A Lebanese security source confirmed on Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike hit Hezbollah’s stronghold in South Beirut, specifically targeting two floors of a residential building in the Ghobeiri area. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, revealed that the strike occurred just a day after a similar attack in the same area.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation, stating: “The IDF conducted a targeted strike in Beirut. Details to follow.” While the military provided no immediate elaboration, the precision nature of the attack suggests a high-value target.

According to an AFP photographer at the scene, the strike destroyed two floors of the residential building and caused significant damage to nearby vehicles in the densely populated area.

This follows Monday’s “targeted strike” by Israel on Beirut, part of an escalating series of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which has intensified since the eruption of the Gaza war in October. On Monday alone, Israeli strikes across Lebanon’s south and east killed over 550 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry — marking the deadliest day of violence since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

So far, at least 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women, have been killed in Southern Lebanon. Additionally, the World Health Organization reported the deaths of four healthcare workers, with 16 paramedics injured in the bombardments.

Hezbollah’s leadership also came under fire in these attacks. Ali Karake, Hezbollah’s third-in-command, narrowly escaped after being targeted in Tuesday’s strike. A source close to the group confirmed to AFP that Karake had moved to safety. However, another prominent Hezbollah figure, Commander Ibrahim Aqil, was killed during an earlier Israeli strike on South Beirut on Friday.

The intensifying violence follows coordinated explosions targeting communication devices last week, which killed 39 people and injured thousands. The situation marks a new height in the already volatile relationship between Hezbollah and its longstanding enemy, Israel, as the cycle of retaliatory strikes continues to raise the death toll across Lebanon.

The Lebanese government and international organizations are calling for immediate ceasefires to prevent further escalation and civilian casualties.

Israel’s Civil Defence Agency has ordered the closure of all schools in the northern part of the country following renewed rocket fire from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, as cross-border violence between the two sides continues to escalate.

The directive was issued by the military’s Home Front Command on Sunday, announcing that all educational institutions and activities in the northern region would remain closed until at least Monday at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT). The decision follows a series of rocket attacks from Lebanon, which have heightened tensions and triggered fears of a broader conflict.

The closure affects thousands of students, as authorities scramble to ensure the safety of residents in the region amid the growing volatility along Israel’s northern border. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have responded to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks with counter-strikes, but the situation remains tense with no immediate signs of de-escalation.

Local officials urged citizens to remain vigilant and adhere to the guidelines provided by the civil defence authorities, as both sides brace for further hostilities.

The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara, has died.

Ayilara passed away in the early hours of Thursday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, following a prostate cancer surgery on Wednesday.

Sources close to the family disclosed that Ayilara’s health deteriorated after the surgery, leading to his untimely death just hours later.

“We are very sad to inform you that our friend, brother, and family member, the Commissioner of Police for Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara, is dead,” a family source said.

A senior police officer in Akwa Ibom State, who preferred to remain anonymous as he was not authorized to speak on the matter, also confirmed Ayilara’s death.

According to Channels Television, when contacted for confirmation, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, stated that “the command cannot make any comment until an official statement by the family is received.”

Ayilara was appointed as the Acting Commissioner of Police in Lagos in November 2023 while still a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).

He took over from AIG Idowu Owohunwa as the head of the State Criminal Investigation Department before being deployed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to lead the Akwa Ibom State Command in February 2024.