Israel bombs residential site in effort to kill Hezbollah leader
THE Israeli military bombed residential buildings south of Beirut, Lebanon on Friday (Sep 27) that it said stood over the central headquarters of Hezbollah, barely an hour after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a combative address to the United Nations in which he vowed to defeat the group and other Iranian-backed militias.
A huge blast shook the Dahiya, an area south of Beirut where Hezbollah holds sway, and thick black smoke began rising above the skyline, in what appeared to have been the most intense bombing in the area since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began in October.
The strike targeted Hassan Nasrallah, the cleric who since 1992 has led Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese armed group and political party, according to Israeli and US officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence. It was not immediately clear whether Nasrallah had been killed.
Lebanon’s health minister, Firass Abiad, said the bombing had caused the “complete decimation” of four to six residential buildings. At least six people were killed and more than 90 others wounded, the Health Ministry said. Abiad warned that the toll was likely to rise.
Soon afterward, the Israeli military said that it was beginning a new series of airstrikes south of Beirut targeting what it said were Hezbollah weapons caches hidden under residential buildings.
The bombing on Friday came just after Netanyahu concluded a defiant address to the UN General Assembly in which he made no mention of efforts by the United States and other countries to broker ceasefires in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli offensive against Hamas is nearing the one-year mark, or in Lebanon, where Israel has been waging a stepped-up bombing campaign against Hezbollah this week.
Netanyahu said Israel was defending itself from Hamas, Hezbollah and other militias supported by Iran, including the Houthis in Yemen, who fired a missile at Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday that was shot down by Israel’s air defenses.
“Those of you who stand with these war criminals, those of you stand with evil against good, with a curse against the blessing, those of you do so, should be ashamed of yourselves,” Netanyahu said, addressing world leaders. “And I have a message for you: Israel will win this battle. We will win this battle because we don’t have a choice.” NYT
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
