Israel targets Hezbollah official in Beirut airstrike despite ceasefire
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The news: Israel carried out a rare airstrike on a southern Beirut suburb on Sunday, targeting Hezbollah’s chief of staff Ali Tabtabai, media reported citing Israeli and Lebanese sources.
The attack was the first Israeli strike on Beirut since June and came nearly a year after a US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The strike hit a main road in the Haret Hreik/Dahieh area. Residents told media they heard warplanes overhead before the blast, and crowds fled buildings fearing more strikes.
The numbers: Medical sources cited by Reuters said four people were killed and around two dozen were wounded. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least one person had died and that another 21 were injured.
It was not immediately clear if Tabtabai was among the casualties.
Israel’s government via a spokesperson told reporters the operation aimed to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities.
“Israel continues to insist on the full enforcement of the ceasefire agreements with Lebanon while taking steps to ensure our security,” spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said.
Before the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet Israel would continue acting to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its ability to threaten Israel.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike and called on the international community to "intervene with strength and seriousness to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people."
urged international intervention.
Hezbollah’s Mahmoud Qamati said the attack could escalate violence across the country. A senior US official told Axios that Israel did not notify Washington in advance, although a second source said the US had known for days of planned escalation.
The sources: Axios, The Associated Press
