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A rare Israeli strike in central Beirut killed the Hezbollah militant group’s chief spokesman on Sunday, while an Israeli strike in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya killed at least 30 people, a hospital director there told The Associated Press.
Mohammed Afif al-Naboulsi was killed in a strike on the Arab socialist Baath party’s office in Beirut, Hezbollah confirmed in a statement.
He had been especially visible after all-out war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in September.
Israel’s military in a statement said he “wielded significant influence over Hezbollah’s military operations” and “glorified and incited” attacks on Israel.
It was the latest targeted killing of a senior Hezbollah official.
On Sunday night, another strike in central Beirut hit a computer shop, killing two people and wounding 22, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel’s military.
The strikes happened as Lebanese officials considered a United States-led cease-fire proposal.
“This confirms the crimes of the Israeli enemy, and that it wants to negotiate under fire and is expanding and targeting safe and safer areas,” said a Lebanese member of parliament, Faisal Al Sayegh.
Israel also bombed several buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has long been headquartered, after warning people to evacuate.
There was no Israeli evacuation warning before the strike near a busy intersection that killed Afif.
Four people were killed and 14 wounded including two children, the Health Ministry said.
“I was asleep and awoke from the sound of the strike, and people screaming, and cars and gunfire,” said witness Suheil Halabi.
After the second strike in central Beirut, firefighters struggled to control the blaze in the busy residential neighborhood of Mar Elias.
Bystanders said they heard a second explosion and a car nearby appeared to be hit.
Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack ignited the war in Gaza.
Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon and the conflict steadily escalated.
