Israeli Airstrikes Hit Hezbollah Facility in Beirut After Drone Attack \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ An Israeli airstrike destroyed a building in a Beirut suburb on Tuesday, which Israel claimed housed Hezbollah facilities. The strike occurred shortly after Hezbollah held a press conference nearby, following a weekend drone attack that damaged Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s home. Israel issued an evacuation warning prior to the strike, and no casualties were immediately reported. The situation comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Israeli leaders to push for a cease-fire in Gaza and address escalating tensions with Hezbollah.
Israeli Airstrikes Target Hezbollah Facilities After Drone Attack: Quick Looks
- Israeli Strike in Beirut: The Israeli military leveled a building in a Beirut suburb, which it claimed housed Hezbollah facilities, sending debris into the air.
- Hezbollah Drone Attack: The airstrike followed a press conference by Hezbollah, where the group claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Netanyahu’s home.
- Escalating Conflict: The attack is part of ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which intensified after Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon earlier this month.
- Blinken’s Diplomatic Push: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Netanyahu on Tuesday, urging more humanitarian aid for Gaza and exploring a cease-fire deal.
Deep Look:
In a dramatic escalation of its conflict with Hezbollah, Israel launched an airstrike on a building in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, which it claimed housed facilities used by the militant group. The strike came just 40 minutes after Israel issued an evacuation warning for two buildings in the area, saying they were tied to Hezbollah operations. Smoke and debris from the explosion filled the air, just a few hundred meters away from where Hezbollah’s chief spokesman, Mohammed Afif, had been briefing journalists about a weekend drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home.
The Israeli airstrike, captured in dramatic photos that showed a missile moments before it hit the building, is the latest incident in the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. No casualties were immediately reported from the strike, though the area was severely damaged.
Hezbollah’s spokesman Afif claimed responsibility for the drone attack on Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea, which took place over the weekend. The drone reportedly caused damage to the prime minister’s residence, though neither Netanyahu nor his wife were at home during the strike. Hezbollah has hinted that more attacks could follow, increasing concerns that the conflict between the two sides may further escalate.
Rising Tensions and Escalating Airstrikes
Israel has ramped up its military operations against Hezbollah in recent weeks, striking targets across Lebanon in response to repeated rocket and missile launches from the group. Hezbollah has been launching almost daily attacks on Israel since Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023, raid into southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 more. In retaliation, Israel has been targeting Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut, as well as other locations across Lebanon, aiming to weaken the group’s infrastructure.
Tuesday’s strike in Beirut occurred near a Hezbollah press conference, which had been convened to discuss the drone attack on Netanyahu’s home. The press conference was cut short as the Israeli missile approached, and those in attendance were hurried away from the scene. The Associated Press captured a striking image of a missile seconds before it struck the building.
As the conflict rages on, both sides show little sign of backing down. Israel has stated that it is determined to prevent further Hezbollah attacks and is likely to continue its airstrikes in Lebanon, while Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has escalated its military actions, firing thousands of rockets, drones, and missiles into Israel over the past year.
U.S. Efforts to Broker a Cease-fire
The latest developments come as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues his diplomatic push to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and to ease the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. On Tuesday, Blinken met with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, marking his 11th visit to the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. According to U.S. officials, Blinken is working to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and to increase humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians caught in the conflict.
During their two-hour meeting, Blinken urged Netanyahu to capitalize on the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as a potential opportunity to negotiate a cease-fire. The meeting was described as “friendly and productive” by Netanyahu’s office, but both Israel and Hamas have shown little willingness to back down from the conflict, with both sides accusing each other of making unacceptable demands.
At the same time, Blinken’s efforts have been complicated by the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The conflict, which escalated earlier this month when Israel launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, has drawn the attention of the international community, with fears that it could spiral into a broader regional war.
Fears Grow Over Potential Hospital Strikes in Lebanon
The airstrikes in Beirut on Tuesday have also raised fears that Israel could target hospitals in Lebanon, as it has in Gaza. On Monday night, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut destroyed several buildings across from the city’s largest public hospital, the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, killing 18 people and wounding at least 60 others. Though Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah facilities, the proximity of the strike to the hospital has led to concerns over the safety of medical facilities in the region.
In response, staff at the Sahel General Hospital in Beirut expressed alarm after Israel claimed Hezbollah had stored hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold in the hospital’s basement. The hospital’s director, Mazen Alame, denied the allegations and invited journalists to tour the facility’s underground floors. Reporters from the Associated Press who visited the site found no signs of militants or hidden valuables, though many of the hospital’s patients had already been evacuated due to the surrounding airstrikes.
The Israeli military has accused both Hamas and Hezbollah of using hospitals for military purposes, a charge denied by medical staff in both Gaza and Lebanon. As the fighting continues, Lebanese health officials have reported a rising death toll, with 63 people killed in the past 24 hours alone, bringing the total number of deaths in the year-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to over 2,500.
Lebanon Braces for Further Israeli Strikes
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is playing out alongside Israel’s major military operation in northern Gaza, where Palestinian health authorities report that over 42,000 people have been killed, including women and children, and more than 90% of the population has been displaced. The war has left Gaza devastated, and both the U.S. and Egypt have been trying to broker a cease-fire to end the violence, though talks have stalled since the summer.
In the meantime, Hezbollah’s continued rocket fire into Israel and Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes on Lebanese territory have left the region on edge, with fears that the conflict could soon expand further.
Israeli Airstrikes Hit Israeli Airstrikes Hit
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