https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-lebanon-war-hezbollah-09-28-24/in... Here’s what we know so far:
Where: Strikes hit parts of Beirut, including the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a densely populated area with a strong Hezbollah presence, and where many of the group’s leadership is based. Israel later launched further strikes on southern Beirut, targeting what it said were stores of Hezbollah weapons. The militant group denied its arms were being stored in civilian buildings targeted by the strikes.
Main target: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of Israel’s strikes Friday, an Israeli official told CNN. Israel is working to verify whether he was killed, with a senior Israeli official saying it’s “too early to say” if Nasrallah is dead. Multiple Hezbollah commanders and operatives were killed in the strikes Friday, the Israeli military said.
Impact: At least six people were killed and 91 injured in the initial attack Friday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said, as thousands of displaced residents fled their homes. Six buildings were destroyed, state news agency NNA reported. Video from the immediate aftermath of the attack showed a massive crater that dwarfed rescuers navigating the rubble. The area hit appeared to be considerably larger than previous Israeli strikes on Beirut.
Weapons used: Images of the aftermath suggest 2,000-pound bombs were used in the strikes, a former US Army explosive ordnance disposal expert told CNN. “With the level of damage, it is hard to determine the exact munitions and amount, but likely multiple 2,000-pound bombs, Mk 84s, MPR-2000, or BLU-109 “bunker busters,” or a combination of them,” specialist Trevor Ball said.
What Lebanon says: Prime Minister Najib Mikati has urged the international community to help stop what he called Israeli “tyranny,” state news agency NNA reported Friday. “The new aggression proves that the Israeli enemy does not care about international efforts and calls for a ceasefire,” Mikati said.
Netanyahu’s movements: The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office shared an image of Benjamin Netanyahu approving strikes on Beirut. He is returning to Israel a day early from the UN General Assembly in New York, where he made a combative speech Friday.
Iran’s response: The Iranian embassy in Beirut said the Israeli attack Friday “changes the rules of the game.” It also warned that
Israel would be “punished”
for what Iran’s president described as a “flagrant war crime.”
US frustrated: Israel told the US it was taking military action only moments before the attacks — once the operation was already underway, one US official said. President Joe Biden later told reporters the US had “no knowledge of or participation in” the strikes. Top US officials were already furious this week after Netanyahu threw cold water on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal for Israel and Hezbollah, sources told CNN.