Israel pounds Beirut with heavy strikes as IDF expands Lebanon campaign

Israeli air strikes pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs from late Saturday into Sunday, sending thunderous booms echoing across the city and fiery flashes of red and white illuminating the sky for nearly 30 minutes, visible from several kilometers away, according to Reuters eyewitnesses.

The latest escalation follows days of intense bombing by Israel targeting Beirut suburbs known to be strongholds of Iran-backed Hezbollah, resulting in the killing of its leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and potentially his successor, Hashem Safieddine.

The Israeli military confirmed the elimination of Nasrallah in a strike on Hezbollah’s central command headquarters in Beirut on September 27. Lebanese security sources reported that Israeli strikes since Friday on Dahiyeh, a residential area and Hezbollah stronghold, have hindered rescue efforts at the site of Thursday night’s attack.

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Hezbollah has yet to comment on Safieddine’s status, but his potential loss would deal another significant blow to the group and its patron, Iran.

Israel’s strikes across the region have intensified in recent weeks, decimating Hezbollah’s leadership. Israel expanded its actions in Lebanon, launching its first strike in Tripoli and conducting raids in the south.

The conflict escalated as the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel approaches, which killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.

Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza has resulted in nearly 42,000 Palestinian casualties and displaced 2.3 million people, sparking international protests.

Iran, backing both Hezbollah and Hamas, launched ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, causing minimal damage. Israel is considering responding, prompting concerns about an attack on Iranian oil facilities and rising oil prices. US President Joe Biden urged Israel to explore alternatives to striking Iranian oil infrastructure.