page_title: 2020 Beirut explosion
section_title: International
hierarchical_section_title: 2020 Beirut explosion / Reactions / International
caption_attribution_description: English: Tel Aviv City Hall illuminated with the Lebanese flag in solidarity with the people of Beirut
context_page_description: On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 190 deaths, 6,500 injuries, US$10–15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. Around 2,750 tonnes of the substance had been stored in a warehouse without proper safety measures for the previous six years, after having been confiscated by the Lebanese authorities from the abandoned ship MV Rhosus. It is not yet known what caused the ammonium nitrate to detonate; suggested reasons include a fire in an alleged fireworks warehouse, an attack, or a fire in an ammunition warehouse; an investigation is ongoing.
  The explosion was felt in Turkey, Syria, Israel, and parts of Europe, and was heard in Cyprus, more than 250 km away. It was detected by the United States Geological Survey as a seismic event of magnitude 3.3, and is considered one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history.
  The Lebanese government declared a two-week state of emergency in response to the disaster.
context_section_description: Representatives of multiple countries and the United Nations (UN), offered condolences. In addition to those countries which provided aid, others offered to do so. Notably, Israel offered aid via UN channels, as Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic ties and are technically at war; the offer was refused by the Lebanese government. Despite years of Israeli–Lebanese conflict, including the 2006 Lebanon War, both Israel and senior Hezbollah officials ruled out Israeli involvement in the explosion, despite claims and allegations spread via social media.
  The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was activated on 5 August, thus providing for widespread usage of various corporate, national, and international satellite assets on a humanitarian basis. Several countries expressed solidarity by lighting up landmarks and monuments in the colours of the Lebanese flag, including the City Hall of Tel Aviv, whereas the Eiffel Tower in Paris went dark at midnight, and the Arab League flew its flag at its headquarters in Cairo at half-mast. Some figures from the Israeli right-wing criticized the display of the flag of Lebanon, an "enemy state", in Tel Aviv. There was also backlash inside Lebanon against the Israeli gesture.
caption: Tel Aviv City Hall lit up with the colours of the Lebanese flag.
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