Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli military HQ in Tel Aviv

The conflict intensifies as Hezbollah targets Tel Aviv, while Israel conducts airstrikes in Beirut suburbs.

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Lebanon's resistance group Hezbollah said on Wednesday that it had launched an attack on Tel Aviv's Hakirya military base, for the first time with drones, however there were no warning sirens heard and no immediate reports of any impact in a busy area of the city.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Hezbollah's statement and no warning sirens were heard by a Reuters reporter in the city or reported by the military in Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah had made no further claims about any outcome around a hour after it first reported it had launched the attack.

The base, which is the military and government's centre in Tel Aviv, hosts the headquarters of several military entities including the war cabinet. It is situated in a busy area in the city next to a large shopping mall and a train station.

Israel airstrikes kill 23 in largest daytime assault in Beirut

Hezbollah claimed its forces killed over 100 Israeli soldiers, and reported 55 projectiles fired into Israel

Earlier this week, Israeli military launched extensive airstrikes on southern Beirut, delivering one of its most significant daytime assaults on Hezbollah-controlled areas, along with attacks on central Lebanon that resulted in at least 23 fatalities.

Smoke filled the skies over Beirut as approximately twelve airstrikes hit southern suburbs. After issuing warnings on social media, the Israeli military reported targeting Hezbollah’s weapon and missile facilities in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, claiming substantial destruction of the group’s infrastructure.

In northern Israel, two people were killed in Nahariya when a residential building was hit by an attack; later, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a drone assault targeting a military base near the city.

Israelis across the north sought shelter due to continued drone attacks, with one drone landing in a kindergarten yard in a Haifa suburb.

The ongoing violence has led many Beirut residents to abandon the southern suburbs since the bombings began in September.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, Israeli operations over the past year have resulted in at least 3,287 deaths in Lebanon, with the majority occurring within the last seven weeks. The ministry’s records do not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties.

Hezbollah’s retaliatory attacks over the past year have killed approximately 100 civilians and military personnel in northern Israel, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon.

Pursuit of a ceasefire

The United States has continued efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Lebanon. The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden remains hopeful for a resolution within its remaining months.

White House envoy Amos Hochstein told reporters on Tuesday that there is a “chance” of achieving a truce in Lebanon soon, in contrast to peace efforts in Gaza, where Qatar has suspended its mediation role.

Similarly, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar commented on Monday about “some progress” in ceasefire discussions regarding Lebanon.

Despite these efforts, Israel’s new Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that there would be no ceasefire in Lebanon until Israel meets its objectives, which include disarming Hezbollah and enabling evacuated Israelis to safely return to their homes in northern Israel.

The Lebanese government, which includes Hezbollah members, has repeatedly appealed for a ceasefire grounded in a UN resolution that ended the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel