Sunday’s strike on an apartment block in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh took place despite a ceasefire that came into effect a year ago to end hostilities that had erupted into a full-blown war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed Hezbollah’s chief of staff Haytham Ali Tabatabai was the target. Israeli media reported it was the military’s third attempt to kill him since last year’s war.
Hezbollah confirmed an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday targeted a senior commander but did not disclose the person’s identity.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported that two missiles were fired at the apartment building on al-Arid Street in Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Dahiyeh, and significant damage was inflicted on cars and surrounding buildings.
Ambulances arrived immediately at the scene and transported the injured to nearby hospitals, it said. A large plume of smoke could be seen in the busy neighbourhood, according to the local media.
One video widely circulated on social media showed dozens of people crowded around the area of the strike.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community to intervene firmly to stop the Israeli raids on the country.
In a statement on Sunday, Aoun said Lebanon “reiterates its call to the international community to assume its responsibility and intervene firmly and seriously to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people”.
Israel assassinated longtime leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in an air attack on southern Beirut just over a year ago.
Israel has been carrying out near-daily strikes on southern Lebanon and has also attacked Beirut several times, but the capital had not been hit in the past several months.
