Israel strikes Beirut, targets senior Hezbollah official - media

Israel strikes in the center of Beirut. The target of the attack was a senior Hezbollah official, Wafik Safa.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to The Times of Israel.

According to the publication, the target of a large-scale IDF air strike in the center of Beirut this evening was the head of Hezbollah's communications and coordination unit, Wafik Safa.

What is known about Safa

In 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Safa, describing him as Hezbollah's interlocutor with Lebanese security forces.

“As the head of Hezbollah's security apparatus, directly linked to Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, Safa used Lebanese ports and checkpoints for smuggling and facilitated travel on behalf of Hezbollah, undermining the security of the Lebanese people and siphoning off valuable import duties and revenues from the Lebanese government,” the Treasury Department wrote at the time.

A Lebanese security source confirmed to Reuters that the Israeli strike in downtown Beirut targeted at least one senior Hezbollah figure.

This is the third such attack outside Beirut's southern suburbs since Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah last month.

As a reminder, the war between Israel and Hezbollah has been going on for over a year. Recently, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a ground operation against the militants, and troops entered Lebanon.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 11/10/2024