Israel announced that it had struck the intelligence headquarters of Hezbollah in Lebanon during the night, and was currently evaluating the damage after a series of attacks on prominent figures within the group. Iran’s Supreme Leader had previously deemed these actions as counterproductive.
The airstrike on Beirut is part of a larger offensive that has displaced over 1.2 million Lebanese from their homes. Reports indicated that the operation aimed at the potential successor to Hezbollah’s leader, who was assassinated by Israel a week ago.
As for Hashem Safieddine, his status remains uncertain, and neither Israel nor Hezbollah has provided any updates.
A UN spokesperson stated that the civilian toll in Lebanon from Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah is “totally unacceptable”.
Many rockets, launched from Israel, can be seen over the Dahieh area of Beirut.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, addressed a large gathering in Tehran, asserting that Iran and its regional allies would persevere, just two days after Tehran escalated tensions by firing missiles at Israel, which had deployed ground forces into Lebanon this week.
The Israeli military has described its ground operations as “localized” within villages near the border, although it has not clarified how far into Lebanon its forces might advance or the expected duration of the operations.
The missile barrage from Iran was partially in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a key figure who had transformed the group into a formidable military and political entity with influence throughout the Middle East.
The UN has condemned what it deemed an “unlawful airstrike” by Israel on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, which, according to the Palestinian health ministry, resulted in 18 fatalities the previous day.
“This strike is indicative of a troubling pattern of unlawful use of force by ISF (Israeli security forces) during military-like operations in the West Bank, which have inflicted considerable harm on Palestinians and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure,” stated the United Nations rights office.
“This incident exemplifies ISF’s systematic use of lethal force in the West Bank, which is often unnecessary, disproportionate, and thus unlawful,” they added, calling for an independent investigation into the event.
“The complete destruction of an entire building housing civilians through aerial bombardment indicates a blatant disregard for Israel’s obligations.”
The Israeli army confirmed the attack on the Tulkarem refugee camp in the northern West Bank, characterizing it as a collaborative operation between the Shin Bet internal security service and the air force.
They reported that the strike resulted in the death of Hamas leader Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi in Tulkarem.
According to a source within the Palestinian security services, this air raid is the deadliest in the West Bank since 2000.
Kashmiri Shia Muslims protest against Israel following the killing of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
In response, Israel has pledged retaliation, causing oil prices to rise amid fears of potential attacks on Iranian oil facilities as Israel aims to counter Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and eliminate their Hamas counterparts in Gaza.
“The resistance in the region will not concede even with the deaths of its leaders,” remarked Mr. Khamenei during a rare public address in Tehran, where he referenced Mr. Nasrallah and labeled Iran’s assault on Israel as legal and legitimate.
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Iran will neither “procrastinate nor act hastily in fulfilling its obligations” in addressing Israel, stated Khamenei, without issuing any direct new threats toward Israel or the US but grasping the barrel of a rifle that was positioned at his side.
According to the semi-official Iranian news agency SNN, Revolutionary Guards deputy commander Ali Fadavi stated that if Israel launches an attack, Tehran would retaliate by targeting Israeli energy and gas installations.
Axios reporter Barak Ravid cited three Israeli officials indicating that Hezbollah official Mr. Safieddine, rumored to be Mr. Nasrallah’s successor, had been targeted in an underground bunker in Beirut overnight, though his current status remains unconfirmed.
Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani asserted that the military was still evaluating the damage from last night’s airstrikes in southern Beirut, which he claimed aimed at Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.
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Earlier, the Israeli military reported that it had eliminated the head of Hezbollah’s communication networks, Mohammad Rashid Sakafi.
They declined to comment on reports regarding the targeting of Mr. Safieddine.
Hezbollah has not released any information regarding the outcomes for either Mr. Sakafi or Mr. Safieddine, whose sibling, Sayyed Abdallah Safieddine – Hezbollah’s envoy to Iran – was present at Mr. Khamenei’s speech in Tehran.
Khamenei remarked that these assassinations would only provoke further attacks.
“Every strike initiated by any group against Israel contributes to the welfare of the region and all humanity,” he stated.
In Hezbollah’s stronghold within the southern suburbs of Beirut, many structures have been reduced to debris following a week of intense bombardments in the area.
Along the main market street dubbed Moawad Souk, almost every storefront sustained damage, and the street was littered with shattered glass.
“We’re alive but uncertain for how long,” expressed Nouhad Chaib, a 40-year-old man already displaced from the southern region.
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Israeli airstrikes have increasingly targeted medical facilities and aid workers.
On late Wednesday, a strike hit a building in central Beirut utilized by Hezbollah-affiliated rescue workers, resulting in nine deaths, as reported by the Lebanese health ministry.
An Israeli attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs today claimed the life of a rescuer from the same unit, while another strike in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun targeted an area near its principal hospital.
The director of the hospital, Mounes Klakesh, informed Reuters that staff had decided to temporarily evacuate.
Israel alleges that the militants conceal themselves among civilians, a claim Hezbollah disputes.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who visited Beirut today, declared that his presence in the city “amid these challenging circumstances” exemplifies Iran’s support for Lebanon and Hezbollah.
Smoke and flames rise over the Dahieh area after the Israeli army executed airstrikes in southern Beirut.
He held discussions with prominent Lebanese officials, including caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri – a Hezbollah ally.
Mr. Araqchi emphasized that Tehran endorses efforts for a ceasefire in Lebanon, provided it is supported by Hezbollah and coincides with a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
A Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7 had shocked the nation and ignited its conflict against the group.
Iran’s allies in its “Axis of Resistance” – Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and armed factions in Iraq – have conducted attacks in the region to support Palestinians in Gaza.
Mr. Khamenei suggested that Afghanistan should partake in the “defense.”
US President Joe Biden indicated yesterday that Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attacks, which it successfully fended off, might involve targeting Iran’s oil facilities.
His remarks contributed to a spike in global oil prices, as traders contemplate potential supply interruptions.
Israel asserts that its operations in Lebanon aim to enable tens of thousands of its citizens to return home after Hezbollah’s bombardments during the Gaza conflict forced them to evacuate from the north.
Lebanese authorities reported that nearly 2,000 individuals have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past year, the majority occurring in the last two weeks.
UN officials noted that most of Lebanon’s nearly 900 shelters are full, leading to many people fleeing to sleep in the streets or public parks.
An Israeli airstrike created a 4-meter-wide crater at Lebanon’s main border crossing into Syria, obstructing the road for vehicles filled with individuals attempting to flee from Lebanon today.
The Israeli military claims Hezbollah utilizes this crossing to smuggle weapons into Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities stated that trucks are inspected, and the crossing is critical for humanitarian reasons.
Individuals were spotted navigating around the crater on foot, carrying suitcases and fuel containers to cross into Syria.
Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon this week followed two weeks of intensive air assaults.
Hezbollah asserts that it has repelled these operations through ambushes, rocket attacks, and direct confrontations.
