Beirut has endured the worst night of bombings since the Israeli attacks began in Lebanon. The target of the bombings is the cleric Hashem Safi al Din, mentioned as the likely successor to the former Hezbollah leader, Hasan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli bombing on September 27, as reported by The Times of Israel.
The Israeli Army continued to bomb Hezbollah targets in Beirut in the last 24 hours, including its historic center for the second time in a year of clashes.
Additionally, the Lebanese border crossing of Masnaa with Syria has been practically destroyed after an Israeli attack on Friday morning. The road that hundreds of thousands of people have used in recent days to flee Israeli bombings has been cut off, as reported by the Lebanese Minister of Transport.
Meanwhile, about twenty rockets were launched on Friday from Lebanon into northern Israel, most of which were intercepted, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
Oil continues to rise over 1% awaiting Israel's response to Iran's attack
Oil futures continued to rise on Friday after surging more than 5% yesterday, following President Joe Biden's acknowledgment that his government was in talks with Israel to outline the response that the Israeli state will give to the Iranian missile attack on October 1.
Amid uncertainty about potential retaliations, the Brent barrel, a European benchmark, rose by 1.24% around 13:00 Spanish peninsular time, reaching $78.58 (¤71.26), while its American counterpart, Texas West Intermediate, reached $74.67 (¤67.71), up by 1.30%.
Israel confirms the death of another Hezbollah commander in the Beirut bombing yesterday
The Israeli Army announced on Friday the death of the head of Hezbollah's communications unit, Muhammad Rashid Safaki, in the bombing carried out in Beirut, both in the southern suburbs and in its historic center on Thursday night.
"Muhammad Rashid Safaki was a senior Hezbollah terrorist, responsible for the communications unit since 2000," stated a military statement, linking Safaki "closely" with the organization's top officials.
The Israeli armed forces attribute to him the efforts to ensure the continuous flow of information within the pro-Iranian group, as well as the development, maintenance, and use of communication networks among its members in both routine operations and emergencies.
Iranian Foreign Minister announces in Beirut a diplomatic campaign to support Lebanon
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, reaffirmed on Friday his support for Lebanon during a meeting in Beirut with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, informing him that Tehran will initiate a diplomatic campaign for this purpose, as reported by Efe.
"Iran will launch a diplomatic campaign to support Lebanon and will request a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation," said the Iranian Foreign Minister during the meeting, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah claims to have killed Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon in response to the invasion
The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah claimed on Friday that they launched artillery shells at a concentration of Israeli soldiers stationed in a town in southern Lebanon, resulting in "dead and wounded" in response to Israel's invasion, as reported by Efe.
"In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, and in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli invasion (...) the mujahideen (fighters) of the Islamic Resistance attacked at 11:00 local time (08:00 GMT) today a force of vehicles and Israeli enemy soldiers in the Maroun al Ras plain with artillery shells," according to a statement from the group.
102 healthcare workers killed in Lebanon by Israeli offensive
At least 102 healthcare workers have been killed, including three nurses, and another 225 have been injured as a result of the Israeli campaign against the Mediterranean country that began last week, reported the Lebanese Nursing Council on Friday, as informed by Efe.
The council's president, Abir Alame, also highlighted that at least nine hospitals in the country have been targeted since the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Shiite Hezbollah group in the last two weeks.