Israel intensifies airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut

Israeli forces launched a series of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, Lebanon, including a strategic location near the international airport, as part of their ongoing military campaign against the group.

The targeted airstrikes, reported by US outlets citing Israeli officials, aimed to neutralize Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah and potential successor, following Nasrallah’s death in an Israeli strike last week.

Lebanon’s Public Health Ministry reported a significant escalation in casualties, with 37 people killed and 151 wounded in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the Lebanese army confirmed the deaths of two soldiers in the country’s south.

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The Israeli military has not publicly commented on specific targets but reported successful operations against Hezbollah fighters near the border. In contrast, Hezbollah claimed to have repelled Israeli commandos and targeted enemy gatherings and homes on both sides of the frontier.

Israel’s military operations aim to ensure the safe return of residents displaced by Hezbollah rocket, missile, and drone attacks. Israel demands Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the Litani River, in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war.

Hezbollah wields significant power in Lebanon. The group has continued to fire rockets deep into northern Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters, weapons production sites, and storage facilities.