Sep. 20, 2024
The death toll from the Israeli strike on a southern suburb of Beirut has risen to 12, with 66 others injured, nine of whom are in critical condition, the Lebanese health Ministry said on Friday.
“The death toll in the enemy strike on the southern suburbs has risen to twelve, with 66 injured. The search and rescue operation under the rubble continues,” the statement said.
Civilians were injured as a result of Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, including children and elderly people, an eyewitness told Sputnik.
“Ambulances have already arrived at the scene, taking away the injured, including children and elderly people. Some may have already died,” the eyewitness said.
The Israeli airstrike on Beirut was aimed at a senior commander of the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, according to a report by the Israeli army radio Galei Tzahal on Friday.
Israeli Channel 12, in turn, reported that the strike targeted a residential building where a meeting between representatives of the Lebanese movement and Palestinian officials was taking place.
Axios reported, citing an Israeli official that approximately 20 key figures of the upper leadership of Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces were killed in the strike on Beirut.
British media reported, citing two security sources that the head of Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah special Operations Command Ibrahim Aqil, who was the alleged target of the Israeli airstrike on Beirut, died as a result of the attack.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed it carried out a targeted attack on Beirut, reporting the elimination of Ibrahim Aqil and several other commanders in the strike.
“The IDF announces that today, September 20, 2024, based on accurate intelligence, Israeli air force fighter jets struck Beirut’s suburbs and eliminated Ibrahim Aqil, head of the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s task force and acting commander of the Radwan special unit,” the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF claimed that Hezbollah commanders were planning an invasion of northern Israel similar to the Hamas attack in October 2023.
The White House in the meantime stated that it was not notified in advance by Israel of its planned strikes.
“I am certainly not aware of any pre-notification of those strikes,” White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said at a press briefing.
Israel believes that it will be impossible to resolve the situation on the border with Lebanon diplomatically without a military escalation phase, the official said.
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