Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly the target of the latest IDF raid on the Lebanese capital
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 © AP / Hassan Ammar
The Israel Defense Forces have conducted a new wave of strikes in Lebanon, allegedly targeting the infrastructure of the Hezbollah movement, including the organization’s central headquarters in a residential area of Beirut.
According to some media reports, the main target of the attack in Beirut was the top leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.
West Jerusalem confirmed bombing an underground compound belonging to the militant group in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut but did not confirm or deny that Nasrallah was the primary target.
Sources cited by Iran’s Tasnim news agency and Reuters reported that Nasrallah was safe, but Israeli media maintain that the Hezbollah leader was likely killed in the strike.
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27 September 2024
23:44 GMT
The Israeli military claims to have “eliminated” the alleged commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, Muhammad Ali Ismail, and his deputy, Hossein Ahmed Ismail.
“The IAF struck and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Ali Ismail, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, the terrorist Hussein Ahmad Ismail,” the IDF said in a statement, further claiming that “additional Hezbollah commanders and operatives were eliminated alongside them.”
- 23:08 GMT
The United States had “no knowledge of or participation in” Israeli strikes on Beirut, President Joe Biden has said. “We’re gathering more information. I’ll have more to say when we have more information,” Biden told journalists after he arrived in Delaware for the weekend.
- 22:40 GMT
Israel has launched a series of “targeted strikes on weapons belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization” in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut, the IDF has announced.
- 22:36 GMT
The death toll from Israel’s bombing of southern Beirut has risen to six, with 91 others wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. However, the number of casualties is expected to increase, as the strike destroyed six residential buildings, burying many people under the rubble.
- 22:19 GMT
The IDF has conducted another round of strikes against alleged “terror targets” in southern Lebanon.
“Over the past hour, IAF fighter jets struck dozens of Hezbollah launchers aimed toward Israeli civilians, as well as buildings in which weapons were stored,” it said in a statement.
- 22:07 GMT
The leader of the Shia Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, is alive following a “massive” airstrike on the group’s central headquarters earlier in the day, Reuters reported, citing a source close to the movement. Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported that Nasrallah was safe.
Axios reported on Friday, citing an Israeli source, that Nasrallah was the target of the operation and that the Israeli military was checking whether he had been affected by the strike. West Jerusalem did not officially confirm this information. Israeli media maintain that the Hezbollah leader was likely killed in the strike.
- 21:27 GMT
The IDF has ordered civilians in Beirut to flee the Dahieh neighborhood, warning them of imminent strikes.
“In the last hour, we have contacted the residents of the three buildings in the Dahieh – these residents are above and near Hezbollah’s strategic assets and must evacuate immediately for their safety and security,” spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
- 18:02 GMT
The strike came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly. According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu was in the middle of a press conference when his military aide, Major General Roman Gofman, whispered something in his ear. A few minutes later, the prime minister abruptly ended the briefing and left.
Netanyahu’s office later released a photo of the prime minister in his New York hotel room, reportedly issuing the order to strike the Hezbollah HQ.
A photo of Netanyahu giving the order to strike south Beirut tonight from New York, destroying several apartment buildings. pic.twitter.com/LYRNtA9WPV
— Séamus Malekafzali (@Seamus_Malek) September 27, 2024
- 17:21 GMT
The Israel Defense Forces have conducted an airstrike on the Lebanese capital, targeting the main headquarters of the Shia militia located beneath a civilian neighborhood.
”Moments ago, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a precise strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terror organization… taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can live in their homes, safely and securely,” IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated.
Videos of thick black smoke rising in plumes from the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut have been circulating on Lebanese media and social networks.
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