The strike marked a significant development after weeks in which Israel refrained from targeting Beirut.
By United with Israel Staff
For the first time in 22 days, the IDF carried out a targeted strike in Beirut on Thursday, reportedly targeting Ali al-Hassani, the missile commander of Hezbollah’s Imam Hussein Division.
The Israeli military confirmed that the Israeli Air Force conducted a precision strike in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, Hezbollah’s main stronghold in the Lebanese capital.
An Israeli official told Channel 13 News that al-Hassani was targeted while inside an apartment in the area, though Israeli security officials were reportedly still uncertain whether the strike had successfully eliminated him.
The Imam Hussein Division is an Iranian-backed force established by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. Originally formed in Syria to fight ISIS, the group has since evolved into a key support force for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The strike marked a significant development after weeks in which Israel refrained from targeting Beirut despite rising tensions with Hezbollah and repeated threats of escalation from Israeli officials.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that Israel was preparing to intensify its campaign against Hezbollah, saying Israel would “increase the blows and increase the intensity” against the terror group.
Israeli officials had also warned that Hezbollah’s ongoing drone attacks on northern Israel could eventually trigger strikes inside Beirut, including in the Dahiyeh district.
At the same time, reports in Israeli media indicated the United States had pressured Israel not to carry out major strikes in Beirut amid concerns such attacks could destabilize sensitive regional diplomacy, including ongoing negotiations involving Iran and U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon.
Despite the mounting rhetoric earlier in the week, Beirut had remained untouched until Thursday’s strike, while the IDF instead focused operations on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
The renewed strike in the Lebanese capital is likely to raise fresh concerns about broader escalation between Israel and Hezbollah as tensions continue to mount along the northern border.
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