Israeli Military Says it Killed Senior Hezbollah Commander in Beirut

Smoke and flames rise over Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Smoke and flames rise over Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Israeli Military Says it Killed Senior Hezbollah Commander in Beirut

Smoke and flames rise over Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Smoke and flames rise over Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

The Israeli military eliminated Suhail Hussein Husseini, the commander of Hezbollah's headquarters, in a strike in the area of Beirut, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said Husseini was responsible for overseeing logistics, budget and management of the  group.

The military added that Husseini was involved in the transfer of advanced weapons from Iran and their distribution to different Hezbollah units, and that he was a member of the group’s military council.

On Monday, Iran-backed Hezbollah said it targeted a military base south of Haifa with "Fadi 1" missiles and launched another strike on Tiberias, 65 km away.

The armed group later said it also targeted areas north of Haifa with missiles. Israel's military said about 190 projectiles entered its territory on Monday. There were at least 12 injuries.

Israel's military said the air force was carrying out extensive bombings of Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed on Monday, taking the Israeli military death toll inside Lebanon to 11.

Israeli airstrikes have displaced 1.2 million people in Lebanon.

Israeli forces issued a warning in Arabic to beachgoers and boat users to avoid a stretch of the Lebanese coast, saying they would soon begin operations against Hezbollah from the sea.

Lebanon's health ministry reported dozens of deaths, including 10 firefighters killed in an airstrike on a municipal building in the border area. About 2,000 Lebanese have been killed since Hezbollah began firing at Israel a year ago in solidarity with Hamas, most killed in the past few weeks.

The Israeli military has described its ground operation in Lebanon as "localized, limited and targeted," but it has steadily increased in scale beginning last week.



France, Qatar Deliver Urgent Aid to Lebanon, Foreign Minister Says

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
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France, Qatar Deliver Urgent Aid to Lebanon, Foreign Minister Says

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)

France and Qatar delivered urgent humanitarian aid to Lebanon on Tuesday, France's foreign minister said, as Paris pushes for broader humanitarian efforts and a ceasefire in the country.

"If we don't do anything, then Lebanon tomorrow could resemble what Syria has become," Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers in parliament. "(That is), a hub of instability for smuggling, terrorism and a point of departure for a large migration of civilians seeking refuge in Europe."

French and Qatari military planes delivered some 27 metric tons of medicines and basic necessities, including blankets and hygiene kits, diplomatic sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Paris has historical ties with Lebanon and has been working with the United States in trying to secure a ceasefire in the Middle Eastern country. Those talks stalled at the end of September when Israel heavily bombed Beirut's southern suburbs, killing longtime Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

It has since launched a ground offensive displacing thousands of people. Tuesday's Franco-Qatari aid aims to support local aid groups to help the wounded and displaced.

The two sides must accept the ceasefire proposal, Barrot said, to "give peace and negotiations a chance to guarantee the sovereignty of Lebanon and security for Israel."

France is also working to put together a conference on Lebanon soon that will center around three pillars: humanitarian aid, reinforcing the Lebanese army and discussing the ongoing political vacuum in the country, Barrot said.