Israel conducted two rounds of air strikes on Hezbollah's main bastion in the south of Lebanon's capital Beirut, sending huge clouds of smoke soaring above the densely populated area. Friday's strikes were heard across the Mediterranean city and sparked panic in the residential area that has been the Iran-backed movement's main stronghold for decades. They were by far the fiercest strikes to hit Beirut since Israel shifted its focus from the war in Gaza to Lebanon this week, pounding Hezbollah strongholds around the country and killing hundreds of people.
Israeli television networks reported that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strike, though a source close to the group said he was "fine". Nasrallah enjoys cult status among his Shiite Muslim supporters and is the only man in Lebanon with the power to wage war or make peace, but he leads a life in hiding to avoid assassination. The Israeli army claimed early Saturday that its air strikes killed "Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah's missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy," as well as "other senior officials".
The strikes felt "like an earthquake", according to Ahmad Ahmad, who fled his house in the southern suburbs. A teacher in her 40s, Abir Hammoud, said: "I felt like the building was going to collapse on top of me." The strikes were followed by a second bombing hours later, which Israel's military said targeted Hezbollah weapons stored in buildings in the area, a claim the group .
