pixel, replacing the old Nexus branding. The annoying adverts about removing chips from your photos didn’t arrive until six years later.
Google Pixel phones arrived in 2016
46. Microsoft kills Windows Phone (2017)
Having failed to challenge iOS and Android’s dominance, Microsoft followed BlackBerry out of the market by killing Windows Phone. It was a stark admission of failure in what was otherwise a big year for phones, with the iPhone X marking the most dramatic design change to Apple’s flagship device in a decade.
47. TikTok goes global (2018)
TikTok as we know it became available worldwide in 2018, though it wasn’t until the COVID pandemic that its popularity went stratospheric. It now has a home on more than two billion phones – though for how much longer remains to be seen…
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Why is TikTok getting banned?
48. 5G rollout begins (2019)
Another upgrade for data speeds, though this time it also comes with nonsensical conspiracy theories that the improved radio antennas are spreading coronavirus. While many of us are yet to feel huge benefits, experts insist 5G will be transformative in the years ahead.
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2020: 5G conspiracies ‘dangerous nonsense’
49. COVID (2020)
Speaking of COVID, it had significant impact on smartphones. Supply chain disruption and reduced spending saw sales fall, while manufacturers had to start taking our new habits into account. Facial recognition features needed updates to recognise you with a mask on, and iOS and Android both rolled out contact-tracing functionality.
Phones had to start accounting for us all wearing masks
50. USB-C you later (2022)
Tech giants have been used to getting their own way through much of the history of smartphones, but last year suggested that times may be changing. In a landmark move, the EU ruled that all mobiles must adopt the same charging standard – forcing Apple to ditch its long-held lightning connector in favour of USB-C.
Whatever happens in the next 50 years, at least we’ll have fewer tangled cables in our drawers.
World
Under siege in Ukraine, schools go underground to keep life as normal as possible for children
If you know a teacher, or you are a teacher, you’ll understand that many in the profession consider their jobs one of the best in the world, while also acknowledging it can be one of the most stressful.
Teaching in a war zone takes it to another level on both fronts.
But imagine teaching in a war zone in say the London Underground or the Paris or New York metros?
Follow latest: Ukraine live blog
Well, that’s exactly what is happening in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city – a city attacked by Russia on a constant basis.
In 2023, the authorities banned children from being taught in regular school buildings here because of the threat they were under from missile strikes.
So Kharkiv city and its education department started working on a plan.
That plan has concluded with the construction of six schools in six metro stations, teaching 4,800 children daily whose families haven’t fled the war.
Intrigued by this new educational experiment, as it’s still considered, we were told to meet at the University metro station in the centre of the city and wait to be taken to the school.
Soviet-era metro stations, and particularly the platforms, are universally grand and ornate, although Ukraine’s are slightly more modest.
A young child at his desk in the underground school
The school (left) and the metro system (right)
Pedestrian walkways though are always crammed with florists, newspaper stands, mobile phone shops and cafes, and Kharkiv’s are no different.
What is different though is that next to the main platform entrance, an adjacent passageway has been sealed off by a white wall with three doors built into it.
We were ushered inside, past a guard and into a concourse with two desks.
Inside the classrooms in a city under siege
The classrooms are brightly decorated to try and maintain morale for the children
In front of us, we could see a wide staircase leading to a long corridor. Above us, large, shiny silver metal tubes stretched into the distance, pumping in air from above ground.
Lining the corridor, we could see a series of white interconnecting cabins, all brightly lit, and from them, we could hear the sounds of children laughing, music, and teachers conducting class in this strange subterranean school.
Perhaps the only school in the world with one corridor.
A door to one of the classes opened, and in pairs, a class of six and seven-year-olds emerged – their teacher at the front and an assistant at the rear.
They’re heading to the bathroom for a toilet break, the staff must keep an eye on them.
If any of the children were to make it out of the school, they could easily get lost in the underground system.
The pupils are spread across seven classrooms with a mix of yellow and green desks and chairs, and walls decorated with bright pictures like rainbows, sunshine and sunflowers, to try to create a cheery atmosphere.
“At first, the children were bewildered by studying here, it felt unfamiliar to them, but interacting with each other and with their teachers helped them to adapt,” Iryna Tarasenko from Kharkiv’s education department told me.
Iryna Tarasenko from Kharkiv’s education department
Sky News’ Stuart Ramsay and Kharkiv education official Iryna Tarasenko
Iryna is showing me around the school. They feel it’s their way of contributing to the war effort.
She said: “In the summer of 2023, the Defence Council didn’t permit children to study in regular school buildings, so, we had to find a solution. This is our frontline – our educational frontline.”
There are of course health concerns for both the teachers and the pupils spending so much time underground, so medical examinations are done on a regular basis.
It is an opportunity for doctors and behavioural specialists to monitor the effects of this war on them.
Dmytro Mitelyov is the neurologist on duty monitoring the children’s behaviour, checking for any signs of stress – physical and mental.
He gently asks each child how they’re feeling, and asks if they have any aches and pains.
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Neurologist Dmytro Mitelyov (centre) monitors children as they spend large parts of their days underground
“These are children who haven’t left Kharkiv since the war began, they live in a constant state of stress, multifaceted stress caused by a range of factors. They are exposed to things they see and hear, like alarms, explosions, and they feel it all,” Dmytro told me.
“When these children grow older, all the trauma they’ve endured during their formative years can, unfortunately, leave a lasting and serious imprint on their mental health. They haven’t had a healthy, carefree childhood – the kind where they can learn, play, and feel safe as children normally would.”
As the first group’s school day ends, children from one of Kharkiv’s most bombed districts, wrap up warm before being led to the surface to catch a school bus to their old school – which was hit by a missile.
It’s still where they meet their parents for normal pick-up.
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Students eating in their classrooms in Kharkiv’s metro system
We jump on the bus with them for the journey past destroyed government buildings, shopping centres and restaurants.
When the air raid suddenly sounds, I look around to see how the children and teachers on this bus will react.
They barely flinch it’s so common.
“People have, to some extent, adapted,” one of the headmistresses, Olena Nikolienko, said.
“If we see missiles coming, heaven forbid, we’ll stop near a designated shelter, following our evacuation plan, and that’s where the children will go for cover.”
Headmistress Olena Nikolienko
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Remember, these children are safe underground at school, up here they are not.
During the bus ride, 10-year-old Alisa began quietly sobbing. Her teacher told me her grandfather was killed four months ago on the frontline, and since then she has been prone to tears.
Alisa’s teacher comforted her and told her everything would be ok.
It feels like everyone here has to carry their own sadness.
Everyone.
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‘Ukraine war will end sooner under Trump’
Parents, standing in the first snowfall of the season, greet the children as they get off the bus.
The kids run off the bus, and start throwing snowballs at each other, enjoying this precious moment.
It will be the last time they’re outside today.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping today for what is likely to be his last time as US president.
The two leaders are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Peruvian capital, Lima.
It comes against the backdrop of increasing tension in the US-China relationship with a potential trade war looming under a Trump presidency, several China hawks tapped for US cabinet positions and China’s growing status among global south countries as an emerging leader of an alternative world order.
This week China was focused on events in the southern city of Zhuhai.
First there was a car ramming attack at Zhuhai’s sports stadium which left 25 people dead. A shocking event that was heavily censored in China.
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What happened at Zhuhai sports centre?
Less than an hour’s drive away the country was holding its premier air show.
It was a military enthusiast’s dream, and not even intermittent rain could keep the crowds of tens of thousands of people away from relishing in the roar of jets in the skies above Zhuhai.
China’s fighter jet fleet
One of the main drawcards was China’s newest stealth fighter the J-35A. It will join the country’s J-20 in service for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
A J-35A stealth aircraft flies during the exhibition. Pic: Reuters
The J-10C was China’s aerobatics star of the show. There were daily displays of its prowess in sky-high manoeuvres and formations that impressed onlookers, leaving a streak of colours across the cloudy rain-clogged sky.
China’s aerobatic team
China’s military modernsiation programme is continuing apace
It boasts the largest navy in the world and the largest armed forces by active-duty personnel.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Airforce is developing fast too.
Dr Nicole Leveringhaus, a China security expert from King’s College London, says: “China started with very little. It was devastated by wars on many fronts in the 30s and 40s. Its defence industry was depleted. In 70-plus years it’s built itself up and now we’re seeing the results.
“It’s an impressive feat to go from a bloated land-based peasant guerrilla army to what it has to today.”
Chinese pride and nationalism on display
Enjoying the air show spectacle, military fan Liu Liansong said: “I think the air show is great. It is a firm manifestation of the air force’s development from scratch. We as Chinese people feel very proud.”
Inside the air show
The air show included massive exhibition halls of military hardware, from drones to robotics, firearms and mock missiles. Merely getting from one end of the venue to the other through densely packed crowds was a mission.
Russia in the air
The other crowd puller this week was Russia’s aerobatic air force unit, performing daily theatrics at dizzying speeds.
It is another sign of the deepening ties between China and Russia.
Russia’s aerobatic team shows off for the crowd
One Russian tourist and recreational pilot, Yulia, told Sky News: “Both sides are looking for good communication in business, aviation and in many spheres including tourism.”
The secretary of Russia’s security council and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu also visited the air show, viewing both Chinese and Russian-made jets.
In Beijing, secretary Shoigu was quoted by Russian state media as saying: “I see the most important task as countering the policy of ‘dual containment’ of Russia and China pursued by the United States and its satellites.”
One of Russia’s jets up close
The West is increasingly frustrated by China’s support of Russia. The US has sanctioned two Chinese companies, accusing them of being involved in the production of Russian aerial drones used on the battlefield.
China insists it is not supplying weapons to Russia.
One of the companies, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co, had a small stand in one of the exhibition halls. Its representatives declined Sky News’ request for an interview.
Tariff war brewing
Despite the raw military might on display in Zhuhai, in China there is uncertainty and unease about what an impending Donald Trump presidency will mean for global trade.
President-elect Trump has threatened blanket tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese products exported to the US.
This would be a serious blow to China’s target GDP growth and comes at a time when the country’s economy faces deep-set challenges.
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At the other end of the country, in Beijing analysts are weighing up the impact of possible tariffs and the Chinese government’s options to respond.
Senior Asia analyst Chim Lee, from The Economist Intelligence Unit, is not optimistic that a US-China agreement to minimise the damage can be reached.
Senior Asia analyst Chim Lee
“I think both sides have recognised that the era of making deals is passed,” Mr Lee said.
“We’re going to see China starting with some targeted measures, tariffs it feels more comfortable to impose,” he explained. “But there are also areas where China is starting to be a bit more aggressive.”
This action could include export controls on China’s production of critical minerals and retaliatory tariffs on US agriculture exports.
Trade competition, military posturing and complicated geo-political alliances have set the stage for a challenging next phase in US-China relations.
New pictures show the moment of impact as an Israeli missile hit a Beirut apartment block and exploded.
The block was one of five buildings destroyed by airstrikes on Friday alone.
Israel launched airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut in a fourth consecutive day of intense attacks.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press photographer captured a sequence of images showing an Israeli bomb approaching and hitting a multi-storey apartment building in Beirut’s Tayouneh area.
Richard Weir, a senior crisis, conflict and arms researcher at Human Rights Watch, reviewed the close-up photos to determine what type of weapon was used.
“The bomb and components visible in the photographs, including the strake, wire harness cover, and tail fin section, are consistent with a Mk-84 series 2,000-pound class general purpose bomb equipped with Boeing’s joint directed attack munition tail kit,” he told AP.
Pics: AP
Smoke covers a building that collapses following the strike. Pic: AP
Deadly strikes as bombardment stepped up
Israel stepped up its bombardment this week – an escalation that has coincided with signs of movement in US-led diplomacy towards a ceasefire.
The Israeli military said its fighter jets attacked munitions warehouses, a headquarters and other Hezbollah infrastructure. It issued a warning on social media identifying buildings ahead of the strikes.
Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike killed five members of the same family in a home in Ain Qana in the southern province of Nabatiyeh, Lebanon’s state media said.
The report said a mother, father and their three children were killed but didn’t provide their ages.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Three other Israeli strikes killed six people and wounded 32 in different parts of Tyre province on Friday, also in south Lebanon, the report said.
Video footage also showed a building being struck and turning into a cloud of rubble and debris that billowed into Horsh Beirut, the city’s main park.
Residents check the site of the airstrike in Tayouneh, Beirut. Pic: AP
More than 3,200 people have been killed in Lebanon during 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah – most of them since mid-September.
About 27% of those killed were women and children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Israel dramatically escalated its bombardment of Lebanon from September, vowing to cripple Hezbollah and end its barrages in Israel.
Friday’s strikes come as Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has asked Iran to help secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The prime minister appeared to urge Ali Larijani, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to convince the militant group to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.
Iran is a main backer of Hezbollah and for decades has been funding and arming the Lebanese militant group.
On Thursday, Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister and a member of its security cabinet, said that prospects for a ceasefire with Lebanon were the most promising since the conflict began.
The Washington Post reported Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was rushing to advance a Lebanon ceasefire to deliver an early foreign policy win to his ally, US President-elect Donald Trump.
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