Israel blasts Lebanon high rise in hunt for top Hezbollah commander
Israel blasted a central Beirut building without warning Saturday, killing at least 11 people in an attempt to take out top Hezbollah commander Muhammad Haydar.
It is unclear whether the terror leader was among the dead or 63 injured in the 4 a.m. airstrike, which destroyed an 8-story building and left a crater where it stood.
The Israel Defense Forces did not issue a warning to residents before launching the strikes, which marked the fourth on the Lebanese capital in less than a week.
The intended target, Haydar, has stepped in as one of Hezbollah’s de-facto military leaders in the weeks since the IDF killed the group’s longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah in September, the Times of Israel reported.
Haydar serves as a member of Hezbollah’s top military body, the Jihad Council, and was a close advisor to Nasrallah.
The US listed Haydar as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” in 2019.
The Saturday airstrike was accompanied by multiple IDF strikes launched in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
The Jewish State hit several command centers and weapons storage facilities in the Dahiyeh region after issuing a warning on X for residents in the area to evacuate at least 500 yards away.
At least two people were killed when Israel launched a separate drone strike in the southern port city of Tyre.
The victims appeared to be teenage fishermen who were setting up nets before they were attacked, according to a report.
The death toll in Lebanon stands at 3,500 people, with more than 15,000 injured, totals the Lebanese Health Ministry expects to rise as they search through the rubble of Saturday’s attacks.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 120 Palestinians over the past two days in airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, including seven members of one family whose house was hit overnight.
The IDF also targeted Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of Gaza, causing extensive damage to the building and its equipment.
“Yesterday (Friday), from the afternoon until midnight, the bombardment directly targeted the entrance to the emergency and reception area several times,” director Hussam Abu Safiya said, alleging that the bombardment appeared to be an attempt to force staff to evacuate.
At least 12 staff members, including doctors and nurses, were injured in the attack.
The hospital’s electrical generator, oxygen supply network and water supply were significantly damaged.
The Israeli military said that following an initial review it was “not aware of a strike in the area of the Kamal Adwan Hospital.”
The IDF “is doing everything possible to avoid causing harm to civilians,” it added.
More than 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza as part of Israel’s 13-month campaign, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry there, which does not distinguish between civilian and military casualties.
In a related development, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was in talks Saturday with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, regarding regional threats — and urged Israel to improve “dire” conditions in Gaza.
Austin “reiterated US commitment to a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon that allows Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the border,” the Defense Department said in a statement about the call.
He also “urged the Government of Israel to continue to take steps to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and emphasized the US commitment to securing the release of all hostages, including US citizens.”
