The Israeli Defense Forces carried out a “precise strike” on the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, the IDF announced Friday.
IDF spokesperson Rear admiral Daniel Hagari said the headquarters were intentionally built under residential buildings “as part of Hezbollah’s strategy of using Lebanese people as human shields.”
Video and images show plumes of smoke rising over Beirut following the Israeli strikes.
Fox News has learned the target of the strike on Beirut was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah’s al-Manar television reported that four buildings were destroyed and there were many casualties in the multiple strikes, which marked a major escalation of Israel’s conflict with the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah.
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Security sources in Lebanon said the attack targeted an area where top Hezbollah officials are usually based. It was the heaviest attack in Beirut in almost a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
“On Oct. 8, Hezbollah started attacking Israel after almost a year of Hezbollah firing rockets, missiles and suicide drones at Israeli civilians,” Hagari said.
“After almost a year of Israel warning the world and telling them that Hezbollah must be stopped, Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they had a terror organization that seeks their destruction on their border, taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can leave their homes safely and securely.”
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