Israel carries out rare strike on Beirut that it says killed Hezbollah commander

BEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah confirmed Wednesday that Israel killed a prime commander after a uncommon strike in Beirut.

The Iran-backed group mentioned earlier that Fouad Shukur was within the constructing in the course of the assault on Tuesday, and so they have been looking for him within the rubble to find out his destiny.

Hezbollah’s announcement got here after an in a single day strike in Tehran that killed Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, which Hamas and Iran blamed on Israel.

Israel mentioned late Tuesday that it had killed Shukur, who it mentioned was behind the weekend rocket assault within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 youths. America additionally blames Shukur for staging and planning a bombing of a Marine Corps barrack in Lebanon in 1983 that killed 241 American service members.

The Lebanese Well being Ministry mentioned at the least 5 civilians — two kids and three ladies — died within the strike in a busy neighborhood the place Hezbollah has political and safety operations.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged hearth since Oct. 8, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel and sparked the Israel-Hamas struggle in Gaza.

Although Hezbollah issued a uncommon denial of involvement in the rocket assault Saturday within the city of Majdal Shams, Israel holds the militant group accountable. “Hezbollah crossed a pink line,” Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant posted on the platform X shortly after Tuesday’s strike.

The 2 sides have exchanged near-daily strikes for the previous 10 months in opposition to the backdrop of the struggle in Gaza, however they’ve beforehand stored the battle at a low degree that was unlikely to escalate into full-on struggle.

Lebanon’s public well being ministry mentioned Tuesday’s strike in a southern suburb of Beirut wounded 74 individuals, a few of them severely. The wounded have been taken to close by hospitals. Bahman Hospital close to the positioning of the blast referred to as for blood donations.

Lebanon’s state-run Nationwide Information Company reported that the strike was carried out with a drone that launched three rockets.

“The Israeli enemy has dedicated a fantastic silly act in measurement, timing and circumstances by concentrating on a wholly civilian space,” Hezbollah official Ali Ammar advised Al-Manar TV. “The Israeli enemy can pay a value for this in the end.”

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the Israeli assault, saying it hit a couple of meters from one of many largest hospitals within the capital.

The workplace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t instantly launch an announcement, however minutes after the strike despatched a photograph of the prime minister along with his nationwide safety adviser and different officers.

The airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik — a crowded city neighborhood the place Hezbollah has political and safety operations however which can also be filled with small outlets and condominium buildings — broken a number of buildings.

The strike hit an condominium constructing close to to a hospital, collapsing half of the focused constructing and severely damaging one subsequent to it. The hospital sustained minor damages, whereas the encircling streets have been affected by particles and damaged glass.

Paramedics might be seen carrying a number of wounded individuals out of the broken buildings.

A resident of the suburb whose house is about 200 meters (yards) away mentioned that mud from the explosion “lined every thing,” and that the glass in his son’s condominium was damaged.

“Then individuals went down on the streets,” he mentioned. “Everybody has household. They went to examine on them. It was loads of destruction.” He spoke on situation of anonymity out of concern about his safety at a tense second.

Talal Hatoum, an area official with the Shiite Amal Motion, Hezbollah’s key political ally in Lebanon, mentioned Tuesday’s assault marked a shift within the guidelines of engagement within the battle as a result of it precipitated a major variety of civilian casualties.

The final time Israel focused Beirut was in January, when an airstrike killed a prime Hamas official, Saleh Arouri. That strike was the primary time Israel had hit Beirut because the 34-day struggle between Israel and Hezbollah in the summertime of 2006.

Israel had been anticipated to retaliate for the strike in Majdal Shams, however diplomats had mentioned in current days that they anticipated the response to remain inside the boundaries of the continuing low-level battle between Hezbollah and Israel with out frightening all-out struggle.

A lot of them had not anticipated that Israel would hit Beirut, which could elicit a strike by Hezbollah on a significant inhabitants middle in Israel.

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Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Hussein Malla, Fadi Tawil, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Joshua Boak in Washington contributed reporting.