Hezbollah Fires Ballistic Missile At Mossad Base Near Tel Aviv: Top Developments

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Ibrahim Mohammed Kobeissi’s killing marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The strike, which targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in the Ghobeiri region, also resulted in the deaths of other leaders and multiple casualties. This event comes amid increased cross-border clashes and a series of bombings in Lebanon.

Hezbollah Fires Ballistic Missile At Mossad Base Near Tel Aviv: Top Developments
The strike, which targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in the Ghobeiri region, also resulted in the deaths of other leaders and multiple casualties

Hezbollah fired a ballistic missile towards Israeli spy agency Mossad’s headquarters near Tel Aviv Wednesday, saying that the assassination of its leaders and the explosion of pagers and wireless devices were planned there. This is the first time that the Iran-backed group has claimed a ballistic missile strike since its nearly year-long battle with Israel began after Hamas carried out its October 7 attack.

The attack came after the head of Hezbollah’s missile division was killed in an Israeli airstrike Tuesday, delivering yet another massive blow to the Iran-backed militant group. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed his death, stating that Qubaisi had been a key figure in Hezbollah’s missile capabilities for decades.

Earlier Wednesday, Israel had said it intercepted a missile fired from Lebanon after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.

“The Islamic Resistance launched a ‘Qader 1’ ballistic missile at 6:30 am (0330 GMT) on Wednesday, 25-9-2024, targeting the Mossad headquarters in the outskirts of Tel Aviv,” Hezbollah said in a statement.

Here are the Top Updates on this big story:

  1. Ibrahim Qubaisi had joined the Hezbollah in the 1980s and held several significant military roles within the organisation, including its missile and rocket unit. “Qabisi was struck alongside additional central commanders of Hezbollah’s missiles and rockets force,” the military said in a statement.
  2. The airstrike were launched after Hezbollah launched approximately 300 rockets at northern Israeli cities including Haifa, Safed, and Nazareth.
  3. In addition to Qubaisi, at least two other high-ranking Hezbollah commanders were eliminated in the strike. IDF claimed that these commanders were involved in Hezbollah’s missile operations.
  4. Hezbollah described Qubaisi as a martyr “on the road to Jerusalem,” a term they use for fighters killed by Israeli forces.
  5. Qubaisi played a crucial role in Hezbollah’s strategic military operations. He played a key role in Hezbollah’s 2000 Mount Dov operation in which three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and killed.
  6. The Israeli airstrike on the Dahiyeh suburb also killed six civilians and injured 15 others, according to Lebanese Health Ministry.
  7. The recent escalation has led to growing concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war involving multiple fronts in the Middle East, drawing in Iran-backed groups from Yemen and Iraq.
  8. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders that Lebanon was “at the brink” and warned against allowing the country to turn into “another Gaza,” a day after Israeli strikes killed more than 550 people there.
  9. US President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has urged both sides to avoid escalating the conflict.
  10. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has however remained defiant, vowing to continue striking Hezbollah’s military targets in Lebanon