Israeli military targets Hezbollah strongholds, kills over 1,000, amid escalating conflict and retaliation threats from Iran

AFP | Beirut

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In a significant escalation of hostilities, Israel's military announced yesterday that it had targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut. This strike comes as Israeli forces engage in combat with militants near the Lebanon-Israel border, following air raids that have bombarded Hezbollah strongholds across the country.

This week, Israel commenced “ground raids” in southern Lebanon, a known Hezbollah stronghold, after intense bombardment of areas controlled by the group. The recent airstrikes have reportedly resulted in over 1,000 fatalities, according to Lebanon's health ministry, and displaced hundreds of thousands in a nation already grappling with severe economic and political challenges.

As Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza following Hamas’s attack on October 7, the focus has shifted towards securing its northern border and ensuring the safety of over 60,000 individuals displaced due to Hezbollah's actions over the past year.

On the Gaza front, Israeli military sources stated that a strike conducted three months ago eliminated three senior Hamas leaders, including Rahwi Mushtaha, head of the militant group’s government in Gaza.

In Lebanon, the Israeli military confirmed it struck “targets belonging to Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut.” The state-run National News Agency of Lebanon reported multiple airstrikes in southern Beirut, while a Hezbollah source indicated that the targeted location was an abandoned building that previously housed the group’s media relations office.

Israel has urged the evacuation of over 20 villages and the city of Nabatiyeh, with army spokesman Avichay Adraee warning residents to leave their homes immediately for their safety.

On the battlefield, Hezbollah claimed to have repelled an Israeli advance at Fatima’s Gate along the border and detonated explosive devices against approaching Israeli forces while continuing its rocket fire across the border. An Israeli overnight airstrike reportedly killed 15 Hezbollah fighters in Bint Jbeil, an area heavily damaged during the 2006 conflict with the militant group.

The Lebanese army reported that one of its soldiers was killed when Israeli forces targeted a military post in Bint Jbeil, marking the third Lebanese military casualty in the ongoing conflict and prompting retaliatory fire from the army, which was its first response to Israeli fire since October.

In a recent air raid in downtown Beirut, Israeli forces struck an emergency services facility operated by Hezbollah, resulting in the deaths of seven workers. An 82-year-old resident who had sought refuge in a nearby high-rise described the chaos: “We are peaceful civilians in our homes.”

While Israel has not officially commented on this latest airstrike, military officials claim to have targeted around 200 Hezbollah sites across Lebanon. Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad reported that over 40 paramedics and firefighters have lost their lives due to Israeli fire in just three days.

The current round of violence follows a second direct missile attack on Israel by Iran, a supporter of Hezbollah, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue a warning that Tehran would face repercussions.