Israel-Hamas War day 350: What's happening in Gaza, Lebanon border?

The IDF conducted a targeted strike in Beirut, the military announced on Friday afternoon. Media reports named the primary target of the strike as Radwan Force commander and head of Hezbollah Operations, Ibrahim Aqil.

AFP, citing a source close to Hezbollah, reported that Aqil perished in the strike.

The Lebanese Health Ministry claimed that eight had been killed in the strike and that another 59 were wounded.

You might not have noticed because this time, there was no press conference, but the IDF overnight between Thursday and Friday pulled off the second largest official attack on Hezbollah of the year.

The air force's destruction of 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers and 1,000 rockets, mostly in southern Lebanon, is not just another counterstrike but has strategic consequences for Hezbollah's capabilities.

A building in the northern city of Metula was hit by a missile launched at the area overnight on Thursday, according to an N12 report on Friday.

No casualties were reported from the hit.

אחד מהמבנים שנפגעו מהירי למטולה הלילה@_Gitsis_ pic.twitter.com/Gsg200BV6w

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The Lebanese Health Ministry has reported 32 deaths as a result of communication device explosions that occurred over the past two days, in addition to 2,400 injured, including 1,300 severely or moderately, Maariv reported on Thursday.

Following these events, Lebanese media has reported that wireless communication devices, such as beepers and walkie-talkies, would be prohibited on planes, which may indicate concern about the impact of these devices on national security.

Meanwhile, an official in the IRGC instructed officials to distance themselves from their phones, apparently due to concerns about possible vulnerabilities or sensitive information leaks. These steps indicated the growing regional tension and the need to maintain security. Maariv also reported that specialized military units have been detonating suspicious beepers and communication devices in various areas.

According to Maariv, Israel’s official count of those dead and wounded in Lebanon is significantly lower than reality. 

Estimates have indicated that there are dozens of fatalities. Hezbollah's Radwan Force suffered significant damage, losing part of its command and dozens of fighters.

People gather outside a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, September 17, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)

The numbers

According to reports, at least 450 people were injured in the mass explosion of communication devices across Lebanon, with an additional 3,000 Hezbollah members who were injured from beeper explosions.

A diplomatic solution in the Middle East is achievable and is urgent, the White House said on Thursday.

The White House believes a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas would "lower the temperature" in the region, spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah after a week of escalation that has brought both sides to the brink of war.

"Tonight I'm calling for an immediate ceasefire from both sides," Lammy told Reuters after meeting his French, American and Italian counterparts for talks in Paris.

"We are all very, very clear that we want to see a negotiated political settlement so that Israelis can return to their homes in northern Israel and indeed Lebanese to return to their homes."

Hatzor Haglilit municipality informed its residents that due to the growing tensions and a situation assessment by the council's emergency team, Friday's classes will be canceled.

The municipal hotline has been opened for inquiries.
 

Officials in the US admitted in private conversations that they do not expect the signing of an agreement between Hamas and Israel regarding the hostage deal before the end of Biden's term, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

"There is no imminent deal, and I'm not sure it will ever be signed," said one of the American officials.

Officials stated that the reasons for the pessimism are the number of security prisoners that Israel will have to release and the Hezbollah pager and walkie-talkie attack that has complicated diplomacy with Hamas.

Also, sources in the Biden administration pointed out that Hamas makes demands and then refuses to agree to a deal after the US and Israel have accepted them.

IDF fighter jets struck hundreds of rockets that were ready for immediate launch into Israeli territory, the IDF announced on Thursday night.

Starting on Thursday afternoon, a total of about 100 rocket launchers and other military infrastructure were attacked, including about 1,000 rockets that were ready for immediate launch, the IDF said. 

Three Lebanese security officials told Reuters that these were "the heaviest aerial strikes since the conflict began in October."

According to reports in Lebanese media, cited in Israeli media, the number of attacks ranged from about fifty to seventy throughout Lebanon in only about twenty minutes. 

These strikes come only days after the far-reaching Hezbollah communications explosion, spanning two days, wounding thousands and killing at least 30 people.

(Illustrative) A pager device and a crowd in Lebanon near a site where Hezbollah members' pager devices were attacked. (credit: REUTERS, SCREENSHOT/X, SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT, SHUTTERSTOCK)

On Sunday, the Israeli cabinet voted to officially add the return of residents to the North as an official war goal.

Threatening vengeance

Hezbollah threatened to respond, with leader Hassan Nasrallah live streaming a speech on Thursday in which he goaded Israel, daring it to attack.

"We are waiting for you to enter Lebanese territory. We are waiting for your tanks and will see this as a historic opportunity.”

Nasrallah's speech was dripping with symbolism with references to Surah Al-Hajj, verse 39, which permits Muslims to fight defensive wars, to the red background symbolizing revenge.

These strikes, in combination with the explosions, are only the latest series of defeats that pose serious questions for the terrorist organization.

Fuad Shukr, one of the most senior Hezbollah commanders, was assassinated in July, for which Hezbollah threatened vengeance.

Hezbollah's planned retaliation at the end of August was thwarted by an IDF preemptive strike involving more than 100 strikes across the south of the country.