Israel’s attack on Beirut killed 37, Lebanon says – FBC News

(Source: Reuters)

Rescuers in Beirut were searching Saturday for people still missing in the rubble after an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah commanders killed at least 37 people on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital the previous day, authorities said.

Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed organization, said 16 of its members, including senior leader Ibrahim Aqil and another commander, Ahmed Wahbi, were killed in the deadliest attack in its nearly year-long conflict with Israel.

The Israeli army said it had attacked the underground gathering of Aqilu and the leaders of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force and almost completely disrupted the military’s chain of command.

The attack leveled a high-rise apartment building in a crowded suburb and damaged a neighboring nursery, a security source said. The Lebanese health ministry said three children and seven women were among those killed.

Cross-border attacks continued Saturday, with Israeli warplanes carrying out some of the heaviest bombing in 11 months of fighting in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah claiming responsibility for rocket attacks on military targets in northern Israel.

The Israeli army said it hit about 180 targets, destroying thousands of rocket launchers.

Friday’s attack sharply escalated the conflict and dealt a further blow to Hezbollah after two days of attacks this week in which pagers and walkie-talkies used by members of the group were exploded.

The total death toll from these attacks rose to 39, with more than 3,000 injured.

It is widely believed that Israel was behind the attacks on communications facilities, which has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has canceled a planned trip to the UN General Assembly in New York.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he feared escalation but that Israel’s killing of a senior Hezbollah leader brought justice to the group that Washington considers terrorists.