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.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades on Tuesday and both sides said they held positive discussions although it was not immediately clear if they agreed to a framework for peace.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has signaled his country's desire for full normalization with Lebanon, just ahead of a key round of peace talks scheduled in Washington.
Israeli and Lebanese envoys will meet for U.S.-mediated talks in Washington on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to calm weeks of Israeli fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has threatened to derail a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
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