Israel & Hezbollah exchange strikes, Israeli air strike kills 73 in northern Gaza according to local medics

Israel continued air strikes against targets in Lebanon and Gaza on Oct. 19, 2024, after rockets were fired into Israel from Lebanon, despite hopes that the killing of Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar could hasten an end to the military offensives.

Strikes on Lebanon

The BBC reported that Israel carried out at least 12 air strikes on Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, Israel's northern neighbour.

Plumes of smoke were seen over the southern suburbs of the city, where the "main base" of the terror group Hezbollah is located.

BBC reported that some of these strikes were preceded by evacuation warnings, but with not much time given, including one that purportedly lasted only a few minutes.

The strikes targeted "a number of Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and a Hezbollah intelligence headquarters command centre", said a spokesperson for the Israel military, according to Reuters.

Israel also targeted other areas within Lebanon, both BBC and Reuters reported.

A couple travelling on a highway near the town of Jounieh was reportedly tracked by a drone and killed by a missile strike after they abandoned their car to hide in the woods, according to Lebanon state-run media National News Agency. The identity of the couple was not revealed.

Another five were killed, including a local mayor, in the Bekaa Valley region of eastern Lebanon.

Rockets into Israel, drone attack on Netanyahu's house

The strikes on Lebanon came after over "100 rockets" were fired into Israel from Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Force (IDF).

According to the Jerusalem Post, which said there were closer to 200 rockets, the strikes killed a 50-year-old Israeli man, Alexei Popov, in the city of Acre.

A drone also attacked the holiday home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the seaside town of Caesarea, the Guardian reported. Netanyahu was not in the house at the time.

He issued a statement calling it an "assassination attempt" and vowed to continue to "eliminate terrorists".

Gaza

Meanwhile, an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza killed 73 people, according to the medics of the local civil defence force and Hamas media, reported the Washington Post.

The strike hit the town of Beit Lahia near the Israeli border, collapsing at least one building.

The Post cited an Israeli military spokesperson, who said the strike was against a "Hamas terror target" and the area is "an active war zone."

The IDF also disputed the number of casualties reported by the local Gaza officials, saying the numbers were "exaggerated" and citing a "preliminary examination."

Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar on Oct. 17, 2024 (Singapore time), the purported mastermind behind the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks in Israel.

They have also assassinated Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader, on Sep. 27, 2024 (Singapore time).

Despite these military successes, the fighting between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah does not appear to be ending anytime soon.

Top image from Pixabay.