Israeli strikes left 22 dead and more than 100 injured Thursday in central Beirut, Lebanese authorities announced, while a senior Hezbollah official escaped an Israeli assassination attempt in the city, according to three sources. security.
In southern Lebanon, two UN peacekeepers were injured when an Israeli tank fired on a watchtower at the force’s main headquarters in Naqoura, prompting the UN to say its personnel were facing increasing danger.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted a year ago when the Iran-backed group opened fire in support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.
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The situation has intensified considerably in recent weeks, with Israeli bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs, the south and the Bekaa Valley, and the death of numerous Hezbollah leaders.
Wafiq Safa, who heads Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, was targeted by Israel on Thursday evening but survived, local media said.
The Israeli strikes hit a densely populated residential area of apartment buildings and small businesses in the heart of Beirut.
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