00:58The Israel Defence Force launched dozens of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Saturday, following Friday's airstrike on a Beirut suburb that killed dozens including Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil and other key figures.
Footage shows airstrikes hitting villages Al-Mahmudiyah, Al-Rihan, and Al-Khardali between Nabatieh and Marjayoun located in Nabatieh Governate, causing fires and sending plumes of smoke into the air.
Lebanon's official news agency said the districts hit include Jezzine, Nabatieh, Marjayoun, Zahrani, Tyre, and Western Bekaa.
The IDF announced that it struck around ‘180 targets’, destroying ‘thousands of launcher barrels’ used by Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Israeli officials also reported that at least 45 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Northern Israel following the IDF strikes on Saturday.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad announced on Saturday morning that Friday’s strike in Beirut had killed at least 31 people, with 68 injured and 27 missing. Al-Abaid said the dead included three children and seven women, with 3 of those killed citizens of Syria.
The Health Minister also provided an update on the recent attacks in which Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated, noting that 70 people had been killed with 770 of the almost 3000 people injured still receiving treatment.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced that Friday’s ‘targeted strike’ on Beirut had ‘eliminated’ Aqil and the ‘senior chain of command’ of the Lebanese group’s Radwan Force, which Israel accused of gathering ‘using civilians as human shields’.
“Aqil and the Radwan Force commanders we struck were the masterminds of and the force behind Hezbollah’s plan to execute an attack on Northern Israel with what they referred to as the 'Conquer the Galilee' plan,” he alleged.
Hagari said the plan was designed ‘to infiltrate Israel, seize control of the communities in the Galilee, and to kill and kidnap Israeli civilians, much like Hamas did on October 7th’.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported that he had commented that: “Our objectives are clear, and our actions speak for themselves."
Hezbollah later announced that it is mourning the death of military commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wehbe as well as 14 fighters killed in the Israeli attack.
This comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, following the party's accusations that Israel is responsible for the detonation of thousands of wireless devices on Tuesday and Wednesday across the country, which resulted in at least 37 deaths and left 2,931 injured.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to return residents of northern Israel to their homes. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah responded by confirming that the ‘support front’ will remain open as long as the war in Gaza persists.
The IDF and Hezbollah as well as other Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling since October 8, a day after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
IDF launches dozens of strikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon as cross-border fire intensifies after Beirut strike
The Israel Defence Force launched dozens of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Saturday, following Friday's airstrike on a Beirut suburb that killed dozens including Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil and other key figures.
Footage shows airstrikes hitting villages Al-Mahmudiyah, Al-Rihan, and Al-Khardali between Nabatieh and Marjayoun located in Nabatieh Governate, causing fires and sending plumes of smoke into the air.
Lebanon's official news agency said the districts hit include Jezzine, Nabatieh, Marjayoun, Zahrani, Tyre, and Western Bekaa.
The IDF announced that it struck around ‘180 targets’, destroying ‘thousands of launcher barrels’ used by Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Israeli officials also reported that at least 45 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Northern Israel following the IDF strikes on Saturday.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad announced on Saturday morning that Friday’s strike in Beirut had killed at least 31 people, with 68 injured and 27 missing. Al-Abaid said the dead included three children and seven women, with 3 of those killed citizens of Syria.
The Health Minister also provided an update on the recent attacks in which Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated, noting that 70 people had been killed with 770 of the almost 3000 people injured still receiving treatment.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced that Friday’s ‘targeted strike’ on Beirut had ‘eliminated’ Aqil and the ‘senior chain of command’ of the Lebanese group’s Radwan Force, which Israel accused of gathering ‘using civilians as human shields’.
“Aqil and the Radwan Force commanders we struck were the masterminds of and the force behind Hezbollah’s plan to execute an attack on Northern Israel with what they referred to as the 'Conquer the Galilee' plan,” he alleged.
Hagari said the plan was designed ‘to infiltrate Israel, seize control of the communities in the Galilee, and to kill and kidnap Israeli civilians, much like Hamas did on October 7th’.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported that he had commented that: “Our objectives are clear, and our actions speak for themselves."
Hezbollah later announced that it is mourning the death of military commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wehbe as well as 14 fighters killed in the Israeli attack.
This comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, following the party's accusations that Israel is responsible for the detonation of thousands of wireless devices on Tuesday and Wednesday across the country, which resulted in at least 37 deaths and left 2,931 injured.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to return residents of northern Israel to their homes. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah responded by confirming that the ‘support front’ will remain open as long as the war in Gaza persists.
The IDF and Hezbollah as well as other Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling since October 8, a day after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The Israel Defence Force launched dozens of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Saturday, following Friday's airstrike on a Beirut suburb that killed dozens including Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil and other key figures.
Footage shows airstrikes hitting villages Al-Mahmudiyah, Al-Rihan, and Al-Khardali between Nabatieh and Marjayoun located in Nabatieh Governate, causing fires and sending plumes of smoke into the air.
Lebanon's official news agency said the districts hit include Jezzine, Nabatieh, Marjayoun, Zahrani, Tyre, and Western Bekaa.
The IDF announced that it struck around ‘180 targets’, destroying ‘thousands of launcher barrels’ used by Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Israeli officials also reported that at least 45 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Northern Israel following the IDF strikes on Saturday.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad announced on Saturday morning that Friday’s strike in Beirut had killed at least 31 people, with 68 injured and 27 missing. Al-Abaid said the dead included three children and seven women, with 3 of those killed citizens of Syria.
The Health Minister also provided an update on the recent attacks in which Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated, noting that 70 people had been killed with 770 of the almost 3000 people injured still receiving treatment.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced that Friday’s ‘targeted strike’ on Beirut had ‘eliminated’ Aqil and the ‘senior chain of command’ of the Lebanese group’s Radwan Force, which Israel accused of gathering ‘using civilians as human shields’.
“Aqil and the Radwan Force commanders we struck were the masterminds of and the force behind Hezbollah’s plan to execute an attack on Northern Israel with what they referred to as the 'Conquer the Galilee' plan,” he alleged.
Hagari said the plan was designed ‘to infiltrate Israel, seize control of the communities in the Galilee, and to kill and kidnap Israeli civilians, much like Hamas did on October 7th’.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported that he had commented that: “Our objectives are clear, and our actions speak for themselves."
Hezbollah later announced that it is mourning the death of military commanders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wehbe as well as 14 fighters killed in the Israeli attack.
This comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, following the party's accusations that Israel is responsible for the detonation of thousands of wireless devices on Tuesday and Wednesday across the country, which resulted in at least 37 deaths and left 2,931 injured.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to return residents of northern Israel to their homes. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah responded by confirming that the ‘support front’ will remain open as long as the war in Gaza persists.
The IDF and Hezbollah as well as other Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling since October 8, a day after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.