06 May 2026 , 19:58
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Israel’s military has launched strikes in Beirut, targeting a senior Hezbollah commander, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
The strike was the first to hit Beirut’s suburbs since the April 16 ceasefire, although hostilities in the south of Lebanon have not halted.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X: "I instructed, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, to strike now in Beirut the commander of the Radwan Force in the terrorist organization Hezbollah in order to neutralize him.
"Radwan terrorists are responsible for firing at Israeli settlements and harming IDF soldiers.
"No terrorist has immunity - Israel’s long arm will reach every enemy and murderer.
"We promised to bring security to the residents of the north - this is how it’s done and this is how it will be done!"
Images posted online show extensive damage near the building that was hit in the area known as Dahieh.
The strikes come as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it is premature to talk of any high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel.
Salam, in comments reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) on Wednesday, said shoring up a ceasefire would be the basis for any new round of negotiations that might be held by Lebanese and Israeli government envoys in Washington.
Washington last month hosted two meetings between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States.
Hezbollah strongly objects to the contacts.
Politics Editor