Israel has launched a series of devastating airstrikes in Beirut, targeting the headquarters of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The attacks resulted in massive explosions that filled the densely populated Haret Hreik neighborhood in Dahiyeh, southern Beirut, with thick plumes of smoke on Friday evening.
The waves of strikes have continued into the early hours of Saturday, pushing thousands of residents to evacuate the area. Israel stated Saturday that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an airstrike on Dahiyeh, although Hezbollah has not yet confirmed his status. According to Lebanese health authorities, at least six people were killed and 91 were injured in the attacks, and there are concerns that the death toll will increase significantly.
On Saturday, the IDF announced the deployment of three reserve battalions to reinforce the defense of the Central Command in response to the escalating conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“It has been a long night of violence, with continuous Israeli attacks targeting neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut,” reported Zeina Khodr from Al Jazeera.
The Israeli military said Friday’s initial attack targeted the Iran-aligned group’s “central headquarters,” saying it was “wedged under residential buildings in the heart of Dahiyeh in Beirut.” According to Hezbollah al-Manar TV, several buildings in Dahiyeh’s Haret Hreik neighborhood were destroyed.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, observed that attacks on Beirut’s Haret Hreik suburb “wiped out an entire city block near the international airport,” with some six to nine buildings completely or partially destroyed. In addition, he added that “Israel intentionally targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, focusing on Hezbollah commanders in various locations to disrupt the group’s command structure.”
The initial attack was soon followed by five hours of continuous bombardments in the early morning hours of Saturday. Given the escalation of ongoing violence, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced plans to evacuate hospitals in the impacted area and called on unaffected facilities to temporarily cease admitting non-emergency cases.
In the past week, Israel had already conducted four attacks in Dahiyeh, causing the loss of life of at least three senior Hezbollah military commanders. However, the latest assault marked a significant escalation, with powerful explosions rattling windows throughout the city, recalling the intense Israeli air raids during the 2006 war with Hezbollah. But this surge underscores the deteriorating security situation in the region and the increased risks to civilians in the ongoing conflict.
Moreover, the airstrike began just moments after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrapped up his remarks to delegates at the 79th UNGA in New York on Friday, during which he vowed to continue the attacks against Hezbollah and to pursue a “total victory” in the region of Gaza.
In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati claimed that the attacks in southern Beirut proves Israel’s disregard for international appeals for a cease-fire in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Iranian embassy in Lebanon condemned the attack as a “serious escalation,” affirming that “the perpetrator will be held accountable”.
