Smoke rises from where the PFLP headquarters once stood (video snippet)

Israeli Airstrikes Devastate Beirut, Killing PFLP Leaders

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The Judean Staff
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In the early hours of Monday, central Beirut witnessed the first major Israeli airstrike in nearly a year of conflict, leveling a multistory residential building. This strike marks a significant intensification in Israel’s military operations as it not just continues to target Hezbollah’s command infrastructure in Lebanon, but is seemingly going after other terror groups that have used the once glorious country to foment terror. Israeli air raids had already wreaked havoc across Hezbollah's infrastructure scattered throughout Lebanon, killing dozens and dealing heavy blows to the Iranian proxy's leadership, including the elimination of its iconic leader, Hassan Nasrallah. It is worthwhile to note that Lebanon has allowed itself to be overrun with terror groups who operate openly and with little to no pushback from Lebanese authorities.

The Strike That Shook Beirut

According to on-the-ground reports, the airstrike obliterated an apartment building in a bustling Sunni district of Beirut. Videos circulated by local media show emergency responders frantically pulling victims from the rubble, while crowds gathered, staring in shock at the scale of the destruction. Ambulances hurried to the scene, their sirens drowned out by the sounds of debris being cleared in hopes of finding survivors.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Palestinian Marxist faction with a smaller footprint in Lebanon, confirmed that three of its leaders, including military and security commanders, were killed in the strike. Though the PFLP has not been a key player in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the strike highlights the broad scope of Israel’s campaign in Lebanon, targeting militants regardless of factional lines.

Initial reports also claimed that a member of the Sunni militant group al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, which occasionally aligns with Hezbollah, was killed in the strike. However, the group has not confirmed these casualties. As the dust settles, the true human toll remains uncertain, with Lebanon’s Civil Defense reporting 16 people wounded in the blast.

Targeting Hamas and Hezbollah: A Wider Strategy

Israel’s warplanes did not stop at Beirut. In another deadly strike early Monday, Israeli jets targeted Hamas operatives in Lebanon’s Al-Buss refugee camp, situated in the southern port city of Tyre. Fatah Sharif, a Hamas commander, and his family were killed, adding to the mounting death toll of militant leaders who have been targeted across Lebanon.

This lethal air campaign comes just days after Israel’s most dramatic blow to Hezbollah’s leadership: the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the militant group’s leader and the figurehead of its rhetoric against Israel for decades. His death in Friday’s airstrike in southern Beirut sent shockwaves through Hezbollah, both politically and operationally. Ali Karaki, another senior Hezbollah commander, was also killed in the same strike, along with Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council. Kaouk, a veteran of Hezbollah since the 1980s, played a pivotal role in the 2006 war with Israel. His death, like that of Nasrallah’s, marks the fall of giants in Hezbollah’s leadership.

Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in Lebanon and Israel's arch-foe, is reeling from this relentless series of strikes, which Israel claims have significantly weakened its command structure. The Israeli military proudly asserts that all but one of the group's top 30 leaders have been eliminated, leaving a well-armed and trained military scrambling for balance.

Devastation Across Lebanon: Civilian Toll Climbs

The repercussions of Israel’s campaign extend far beyond Hezbollah. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported a staggering death toll, with at least 105 people killed in airstrikes across Lebanon on Sunday alone, moist of whom were militants. The strikes have pummeled civilian areas, including neighborhoods in Sidon, where two airstrikes claimed the lives of at least 32 people. In Baalbek Hermel, a northern province, 21 people were killed and 47 others wounded as Israeli jets blanketed the region with airstrikes. Israel has been targeting the many sites Hezbollah has used to launch attacks on its northern cities. Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on October 8th in solidarity with Hamas and in hopes that it would distract the Israel Defense Forces.

The imagery coming out of Sidon is riveting: a building swayed before collapsing under the weight of Israeli bombardment. Rescuers scrambled, but hope faded as a family trapped under the rubble could not be saved. The Lebanese Health Ministry further reported the deaths of 14 medics in southern Lebanon over the past two days, underscoring the severity of the situation on the ground. It is unclear if the medics were members of a terror group, however given the targets of Israel's attacks, it is likely that the emergency workers were members and possibly even combatants. The Judean will update this story once there is more clarification on the matter.

International Response: Calls for Ceasefire, but War Rages On

The international community has been shaken by the escalation of hostilities. U.S. President Joe Biden, while emphasizing that all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided, revealed on Sunday that he would soon be speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing situation. Biden’s administration, while vocal about the need to prevent further escalation, has tread carefully around the subject of Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah leaders. White House spokesperson John Kirby acknowledged that Israel’s strikes have effectively dismantled much of Hezbollah’s command, but he warned that the group would likely work swiftly to rebuild.

“We’re watching to see how Hezbollah reacts to this leadership vacuum,” Kirby said, while refraining from directly criticizing Israel’s approach. “But the world is safer without Nasrallah,” he added, reflecting the sentiment in Washington.

At the same time, Western diplomats continue to push for a 21-day temporary ceasefire, an idea floated by the U.S., France, and other nations during the recent U.N. General Assembly. However, Israel remains adamant that no ceasefire will take place unless Hamas halts its rocket fire from Gaza, a condition that appears unlikely to be met anytime soon.

Lebanon on the Brink: Civilian Exodus and Humanitarian Crisis

As Israeli jets unleash wave after wave of strikes, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has grown dire. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports that over 1,030 people, mostly Hezbollah members and affiliates, have been killed in less than two weeks of airstrikes. The strikes have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, with some estimates suggesting that up to a million have fled their homes. Around 250,000 have found refuge in shelters, while many more are crammed into the homes of friends and relatives or camping out on the streets, enduring the chaos of war.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has escalated dramatically since Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones into northern Israel following Hamas’ surprise attack out of Gaza on October 7. Hezbollah and Hamas, both backed by Iran, are part of what they call the "Axis of Resistance" against Israel and they are both designated as terror organizations by western nations. As the conflict grinds on, it raises the specter of a wider regional war, with repercussions stretching far beyond the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Conclusion: A Conflict with No End in Sight

As the skies over Lebanon remain filled with the roar of Israeli fighter jets, both sides of the conflict are showing no signs of backing down. Hezbollah’s response to the loss of its leadership has been ferocious, significantly ramping up its rocket fire into Israel. The Israeli military estimates that Hezbollah has fired several hundred rockets daily in the past week, though Israel’s air defense systems have intercepted most of them.

While Hezbollah and Hamas have made it clear that they are unwilling to cease their attacks until Israel halts its military operations in Gaza, Israel is just as determined to continue its strikes until it neutralizes the threat posed by these militant groups. As the world watches, the conflict teeters on the edge of an all-out regional war.

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