Israel targets Hezbollah leader Nasrallah in new wave of airstrikes
Lebanese civil defense and firefighting teams arrive in the damaged area following the Israeli attacks as around 10 explosions are heard in the southern area of the capital Beirut, Lebanon, September 27, 2024. (AA Photo)
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly targeted in an attack on a southern suburb of Beirut. A statement from the Israeli army is expected.
Lebanon’s official news agency NNA reported that the Hureyk neighborhood in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut, was targeted by a series of airstrikes.
Shortly after the airstrikes, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that the attack aimed at Hezbollah’s main headquarters, which he claimed was constructed beneath civilian buildings.
According to the first statements from the region, 4 buildings were destroyed in the attacks. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped, Israeli army claims.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reports an initial toll of 2 people killed and 76 others injured due to the Israeli airstrike.
Nasrallah reportedly found wounded
Israeli public broadcaster KAN reports that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah may be inside the tunnel hit by Israeli jets in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, Hassan Nasrallah is safe, while Saudi media outlet Al Arabiya states that the assassination attempt on him failed.
Meanwhile, assessments in Israel suggest that Hezbollah chief Nasrallah is wounded in Israel’s airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburb, according to Israeli Channel 12.
It was also reported that Netanyahu abruptly left the cabinet of ministers during the bombing.
‘All claims are baseless,’ says Hezbollah
Hezbollah states that all claims regarding the Israeli attack on the southern suburb are “baseless,” according to Saudi media outlet Al Arabiya.
Emergency meeting in Iran
Following these developments, Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei calls for an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council to address Israel’s airstrikes in Beirut that target Hezbollah leader Nasrallah.
Netanyahu leaves New York early
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly ended his trip to New York on Friday evening after an unprecedented airstrike by Israeli forces on Lebanon’s capital.
According to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu changes his return from the United States, initially scheduled for Saturday evening, to tonight.
Meanwhile, his office shared a photo of Netanyahu in his U.N. headquarters office, using a landline to approve the strike on Beirut.
Israel has intensified its bombardment of Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of over 700 people and nearly 2,200 injuries, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The renewed hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel come amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has claimed more than 41,500 lives, primarily women and children, since Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7 of last year.
The international community has issued warnings regarding the strikes on Lebanon, expressing concerns that the escalation could spread the Gaza conflict throughout the region.
