BEIRUT: An Israeli airstrike struck the Jnah-Bir Hassan area in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday evening, causing extensive damage to buildings and leaving piles of rubble across the area.
First responders were deployed to assist the injured, as footage from the scene showed the scale of the destruction.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strike targeted a “senior Hezbollah terrorist operative,” who was reportedly killed in the attack. The IDF also announced that it had hit multiple Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.
The Disaster Management Unit at the Grand Serail reported in its daily situation update that the death toll in Lebanon had risen to 52, with 154 others injured.
Tensions in the region escalated after the United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran on Saturday. U.S. President Donald Trump had vowed to “raze their missile industry to the ground.”
Israel said it carried out strikes in Lebanon following a barrage of drones and rockets launched by Hezbollah at the Mishmar HaCarmel missile defense site south of Haifa. Hezbollah, in turn, claimed the attack was retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and described it as a measure to defend Lebanon and its people.