BEIRUT. Beirut was rocked by massive consecutive strikes from late Saturday into Sunday, with explosions reverberating across the city and flashes of red and white lighting up the sky for nearly 30 minutes, according to eyewitnesses. The strikes, concentrated in the southern suburbs of Beirut, come amid Israel’s expanded military campaign in Lebanon.
The southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, have been a focal point of Israel’s airstrikes over the past few days, culminating in the reported killing of Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli military confirmed Nasrallah’s death in a strike on Hezbollah’s central command headquarters on September 27, with Hezbollah also acknowledging his death.
Israeli forces are also targeting key figures in the Hezbollah leadership. Hashem Safieddine, a high-ranking Hezbollah leader and potential successor to Nasrallah, has been missing since Friday, according to Lebanese security sources. It is believed he was targeted in an Israeli airstrike near Beirut’s international airport, although no confirmation has yet been made by Hezbollah.
A Lebanese security official reported that at least eight strikes were carried out on Saturday, including areas close to the airport. The continuous bombardment in the Dahiyeh area, a residential district and Hezbollah stronghold has also prevented rescue teams from accessing the site of a previous attack on Thursday.
Israel has intensified its operations in Lebanon, extending beyond Hezbollah’s strongholds in southern Beirut. On Saturday, Israeli forces launched their first strike in Tripoli, a city in northern Lebanon, while ground troops conducted raids in the south of the country. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli military, stated that the strikes have resulted in the deaths of 440 Hezbollah fighters and the destruction of over 2,000 Hezbollah targets.
“We are committed to securing the safe return of our citizens in northern Israel, who have been under attack from Hezbollah since October 8,” Hagari said, referring to Hezbollah’s continued bombardment of northern Israeli towns.
In retaliation, Hezbollah has kept its death tolls under wraps but remains largely silent on the loss of Nasrallah and Safieddine. This marks a significant blow to the group and its ally, Iran, as Israel’s actions have systematically weakened Hezbollah’s leadership structure over the past year.
The broader conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has escalated in parallel to Israel’s year-long war against Hamas in Gaza. Although initially concentrated along the Israel-Lebanon border, Israel’s military campaign has expanded, intensifying regional tensions.
So far, nine Israeli soldiers have been reported killed in southern Lebanon, with Israel vowing to continue its offensive until its security objectives are achieved.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
