Israel launches heavy attacks on Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut | Hezbollah

The Israeli military launched a series of attacks on southern Beirut on Thursday evening. It was one of the heaviest bombardments of the city since the campaign began last week, as Hezbollah continued to attack northern Israel.

The raids came as Israel also cut off a key road near Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing with Syria, which has been used by hundreds of thousands of people to escape Israeli bombardment in recent days.

A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that Israel had carried out 11 consecutive attacks on the group’s stronghold in the Lebanese capital.

Hashem Safieddine, the most likely candidate to succeed Hassan Nasrallah as Hezbollah’s leader and chairman of its executive council, was the target of the attacks, the New York Times and Axios reported, citing Israeli officials. The outcome of the attacks, which allegedly targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah officials, is unclear.

The footage showed huge balls of flame rising from the target site, thick smoke rising and flares shooting out. Reporters in the capital and beyond heard loud bangs that set off car alarms and caused buildings to shake.

The attack on the road near the Masnaa border crossing came a day after Israel accused Hezbollah of using border crossings with Syria to smuggle in weapons and amid evidence that Israel is targeting key roads, both international and international internal routes, as was the case during the 2006 war.

Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said on

Lebanese Transport Minister Ali Hamieh said the Israeli attack hit Lebanese territory near the border crossing, causing a 4-meter (12-foot) wide crater.

According to the Lebanese government, more than 300,000 people – the vast majority of them Syrians – have traveled from Lebanon to Syria in the last ten days to escape the escalating Israeli bombardment. Earlier this week, Israel bombed and closed a road near Nabatea.

The Israeli military has ordered people in 20 more cities in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately as the Israeli military continues its incursions.

Safieddine heads Hezbollah’s highest policy-making body, the Executive Council, and was considered number two in the organization’s political wing before the death of Nasrallah, who was killed by Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh last week.

He is reportedly set to succeed Nasrallah, but his successor has not been officially announced. Previously, the group’s political leaders such as Nasrallah, Safieddine and other officials from its political wing were not considered targets of Israel during the war.

On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike hit a building in southern Beirut that housed Hezbollah’s media office. Earlier in the evening, a source close to Hezbollah told AFP that another Israeli attack was aimed at a warehouse next to Beirut airport, south of the capital.

Israel said this week that its troops had begun “ground attacks” on parts of southern Lebanon after days of heavy bombardment of Hezbollah strongholds across the country.

The bombing of Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon came as Israel considered retaliation for Iran’s rocket attack on Israel on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Joe Biden said he still believes an all-out war in the Middle East can be avoided, but added: “There is still a lot of work to be done.”

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will lead Friday prayers and deliver a public sermon that could shed light on the Islamic Republic’s plans after this week’s massive rocket attack on Israel.

Khamenei’s rare Friday sermon – a first in nearly five years – comes three days before the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7. Khamenei last led Friday prayers in January 2020, after Iran fired missiles at a U.S. Army base in Iraq in response to an attack that killed Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Suleimani.

The prayer follows a “remembrance ceremony” for Nasrallah. Iran said its attack on Israel was in “self-defense” and warned of further “devastating attacks” if it retaliates.

Iran also warned the US not to intervene, threatening “a harsh response” if it did. Washington said Iran must face “consequences” for its ballistic missile launches, which may be coordinated with Israeli officials.

Biden said Thursday he was discussing possible Israeli attacks on Iranian oil sites.

Hours after recent Israeli attacks, which included a site near Beirut International Airport, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi landed safely in the city to meet with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih meet Berri, who is a close ally of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report