Israel strikes alleged 'Hezbollah command center' inside south Lebanon mosque

Israel, which has stepped up its operation against the Iran-backed Hezbollah, on Saturday said its military had struck militants inside a mosque complex in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, the Salah Ghandour Hospital mosque was being used as a Hezbollah command centre.

Was a Hezbollah command centre

"Overnight, with the direction of IDF (army) intelligence, the IAF (air force) struck Hezbollah terrorists who were operating within a command centre that was located inside a mosque adjacent to the Salah Ghandour Hospital in southern Lebanon," the military said.

CREDIT: REUTERS

"The command centre was used by Hezbollah terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the state of Israel."  

Also read: What happened in the 2006 Lebanon War and how Israel is making sure it is not repeated in 2024?

'Hospital received evacuation warning'

While the number of fatalities from the airstrike is unknown, the Salah Ghandour Hospital said nine of its medical and nursing staff were wounded, most of them seriously, in the airstrikes.  

Salah Ghandour Hospital, which is run by the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee, also said that it had received an Israeli warning to evacuate.  

CREDIT: REUTERS

How Hezbollah uses civilian infrastructure to hide 

The Lebanese Shia militia, like their allies in Gaza, Hamas, are known to use civilian infrastructure as cover to carry out operations. Hassan Nasrallah, the long-time chief of Hezbollah, was killed on 27 September in an airstrike at Hezbollah’s central headquarters, located under residential buildings in the Haret Hreik quarter of Beirut’s southern suburbs.  

According to the IDF, Nasrallah was hiding in an underground bunker beneath a multi-storey apartment building which had dozens of families living inside. 

Also read: What is Shebaa Farms, and how its occupation by Israel is intertwined with Hezbollah's existence?

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel 

Meanwhile, the conflict shows no signs of slowing down, and even after its top leadership was eliminated, Hezbollah has vowed to continue the fight. On Saturday, Hezbollah said it launched Fadi-1 rockets at Israel's Ramat David air base near the northern city of Haifa, about 45 kilometres from the Lebanese border.

CREDIT: REUTERS

Hezbollah also said its fighters were confronting Israeli troops on Lebanon's southern border. According to the Israeli military, it has killed 250 Hezbollah fighters in the border area this week.

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