Beirut: Israel’s military said Thursday it had hit Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut, as troops battled militants near the border and warplanes bombarded their strongholds around the country.
US news site Axios cited three unidentified Israeli officials naming the target of the attack as Hashem Safieddine, a potential successor as Hezbollah chief to Hasan nasrallah who was killed a week ago. The Israeli military did not confirm the report when questioned by AFP.
Hashem Safieddine, designated as a terrorist by the United States in 2017, holds a significant role in Hezbollah’s political affairs and is a member of the group’s Jihad Council, which manages its military operations.
A cousin of Nasrallah, Safieddine, was generally considered the ‘number two’ in Hezbollah and also has close ties with the Iranian regime.
Israel announced this week that its troops had started ‘ground raids” in parts of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after days of heavy bombardment of areas across the country where the group holds sway.
The bombing has killed more than 1,000 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a country already mired in economic and political crisis.
On the Gaza front, the Israeli military said a strike three months ago killed three senior Hamas leaders, including Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the militant movement’s government in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
A source close to Hezbollah told AFP Israel had conducted 11 consecutive strikes on the Hezbollah’s south Beirut stronghold late Thursday.
Sources had earlier said another Israeli strike had targeted a warehouse next to Beirut airport.Israel told Lebanese people to ‘immediately’ evacute more than 20 villages and the city of Nabatiyeh.
Israel bombarded south Beirut at least 10 times late Thursday, Lebanese sources said, after it launched its deadliest strike on the occupied West Bank in decades.
The escalating assaults by Israel come as it weighs retaliation for Iran’s barrage of missiles fired at the country, with the United States saying Israel hitting Iranian oil facilities is on the table.
Iran said the attack was its response to the killing of Hasan Nasrallah chief of its ally Hezbollah, and other top figures.
There was no let-up to Israeli strikes on Beirut, with AFP correspondents in the capital and beyond hearing loud bangs that made buildings shake.
Earlier today, Biden told reporters at the White House that he was not expecting Israel to launch any retaliatory strikes for Tehran’s missile barrage on Israel before Thursday at least.
When asked by a reporter if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities, Biden said, “We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little… anyway.”
This comes after Biden said on Wednesday that he would not back Israel attaking Iranian nuclear sites.
Oil prices jumped five percent over concerns about the Middle East after Biden spoke.
Rise in oil prices could become damaging for Biden’s Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat battles Republican and former president Donald Trump in a November 5 election where the cost of living is a major issue.
Biden said he did not expect any immediate action from Israel—even if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently paid little heed to calls for restraint as he targets the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
“First of all, we don’t ‘allow’ Israel, we advise Israel. And there is nothing going to happen today,” Biden told reporters when asked if he would allow Israel to retaliate against Iran.
