The Israeli military launched new strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon this afternoon, minutes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the UN in a confirmation that military operations against the Lebanese armed movement would continue.
The Israeli Armed Forces is “hitting targets of the Hezbollah terrorist group in southern Lebanon” as it announced.
Benyamin Netanyahu’s office released a photo it says shows the Israeli Prime Minister approving an airstrike on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut earlier today.
The photo appears to show Netanyahu at his hotel in New York, along with his military secretary and chief of staff. The target of the strike was reportedly Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, according to Israeli media, but there have been no official statements confirming this.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shortly after stated that it is assessing whether Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, was in the organization’s headquarters building during the attack in Beirut.
Israeli military radio reported that authorities were trying to confirm Nasrallah’s presence at the site at the time of the attack, a development that could have serious security implications for the region.
Sky News international affairs correspondent John Sparks described the event as “particularly significant” as the safety of the Hezbollah leader is always a priority and is taken very seriously.
Sparks explained that “Hassan Nasrallah has not appeared in public for years. When he broadcasts speeches, they are taped in secret locations and then shown in closed spaces, such as schools and public buildings, in the presence of his supporters. The Lebanese and international media broadcast these speeches. This is the usual procedure to avoid risks.”
This caution is because Nasrallah is aware of the danger, having succeeded the previous Hezbollah leader, who was assassinated. “Israel is well aware that Nasrallah is a high-value target,” the correspondent noted, adding that the attack on Hezbollah’s headquarters is an important escalation step.
Sources close to Hezbollah say its leader is doing well
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “is fine,” later said a source close to the group, quoted by Agence France-Presse. Iran’s Tasnim agency also reported the same. However, a senior Iranian security official told Reuters that Tehran is investigating Nasrallah’s fate.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati accused Israel of a “genocidal war” and commented, from New York where he is in New York for the UN General Assembly, that today’s attacks in Beirut’s southern suburbs show that Israel is “not interested” in ceasefire efforts in the region.
