The southern suburbs of Beirut shelled by Israel, the fate of Nasrallah uncertain: what you need to know

Friday, September 27, around 6:20 p.m., shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu committed to the UN to continue striking Hezbollah, Israel carried out a massive strike against the Shiite party’s “headquarters” in the southern suburbs of Beirut. While several Israeli media indicated that the target was the party leader, Hassan Nasrallah, a source within Hezbollah indicated, in the evening, that the latter « was fine.” A strong uncertainty reigned, however, as to his fate. From midnight, the Israeli army began shelling the southern suburbs of Beirut again, after calling on residents to “evacuate immediately”. The New York Times reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council. This pillaging of the southern suburbs continued throughout the night, particularly after a second Israeli warning to residents of certain neighborhoods, including Bourj el-Barajné and Hadath.

The strike

Around 6:20 p.m. Friday, several massive detonations were heard across Beirut and beyond. A few minutes later, the Israeli army announced that it had struck the Hezbollah command headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut. A spokesperson for the Israeli army specified that this headquarters was located under residential buildings.

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This strike is “the biggest attack” on the southern suburbs since the start of the conflict, a security source told Reuters. It targeted an area where senior Hezbollah officials are generally found, added this source.

Six buildings were completely destroyed in the strike, according to AFP citing a source close to Hezbollah. Al-Manar, for his part, claimed that the airstrikes destroyed four buildings.

Many people living near the site of the strike gathered their belongings and set off towards Beirut Airport, reported our local journalist Mohammad Yassine around 7:30 p.m. The situation there was extremely tense, with rescuers and the army prohibiting anyone from approaching.

Shortly after 11 p.m., the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army Avichay Adraee issued on deployed. He notably mentioned the “Mounir Chedid” building and those surrounding it in the Lailaki sector, the “Chit” building and its surroundings in Hadath, as well as the “al-Salam complex” and its surroundings, also in Hadath . An hour and a half later, violent shelling began, which continued until 2:30 a.m. The Israeli army “is currently carrying out a wave attack against Hezbollah weapons stored under civilian buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut”, said the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army Avichay Adraee. Hezbollah, for its part, denied that weapons were found under the buildings.

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The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported, around midnight, a provisional assessment at least “six dead and ninety-one injured, including fourteen who had to be hospitalized”, according to a provisional report from the Ministry of Health.

During the night from Friday to Saturday, hundreds of residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut found refuge on Ramlet el-Baida beach in Beirut, according to the director of the public beach Nazih el Rayess. Videos and images circulating on social networks, however, showed that these residents had also moved into other districts of the capital, such as Hamra, Raouché and the city center.

Israeli statements

– “It was verified that (Hassan) Nasrallah was in the attacked headquarters, then the army dropped bombs which passed through the bunkers,” Israeli Army Radio said on its X account. Several media outlets, Israelis and Arabs, indicated that the secretary general of Hezbollah was the target of these strikes. Conflicting information circulated in the evening regarding the fate of Hassan Nasrallah.

-“On October 8, Hezbollah, led by its leader, declared war on the State of Israel, and since then it has been leading the Lebanese state and the entire region towards a broad escalation, wrote Avichay Adraee, Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army on his X account. Israel has repeatedly warned the world that Hezbollah’s actions endanger the entire region, but it has persisted in its aggression. No sovereign state would allow the presence of this threat on its citizens and its sovereignty.” “In this context,” he adds, “the Israeli air force continues to strike Hezbollah terrorist targets in Lebanon to strip it of its military capabilities which constitute a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.” He concluded his message by writing: “Israeli defense and attack systems are on high alert.”

-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his visit to the United States, reports Haaretz.

-The Israeli army declared on the night of Friday to Saturday that it would not allow Iran to deliver weapons to Hezbollah via Beirut airport, the surroundings of which were flown over by Israeli fighter planes, according to She. “We will not allow enemy flights loaded with weapons to land at Beirut’s civilian airport,” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an army spokesman, said in a televised address. “We are aware of Iranian arms shipments destined for Hezbollah and we will foil these plans. Fighter jets are currently patrolling the skies around Beirut airport,” he added.

The reactions

The United States was not warned in advance of the strike, a Pentagon spokesperson was quoted as saying by Reuters. However, he indicated that the American Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, had spoken with his Israeli counterpart while the operation was underway.

The Israeli strike is a “crime” that deserves “appropriate punishment,” the Iranian embassy in Beirut said. She added that the attack represents a “dangerous escalation that changes the rules of the game.” A little later, the New York Times reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called an emergency meeting of the Supreme National Security Council.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati has accused Israel of waging a “genocidal war”.

“The city is still shaking with fear and panic is widespread. It is urgent to stop the fire,” wrote the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on of Beirut.

The context

This massive strike came a few hours after a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the UN General Assembly. During this speech, he affirmed that his country will continue the war against Hezbollah until “all objectives” are achieved. He said not a word about the international proposal led by the United States and France for a 21-day ceasefire.

It also comes in the context of a brutal escalation, for more than a week, of Israeli strikes against South Lebanon, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs of Beirut, strongholds of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Strikes which left more than 700 dead and more than a hundred thousand displaced.

A possible ground operation against Hezbollah will be “as short” as possible, an Israeli security official assured Friday morning, while the army chief of staff, General Herzi Halevi, had asked the soldiers to prepare for a possible land incursion.

More than 1,500 people have been killed in Lebanon in almost a year, according to Beirut, more than the 1,200 deaths in 33 days of war between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group in 2006. Unicef ​​was alarmed by the “pace “horrifying” to which children are killed, as well as damage to civilian installations such as pumping stations, which deprive “30,000 people of access to drinking water” in eastern and southern Lebanon.