Israel launched a rare strike on Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik, killing Hezbollah’s chief of staff Haytham Tabtabai along with four others and injuring 25. Israel’s Defense Minister vowed continued forceful action, while Hezbollah warned of retaliation.
The ceremony at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium drew delegations from 70 countries, including Iran, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed.
In a video address on Saturday, Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces are dismantling Hezbollah's tunnel network near the border. "While the threat isn't entirely gone, we've shifted the conflict's balance," he said. "Around a month ago, as we were finishing the dismantling of Hamas battalions in Gaza, we began fulfilling my promise to northern Israel's residents."
Among those reportedly present was Hashem Safieddine, a cousin and potential successor to the recently assassinated Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The strikes on Thursday caused powerful explosions that shook buildings across Beirut, reverberating throughout the densely populated Dahyia neighborhood.
The IDF elaborated that the operations focused on targets located in villages near the border, which pose an "immediate threat" to northern Israeli communities.
Naim Kassem said in a televised statement Monday that if Israel decides to launch a ground offensive, Hezbollah fighters are ready to fight and defend Lebanon
The South Governorate suffered the highest casualties, with 48 dead and 168 injured in Ain Al-Delb and Tyre, according to the Ministry's statement on Sunday. These attacks followed a Friday airstrike on Beirut's densely populated southern suburbs, which killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group, involved in nearly a year of cross-border conflict with Israel.
The exhumation of the Hezbollah leader's intact body has led to growing speculation that Nasrallah died from suffocation in severe agony, Channel 12 News reported Sunday evening. According to Saudi Al Hadath news channel, the lack of ventilation in the area allowed gases from Air Force bombings to enter the room, ultimately causing his death by suffocation.
