UK commandos 'are on standby to airlift injured British civilians out of Lebanon' with fears growing of an all-out war in the Middle East
British commandos are prepared to airlift injured British civilians out of Beirut after a top Hezbollah leader was killed in an Israeli strike.
British commandos are prepared to airlift injured British civilians out of Beirut after a top Hezbollah leader was killed in an Israeli strike.
Yesterday the Israel Defence Forces said that Ibrahim Aqil, the Head of Hezbollahs Operations Unit, was eliminated in a targeted intelligence-based strike in the Lebanese capital. Hezbollah confirmed that one of its great leaders was killed by Israeli fire.
At least 14 people were killed in the airstrike and dozens more have been wounded, according to Lebanese health officials.
The IDF claimed that Aqil alongside Radwan commanders intended to infiltrate Israeli communities and kidnap and murder innocent civilians in a similar manner to the October 7 Massacre.
But the Iranian embassy in Beirut has labelled the strike as Israeli madness that crossed all lines, edging the Middle East closer to the brink of all-out war.
Thick smoke rises above the southern suburbs of Beirut after an Israel strike on September 20, 2024
Residents and members of the military inspect the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon
Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged British citizens to leave Lebanon
A defence source told The Telegraph that the British military has been placed on high alert. They await orders from the government to pull Britons to safety from Lebanon. Two British ships in the region are also on standby.
The US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Jordan, and Turkey have also warned their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.
But this may prove to be difficult as several airlines, including Delta and Lufthansa, have pulled flights to Beirut amid the increasing tension between Israel and Hezbollah.
Around ten senior Hezbollah commanders had been killed along with Aqil, according to Israels military spokesperson, who added that their elimination was intended to protect the citizens of Israel and that his country was not seeking regional escalation.
In a statement, Hezbollah described Akil as a great jihadist leader and said he had joined the procession of his brothers, the great martyr leaders, after a blessed life full of jihad, work, wounds, sacrifices, dangers, challenges, achievements, and victories.
Pictures have emerged showing a huge crater where a building was razed in the southern Daniyeh suburb - a Hezbollah stronghold which is also a residential area with tightly-packed blocks of flats.
It marks the first such attack on the Lebanese capital in months, with previous strikes on the same area killing former chief commander Fuad Shukr on July 30 and Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri on January 2.
The target in the strike was Hezbollah operations manager Ibrahim Aqil, Israeli media reports citing security sources
People gather at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024
Residents look on as rescuers arrive at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday
Crowds gather at the site of an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 20, 2024
Smoke rises from Beirut southern suburbs, Lebanon September 20, 2024
Ambulances carry injured people after an Israeli strike in Beirut, Lebanon, 20 September 2024
The clandestine bomb attacks saw scores of Hezbollah members severely injured throughout southern Lebanon and in its capital Beirut
News of the attack broke around the same time as Hezbollah launched 140 rockets into Israel in retaliation for overnight bombing raids, with the militant group saying it had attacked the countrys main intelligence headquarters in the north.
Hezbollah said its attacks had targeted several Israeli military sites along the border with Katyusha rockets, including multiple air defense bases as well as the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade they said theyd struck for the first time.
Tensions are soaring in the region following the deadly sabotage attacks on thousands of Hezbollah fighters pagers and walkie talkies, which the militant group and its backers Iran attributed to Israel, vowing revenge against their joint enemy.
Lebanons foreign minister warned the U.N. Security Council that if it doesnt condemn this weeks deadly explosions and name Israel as the perpetrator a Pandoras Box will be opened, and governments and extremists will target and kill civilians with similar communications devices.
Abdallah Bouhabib accused Israel on Friday of terrorizing the entire Lebanese population on streets, in markets and their homes where exploding pagers, two-way radios and other electronic devices reportedly killed 37 people and injured more than 3,400 others.
He held up a photo of a mangled and bloodied hand, telling ambassadors from the 15 council nations: Look at the ugliness of what has happened in this picture.
Israels U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the Lebanese minister for not mentioning Hezbollah, which started launching near daily attacks against Israel from Lebanon the day after Hamas Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel. Many victims of the explosions were its supporters.
The Lebanese people are trapped in the grip of this terrorist organization, Danon said.
Emergency service vehicles block the road near the scene of the airstrike in Beirut
Rescuers work at the scene of an Israeli missile strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut
People stand near an ambulance where those wounded by the airstrike are being treated
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib, right, shakes hands with Commissioner-General of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini in Beirut on September 17
Israels U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon (right) criticized the Lebanese minister for not mentioning Hezbollah
Before the council meeting, he was asked by reporters about speculation Israel was behind the explosions. We are not commenting on the specific attacks you mentioned, but I can tell you that we will do everything we will do everything we can to target those terrorists to minimize casualties for civilians, he replied.
In Gaza, Palestinian authorities said 15 people were killed overnight in Israeli attacks.
Gazas Health Ministry says more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war.
The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count but says a little over half of those killed were women and children.
Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
