Israel airstrikes Hezbollah headquarters, Nasrallah's fate remains unclear

The evacuation order, issued via X by Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee, asked residents to stay at least 500 meters away from three specific buildings in the area. It was the first such notice for densely populated areas in southern Beirut.

A source close to Hezbollah said Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is still alive. Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported that he is safe. Hezbollah's media office said there was no truth to any claims surrounding Israeli airstrikes, but did not say anything about the group's leader's fate.

In New York, a senior Israeli official told reporters that senior Hezbollah commanders were targeted in the Israeli strike on the central headquarters on Friday but it was too early to say whether the strike killed Nasrallah.

An Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon on September 27, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters at the UN that the attack targeted a "meeting of bad guys" who were planning further attacks on Israel.

The Israeli military said it carried out a “precision strike” on Hezbollah’s headquarters, which it said was “located under residential buildings in the Dahiyeh center in Beirut”. In a televised statement, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the command center was deep in a civilian area.

Lebanon's health ministry said two people were killed and 76 wounded in the latest Israeli airstrikes, which are just initial casualties. Hezbollah's al-Manar TV reported four buildings were destroyed and several casualties in multiple airstrikes, further escalating the conflict.

Over the past week, Israel has repeatedly attacked the Hezbollah-controlled southern Beirut suburb known as Dahiyeh, killing at least three senior Hezbollah military commanders and more than 700 others, including many civilians.

Friday's attack, however, was much more powerful, with multiple explosions shaking windows across the city, reminiscent of Israeli airstrikes during the 2006 war with Hezbollah.

The airstrikes in Beirut came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue his offensive against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon in a speech to the United Nations, as hopes of a ceasefire to prevent a full-scale war in the region faded.

The sharp escalation in the conflict has raised concerns at the United Nations, where its annual General Assembly is meeting this week. Among those voicing concerns is France, which proposed a 21-day ceasefire earlier this week to ease tensions.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the attack showed Israel was not heeding the international community's calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon. The Iranian embassy in Lebanon said on X that the attack was a dangerous escalation that would "bring appropriate punishment to the perpetrators".

The outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah this week has displaced about 100,000 Lebanese, bringing the total number of people displaced by the conflict to more than 200,000. Israel says Hezbollah rocket attacks over the past year have forced 70,000 Israelis to flee northern Israel.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, CNN, AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-khong-kich-du-doi-bo-chi-huy-hezbollah-so-phan-lanh-dao-nasrallah-van-chua-ro-post314277.html