Four killed in Israeli strike on Beirut, Lebanon says, despite ceasefire
An Israeli air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs has killed four people, Lebanon's health ministry says, putting further pressure on a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
The strike also injured seven people, the health ministry said.
The attack was the second on the Dahieh area, where Hezbollah has a strong presence, in recent days, despite the truce that came into force in November.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a Hezbollah operative who had helped Hamas plan an attack against Israeli civilians. There has been no reaction from Hezbollah.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, calling it a dangerous warning.
The Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it was a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire.
The strike happened in the middle of the night, without a warning, and images from the scene show the top three floors of an apartment building had been damaged.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) said in a statement that the military conducted a strike in the Dahieh.
The Israeli military said it had struck and killed Hezbollah operative Hassan Ali Mahmoud Bdeir who had "recently directed Hamas operatives and assisted them in planning a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians".
"Due to the immediate threat" posed, the military said it "acted to eliminate him and removed the threat".
The military added that Hezbollah's activity "constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon" and said it would "continue to operate to prevent any threat posed to the civilians of the State of Israel".
Lebanon's health ministry said four people were killed in the strike, including one woman.
Last Friday, Israel carried out its first attack on Beirut since the ceasefire came into force, putting an end to more than 13 months of conflict with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia and political movement.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77nxzl3zj8o
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