In a significant move, Israeli forces target and strike the initial residential structure in the heart of Beirut.
For the past week, Israeli air strikes have been relentless against targets in Lebanon, focusing mainly on the southern parts and Beirut's suburbs. However, there seems to be a shift in strategy: A drone strike in the heart of Beirut has hit a residential building.
According to Lebanese security sources, an Israeli drone strike on an apartment inhabited by a militant group in Beirut's center resulted in four fatalities. Two members of the Sunni Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya residing in the apartment were reportedly the targets.
The PFLP reported that three of the deceased belonged to a militant Palestinian group affiliated with Hezbollah, an organization prohibited in Germany. Among the fatalities were Mohammad Abdel-Aal, the security chief of the military, Imad Odeh, the military commander, and Abdelrahman Abdel-Aal, a group member.
Israeli army operations against Hezbollah's strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs had been frequent in recent days. However, this was the first attack in the capital's center since the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel a year ago. Footage from local television stations depicted the destroyed floor of the impacted building in the predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Kola, which borders the airport route. Reporters from AFP also reported frequent drone sightings over the Lebanese capital on Sunday.
IDF Reports Dozens of Attacks in the Bekaa Region
Additionally, the Israeli army announced that they had carried out dozens of attacks on Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese Bekaa region with fighter jets on Monday. "Over a hundred launchpads and structures" housing weapons were targeted, the army stated, in the Bekaa region of Lebanon, which is sympathetic to Hezbollah. Israel has vowed to "attack with full force," aiming to "damage and weaken Hezbollah's military capabilities and infrastructure in Lebanon," according to the Israeli army statement.
For the past week, Israel has been launching extensive air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The latest Lebanese reports estimate that at least 105 people have lost their lives. Hezbollah's shelling of Israel from Lebanon has increased significantly in recent days, following the death of Hezbollah's long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior militia figures in an Israeli air strike in Beirut.
On October 7, 2021, the radical Islamic Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on Israel's southern regions, initiating the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The following day, Hezbollah opened a second front against Israel with regular rocket attacks on the northern regions of Israel, to which the Israeli army responded with attacks on Lebanese territories.
The Shiite militia considers itself part of the "Axis of Resistance" against Israel, led by Iran, which also includes the Yemeni Houthi militia. Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese group founded in 1960 and affiliated with Hezbollah, is similar to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Since the escalation began on October 8, 2021, on the Israeli-Lebanese border, Jamaa Islamiya has also been the target of numerous Israeli air strikes.
The European Union has expressed concern over the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon, calling for de-escalation and respect for international law. The European Union strongly condemns the harm caused to civilians and infrastructure during the conflict.
