Israel has targeted what it claimed to be the intelligence headquarters of Hizbullah in Beirut, and assessment of the resulting damage is ongoing, following a string of strikes against high-ranking officials within the group. This move was criticised as being ineffective by Iran’s supreme leader. In response to an earlier ballistic missile attack from Iran, which was mounted as a retaliation to Israeli military intervention in Lebanon, Israel has been considering various potential actions.
Oil prices have seen a surge amid the potential threat to Iran’s oil infrastructure, as part of Israel’s strategy to neutralise Hizbullah militants in Lebanon and their allies in Hamas in Gaza. The Beirut air raid was part of a larger operation that has displaced over 1.2 million Lebanese. It is alleged to have specifically targeted the potential successor to leader of the Iran-supported Hizbullah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israeli forces the previous week. There has been no clarity on the fate of Hashem Safieddine, with neither Israel nor Hizbullah providing any information.
On Saturday morning, a loud bang was heard and smoke was seen over southern suburbs of Beirut. This event was reported by Reuters reporters on the ground, just as three alerts were issued by the Israel military calling for immediate evacuation in specified areas. Warnings were issued for buildings located in the Burj al-Barajneh and Choueifat districts, with a third warning including buildings in Haret Hreik and Burj al-Barajneh.
In the early hours of Saturday, Hizbullah issued a statement saying that the Israeli army attempts to breach the southern Lebanese town of Odaisseh where confrontations were still taking place.
US President Joe Biden suggested alternatives to an attack on Iranian oilfields when asked how he could advise Israel to react. He also expressed doubt about whether Israel had decided on their response to Iran. In a press conference at the White House, Biden responded to a question whether Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was trying to sway the upcoming US election on November 5th. Biden expressed uncertainty over Netanyahu’s intentions but noted that he wasn’t relying on it. Furthermore, he highlighted that his administration had done more for Israel than any previous one.
According to the Lebanese government, the past year has seen over 2,000 casualties in the country, with the majority occurring over the last fortnight.
Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for the UN, has labelled the impact of the conflict on civilians as completely unacceptable. The Lebanese administration is blaming Israel for the deaths of civilians, as casualties include a vast number of women and children. However, they’ve not specified the proportions of civilian deaths vs. Hizbullah fighter deaths.
Israel denies targeting civilians and says it only aims at military operations, taking precautionary measures to lessen damage to civilians. It alleges Hizbullah and Hamas are using civilians as cover, a claim both groups refute.
The situation resulted in the death of an American in Lebanon, an incident the US state department is currently investigating. Kamel Ahmad Jawad from Dearborn, Michigan, died as a result of an Israeli air strike on Tuesday, as reported by his daughter, a family friend and the US congresswoman from his region. Matthew Miller from the State Department expressed grave concern on the situation and advised Israel to make all efforts to minimise civilian casualties.
The increasing Palestinian-Israeli crisis originated from a Hama’s attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and around 250 hostages according to Israeli stats. Israel’s counter attack on Gaza led to the death of more than 41,000 Palestinians as per Gaza’s health ministry data. It also resulted in almost entire Gaza’s population displacement, food shortage, and accusations of genocide, denied by Israel.
Israeli military reported around 70 missiles were fired from Lebanon to Israel recently. In response to the Iranian missile attacks, Israel has sent ground troop this week to Lebanon, mentioning the operation will be localised near the border regions. The approximate duration of this operation and how far into Lebanon these forces will go is not clarified by Israel.
Israel asserts this operation’s objective is to secure its citizens’ return after being forced to evacuate due to Hizbullah’s ongoing assaults. Iran’s missile attack was a partial counter for Israel’s execution of Hizbullah secretary general Nasrallah, a prominent figure who transformed the group into a powerful military and political entity in the Middle East.
During a rare appearance leading Friday’s prayers, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, addressed a large gathering in Tehran. He reinforced to his regional allies and enemies of Israel that they would remain uncompromising and firmly resist the hostile foe. He urged them to redouble their abilities and efforts. Speaking of Iran’s confrontation with Israel, he stated that Iran wouldn’t act without careful consideration or rush into action.
Khamenei also made references to Nasrallah and asserted that Iran’s offensive against Israel was lawfully and morally justified. He argued that any group’s action against Israel equates to a regional service and a humanitarian benefit. Adding that Afghanistan should join the defence, he stated that assassinations would only incite further attacks.
Quoting from a semi-official news outlet, a Revolutionary Guards deputy commander, Ali Fadavi, warned that Israeli energy and gas facilities would be targeted if Israel decided to strike. An Axios reporter, Barak Ravid cited that Safieddine, who is speculated as Nasrallah’s successor, was targeted in a covert operation overnight in an underground bunker in Beirut, however, his subsequent fate remains unclear.
Providing updates on Israeli military action, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani confirmed airstrikes on Hizbullah’s intelligence infrastructure, however, assessments were still underway. Despite this, Israeli forces declined to comment on Safieddine’s situation, but confirmed the death of Mohammad Rashid Sakafi, the chief of Hizbullah’s communications networks. Hizbullah, however, remained silent on Sakafi’s fate.
In Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hizbullah, many structures have been reduced to debris with most marketplaces bearing the brunt of destruction. The Islamic Health Authority, a civil defence agency linked to Hizbullah, confirmed the deaths of 11 medics in three separate Israeli attacks around southern Lebanon on Friday. Israeli forces also claimed to have struck several weaponry storage compounds, command and control centres, and Hizbullah facilities within the Beirut vicinity in the past 24 hours.
During his visit to Beirut, where he met with high-ranking Lebanese authorities, Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s foreign affairs minister, expressed Tehran’s support for a truce in Lebanon. However, he stipulated that this was conditional upon the endorsement from Hizbullah and should coincide with a similar ceasefire in Gaza, according to Reuters.