A Palestinian militant group said three of its leaders were killed in an Israeli attack on central Beirut early Monday. It is the first attack by Israeli forces in the heart of Lebanon's capital since 2006, and extends hostilities against Iran's regional allies. Further attacks took place across Lebanon and Yemen.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an extremist group taking part in the fight against Israel, said three of its leaders were killed in the Beirut attack, and initial footage from the scene showed a two-story apartment building completely blown away. announced that it had been done. and onlookers running toward the building.
Two bodies were found lying on the road atop a car outside the building, believed to have been ejected by the force of the explosion. Explosions were heard throughout the city.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
A source cited by Agence France-Presse said the Beirut airstrike was carried out using drones and struck near the Kola intersection, a popular reference point in the city where taxis and buses gather to pick up passengers.
Israel had limited its attacks on the Lebanese capital to the southern suburbs. The airstrikes raised questions about which areas of Beirut are still safe from Israel's growing airstrikes. Israeli drones flew over Beirut for much of Sunday, and the loud explosions of new airstrikes echoed throughout the city.
Monday's airstrikes came after Lebanon's Health Ministry said Sunday's airstrikes across Israel killed 105 people and wounded another 359. It said more than 1,000 Lebanese had been killed and 6,000 injured in the past two weeks, but it did not say how many were civilians. The government announced that one million people, one-fifth of the population, had been forced to flee their homes.
On Sunday, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, raising fears that the country is sliding toward a devastating regional conflict on multiple fronts.
Dozens of Israeli military planes were involved in the attack on Yemen's Hodeidah port, which appears to have targeted fuel facilities, power plants and piers at Ras Issa and Hodeidah ports. It is one of the largest operations of its kind the region has seen so far during the nearly year-long crisis.
Houthi media reported that four people were killed and 33 injured in the airstrike. Residents said the airstrikes caused power outages in most areas of Hodeidah.
Israeli military officials said the raid targeted the Houthis, who have been firing on Israeli targets for months in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis are also targeting international shipping in the Red Sea. On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel's main international airport upon his arrival.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that Nabil Kaouk, vice-chairman of the Central Council, had been killed, making him the seventh Hezbollah official to be killed in an Israeli attack in more than a week. The group also acknowledged that another senior commander, Ali Qaraki, was killed in Friday's airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Three days of mourning were announced starting Monday following Nasrallah's murder.
Hezbollah has denied claims that Abu Ali Rida, commander of the group's Bader unit in south Lebanon, was killed. Rida is the last surviving senior Hezbollah military commander.
Israel has vowed to continue its offensive and says it wants to make the northern region safe again for residents forced to flee Hezbollah rocket attacks.
When asked if a full-scale war in the Middle East could be avoided, US President Joe Biden said: “We have to.” He said he would talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Reuters
