Israel announced overnight that it had killed Hassan Bdeir, a senior Hezbollah figure, in an airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The strike marks another escalation in the already heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah © Mena Today
Israel announced overnight that it had killed Hassan Bdeir, a senior Hezbollah figure, in an airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The operation was confirmed in a joint statement issued by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security agency), and the Mossad (foreign intelligence service).
"The Israeli army has struck and eliminated the terrorist Hassan Ali Mahmoud Bdeir," the statement read. It further alleged that Bdeir had recently been cooperating with Hamas, aiding in the leadership and coordination of its members.
According to the statement, Bdeir was involved in the planning of "a major and imminent terrorist attack targeting Israeli civilians" and was "struck immediately to neutralize this threat." No additional details were provided about the nature or timing of the alleged planned attack.
The strike marks another escalation in the already heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as between Israel and Hamas.
Syria denounced "repeated attacks" by Israel on Saturday after a drone strike hit the south of the country in the morning, just days after Israel bombed a military base in the northwest, with an Israeli minister separately rejecting American criticism over that earlier operation.
Turkey said on Friday it would seek an Interpol red notice for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a domestic criminal case linked to an attack on activists seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The United States on Thursday issued fresh sanctions targeting Lebanon's Hezbollah, including re-designating it over actions on behalf of the Iranian government, according to a statement seen by Reuters.
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