The Israeli military launched airstrikes in downtown Beirut, Lebanon.
According to reports from multiple media outlets, the airstrikes hit an apartment in the residential area of Al-Kolla in southwestern Beirut on Monday. This marked the first time Israel had targeted central Beirut since its conflict with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began on October 7 last year.
The Israeli military has not provided details about the specific targets of this attack on a civilian area.
A Lebanese security source told AFP that an Israeli drone strike hit an apartment owned by two members of the Islamic militant group Jamaa Islamiya, resulting in their deaths. The explosion from the airstrike was powerful enough to shake nearby residential areas.
TASS reported eyewitness accounts stating that Israeli drones conducted surveillance over southwestern Lebanon before the strike.
Israel has been intensifying its military operations against Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon. Recently, these strikes have focused on eliminating key figures in Hezbollah’s leadership. For example, an Israeli airstrike on September 17 reportedly killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has also been targeting areas where they believe Hezbollah is hiding missiles within civilian homes.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that Israeli airstrikes have killed over 100 people in the eastern and southern parts of Lebanon, as well as around Beirut. AFP noted that this death toll represents the highest daily count since the Lebanese Civil War ended in 1990.
With the Israeli military expanding its airstrike zones beyond southern Lebanon, the total number of fatalities has risen into the hundreds.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shifted focus to Hezbollah after concluding the war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli military is ramping up its counterattacks against Hezbollah, which has been attacking southern Israel under the pretext of supporting Hamas since the Gaza conflict began.
Israel has vowed to continue its attacks until the 60,000 displaced residents in southern Israel can safely return to their homes.
However, security experts speculate that the Netanyahu government may attempt to reshape the Middle East’s security order and balance of power in its favor beyond merely eliminating the Hezbollah threat.
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