Large clouds of smoke were seen rising from Lebanon’s capital Beirut Israel carried out deadly air strikes on FridayIsrael said the attack targeted the central headquarters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, with the Israeli military confirming that several buildings were hit in Dahiyah, a densely populated area known as a Hezbollah stronghold. Four buildings were reportedly destroyed in the attacks, which rocked the city with powerful explosions that left several large craters and damaged nearby structures.
Search and rescue operations continued throughout the night, with Lebanon’s health ministry subsequently reporting at least nine deaths and more than 90 injuries.
These attacks were targeted at senior Hezbollah commanders. There are unverified reports that the terrorist group’s leader, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, was at the headquarters at the time of the attack. However, it remains uncertain whether the attack succeeded in killing Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah.
But Friday’s airstrikes, which came amid efforts America and France will establish a ceasefire between Israel and HezbollahMarks an escalation of hostilities that began nearly a year ago. It also comes against the backdrop of Israel stepping up its offensive against Hezbollah this month, including targeted killing of militants through modified pagers and walkie-talkies.
Moments before buildings collapsed in Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was addressing the United Nations General Assembly. Enough is enough, Netanyahu insisted, adding that Israel “has been tolerating this unbearable situation for almost a year”.
“As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to eliminate this threat and return our citizens safely to their homes,” Netanyahu said.
Shortly thereafter, several explosions occurred in Beirut.
root of conflict
The ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has its roots in long-standing geopolitical and regional tensions, which have intensified since Israel launched a wide-ranging military campaign in Gaza last year.
More than 500 people, including women and children, have died in the latest incident of violence sparked by Israeli air strikes in Lebanon. Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets targeting the Israeli airbase. These clashes have been occurring almost continuously since October 2023, as Hezbollah responded to Israeli military operations by declaring solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Hezbollah has made clear that its ongoing attacks are conditional on Israeli action in Gaza. Israel, for its part, has stepped up its military operations along the Lebanon-Israel border, launching thousands of attacks, which have far outstripped Hezbollah’s retaliation.
weeks of growth
Cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces escalated earlier this month. In a deadly covert operation, Thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated over two daysAt least 37 people were killed and nearly 3,000 injured across Lebanon.
A Hezbollah official described the detonation of the pagers as “the largest security breach” suffered by the group. While the Lebanese government and Iran-backed Hezbollah blamed Israel for the blasts, the Israeli military declined to comment on the deadly attack.
Amid fears of wider regional conflict, the US and France tried to broker a temporary 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. However, hopes for a ceasefire appear to be fading after Friday’s airstrike on Beirut.
While attacks in Lebanon have so far been limited to airstrikes, Israel’s military also deployed additional tanks and armored vehicles to its northern border with Lebanon on Friday, leading a significant ground offensive to eliminate Hezbollah and its network. It is a sign of preparation.