Israel targets Hezbollah command centers in Beirut in heaviest strikes in over a week

New Delhi, Oct 20: Beirut faced its most intense airstrikes in over a week as Israel targeted Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the Lebanese capital. After three days of relative quiet, Israel’s military confirmed that its air force had struck a Hezbollah intelligence headquarters and an underground weapons facility early Sunday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) emphasised measures taken to limit civilian casualties, such as issuing warnings to residents before the strikes.

Among those killed in the attacks were senior Hezbollah commanders Al-Haj Abbas Salama, Rada Abbas Awada, and Ahmad Ali Hussein. According to Israeli military reports, Salama was a key figure in Hezbollah’s southern front, while Awada managed communications, and Hussein was responsible for weapons manufacturing.

The airstrikes were not limited to Beirut. In Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, five people, including a local mayor, were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes. The IDF also claims to have destroyed tunnels used by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces, intensifying the conflict across multiple fronts.

The latest escalation follows a series of Hezbollah attacks, including the launch of a drone toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, though Netanyahu was not present at the time.

Israel has vowed a strong response, with the prime minister calling the attempted attack a “grave mistake” and promising that Iran and its proxies would “pay a heavy price.” Iran, meanwhile, has confirmed Hezbollah’s involvement in the drone attack.

As violence spills across borders, Israel reported that approximately 180 projectiles were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel on Saturday. One Israeli civilian was killed by shrapnel.

In parallel, Gaza also continues to suffer from intense bombardment. Israeli strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp have claimed the lives of at least 33 people, according to local authorities.

Further strikes on the city of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza reportedly killed 73, with dozens more injured or trapped under rubble.

As Israel intensifies its offensive, it reports having targeted about 175 sites in Gaza and Lebanon in the past 24 hours, signalling no immediate end to the escalating conflict.