A uncommon Israeli strike on central Beirut kills Hezbollah’s spokesman, official says : NPR

BEIRUT — A uncommon Israeli airstrike on central Beirut killed Hezbollah’s chief spokesman on Sunday, an official with the militant group stated. Earlier, officers stated Israeli strikes killed at the least 12 folks within the Gaza Strip, the place Israel has been at conflict with the Palestinian Hamas for over a yr.

The newest in focused killings of senior Hezbollah officers got here as Lebanese officers thought of a United States-led cease-fire proposal. Israel additionally bombed a number of buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the place Hezbollah has lengthy been headquartered, after warning folks to evacuate.

Mohammed Afif, the top of media relations for Hezbollah, was killed in a strike on the Arab socialist Baath occasion’s workplace in central Beirut, based on a Hezbollah official who was not approved to temporary reporters and spoke on situation of anonymity.

Afif had been particularly seen after all-out conflict erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in September and the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike. Final month, Afif unexpectedly wrapped up a press convention in Beirut forward of Israeli strikes.

Screams in central Beirut

There was no Israeli evacuation warning earlier than the strike in central Beirut. An Related Press photographer on the scene noticed 4 our bodies and 4 wounded folks, however there was no official phrase on the toll. Folks might be seen fleeing. There was no remark from the Israeli army.

“I was asleep and awoke from the sound of the strike, and people screaming, and cars and gunfire,” stated Suheil Halabi, a witness. “I was startled, honestly. This is the first time I experience it so close.”

The final Israeli strike in central Beirut was on Oct. 10, when 22 folks have been killed in two places.

Hezbollah started firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel the day after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault ignited the conflict in Gaza. Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon and the battle steadily escalated, erupting into conflict in September. Israeli forces invaded Lebanon on Oct. 1.

Hezbollah has continued to fireplace dozens of projectiles into Israel every day and has expanded their vary to central Israel. The assaults have killed at the least 76 folks, together with 31 troopers, and precipitated some 60,000 folks to flee within the north. A rocket barrage on the northern metropolis of Haifa on Saturday broken a synagogue and wounded two civilians.

Greater than 3,400 folks have been killed in Lebanon, based on the nation’s Well being Ministry, and over 1.2 million pushed from their houses. It isn’t recognized how most of the lifeless are Hezbollah fighters.

Lebanon’s military, largely on the sidelines, stated an Israeli strike on Sunday hit a army middle in southeastern Al-Mari, killing a soldier and wounding three others. There was no fast Israeli remark.

In a single day strikes in central Gaza kill 12

Israeli strikes killed six folks in Nuseirat and 4 in Bureij, two built-up refugee camps in central Gaza relationship again to the 1948 conflict surrounding Israel’s creation.

Two folks have been killed in a strike on Gaza’s foremost north-south freeway, based on Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital within the central metropolis of Deir al-Balah, which obtained all 12 our bodies.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas started after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7. final yr, killing about 1,200 folks — largely civilians — and abducting round 250 others. Round 100 hostages stay in Gaza, a few third believed to be lifeless.

The Well being Ministry in Gaza says round 43,800 Palestinians have been killed within the conflict. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants however has stated girls and youngsters make up greater than half the fatalities.

Round 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million Palestinians have been displaced, and huge areas of the territory have been flattened by Israeli bombardment and floor operations.

Pope Francis has known as for an investigation to find out if Israel’s assaults in Gaza represent genocide, based on excerpts launched Sunday from an upcoming e book.

3 arrested after flares fired at Netanyahu’s house

Israeli police arrested three suspects after two flares have been fired in a single day at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s non-public residence within the coastal metropolis of Caesarea.

Netanyahu and his household weren’t there, authorities stated. A drone launched by Hezbollah struck the residence final month, additionally when Netanyahu and his household have been away.

The police didn’t present particulars concerning the suspects, however officers pointed to home political critics of Netanyahu. Israel’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, warned towards “an escalation of the violence in the public sphere.”

Netanyahu has confronted months of mass protests. Critics blame him for the safety and intelligence failures that allowed the Oct. 7 assault to occur and for not reaching a take care of Hamas to launch hostages.

Israeli minister seems to be to revive judiciary overhaul

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin seized on the flare assault to name for a revival of his plans to overtake the judiciary, which had sparked months of mass protests earlier than the conflict.

“The time has come to provide full support for the restoration of the justice system and the law enforcement systems, and to put an end to anarchy, rampage, refusal and attempts to harm the prime minister,” he stated in a press release.

Supporters stated the judiciary modifications intention to strengthen democracy by circumscribing the authority of unelected judges and turning over extra powers to elected officers. Opponents see the overhaul as an influence seize by Netanyahu, who’s on trial on corruption fees and for an assault on a key watchdog.

Many Israelis imagine the interior divisions attributable to the tried overhaul had weakened the nation forward of the Hamas assault.

Opposition Chief Yair Lapid stated on X that he strongly condemns the firing of flares whereas blasting Levin’s proposal.

“We will not let him turn Israel into an undemocratic state,” Lapid wrote.