Israel's latest attack on Beirut cuts off crossing between Lebanon, Syria
Israel's latest attack on Lebanon's capital city of Beirut has cut off a key crossing with Syria, as tens of thousands of people look to escape the growing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the overnight strike early Friday was the military’s effort “to prevent weapons from being smuggled into Lebanese territories, IAF fighter jets, directed by the IDF Intelligence Directorate, struck an underground tunnel crossing from the Lebanese border into Syria.”
The IDF noted that the targeted tunnel allowed the Lebanese militant group to transfer and store “large quantities of weapons underground." Israel has also claimed to have killed 100 Hezbollah fighters in the last 24 hours, The Associated Press reported.
The attack alongside the Lebanon-Syria border forced the closure of a road near the Masnaa Border Crossing, according to the AP.
The Israeli military also said Friday that they killed the commander of the 4400 Unit, Mohammed Jaafar Katzir.
The attack, which was condemned by Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, comes as Israel began limited ground incursions into Lebanon on earlier this week. The operation came after heavy airstrikes in the region.
Those strikes, which have killed more than 1,000 people, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and a bevy of other top officials, and recent deadly pager and hand-held radio attacks in Lebanon have raised fears that a wider war is inevitable.
Hezbollah and Israel have clashed on the Lebanese border since the militant group has supported Hamas, a Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip, as war in the region nears its one-year anniversary. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are U.S.-designated terrorist organizations that have served as proxies for Tehran.
Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles toward Israel Tuesday, which U.S. officials have deemed a "significant escalation." Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made a rare public address Friday, defending the country's strikes on Israel, calling them “correct, logical, and lawful."
The latest attack in Beirut also comes after eight Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon earlier this week.
Date: | |
Tag: | Israel |
-
World - The Guardian
Middle East crisis live: more explosions overnight in Beirut after Israel demands new evacuations
UN condemns ‘totally unacceptable’ civilian death toll in Lebanon; Biden cautions Israel over retaliation against Iran . Living in Lebanon: how have you been affected by the recent violence? ...10 hours ago - Israel -
World - ABC News
Middle East latest: An Israeli airstrike cuts a major highway linking Lebanon with Syria
An Israeli airstrike has cut a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria9 hours ago - Israel -
World - The Wall Street Journal
Israel Warns Some Southern Lebanon Communities to Evacuate as It Battles Hezbollah
The Israeli military urged civilians in more than 20 towns and villages across southern Lebanon to leave their homes, expanding its evacuation warnings as it works to push Hezbollah back from the ...Yesterday - Israel -
Top stories - CBS News
Israel hits Beirut in wave of airstrikes across Lebanon
Israel carried out a wave of air-strikes across Lebanon Thursday night with explosions rocking Beirut's southern suburbs, including one close to the international airport as the IDF continues its ...Yesterday - Israel -
Top stories - CBS News
What to know about Israel's latest strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah
Israel launched another round of strikes into Lebanon Wednesday, hitting around 200 Hezbollah targets. CBS News reporter Haley Ott has the latest from Tel Aviv.Yesterday - Israel -
Top stories - ABC News
Israel-Gaza-Lebanon updates: Hezbollah intelligence HQ struck in Beirut, Israel says
Israel continued its intense airstrike campaign across Lebanon, which included several strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs and one in the center of the city.19 hours ago - Israel -
World - ABC News
Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Beirut kills 9 as troops battle Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
Lebanon's Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in central Beirut has killed nine peopleYesterday - Israel -
Top stories - CBS News
IDF strikes in central Beirut after Iran attacks Israel
Israeli struck targets in Beirut and injured several people, according to Lebanese officials. This comes after Iran launched missiles toward Israel, and as more operations against the Hezbollah ...Yesterday - Iran
More from The Hill
-
Politics - The Hill
Trump claims he knows 'nothing' about post floating Jamie Dimon endorsement
Former President Trump says he knew “nothing” about a Friday TruthSocial post on his account falsely claiming he’d been endorsed by JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. “I don’t know anything about it,” ...26 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - The Hill
China is tackling the symptoms rather than the causes of its economic problems
The problems over the past decade are structural in nature and will require fundamental reforms of the economy to put it on sounder footing.28 minutes ago - China -
Politics - The Hill
Former Defense chief: Israeli attack on Iran nuclear facilities would be 'significant strike'
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper weighed in on Israel's likely response to a barrage of missiles launched by Tehran earlier this week and potential attacks on Iran nuclear facilities, saying it ...39 minutes ago - Israel -
Politics - The Hill
Israel and Iran are on the path toward a catastrophic war
The history of the Middle East and beyond is being shaped right now.1 hour ago - Iran -
Politics - The Hill
A future without newspapers: Tech execs 'go direct,' signaling an end to accountability
We’re quickly approaching a future where tech executives can spin stories in front of eager (paying) eyeballs and no newspaper exists anymore to provide a fact-checked counter-narrative.2 hours ago