Israel targeted the head of Hezbollah's operations department, Muhammad Haydar, in a Friday night airstrike on Beirut, Israeli sources told KAN and Sky News Arabia on Saturday. Israeli security sources told the Saudi media source Al-Hadath that Haydar reportedly survived the attack.
Haydar, who is also referred to by his alias “Abu Ali,” is the commander of Hezbollah’s 910 unit, according to Maariv. He is considered to be Hezbollah’s most senior remaining figure after Israel eliminated the terror organization’s leaders.
The United States Federal Register lists Haydar as a specially designated global terrorist wanted by the United States. Al-Hadath reported that he has a $7 million bounty on his head. US State Department records show that he was designated on September 10, 2019.
A senior member of the Jihad Council, Haydar, was responsible for the military networks operating for Hezbollah outside Lebanon, according to the Alma Research and Education Center.
Before the reports of Haydar's targeting, security sources told Reuters that a powerful Israeli airstrike targeted central Beirut on Saturday, shaking the Lebanese capital as Israel pressed its offensive against Hezbollah.
Haydar was a member of the Lebanese Parliament from 2005-2009, N12 reported. He later reportedly became responsible for the group’s activities in Lebanon, including the transfer of weapons from Iran to Damascus.
Israel allegedly attempted to assassinate Haydar in 2019 but was unsuccessful.
At least four people were killed and 23 wounded in the attack in Beirut's Basta neighborhood, the Lebanese health ministry reported.
Lebanon's National News Agency said early on Saturday that the attack resulted in a large number of fatalities and injuries and destroyed an eight-story building. Footage broadcast by Lebanon's Al Jadeed station showed at least one destroyed building and several others badly damaged around it.
Saturday’s blasts shook the capital at around 4 a.m. and left a deep crater. Beirut smelled strongly of explosives for hours afterwards.
Rescuers searched through rubble, in an area of the city known for its antique shops.
It was the fourth Israeli airstrike this week targeting a central area of Beirut, in contrast to the bulk of Israel’s attacks on the capital region, which have hit the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike killed a Hezbollah media official in the Ras al-Nabaa district of central Beirut.
The strikes follow earlier evacuation warnings posted by IDF Arabic Spokesman Avichay Adraee to X/Twitter on Friday night. In it, he called for the evacuation of certain neighborhoods in Beirut, including Haret Hreik and Al-Ghobeiry.
Adraee warned residents that they were located near Hezbollah facilities and that the IDF would soon operate in these areas.
#عاجل إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في المناطق التالية: حارة حريكالغبيري⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب… pic.twitter.com/93TCJe5ZC0
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 22, 2024
He told residents to evacuate at least 500 meters away from these areas.
Fourth strike this week
Israel has killed several leaders of its long-time foe Hezbollah in air strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
Israel launched a major offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon in September, following nearly a year of cross-border hostilities ignited by the Gaza war, pounding wide areas of Lebanon with airstrikes and sending troops into the south.
The conflict began when Hezbollah opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas after it launched the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
A US mediator traveled to Lebanon and Israel this week in an effort to secure a ceasefire. The envoy, Amos Hochstein, indicated progress had been made after meetings in Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday, before going to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.