Israel on Tuesday launched an airstrike targeting the southern suburb of Beirut, reportedly aiming to assassinate a Hezbollah military commander. The Israeli TV Channel 14 said the bombing targeted Abu Ali Hariki, the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit.
Lebanese security sources confirmed that at least one person was killed in the raid, but the fate of Hariki remained unknown. The Israeli occupation army confirmed in a statement that it “carried out a targeted strike in Beirut” without providing further details.
The raid came as the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the Israeli aggression on Lebanon since dawn on Monday has reached 558, including 50 children and 94 women. Lebanon’s caretaker health minister, Firas Al-Abyad, told reporters on Tuesday that 1,835 people were injured during the same period and were transferred to 54 hospitals across Lebanon.
Prior to the bombing, Israeli occupation aircraft flew at low altitudes over Beirut, its surroundings, and coastal areas.
The security source added to Agence France-Presse that “the Israeli raid targeted two floors of a building in the Ghobeiry area” in the southern suburb.
Egypt condemned the “dangerous” Israeli escalation in Lebanon on Monday, denouncing the extensive military operations that have resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Lebanese citizens.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt expressed its solidarity with Lebanon and offered its condolences to the families of the victims. The statement underscored Egypt’s absolute rejection of any violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Egypt called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, urging an immediate cessation of the escalation and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The statement emphasized the need to create space for diplomatic solutions, warning that military escalation would only exacerbate the crisis.
This comes a day after an Israeli raid on the southern suburbs targeted the commander of the party’s southern Lebanon front, Ali Hariki. However, Hezbollah denied assassinating Hariki, saying in a statement: “In response to the Zionist enemy’s claims of assassinating our brother, the mujahid Ali Hariki, we confirm that our dear brother, the mujahid leader, Hajj Ali Hariki, is fine and, God willing, in full health and wellness and has moved to a safe place.”
The Israeli occupation army said on Monday that it had carried out a targeted and specific raid in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted a security official as saying that the target of the assassination in Beirut was Ali Hariki, a Hezbollah leader in Lebanon. Lebanese media reported that the Israeli occupation army targeted the Madi neighbourhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut with six missiles.
In contrast, Hezbollah said in statements today that it bombed Megiddo military airport west of the city of Afula in northern Israel three times in a row with “Fadi 1” and “Fadi 2” missiles. This is the first bombing of Megiddo airport by Hezbollah during the current confrontations with Israel that have been ongoing for about a year.
Hezbollah announced the bombing of the explosives factory in the Zichron area, which is 60 kilometres from the border, and the Amos base, which is the main base for transportation and logistical support for the northern region of the Israeli army.
It also targeted the Ramat David base and airport southeast of Haifa, which is the largest base in the northern region and one of three main air bases in Israel, and occupies a strategic location near the Israeli confrontation lines with Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank.
The party announced the bombing of the logistical warehouses of the 146th Division in the Naftali base with a barrage of missiles.
In the meantime, Israeli media reported that 100 rockets were launched from southern Lebanon towards Israel in the past hours, and confirmed that Kiryat Shmona was targeted with about 50 rockets, causing fires in various locations.
Israeli sources also announced that a house in the city of Tamra in northern Israel was hit, and nine people were transferred with minor injuries to Nahariya Hospital, and five others were transferred to HaEmek Hospital in Afula.
Moreover, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Poriya Hospital in Tiberias received 14 wounded people in the past 24 hours as a result of the rocket attacks from Lebanon.
