Israeli airstrikes in Beirut kill 9

New Delhi, Sep 20: A targeted strike by the Israeli military on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, has resulted in the deaths of nine people and left dozens injured, according to reports from Lebanon’s health ministry.

The airstrike, which hit the southern suburb of Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold, was allegedly aimed at the group’s operations commander Ibrahim Aqil, also known as Tahsin. Aqil, a key leader in Hezbollah, was reportedly killed in the attack as reported by Reuters and AFP.

According to the BBC, Ibrahim Aqil was a prominent figure in Hezbollah’s leadership and has a long history of involvement in the group’s military operations. In 1983, he was part of the team that orchestrated the bombings of the US Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 63 and 307 people. In 2019, the US designated Aqil as a terrorist, with the Justice Department stating that he served on Hezbollah’s highest military body, the Jihad Council. Last year, the US State Department offered a $7 million reward for information leading to his identification, location, arrest, or conviction.

The Israeli military has confirmed the strike, stating that it was in response to over 100 rockets fired by Hezbollah into Israel earlier in the day. This is the third Israeli strike on Beirut this year, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing cross-border hostilities.

The situation has further deteriorated following a series of explosions earlier in the week that targeted Hezbollah members, resulting in 37 deaths and injuring over 3,000 others. Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for these explosions, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that the country is entering a “new phase of the war,” with a heightened focus on northern operations.

In response to the airstrikes, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah yesterday condemned Israel’s actions, calling them a declaration of war and describing the attacks as “massacres” and “war crimes” against Lebanon.

He claimed that despite the intensity of the strikes, Hezbollah’s command and communication capabilities remained intact. Nasrallah warned that Hezbollah would retaliate for these attacks, which he said had “crossed all red lines.”

The escalating violence follows a Hamas-led attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023. Since then, fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces has intensified, resulting in hundreds of deaths, and displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border.

As tensions rise, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have issued warnings to residents in northern Israel near the Lebanese border, advising them to avoid large gatherings, stay close to bomb shelters, and remain vigilant in their neighbourhoods.

Meanwhile, Nasrallah has hinted that a full-scale ground invasion by Israel is possible, a scenario that Lebanon has not experienced at this scale for years. While Hezbollah claims it would be prepared to face such an invasion, many fear that a prolonged and destructive conflict could lead to devastating consequences for the region.

The possibility of a ground war has loomed over Lebanon for the past 11 months, with each surge in violence bringing the country closer to the brink. As both sides brace for further escalation, a full-scale conflict looms large, leaving Lebanon and the wider region on edge.