Ahmed Al-Kherdi/Reuters
People gather near the affected area of what security sources said was a strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on July 30, 2024.
Beirut
CNN
—
Israel says it is Began a strike in BeirutLebanon targets Hezbollah commander blamed for deadly attack in Israeli occupation Golan Heights.
At least one person died and several others were injured in the strike, according to the Lebanese state news agency NNA. Some of the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals with serious injuries.
“Hezbollah has crossed a red line,” Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a social media post minutes after the Israeli military claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.
Israel’s Minister of National Defense Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a separate post on his official X account that “every dog has its day.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had “targeted a commander in Beirut responsible for the killing of children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous additional Israeli civilians.”
Details of how the strike was conducted were not disclosed.
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The NNA said the attack was carried out by a drone that fired three missiles.
The IDF statement came shortly after Hezbollah-run Al Manar TV reported that a large explosion was heard in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.
The area is a populous part of Beirut and a stronghold of pro-Iranian militias.
Video from Reuters showed the aftermath of the strike in south Beirut. Emergency responders and bystanders could be seen walking through streets covered in rubble, bricks and other debris. Several vehicles parked on a street were apparently damaged after falling from surrounding buildings.
In a video obtained by CNN, a large plume of smoke can be seen from the area where the strike took place.
Israel vowed earlier this week that Hezbollah would “pay the price” for a rocket attack on a soccer field in the town of Majdal Shams, near the Syrian and Lebanese borders, that killed 12 children and injured 44 others.
Saturday’s attack fueled fears that an all-out war could engulf the region.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Israel briefed the US before carrying out the strike. The source said the heads-up was conveyed through security channels, but did not say when it was given.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
