Further fuelling the fear of an all-out war between Israel and Lebanon, the Israeli military on Friday claimed to have struck Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut, levelling multiple high-rise apartment buildings.
The fresh attack came in the form of a series of massive explosions targeting the leader of the militant group Hassan Nasrallah, according to two people familiar with the matter. However, Israel refused to comment on the same.
According to Lebanon's health ministry, at least six people were killed and 91 were wounded in he biggest blast to hit the Lebanese capital in the past year. The death toll is expected to go up significantly as search operations are still on through the rubble of six buildings.
Attack amid Netanyahu's UN address
The news of the deadly blasts came as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was briefing reporters after his UNGA address. He was seen quickly ending the briefing after a military aide whispered into his ear. Netanyahu also cut short a visit to the United States to return home.
Netanyahu on Friday stated that his nation will “continue degrading Hezbollah" until it achieves its goals along the Lebanon border as he further pushed the possibility of a ceasefire in the ongoing war on Gaza and the recent conflict with Hezbollah which is turning out to become a vast regional war. His threats included him saying that his government would no longer tolerate daily rocket fire from the area.
Israel attacks Hezbollah headquarters: Key Points
Hezbollah headquarters attacked: According to Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the strikes targeted the main Hezbollah headquarters, saying it was located underground beneath residential buildings.
Death toll, injuries, apartments levelled: The series of blasts at around nightfall Killed at least 6 while 91 others were wounded. The attack reduced six apartment towers to rubble in Haret Hreik, a densely populated, predominantly Shiite district of Beirut's Dahiyeh suburbs.
Details awaited on type of bomb:Further details on the attack and the type of the weapon used by Israel is not know yet. The Israeli army has in its arsenal 2,000 pound American-made “Bunker Buster” guided bombs designed specifically for hitting subterranean targets.
Hezbollah counterstrikes: Hours after the attack, Hezbollah announced that it had launched a salvo of rockets at the Israeli city of Safed, which it said was “in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli violation of cities, villages and civilians”.
Hezbollah drone commander killed
Earlier, following Israeli PM Netanyahu's call to "keep fighting", fresh strikes were reported from the Lebanese capital. Reuters reported that a senior Hezbollah leader was the target of the latest air raid on Thursday.
Further confirming the strike, the Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah drone commander in the suburbs of Beirut.Hezbollah did not immediately comment on Israel's claim that Mohammed Hussein Surour was dead.
Moreover, Israel in another airstrike also killed top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil as a response to Hezbollah's attack with 140 rockets. The attack killed at least 8 people and wounded 59 others, according to Lebanese health officials. According to the Associated Press, Akil served as the head of Hezbollah's elite military body Radwan Force and Jihad Council. Moreover, the US State Department has sanctioned him over his alleged role in carrying out the 1983 bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut.
Israel-Lebanon conflict escalates
Israel dramatically intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is determined to put an end to more than 11 months of Hezbollah fire into its territory.
The escalated campaign has killed more than 720 people in Lebanon, including dozens of women and children, according to Health Ministry statistics.
The conflict between the two Middle Eastern nations intensified following Israel's remote explosions in Lebanon using the electronic gadgets used by the Hezbollah members. In two consecutive incidents, several pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in Beirut and other areas killing and injuring many people.
