Israeli defence forces continue their siege of the middle east after another night of terror bombing Beirut and it's residents.
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Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was the target of Israel’s strike on the group’s headquarters in Beirut, according to a person familiar with information provided by Israel to the United States after the attack, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
The information was provided to the United States after the strike. Multiple US officials have denied prior knowledge or involvement in the attack.
Residents of Beirut reported large blasts and smoke billowing from neighbourhoods in the south of the city. Images and videos shared on social media, verified by The Washington Post and accounts from witnesses, suggested that the blasts occurred in the southwestern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, which was not far from the city’s airport.
At least two people were killed and 76 injured in the strike, according to an initial toll shared by the Lebanese Ministry of Health. “The rubble removal is ongoing amid expectations that the toll may rise,” the ministry added.
Rescuers stand outside a builiding destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs. Photo / AFP
Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces, said in a short briefing that the attack, which appeared to be one of the most powerful in Beirut during this latest round of conflict, targeted a command centre under a civilian building.
Ziad Waked, the Mayor of Haret Hreik, told The Washington Post that six residential buildings were levelled in the strike. Ambulances arrived at the scene, Waked said.
While attention fixates on the fate of #Hezbollah leader Hassan #Nasrallah, bear in mind that flattening 6+ high-rise apartment buildings, without prior notice/evacuation, means 100s of casualties.
The Lebanese Civil Defence said responders were working to extinguish fires, evacuate the injured and retrieve bodies at the site of the strikes.
Hagari said Israel would provide details later. The attack took place after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Video of the city from Friday evening shows large columns of smoke rising. One video filmed from a window shows at least four distinct columns rising above central Beirut. The plumes appear to be dozens of feet wide and high, billowing above the buildings below. Screams are audible in the background.
Just to be clear, the casualties from this will be huge. It's a densely populated area, and adjacent buildings were also affected. I've rarely seen this much destruction in a strike. pic.twitter.com/ovJdS2mF3S
Footage shared on social media, verified and geolocated by The Washington Post, as well as witness accounts also suggested that the blast destroyed at least two buildings.
A video filmed in the immediate aftermath shows at least two craters, both filled by significant amounts of debris. Fire is visible in the background as rescue crews clad in neon yellow vests traverse the landscape of charred building materials in search of survivors.
Warplanes dropped at least five additional munitions after the initial strike, according to a second video verified by The Post. It was not immediately clear from the video what munition was used. After they landed a fireball erupted, appearing to reach dozens of feet into the air.
Lebanese army soldiers gather over the rubble of levelled buildings as people fight the flames, following Israeli air strikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs. Photo / AFP
“Available videos of the strike show that numerous large air-delivered bombs were used,” NR Jenzen-Jones, director of Armament Research Services, wrote in a message to The Post, noting the video suggested at least three impact sites. Jenzen-Jones added that the repeated impacts from multiple munitions suggest they were aimed at penetrating a heavily protected space.
The Defence Department had no involvement in or warning of the latest Israeli strike in Beirut, a Pentagon spokeswoman said Friday.
Sabrina Singh told reporters in a news conference that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin learned of the strike on Hezbollah’s central headquarters when his Israeli counterpart, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, called him and told him it was underway. Austin was on his way back to Washington from meetings in London when the call came through, she said.
She declined to say whether Gallant told Austin that Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah was the intended target.
