I srael has confirmed launching a strike in Beirut, Lebanon, targeting a Hezbollah commander it holds responsible for a deadly attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Lebanese state news agency NNA reports that at least one person has died and several others have been injured in the strike. The injured, including some with serious wounds, have been transported to nearby hospitals.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on social media, “Hezbollah crossed the red line,” shortly after the Israeli military took responsibility for the strike on Tuesday. In a separate post, Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared, “Every dog shall have his day.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had “carried out a targeted strike in Beirut, on the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians.” The IDF did not provide specifics on how the strike was executed.
According to NNA, the attack was carried out by a drone that fired three missiles. The IDF statement followed reports from the Hezbollah-run Al Manar TV agency of a loud explosion in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital. This area is a densely populated part of Beirut and a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group.
Footage from Reuters showed the aftermath of the strike in southern Beirut, with emergency responders and bystanders walking through streets strewn with rubble, bricks, and other debris. Multiple vehicles parked on one street appeared to have been damaged by falling debris from surrounding buildings. Additionally, video obtained by CNN showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the strike area.
Earlier this week, Israel vowed that Hezbollah would “pay the price” for a rocket attack on a soccer field that killed 12 children and injured 44 people in the town of Majdal Shams near the Syrian and Lebanese borders. The attack on Saturday sparked fears of an all-out war in the region.
A source familiar with the matter said that Israel informed the United States before carrying out the strike. The heads up was conveyed through security channels, though the timing of the notification was not disclosed.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
0 Comments