Explosions in the Middle East

Hezbollah covers northern Israel with 150 rockets

There were explosions in the south of Beirut on Friday afternoon.

(Bild: AP/Bilal Hussein)

Hezbollah has vowed retaliation against Israel following the waves of explosions in Lebanon. A first phase of the counter-attack apparently began early Friday afternoon. Israel's response was not long in coming - and apparently took out a high-ranking Hezbollah officer.

The Israeli army announced in a statement that around 60 rockets had been fired from Lebanon at the northern Israeli town of Sefad. Further missiles followed in a second and third wave. A total of 140 rockets were fired in the direction of Israel, initially there was talk of 150, but most of them were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas.

According to the Israeli fire and rescue service, small fires broke out after the rocket fire from Lebanon. The firefighting teams are on site.

Israel increases the pressure
The Israeli air force had previously bombarded Lebanon with heavy bombardments. Lebanese security circles spoke of one of the heaviest waves of Israeli attacks since the beginning of the mutual bombardment in October. 

Hezbollah declared that it had fired "volleys of Katyusha rockets" at at least six "army headquarters" and bases in retaliation for the Israeli airstrikes.

Israel targets Beirut
On Friday afternoon, the Israeli military responded with further air strikes. This time also in the south of Beirut, as videos on social media suggest. Two explosions were reportedly heard. According to reports, a high-ranking Hezbollah officer was targeted. The head of the elite unit of the Shia militia, Ibrahim Aqil, was killed in the strike, reports the AFP news agency.

Ibrahim Aqil was one of the founding members of Hezbollah and was particularly active in the military wing of the Shiite organization. The USA had put a bounty of seven million dollars (6.27 million euros) on his head. Israel had already tried to eliminate Aqil in the early 1990s.

"My whole house shook," one resident told the German Press Agency (dpa). There was panic in the streets. Several ambulances were deployed. According to local media, several people are said to have died in the explosions in the south of the Lebanese capital, although the figures vary widely.

A rocket apparently struck in the south of Beirut.

(Bild: AFP/Anwar AMRO)

People carry a person out of the damaged building.

(Bild: AP/Bilal Hussein)

The military action increases concerns about a possible Israeli ground offensive in the south of the neighboring country. The Jewish state wants to push Hezbollah, which denies Israel's right to exist, out of the border area again in order to guarantee the safety of its citizens in the north.

Civilians should seek protection
Following the heavy fighting, the Israeli army called on residents of several communities and towns in northern Israel to stay close to air raid shelters. Civilians should also stay away from military training areas in the north over the weekend.

The military will carry out "activities" there, and unauthorized persons' lives are in danger. "It is possible that shots and explosions will be heard in nearby villages," said an army statement.

Rocket attacks occur almost daily in the Israeli-Lebanese border area.

(Bild: AFP/AMMAR AMMAR)

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has come to a head since countless pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the Shiite militia exploded simultaneously on Tuesday and Wednesday. The devices exploded in two waves, killing 37 people and injuring almost 3,000 others. The pro-Iranian militia blames Israel for the attacks.

Blue helmets sound the alarm
In view of the heavy fighting on the Israeli-Lebanese border, the UN observer mission UNIFIL, in which the Austrian Armed Forces are also involved, called for de-escalation on Friday morning. "We are concerned about the increasing escalation across the Blue Line and call on all actors to de-escalate immediately," UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told the Reuters news agency, referring to the border line between Lebanon and Israel.

Over the past twelve hours, there has been a "strong intensification of hostilities" in the UNIFIL area of operations, the spokesperson said.

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) also expressed his "deep concern" about the latest developments in Lebanon on Thursday. "The consequences of a further escalation would be devastating for the entire region," the minister emphasized on X. "The security of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force must be guaranteed at all times!"