Israel kills top Hezbollah commander in Beirut attack

Israel bombed a residential building in Beirut’s southern Dahiya district on Friday killing nine people and wounding 59 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health as of the time of writing. The Israeli army announced in a statement shortly after the attack that the strike had targeted one of Hezbollah’s top military commanders, Ibrahim Aqil.

The targeted building was located in a crowded residential and commercial area, which was sealed off by the Lebanese army and security forces as rescue teams rushed to the scene to begin rescue efforts. The Lebanese Civil Defense reported that two buildings had collapsed in the al-Jamous neighborhood in Beirut’s district.

Following today’s most recent bombing, the White House said in a statement that Washington had no prior knowledge of Israel’s intention to bomb the Lebanese capital. Lebanon’s Prime Minister said that “the bombing of a civilian residential area demonstrates that Israel gives no importance to human, legal, or moral imperatives.”