A senior Hezbollah official survived an Israeli assassination attempt on Thursday in Beirut, news agency Reuters reported citing security sources. The attack was part of a larger wave of Israeli airstrikes that killed 22 people, intensifying the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The airstrikes were some of the deadliest in over a year, levelling buildings in two neighbourhoods and injuring scores. Israeli attacks also endangered United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, triggering outrage and fresh accusations of violations of international law.
Wafiq Safa, the head of Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit, was the target of the Israeli assassination attempt but survived. Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV confirmed the assassination attempt failed, stating Safa was not inside the targeted buildings at the time of the strikes.
The attempted assassination of Safa, who handles the militant group’s security and political matters, signals Israel’s expanding focus on Hezbollah officials, moving beyond the group’s military commanders and top
