Israel Hezbollah War: A Lebanese security source told Reuters on Saturday that Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s potential successor has been out of contact since Friday, after he was reportedly targeted in an Israeli airstrike. In its campaign against the Iran-backed Lebanese group, Israel launched a major attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs late Thursday night, targeting Hashem Safiuddin in an underground bunker. On Saturday, Israel also attacked Jiyeh in Beirut, killing two people. We tell you all the major updates in 10 points –
1- According to local media, two people were killed and several others injured in an Israeli air strike targeting a residential building in the coastal town of Jiyeh, 30 kilometers south of Beirut.
2- The airstrike on Saturday evening hit a three-storey building in the Nabi Younes neighbourhood, and the sound of the blast was heard across much of Beirut and Sidon, the capital of Lebanon’s southern province. Civil defence teams were rushed to the scene to clear the rubble, while ambulances rushed the injured to hospital, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local TV channel MTV.
3- Hezbollah has lost contact with its senior leader and chairman of the group’s executive council Safiuddin, who holds a very high position in the organization. According to Al Jazeera, he is a cousin of former Secretary General late Nasrallah. Lebanese and Hezbollah officials had “rushed” to allow rescue teams to enter the area to recover bodies after the attack on Friday morning.Â
4- According to Al Jazeera, most Hezbollah commanders “avoid the public eye”, and Safiuddin’s name only emerged when many believed he would potentially replace Nasrallah as Hezbollah’s secretary general, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month.Â
5- However, after losing contact with Safiuddin, it is believed that he too has been killed and in such a situation the issue of successor in the organization has come under question. But Hezbollah’s media office has issued a statement calling all these reports rumours.Â
6- On Friday, Reuters reported that Israeli Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the military was still assessing the situation following the airstrike, which he confirmed targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.
7- Let us tell you that Israel started a bombing campaign in Lebanon two weeks ago as it focused its attention on the northern border after a year of cross-border firing, which caused thousands of civilians to flee from both sides of the border. Israel’s goal is to ensure the safe return of its citizens to their homes in northern Israel as it is bombing Hezbollah bases.
8- According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, more than 2000 people have died so far in the Israeli bombing while more than 1 million people have had to leave their homes.Â
9- Let us tell you that Israel bombed Dahieh in Beirut on Friday night. Dahieh is a highly populated area of ​​Beirut and Hezbollah’s hold is also very strong here. After this, only smoke was visible in Dahieh on Saturday morning. Due to this, people were seen going to other parts of Beirut or other parts of Lebanon on Saturday.Â
10- The violence comes as October 7, 2023 marks the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, in which Israeli figures say 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage.
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