Israeli airstrike on Beirut targets Hezbollah’s intelligence chief

Israeli Air Force jets have struck the central part of Beirut, Lebanon, reportedly targeting Talal Hamieh, the head of Hezbollah's External Security Organization.

The attack, sought to eliminate one of the organization's key figures, though it remains unclear whether Hamieh was killed in the airstrike or survived, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The airstrike targeted an eight-story building in the Basta al-Fawqa neighborhood, which was completely destroyed. Five neighboring buildings also sustained significant damage in the bombing.

According to the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre of Lebanon, the death toll has reached four, with the number of wounded rising from 23 to 33.

It came after a long day of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, which have been non-stop since last week.

The cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group escalated into a full-blown war in mid-September.

Israel has bombed southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs and the eastern Beqaa region, and has sent ground troops across the border. Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets deeper into Israel.

The escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began after incidents on September 17 and 18, during which numerous individuals, including Hezbollah personnel, were injured by explosions attributed to pagers and other communication devices, leading Lebanon to blame Tel Aviv. Since then, Israel has intensified efforts to target Hezbollah leadership and conduct strikes on Lebanese territory.

The broader regional conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a significant rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip, prompting immediate retaliatory strikes by Israel.

By Vafa Guliyeva