Israel’s military conducted multiple air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight in one of its heaviest bombardments on the Lebanese capital in an intensifying campaign against armed group Hizbollah.
Residents across Beirut heard several large blasts, and flames and large plumes of smoke were seen rising from the southern suburb of Dahiyeh in the early hours of Friday.
Unconfirmed Israeli media reports suggested the strike targeted Hashem Safieddine, the heir apparent to Hassan Nasrallah, the Hizbollah leader killed in a massive strike on Dahiyeh last week. Safieddine, a fellow cleric and cousin of Nasrallah, was thought to have been groomed for the job in recent years. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.