Israeli Forces Intensify Strikes on Hezbollah Strongholds in Lebanon

Beirut/Damascus, October 11 – Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are escalating their attacks on Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group that once roamed freely in Lebanon and recently sided with Hamas in the Gaza conflict. In the latest wave of airstrikes, at least 22 people were killed in a Hezbollah stronghold, and multiple buildings were destroyed.

According to a report in The New York Times, citing Lebanese officials, at least 22 people were killed and 117 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday in the densely populated Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood of central Beirut. The area was sheltering displaced individuals when Israeli bombs targeted the site. The IDF has not yet responded to requests for comment on these recent strikes.

Following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 last year, Israel retaliated fiercely in Gaza, catching Hamas off guard. Hezbollah, infuriated by Israel's actions, began launching rockets into northern Israel. In response, Israel expanded its military operations into Lebanon, displacing thousands of people. Recent reports suggest that nearly one million people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing conflict.

The latest Israeli airstrikes targeted the middle floors of an eight-story building in Ras al-Nabaa, collapsing a four-story structure nearby as well. The IDF has been particularly focused on eliminating key Hezbollah leaders, and reports suggest that they successfully killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and his prominent successor, Hashem Safieddine, in a recent airstrike.

In related news, The Syrian Observer confirmed that an Israeli airstrike in southern Syria's Quneitra region killed a Hezbollah operative, identified as Adham Zahout. The IDF's operations in the Golan Heights border region continue to target Hezbollah militants.

Meanwhile, Iraq has repatriated 706 of its citizens from Syria's Al-Hol camp, where over 43,000 people, including relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants, from at least 45 countries reside.

In another development, Syria's state news agency SANA reported that Iraqi resistance forces targeted a significant Israeli location with a drone strike on Friday. The attack took place in Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat).