The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Sunday that it “targeted a key terrorist in the Hezbollah terrorist organization” in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
The IDF has been increasing the rate of strikes targeting alleged Hezbollah members and infrastructure in southern Lebanon in recent months, but until Sunday had not resumed attacks inside the capital.
Local media reports suggested that Sunday’s attack occurred in a southern suburb of the city which is known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
IDF says it killed 2 people in southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it killed two alleged Hezbollah members in strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday.
The IDF said it killed Kamel Reza Karnabsh in the Mayfadoun area of southern Lebanon. Karnabsh, the IDF said, “took part in Hezbollah’s reestablishment attempts in the area.”
Another alleged Hezbollah member was killed in the Houla area in southern Lebanon, the IDF said.
The man “served as the local representative of Hezbollah in the Houla area” and was “responsible for communication between the terror organization and the residents of the area regarding financial and military subjects,” the IDF claimed.
24 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, officials say
At least 24 people were killed and 87 people injured in renewed Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to a statement from the Hamas-run Government Media Office in Gaza.
The Israeli strikes came after the Israel Defense Forces alleged a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement” after what it described as an “armed terrorist” crossed into Israeli-controlled territory in southern Gaza and shot at troops.
Hamas denied any involvement in the incident and said it remains committed to the ceasefire agreed last month.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said on Saturday that a total of 318 people have been killed by Israeli forces since the ceasefire came into effect on Oct. 11. Another 788 people have been injured, the ministry said.
A further 572 bodies have been recovered from under rubble during the ceasefire, the ministry said.
As of Saturday, the total death toll in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, stood at 69,513 people, per ministry figures.
