New Delhi:
Israeli airstrikes hit southern Beirut late Saturday night, with Lebanese media reporting particularly violent strikes lasting into early Sunday morning.
Here are 10 points on this big story:
- Explosions were heard for over two hours across southern Beirut, with news agency AFP reporting balls of flame and plumes of smoke rising from the targeted sites. In one particularly severe strike, thick smoke filled the air, and flares lit up the night sky for almost an hour. Residents fled the scene in panic, some on foot, others on motorbikes, as explosions echoed in the background.
- The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation, claiming on their Telegram channel that they were targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure. The strikes came after an earlier call by the Israeli army for residents of southern Beirut to evacuate, warning civilians to move at least 500 meters away from designated buildings.
- This latest escalation comes amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. The two sides have exchanged fire nearly daily over the past year, following the outbreak of the Gaza war.Â
- Since September 23, Israel has launched a series of airstrikes in Lebanon, killing over 1,110 people and displacing over a million. Just last week, Israeli forces killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on southern Beirut.
- A high-ranking Hezbollah source told news agency AFP that communication had been lost with Hashem Safieddine, a senior Hezbollah figure expected to succeed Nasrallah, following Israeli airstrikes earlier in the week.Â
- While Hezbollah has not officially confirmed the loss of contact, two sources close to the organisation said attempts to reach Safieddine were being impeded by continued Israeli bombardments. It was reported that Safieddine had been with Hezbollah’s head of intelligence, Hajj Murtada, at the time of the attack.
- The recent strikes are among the most significant in Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, with 11 consecutive airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut recorded early Friday. Israel’s military claimed to have hit Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut during these attacks.
- In addition to the escalating conflict in Lebanon, Israel is preparing for further tensions related to the anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7. The Israeli military has increased forces and heightened alert, anticipating possible retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah or its Iranian backers. Iran has already launched missile attacks in response to Israeli operations.
- Since Monday, Israeli forces have reportedly killed 440 Hezbollah fighters in ground and air operations in Lebanon. The strikes aim to neutralise Hezbollah’s rocket fire, which has targeted northern Israel for nearly a year, displacing tens of thousands of Israeli civilians.Â
- The United States has evacuated 600 citizens from Lebanon since the escalation began, with 145 passengers leaving on flights organised by the US State Department on Saturday alone.