Israel carried out airstrikes in the Beirut area on Wednesday morning after a five-day pause in attacks on the Lebanese capital.
The Israeli Air Force hit targets in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh south of Beirut, striking strategic weapons stockpiled in an underground storage facility, according to the military.
Before the strike, the Israel Defense Forces emphasized that many steps were taken to reduce the risk of harm to civilians, including advancing warning to the population in the area.
Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, tweeted in Arabic before the attack, accompanied by a map.
“New urgent warning to the residents of the southern suburbs, specifically those in the building identified on the map located in Haret Hreik,” he wrote.
“You are near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah, which the Israeli Defense Forces will act against in the near future. For your safety and the safety of your family, you must immediately evacuate this building and the surrounding buildings and move at least 500 meters away.”
The strike comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israeli forces would continue to attack Hezbollah in Beirut, following reports that the political leadership in Jerusalem had told the military to stop strikes in the Lebanese capital.
Kan News reported on Monday that the directive was issued in writing on the morning of Oct. 11, following an unusual Israeli strike in western Beirut on Oct. 10 that resulted in dozens of casualties. The Americans reportedly sent an angry message to Jerusalem following the western Beirut strike.
In addition to the Dahiyeh attack, the IDF said on Wednesday morning that over 140 Hezbollah terror targets had been struck from the air in Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities, launchers aimed at Israeli territory, terrorist infrastructure and Hezbollah cells.
Furthermore, the IDF’s 98th Division continued ground operations in Southern Lebanon, over the past day killing dozens of terrorists and finding many weapons, including rocket, mortar and anti-tank missile launchers aimed toward communities in northern Israel. Grenades and military equipment were also seized.
Hezbollah terrorists on Wednesday afternoon launched a barrage of some 30 rockets at the Galilee. According to the IDF, a majority of the terrorist projectiles were intercepted by the country’s air defenses.
The Magen David Adom emergency response service said that at least four people sustained light shrapnel wounds in the latest rocket attacks. All victims, three men and a woman in their 50s, were evacuated to the Galilee Medical Center in the northern city of Nahariya for treatment.
Israeli forces attack Hezbollah in Nabatieh area
Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah in the Nabatieh area of Southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the IDF.
The targets included terrorist infrastructure, Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities.
According to the military, the Hezbollah sites were embedded next to civilian infrastructure, “exploiting the civilian population as a human shield.”
Reports from Lebanon said that the mayor of Nabatieh and several others were killed in a strike that targeted the city hall.
Major tunnel network dismantled
The IDF also said that ground troops in Southern Lebanon over the past few days had raided a large network of tunnels beneath civilian homes in the middle of a town that included living quarters, armories and many weapons.
According to the army, the tunnel infrastructure was intended to aid Hezbollah terrorists as part of the terror group’s “Conquer the Galilee” plan. The tunnel network was dismantled.
Israeli Navy assisting ground forces in Southern Lebanon
Israeli naval forces have been helping ground troops against Hezbollah terror targets in Southern Lebanon, the military reported on Wednesday.
The Israeli Navy has struck dozens of targets in cooperation with soldiers from the 146th Division participating in targeted raids across the border.
Vessels hit rocket launchers, military structures and weapon storage facilities, the IDF said.
“The IDF’s multi-branch capability in combat is evident in the offensive ‘Operation Northern Arrows.’ Missile ships, patrol vessels, intelligence posts, command posts, fire control and other means play an integral role in offensive and defensive missions in the northern arena, and supporting the troops of the 146th Division,” said Rear Adm. Eli Soholitzky, commanding officer of the Haifa Naval Region.
“Over the last few months, we have operated side by side in the air, at sea, and on land. We will continue to operate and strike with force as needed to safely return the residents of the north to their homes,” he continued. JNS
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