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22 killed in Israeli strikes on Beirut; Hezbollah senior leader evades killing

Wafiq Safa, whose role in the group merges security and political affairs, was the target of Israel's latest attack

Published: Fri 11 Oct 2024, 8:18 AM

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  • Reuters

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Photo used for illustrative purposes

Photo used for illustrative purposes

Israeli strikes killed 22 people and injured more than 100 in central Beirut on Thursday, Lebanese authorities said, as a senior Hezbollah official evaded an Israeli assassination attempt in the city, according to three security sources.

In the country's south, two United Nations peacekeepers were injured when an Israeli tank fired at a watchtower at the force's main headquarters in Ras al-Naqoura, prompting the UN to say its personnel were facing increasing danger.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted one year ago when the Iranian-backed group opened fire in support of the Palestinian group Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.

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It has intensified dramatically in recent weeks, with Israel bombing Beirut's southern suburbs, the south and the Bekaa Valley, and killing many of Hezbollah's top leaders.

Wafiq Safa, who heads Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, was targeted by Israel on Thursday night but survived, the security sources said.

The Israeli strikes hit a densely packed residential neighbourhood of apartment buildings and small shops in the heart of Beirut.

Israel did not issue evacuation warnings ahead of the strikes and had not previously attacked the area, which is removed from Beirut's southern suburbs where Hezbollah's headquarters have been repeatedly bombed by Israel.

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported 22 people killed and 117 wounded. Among the dead was a family of eight, including three children, who had evacuated from the south, according to a security source.

After Israel killed a series of high-ranking Hezbollah officials in recent weeks, including top leader Hassan Nasrallah, Safa was among the few surviving senior figures as the group's upper echelons struggled to reorganise.

The attempt to kill Safa, whose role merges security and political affairs, marked a widening of Israel's targets among Hezbollah officials, which previously focused on the group’s military commanders and top leaders.

Peacekeepers 'in jeopardy'

The United Nations' peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said two of its personnel were injured when an Israeli tank fired at a watchtower on Thursday at its main headquarters in Ras al-Naqoura, hitting the tower and causing the peacekeepers to fall.

The two peacekeepers were from Indonesia's contingent and were in good condition after being treated for light injuries, Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a statement.

The safety of more than 10,400 U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon is "increasingly in jeopardy" and operations have virtually halted since late September, U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the Security Council. That coincides with Israel's escalation of its conflict with Lebanon.

UNIFIL called attacks on peacekeepers "a grave violation of international humanitarian law."

The White House said the US was deeply concerned by reports that Israeli forces fired on UN positions and was pressing Israel for details.

Israel's military said in a statement its troops operated in the Naqoura area, "next to a UNIFIL base."

The Middle East remains on high alert for further escalation in the region, awaiting Israel's response to an Iranian missile strike on October 1.

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