Israeli aeroplanes this morning bombed the international airport of Beirut in a wave of raids in retaliation for the killing of eight Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of another two by Hezbollah militias on the border between Lebanon and Israel. The bombs left four craters on the runways, forcing the airport to close and to divert flights to Larnaca (Cyprus).
Lebanon’s only international airport has been hit, Israel’s military last month warned it could strike there to stop weapons transfers to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, which has been launching daily attacks on Israel for over a year.
Before attacking the airport, Israeli planes conducted a series of raids against Hezbollah bases, bridges and roads in south Lebanon. According to figures supplied by the Lebanese police, this morning’s attacks in the south killed 27 civilians, including 10 children. Hezbollah launched missiles in northern Israel.
An Israeli army spokesman justified the attack on the airport, saying it has been used to transport arms and provisions to Hezbollah.
The airport of Beirut has not come under attack for around 10 years. It became a symbol of Lebanon’s renewal after the civil war, and was dedicated to Rafic Hariri, the prime minister who was killed in February 2005.
Yesterday, the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the capture and killing of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah as an “act of war” and held Lebanon responsible. But the Lebanese Premier, Fouad Siniora, has denied all responsibility and knowledge of the Hezbollah operations.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid Israel’s war there against fellow Iranian proxy Hamas.
Some 60,000 residents were evacuated from northern towns on the Lebanon border shortly after Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, amid fears Hezbollah would carry out a similar attack, and increasing rocket fire by the terror group.
The attacks on northern Israel over the last year have resulted in the deaths of 29 civilians. In addition, 43 IDF soldiers and reservists have died in cross-border skirmishes and in the ensuing ground operation launched in southern Lebanon in late September.
Two soldiers have been killed in a drone attack from Iraq, and there have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
Hezbollah has named 516 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. Another 94 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have also been killed.
These numbers have not been consistently updated since Israel began the new offensive against Hezbollah in September.
The IDF estimates that more than 1,500 Hezbollah operatives have been killed in the conflict.
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