The Israeli army stated it has carried out dozens of airstrikes throughout Lebanon focusing on Hezbollah after its chief Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in a southern suburb of Beirut.
In response to the Lebanese Nationwide Information Company, a minimum of 11 individuals had been killed in an airstrike on a home within the city of Al Ain within the northeastern Bekaa Valley.
Hezbollah confirmed on Saturday that Nasrallah had been killed in an Israeli assault in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiya a day earlier, dealing a heavy blow to the group that has been preventing Israel since October. Hezbollah started firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. The group has imposed a ceasefire in Gaza as a situation for halting its cross-border assaults.
The Israeli army stated in an announcement on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday that its air power had struck “dozens of terrorist targets” in Lebanon previously few hours, attacking “buildings the place the group shops weapons and army amenities.” .
Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan reported from Marjayoun in southern Lebanon that an assault on a civil protection heart in a city exterior Tyre province left 4 individuals lifeless and lots of injured.
“Individuals query why this explicit hearth brigade really got here underneath assault. It is also affiliated with the Islamic Scouts Affiliation, so there is a neighborhood heart really feel to it,” he stated.
“In a single day, we noticed a number of air strikes round southern Lebanon. Israel just isn’t letting up on the stress in any respect.
Israel, which devastated Gaza in 11 months of relentless bombing, launched an offensive into Lebanon on Monday after months of lethal border preventing. Nasrallah’s killing on Friday was a pointy escalation within the battle between the 2 sides.
Israel’s technique
Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon on Saturday killed 33 individuals, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Well being stated, bringing the entire variety of deaths to greater than 700 since bombing Hezbollah strongholds started final week.
A complete of 1,640 individuals have been killed in Lebanon since October 8, together with 104 youngsters and 194 ladies, largely in Israeli airstrikes over the previous two weeks.
Nasrallah led Hezbollah for greater than 30 years and constructed the Lebanese group into a strong power. His assassination was one of many heaviest blows to Hezbollah in Israel’s historical past.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Koder, reporting from Beirut, stated Hezbollah is at a turning level “each on the organizational stage and on the widespread stage”.
“There isn’t any doubt that Hassan Nasrallah is arguably thought-about probably the most highly effective man in Lebanon, despite the fact that he doesn’t maintain public workplace,” she stated. “Hezbollah must reveal that its command and management construction is unbroken and that its management continues to be in a position to perform.
“What Israel has been doing, its technique is to dismantle the management of Hezbollah.”
Israel invades Lebanon?
Israel has hinted at a floor invasion of Lebanon, with its military chief of employees Herzi Halevi saying on Saturday that his forces had been ready for what was to come back and telling Lebanese residents to flee to security. Almost a million individuals have fled southern Lebanon amid Israeli bombardment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, talking for the primary time since Nasrallah’s assassination, stated northern Israel, which borders Lebanon, now has two warfare targets.
The primary is for evacuated Israelis to return to cities and settlements within the north. Al Jazeera’s Hamda Salhout stories that the second objective is to revive the stability of energy on the northern border.
“Israeli officers have been saying all day Saturday that they’re decided to destroy Hezbollah and destroy all its army capabilities. Israeli Military Chief of Employees and Israeli Protection Minister Yov Galant have authorized new plans for the northern offensive technique,” Sa Erhut stated.
“It is because there are fears of an imminent floor invasion of southern Lebanon – which is inflicting loads of worry on either side of the border.”
In the meantime, U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Saturday it was time for a ceasefire.
Requested by reporters in Rehoboth Seashore, Del., whether or not an Israeli floor invasion of Lebanon was inevitable, Biden responded: “It is time for a ceasefire.”
Requested whether or not america would reply to a missile assault on a Pink Navy ship, Biden stated: “We’re responding.”
Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi, reporting from Washington, D.C., stated Biden’s assertion raised a number of questions.
“When he says he helps a ceasefire, does he imply an entire ceasefire? Does he settle for what Hezbollah has lengthy stated – that if Israel stops its destruction of Gaza, then residents of northern Israel can return to their properties? Or does he Do you settle for Israel’s argument that the one strategy to de-escalate is to escalate? There are reportedly supporters of this technique within the authorities,” Ratansi stated.
“We heard the federal government opposed Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon, however we stored listening to the federal government say it opposed subsequent Israeli actions.”
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed missile and drone assaults on the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Ashkelon and three U.S. Navy warships on Friday.
Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly fired on Israel and carried out assaults on Israeli-linked ships within the Pink Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb Strait in what they stated was a present of solidarity with Palestinians underneath Israeli assault. motion in Gaza.
