Hezbollah Launches Drone Swarm on Israeli Base, Israel Responds with Strikes on Beirut
Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, claimed responsibility for launching a drone swarm attack on an Israeli military base south of Tel Aviv, marking the first time such a tactic has been used, Al Jazeera reports.
The group also reported targeting two naval bases near Haifa and another near Tel Aviv’s international airport.
Following the attacks, Israeli warplanes responded with airstrikes on several areas south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, early Thursday morning. Journalists in Beirut reported hearing loud explosions, with Al Jadeed television reporting at least four strikes hitting the southern parts of the city. Photos showed two large plumes of smoke rising above the area.
Prior to the airstrikes, Israel’s military Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, warned residents in four Beirut neighborhoods, including a location near Beirut’s international airport, to evacuate immediately due to imminent attacks.
The attacks came after at least 40 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley and the city of Baalbek on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. At least 53 others were injured in the strikes.
Hezbollah’s new secretary-general, Naim Qassem, stated that he did not believe political action would end Israel’s attacks. However, he suggested a path to indirect negotiations could open if Israel ceased its bombardment of Lebanon.
The recent escalation has resulted in a significant loss of life, with over 3,000 people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon over the past year, the majority in the past six weeks.
