Israeli media claims army airstrikes on southern Beirut targeted top commander in Hezbollah

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army on Monday evening confirmed that it had carried out airstrikes on the outskirts of Beirut, with Israeli media claiming that the airstrikes targeted a top military commander in the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

The development came as Israeli army fighter jets carried out intense and deadly airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon.

Lebanese health authorities said at least 274 people, including 21 children, had been killed and 1,024 others injured in Israeli attacks since Monday morning, with thousands of civilians forced to flee their homes. The international community has warned against the strikes, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.

Israeli Army Radio quoted military sources saying that airstrikes on a southern suburb of Beirut had targeted Ali Karaki, a Hezbollah top military commander.

No further details on the fate of Karaki were forthcoming, however.

Hezbollah has yet to comment on the Israeli claims.

On Friday, the Israeli army carried out a deadly airstrike that killed at least 50 people, including children and women, and injured dozens in Beirut’s southern suburb.

Hezbollah confirmed that at least 16 of its members, including senior military leader Ibrahim Aqil and top commander Ahmed Wahbi, were killed in the Israeli airstrike.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar