Airstrike on Ras al-Nabaa Claims Life of Hezbollah Media Official

Airstrike on Ras al-Nabaa Claims Life of Hezbollah Media Official
Targeting central Beirut indicates a strategic shift in Israeli military operations, going beyond traditional areas in the south and suburbs
November 17, 2024, 7:33 pm

غارة إسرائيلية على لبنان \ تعبيرية \ متداولة

Israel launched an unprecedented attack on the Ras al-Nabaa area in central Beirut, targeting Hezbollah's media official Mohammad Afif, in the first penetration of airstrikes inside the capital since the escalation began.

Al Arabiya/Al Hadath sources highlighted that Afif was killed in the strike along with three others, including his assistant Mahmoud Al-Sharqawi. The sources revealed that a Syrian Baath Party office in the Lebanese capital was also targeted.

They noted the extensive damage caused by the strike in the area between Sodeco and Ras al-Nabaa. The Lebanese Public Health Emergency Operations Center announced in an initial toll that one person was killed and three others were injured in the strike.

Israeli strikes during the past hours extended to the Chiyah area adjacent to Christian Ain el-Remmaneh, resulting in the destruction of a 12-story residential tower, and also reached Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath.

The Israeli army had previously issued warnings to areas in Haret Hreik, citing their proximity to Hezbollah facilities, before targeting them with airstrikes.

Israel has assassinated prominent leaders in Hezbollah's hierarchy since intensifying its military operations in Beirut's southern suburbs last September, and has escalated its airstrikes on various areas in Lebanon, especially the capital's southern suburbs, southern regions, and the eastern Bekaa.

It initiated a limited ground operation in the south in early October, infiltrating some border villages, and launched the second phase of its ground operation in mid-November, penetrating deeper into the south.

The mutual escalation between Hezbollah and Israel since October 8, 2023, has resulted in 3,452 casualties, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, and the displacement of more than 1.2 million Lebanese.

Levant-Agencies

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