BEIRUT. Israel launched another wave of airstrikes early Friday, targeting Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut and severing a critical border crossing between Lebanon and Syria. The attacks have intensified as tens of thousands of people attempt to flee the ongoing bombardment in the region.
Massive explosions rocked the Dahiyeh neighborhood, a Hezbollah-controlled area in southern Beirut, sending thick plumes of smoke and flames into the sky. Buildings kilometers away shook from the force of the strikes. Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation as people ran for cover amidst the rubble, with at least one building completely flattened and multiple vehicles incinerated.
The Israeli military confirmed that it targeted Hezbollah’s central intelligence headquarters shortly after midnight but did not specify the intended targets or casualties. “We have eliminated 100 Hezbollah fighters within the last 24 hours,” the military statement claimed.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that more than ten consecutive airstrikes hit the Dahiyeh area overnight. The ongoing Israeli bombardment has now claimed the lives of 1,400 Lebanese, including both Hezbollah fighters and civilians, and displaced approximately 1.2 million people since Israel escalated its offensive in late September.
A hospital in southern Lebanon also became a target. The Salah Ghandour Hospital in Bint Jbeil reported that nine medical staff members were seriously injured during an attack after being warned to evacuate. On Thursday, the World Health Organization confirmed that 28 healthcare workers had been killed in the region over the last 24 hours.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched approximately 100 rockets into Israel on Friday, according to Israeli military reports.
The airstrikes on Thursday also killed Mohammed Rashid Skafi, head of Hezbollah’s communications division. In a statement, the Israeli military described Skafi as “a senior Hezbollah terrorist responsible for the communications unit since 2000” and linked him closely to other top Hezbollah officials.
Israel also struck the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, about 50 kilometers east of Beirut, closing the vital road for the first time since the conflict began nearly a year ago. Israel said the crossing was used by Hezbollah to transport military equipment across the border and claimed its jets targeted a tunnel used for smuggling weapons from Iran and other sources into Lebanon.
Associated Press video showed enormous craters left by the strikes on either side of the road, with civilians crossing on foot, carrying whatever belongings they could manage. Over 250,000 Syrians and 82,000 Lebanese have fled into Syria as Israeli attacks intensify.
Israel’s ground operations in southern Lebanon have also ramped up since Tuesday. Military clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have concentrated in a narrow strip along the border. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani stated, “Our operations aim to root out Hezbollah militants and secure the northern Israeli border, ensuring the safe return of displaced Israeli citizens.” Nine Israeli soldiers have been killed in these close-quarters battles, with additional casualties reported following a drone attack in northern Israel.
In a concerning development, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, claimed responsibility for launching three drone strikes into northern Israel. Though the attacks did not result in significant damage, the group has become increasingly active in recent months.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was in Beirut on Friday, issued a stern warning. “If the Israeli entity takes any step or measure against us, our retaliation will be stronger than the previous one,” he said following a meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
In Tehran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the missile strikes against Israel and vowed that Iran would respond more forcefully if provoked. Speaking to a large gathering during Friday prayers, he declared Iran ready for further military action, while standing beneath a massive Palestinian flag displayed at Tehran’s main prayer site.
The regional conflict shows no sign of abating. Hezbollah’s rocket fire into Israel began the day after Hamas launched its infamous October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Since then, Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza have claimed over 41,000 Palestinian lives, with local health authorities reporting that half of the casualties are women and children.
Meanwhile, the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, has revealed that nearly 87% of schools in Gaza have sustained damage or been directly hit since the war began, according to U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The escalation of violence threatens to push the Middle East closer to a region-wide war as casualties continue to mount on all sides.
In the occupied West Bank, Israel carried out its deadliest strike yet, killing 18 Palestinians at a café in the Tulkarem refugee camp, including a family of four. Israeli officials stated that the attack targeted several Hamas militants, including the group’s leader in the camp.
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.
