Recently, the Israeli Air Force once again launched attacks on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, nearly a week after the previous strike. The Israeli Defense Forces stated that on Wednesday (October 16th), Israeli fighter jets carried out an airstrike on an underground Hezbollah weapon depot in the southern outskirts of Beirut.
According to Israel, the jets targeted the Hezbollah underground arsenal in Dahiyeh with the guidance of intelligence personnel. Hezbollah holds significant influence in the suburbs of Beirut, which also serve as residential and commercial areas. Israel accuses Hezbollah of deliberately concealing their bases within civilian areas.
Approximately one hour before the attack, the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings through X, stating that their target was a building in the Haret Hreik community. An eyewitness, a photographer from the Associated Press, reported that Israel launched three airstrikes in total. Casualty numbers remained unclear.
About five hours before the airstrike on Dahiyeh, Hezbollah fired around 50 rockets towards the northern Israeli city of Safed. Hezbollah claimed they conducted a “large-scale missile barrage” targeting Safed.
Local authorities reported that one rocket hit a household yard, causing minor damage. Two individuals sustained minor injuries while running towards a bomb shelter and have been hospitalized for treatment.
Just hours before the airstrikes, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati had announced that the United States had assured him that Israel would reduce its attacks on Beirut. However, Israeli officials denied making such a promise.
Despite ongoing efforts by the United States and other Western nations to push for a ceasefire, these events demonstrate that Israel and Hezbollah continue to engage in intense clashes amidst heightened tensions.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health stated that prior to the airstrikes in Beirut, the southern and eastern parts of Lebanon were also targeted, resulting in approximately 15 fatalities.
According to UN estimates, Israel has notified residents of a quarter of Lebanon’s land area to evacuate, affecting up to 1.2 million people.
In October of last year, Hamas launched deadly cross-border attacks on Israel, triggering the current Gaza conflict. Since then, Hezbollah has been firing rockets and missiles towards Israel almost daily in support of Hamas. In recent weeks, the initial small-scale confrontations have escalated significantly.
Both Hamas and Hezbollah are recognized as terrorist organizations by the United States, with Iran being their main supporter.
Earlier this month, Iran also launched about 180 ballistic missiles towards Israel. Currently, Israel is deliberating on how to respond to Iran’s attacks.
On Tuesday (15th), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stated that if Israel were to attack the Islamic Republic in retaliation against Iran, Iran was prepared to offer a “decisive and regretful response.”