Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that it had launched a ballistic missile aimed at the headquarters of the Israeli spy agency Mossad, located near Tel Aviv. The group claimed that recent attacks on their organization were planned at this site. This marks the first time Hezbollah has claimed a ballistic missile strike since their ongoing conflict with Israel, which escalated following Hamas's October 7 attack.
The Israeli military confirmed that this was the first instance of a Hezbollah missile reaching the Tel Aviv area, where it was subsequently intercepted by air defenses. Hezbollah stated in a release, 'The Islamic Resistance fired a 'Qader 1' ballistic missile at 6:30 am on Wednesday, 25-9-2024, targeting the Mossad headquarters on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.' The statement further accused the Mossad headquarters of orchestrating assassinations and causing explosions of pagers and wireless devices, referencing attacks last week that resulted in numerous casualties in Lebanon, including a top commander.
The group also emphasized that the strike was in solidarity with the people of Gaza and in defense of Lebanon and its citizens. Military analyst Riad Kahwaji noted that this was the first time Hezbollah had used ballistic missiles against Israel, clarifying that these missiles, Iranian-produced, are variants of the Scud and have a range of no more than 300km.
Hezbollah and Israel, long-time adversaries, have been engaged in near-daily cross-border exchanges since Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7. This attack ignited a war in Gaza, drawing in Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militants from across the Middle East. In recent days, Israel's military focus has shifted significantly from Gaza to Lebanon.
On Wednesday morning, a Lebanese security source reported that an Israeli strike had targeted the Saadiyat area near Beirut. An AFP photographer at the scene of the strike documented damage to a garage and a nearby warehouse for electric appliances. The Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli strikes on Monday resulted in at least 558 deaths, marking the deadliest day of violence in the country since the 1975-90 civil war.
