BEIRUT (AP) 鈥� Israel launched a in a densely populated southern Beirut neighborhood on Friday. It was the deadliest such strike on Lebanon鈥檚 capital in decades, with Lebanese authorities reporting at least 14 people killed and dozens more wounded in the attack.
The Israeli military鈥檚 chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the strike on Beirut's southern Dahiya district killed Ibrahim Akil, a commander of Hezbollah鈥檚 elite Radwan Force, as well as 10 other Hezbollah operatives.
鈥淲e will continue pursuing our enemies in order to defend our citizens, even in Dahiya, in Beirut,鈥� said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, describing the Israeli strike that targeted Akil as
Several hours later, Hezbollah confirmed Akil's death. In a statement, the Lebanese militant group described Akil as 鈥渁 great jihadist leader鈥� and said he had 鈥渏oined the procession of his brothers, the great martyr leaders, after a blessed life full of jihad, work, wounds, sacrifices, dangers, challenges, achievements, and victories.鈥�
Akil served on Hezbollah鈥檚 highest military body, the Jihad Council. He was sanctioned by the United States for his alleged involvement in the 1983 bombing that killed more than 300 people at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and the U.S. Marine Corps barracks.
Last year, the U.S. State Department posted a $7 million reward for information leading to his identification, location, arrest or conviction, citing his role in the embassy bombing and in the taking of American and German hostages in Lebanon in the 1980s.
The strike came as a new cycle of escalation between the enemies raised fears of a full-out war erupting in the Middle East.
Hours before the Israeli strike, Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets as the region awaited over this week鈥檚 belonging to members of the Shiite militant group.
The Israeli military did not provide the identities of the other Hezbollah commanders allegedly killed in its strike on the crowded neighborhood just kilometers from downtown Beirut.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 14 people were killed and 66 others were wounded in the attack, which leveled the apartment building where the Israeli army claimed Akil had been meeting with other militants in the basement. Nine of the wounded were in serious condition, the ministry added.
Local networks in Lebanon broadcast footage showing first responders sifting through the rubble of a collapsed high-rise in the Jamous area in the heart of Dahiya, where Hezbollah conducts many of its political and security operations.
The rescue operation continued into the late hours of Friday, hours after the attack, as first responders wrestled to remove the rubble to reach the basement of the building where apparently many of the bodies were located.
Friday's airstrike 鈥� the deadliest such attack on a neighborhood of Beirut since Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody, monthlong war in 2006 鈥� hit during rush hour, as people were leaving work and children heading home from school.
At Beirut's St. Therese Hospital near the scene of the airstrike, crowds flocked to donate blood for those wounded in the attack.
鈥淲e are all together in this situation, so it鈥檚 my obligation,鈥� said Hussein Harake, who lined up to donate blood.
From Israel, Gallant said he briefed senior military officials on the strike and vowed Israel would press on against Hezbollah "until we achieve our goal, ensuring the safe return of Israel鈥檚 northern communities to their homes.鈥�
The strike came after Hezbollah launched one of its most intense bombardments of northern Israel in nearly a year of fighting, largely targeting Israeli military sites. Israel鈥檚 Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted most of the Katyusha rockets. The few that got through sparked small fires but caused little damage and no Israeli casualties.
Hezbollah described its latest wave of rocket salvos as a response to past Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon 鈥� not as revenge for the that killed at least 37 people - including two children - and wounded 2,900 others in attacks widely attributed to Israel.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in this week's sophisticated attacks, which signaled a major escalation in the past 11 months of simmering conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire regularly since ignited the Israeli military鈥檚 devastating offensive in Gaza. But previous that had been evacuated and less-populated parts of southern Lebanon.
The last time Israel hit Beirut was in a July airstrike that killed senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur.
鈥淭he attack in Lebanon is to protect Israel,鈥� Hagari said at a news conference following Friday's strike, describing both Shukr and Akil as the two military officials closest to Hezbollah leader Nasrallah.
Hagari also accused Akil of plotting a series of attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians dating back decades, including a never-realized plan to invade northern Israel in a similar way to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks.
After Friday's Israeli airstrike, Hezbollah announced attacks on northern Israel, two of which it said targeted an intelligence base from where it claimed Israel directed assassinations.
Israel remains on edge, with Nasrallah vowing Thursday to keep up strikes on Israel despite the humiliating 鈥渂low鈥� he said Hezbollah suffered in the sabotage of its communication devices.
鈥淲e are in a tense period,鈥� Hagari told reporters Friday. 鈥淲e are prepared on high alert both offensively and defensively.鈥�
In recent days, Israel has sent a powerful fighting force to the northern border, designated as an official war goal the return of tens of thousands of displaced residents to their homes in northern Israel and ordered citizens near Israel's border with Lebanon to stay close to bomb shelters. Hezbollah has maintained that it will only halt its fire when there is a cease-fire in Gaza.
Hamas, which continues to fight Israel in Gaza, condemned the Israeli strike targeting Akil as a 鈥渘ew crime鈥� and 鈥渧iolation of Lebanese sovereignty.鈥�
Even as the world's attention turns to the surge in Israel-Hezbollah tensions, Palestinian continued to mount.
Palestinian health authorities early Friday reported that 15 people, including children, were killed in Israeli strikes that targeted a family home and a group of people on the street in Gaza City. Israel's campaign in Gaza has already killed at least , according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry, which .
In response to a request for comment on the latest Gaza strikes, the Israeli military insisted on Friday that it took 鈥渇easible precautions to mitigate civilian harm鈥� and accused Hamas of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas.
Israel's bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip 鈥� launched in response to Hamas killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage in southern Israel on Oct. 7 鈥� has wreaked vast destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza鈥檚 population of 2.3 million.
___ Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut; Fatma Khaled in Cairo; Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Bassam Hatoum in Beirut and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Bassem Mroue And Julia Frankel, The Associated Press
