Images from south Beirut show a damaged high-rise and devastation along the street. According to Lebanon’s health authority, 59 people are said to have been injured and eight killed in the air strike.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati says the attack shows that Israel “makes no humanitarian, legal or moral considerations,” Reuters reports.
Ibrahim Aqil, one of the most senior figures in Hezbollah’s military wing, is said to be the target of the attack. Aqil also died in the attack, two Lebanese security sources told Reuters. Israel’s military also believes that Aqil died in the attack, AP reports.
The master is also wanted by the United States as provides up to seven million dollars to whoever has information about him. The reason is Ibrahim Aqil’s role in the bombing of the US embassy in Lebanon in 1983 where 63 people died, as well as the bombing of an American military base a few months later where 241 Americans died.
The atmosphere between Israel and Hezbollah escalated further this week after thousands of Hezbollah’s pagers detonated and several militiamen and civilians were killed and thousands injured. Hezbollah blames Israel for the act.
In response, Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets into northern Israel on Friday afternoon. The terror-labeled organization states that the rockets were aimed at Israel’s intelligence headquarters in northern Israel.
According to Israel, most of the rockets were shot down and no injuries have been reported.