Israeli Airstrike Kills 4 in Beirut as Lebanon Ceasefire Teeters; UN Demands Answers on Gaza Aid Workers’ Mass Grave
An Israeli airstrike targeting a suspected Hezbollah militant killed four people in southern Beirut early Tuesday, Lebanese health officials confirmed, further destabilizing an already fragile four-month ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.
The strike on Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, killed Hassan Ali Badir, according to a joint statement from Israel’s defense and intelligence agencies. Israeli officials claim Badir was a Hezbollah operative and member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard who had recently provided assistance to Hamas.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar defended the operation during a Tuesday press briefing, describing Badir as a “ticking bomb” planning an imminent attack. Saar added that Israel expects the Lebanese government to take action against terrorists operating within its borders.
While Hezbollah did not confirm Badir’s death, Ibrahim Al-Moussawi, a Hezbollah member of Lebanon’s Parliament, condemned the strike that also left seven people injured. “What happened was a major aggression that took the situation to a completely new phase,” Al-Moussawi told reporters. “We hold the international community and the United States responsible for this crime.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun criticized the attack, stating on social media that Israel’s escalating aggression has prompted Lebanon to seek support from international allies.
Israel conducted the operation without issuing evacuation warnings. The U.S. State Department attributed the resumption of hostilities to terrorists launching rockets into Israel from Lebanon, according to Reuters.
The November ceasefire, brokered by the United States, required both Israeli forces and Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon while Lebanese troops deployed to the region. Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement, with Israel delaying its withdrawal in January and claiming to have intercepted rockets from Lebanon in March—allegations Hezbollah denies.
Meanwhile, United Nations officials are demanding “answers and justice” following the discovery of 15 aid workers’ bodies in a mass grave in the Gaza Strip. The UN has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The current Israel-Lebanon conflict intensified after Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed and approximately 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.
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