First Israeli air strike in nearly a year of conflict hits central Beirut
30 September 2024, 07:34
In the past week, Israel has repeatedly targeted suburbs across the Lebanese capital, where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence.
The first apparent Israeli air strike in central Beirut in nearly a year of conflict has hit an apartment building, hours after Israel attacked targets across Lebanon, killing dozens.
A residential neighbourhood that houses predominantly Sunni Muslims was hit early on Monday morning, according to the Associated Press.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials. The Israel Defence Force has previously stated it carried out another targeted strike on Beirut but did not immediately provide details.
The air strike killed at least one person and wounded 16, said an official with Lebanese Civil Defence.
He said the person killed was a member of the al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, a Sunni political and militant group that is allied with Hezbollah.
However, the Sunni militant group has not confirmed the death of any of its members.
A Palestinian leftist faction in Lebanon said three of its members were killed in the air strike. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said in a statement early Monday that its military and security commanders in Lebanon, and a third member were killed in the attack.
On Sunday, the Lebanese health ministry documented at least 105 killed across the country in air strikes.
They said two attacks hit near the southern city of Sidon, about 28 miles south of Beirut, killing at least 32.
Separately, Israeli attacks in the northern province of Baalbek Hermel killed a further 21 and injured at least 47.
As well as strikes in the capital, local media reported dozens of strikes against civilian buildings in the region of Bekaa and southern Lebanon.
At the weekend, Hezbollah sustained heavy blows to its command structure with attacks taking out militant group leader Hassan Nasrallah and seven other senior members.
An Associated Press journalist at the scene where Mr Nasrallah was killed reported that the attack struck a multi-storey residential building.
Video footage from the scene also showed ambulances at the scene and a large crowd gathered.
Hezbollah confirmed senior commander Ali Karaki and Nabil Kaouk, deputy head of the militant group’s Central Council, were both killed in air strikes at the weekend.
Mr Kaouk became the seventh senior member killed in a little over a week with several of Hezbollah’s founding members dead.
Israel also claims that at least 20 other militants were killed, including the head of Mr Nasrallah’s security detail.
The Lebanese health ministry also reported at least 14 medical workers were killed over two days in the south.
In response to escalated aggression against Lebanon, Hezbollah has significantly increased its attacks against Israel in the past week, according to one Israeli military official.
Attacks have risen from several dozen to several hundred daily, leaving several people injured and damaging infrastructure.
Most of the rockets and drones were intercepted by Israel’s air defence systems or made landfall in open areas away from people.
The IDF says its strikes have degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities and the number of launches would be much higher if Hezbollah had not been hit.
