In a significant escalation, an Israeli airstrike on a central Beirut building killed at least 29 people and injured 66, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The strike, reportedly targeting senior Hezbollah commander Muhammad Haydar, was conducted without prior evacuation warnings, marking a sharp shift in strategy.
The attack comes amid a series of Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions, including the Dahiyah stronghold in southern Beirut, where evacuation notices were issued before the bombings. Reports suggest the central Beirut strike utilized bunker-buster bombs to penetrate reinforced structures.
Saudi-based outlets Al-Arabiya and Al Hadath claimed the strike was intended to eliminate Haydar, a key figure in Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, though his fate remains unconfirmed. An Israeli defense source verified to Kan News that Haydar was the target, but subsequent reports indicated the operation may not have succeeded.
Haydar, alongside Hezbollah military commander Haytham Ali Tabataba’i, has been acting as a de facto leader of the group’s military operations following the death of Hassan Nasrallah and other senior officials in earlier Israeli strikes.
The central Beirut strike is one of the deadliest in the current conflict, intensifying tensions as both sides escalate military actions. Further developments are awaited as the region braces for potential retaliatory measures from Hezbollah.