Israeli strikes killed 22 people and injured more than 100 in central Beirut on Thursday, Lebanese authorities said, while a senior Hezbollah official escaped an Israeli assassination attempt, three security sources confirmed.
In southern Lebanon, two United Nations peacekeepers were injured when an Israeli tank fired on an observation post at the force’s headquarters in Ras al-Naqoura, prompting the UN to say its personnel were facing increasing danger.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted a year ago when the Iran-backed group opened fire in support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.
It has dramatically intensified in recent weeks as Israel began bombing the southern suburbs of Beirut, the south and the Bekaa Valley, killing many of Hezbollah’s top leaders.
Wafiq Safa, who heads Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, was targeted by Israel on Thursday night but survived, security sources told Reuters.
The Israeli strikes hit a densely populated residential area of apartment buildings and small shops in the heart of Beirut.
Israel did not issue evacuation warnings before the attack and had not previously attacked the area, which is far from the southern suburbs of Beirut where Israel has repeatedly bombed the Hezbollah headquarters.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported 22 dead and 117 wounded, and a family of eight was among the dead.
The assassination attempt on Safa, whose role straddles security and political issues, marked a broadening of Israeli targets among Hezbollah officials that had previously focused on the group’s military commanders and top leaders.
Israel did not immediately comment on the incident. However, Israel announced that it had killed Muhammad Abdullah, the leader of the Islamic Jihad network in the Palestinian refugee camp Nur Shams, Hina writes.
