Israel strikes Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon : NPR

Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, seen from Baabda, Friday.

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BEIRUT — The Israeli army mentioned Friday it struck the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, the place a sequence of huge explosions leveled a number of buildings and despatched clouds of orange and black smoke billowing within the skies within the greatest blasts to hit the Lebanese capital prior to now yr. Not less than two individuals have been killed and dozens have been wounded, Lebanon’s well being ministry mentioned.

Three main Israeli TV channels mentioned Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was the goal of the strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The unsourced stories couldn’t instantly be confirmed by The Related Press, and the military declined remark. However given the dimensions and timing of the blasts, there have been robust indications {that a} senior chief might have been contained in the buildings struck.

In a potential additional signal of the strikes’ significance, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly lower brief a go to to the US and was returning house as an alternative of ready till the top of Sabbath on Saturday night, his workplace mentioned. Hours earlier, Netanyahu addressed the U.N., vowing that Israel’s marketing campaign towards Hezbollah would proceed — additional dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire.

Information of the blasts got here as Netanyahu was briefing reporters touring with him. A army aide whispered into his ear, and Netanyahu shortly ended the briefing.

To a level unseen in previous conflicts, Israel this previous week has aimed to get rid of Hezbollah’s senior management. Protection Minister Yoav Gallant’s workplace mentioned he was huddled with the top of Israel’s air power and different prime commanders at army headquarters, following updates.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari mentioned the strikes focused the principle Hezbollah headquarters, situated beneath residential buildings. Six buildings within the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Dahiyeh have been diminished to rubble, in response to Lebanon’s nationwide information company. The blast rattled home windows and shook homes some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Beirut. Ambulances have been seen headed to the scene, sirens wailing.

Officers at a close-by hospital mentioned they obtained no less than 10 wounded, three critically, together with a Syrian youngster.

The Pentagon mentioned Friday the U.S. had no advance warning of the heavy strikes in Beirut.

Israel dramatically intensified its airstrikes in Lebanon this week, saying it’s decided to place an finish to greater than 11 months of Hezbollah fireplace into its territory. The scope of Israel’s operation stays unclear, however officers have mentioned a floor invasion to push the militant group away from the border is a chance. Israel has moved hundreds of troops towards the border in preparation.

Not less than 25 individuals have been killed in Israeli strikes early Friday, Well being Minister Firass Abiad mentioned, bringing the demise toll in Lebanon this week to greater than 720. He mentioned the useless included dozens of girls and kids.

A predawn strike Friday within the primarily Sunni border city of Chebaa hit a house, killing 9 members of the identical household, the state information company mentioned. A resident recognized the useless as Hussein Zahra, his spouse Ratiba, their 5 kids and two of their grandchildren.

On the U.N., Netanyahu vowed to “proceed degrading Hezbollah” till Israel achieves its objectives.

Netanyahu’s feedback have damped hopes for a U.S.-backed name for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah to permit time for a diplomatic answer. Hezbollah has not responded to the proposal.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed power in Lebanon, started firing rockets into Israel nearly instantly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, saying it was a present of help for the Palestinians. Since then, it and the Israeli army have traded fireplace nearly each day, forcing tens of hundreds of individuals to flee their houses on either side of the border.

An Israeli safety official mentioned he expects a potential conflict towards Hezbollah wouldn’t final for so long as the present conflict in Gaza, as a result of the Israeli army’s objectives are a lot narrower.

In Gaza, Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas’ army and political regime, however the aim in Lebanon is simply to push Hezbollah away from the border with Israel — “not a excessive bar like Gaza” when it comes to operational goals, mentioned the official, who spoke on the situation of anonymity on account of army briefing tips.

The Israeli army mentioned it carried out dozens of strikes over the course of two hours across the south on Friday, together with within the cities of Sidon and Nabatiyeh. It mentioned it was concentrating on Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure. It mentioned Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets towards the northern Israeli metropolis of Tiberias.

Within the southern Lebanese metropolis of Tyre, civil protection staff pulled the our bodies of two girls – 35-year-old Hiba Ataya and her mom Sabah Olyan – from the rubble of a constructing introduced down by a strike. “That is Sabah, these are her garments, my love,” one man cried out as her physique emerged.

Israel says its accelerated strikes this week have already inflicted heavy harm on Hezbollah’s weapons capabilities – and a string of its prime commanders have been assassinated in strikes. Officers have recommended its restricted fireplace of missile and rockets the previous week present it has been set again.

However the group boasted a big arsenal of rockets and missiles and its remaining capacities stay unknown.

Hezbollah officers and their supporters stay defiant. Not lengthy earlier than the explosions Friday night, hundreds have been massed in one other a part of Beirut’s suburbs for the funeral of three Hezbollah members killed in earlier strikes, together with the top of the group’s drone unit, Mohammed Surour.

Women and men within the large crowd waved their fists within the air and chanted, “We are going to by no means settle for humiliation” as they marched marched behind the three coffins, wrapped within the group’s yellow flag.

Hussein Fadlallah, Hezbollah’s prime official in Beirut, mentioned in a speech that regardless of what number of commanders Israel kills, the group has countless numbers of skilled fighters who’re deployed all around the entrance strains. Fadlallah vowed that Hezbollah will hold preventing till Israel stops its offensive in Gaza.

“We won’t abandon the help of Palestine, Jerusalem and oppressed Gaza,” Fadlallah mentioned. “There is no such thing as a place for neutrality on this battle.”