People gather near the site of the attack in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to security sources, July 30, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
The Israeli military said on Tuesday it carried out a strike in Beirut targeting a terrorist commander allegedly responsible for the killing of 12 children and teenagers. Rocket attack on Israeli-controlled Golan Heights in the weekends.
Israel has blamed the rocket attack on the Hezbollah militant group, which has denied any role in Saturday’s attack. “Hezbollah has crossed the red line,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant wrote on Platform X shortly after Tuesday’s attack.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not issue an immediate statement, but sent a photo of the prime minister with his national security adviser and other officials minutes after the attack.
An Israeli air strike hit a Hezbollah stronghold south of Beirut on Tuesday evening, causing significant damage, a Hezbollah official and the group’s TV station said.
A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with rules, said the air strike on Haret Hreik, a southern Beirut suburb, damaged several buildings, but it was not immediately clear whether any Hezbollah officers were injured.
The attack hit an apartment building next to the hospital, causing half of the targeted building to collapse. The hospital suffered minor damage, while surrounding streets were littered with debris and broken glass.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the airstrike on a southern Beirut suburb was carried out by a drone that fired three rockets.
The last time Israel targeted Beirut was in January, when an airstrike killed Saleh Arouri, a top Hamas official. It was Israel’s first attack on Beirut since the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006.