Israel attacks ‘Hezbollah command post’, Iran warns it will respond

“We attacked the Hezbollah command post in the Dahiyeh area. This facility serves Hezbollah members in their efforts to attack the Israeli people and units of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operating in southern Lebanon. We will continue to eliminate all threats to Israel,” the IDF said today.

Video released by the IDF shows that the target is a high-rise building on a road with many vehicles. The explosion occurred on the middle floor, smoke and dust shot out from three sides of the building, but did not seem to cause the building to collapse.

Dahiyeh is a suburb south of the Lebanese capital Beirut, with a dense population. This area is considered a stronghold of Hezbollah, where the armed group concentrates its political and military apparatus.

The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) later reported that the place attacked was an apartment building on Ghobeiry Street in the suburb of Dahiyeh.

Mohammad Jafar Assadi, deputy head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, the Iranian military’s supreme command, warned that the Israeli airstrike “will be responded to”.

Iranian Parliament Chairman Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that the incident showed that the US “lacks the will or ability to fulfill its commitments” related to ending hostilities in Lebanon. “If they are not capable of implementing their commitments, maintaining dialogue on the current path is meaningless,” he said.

Reporter AFP said the structure was heavily damaged, with debris scattered all over the street. Locals are searching for survivors, many of whom appear panicked after the attack on the crowded neighborhood.

The operation took place after the IDF said that three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) suspected to be from Hezbollah attacked northern Israel, causing no casualties. On the same day, Hezbollah announced an attack on Israeli soldiers’ positions in southern Lebanon, but did not mention any activities targeting the neighboring country.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah broke out on March 2, when the armed group launched rockets into the neighboring country to avenge the death of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The conflict has so far left more than 3,700 people dead in Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon in April began direct negotiations in Washington to end hostilities, with the fifth round of discussions expected to take place later this month. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah have implemented the ceasefire announced in April.

Hezbollah rejected direct negotiations and denied the conditional ceasefire agreement announced in early June. This proposal required Hezbollah to stop attacking, but did not mention Israel making a similar move or withdrawing its troops from Lebanon.

On June 7, the IDF attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut after accusing Hezbollah of launching rockets against Israel. Iran then launched missiles to attack Israel in retaliation. Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to continue attacking Israel if the Lebanese capital is targeted.