In its statement, Hezbollah declared that the missile strike was carried out in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza and as part of its defense of Lebanon.
The Lebanese movement Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that its fighters launched a Qader-1 ballistic missile targeting the Mossad headquarters in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.
According to Hezbollah, the facility is responsible for the assassinations of several of its leaders and for a series of explosions in Lebanon, involving pagers and walkie-talkies, which have killed and injured many Lebanese civilians.
In its statement, Hezbollah declared that the missile strike was carried out in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza and as part of its defense of Lebanon.
This marked the first time the group had targeted the Tel Aviv area with a missile, signaling a significant escalation in the conflict and reinforcing Hezbollah’s principle of ‘an eye for an eye’, Tel Aviv for Beirut.
The attack occurred during the most intense Israeli military operations in Lebanon since October 8, the beginning of the current conflict with Hezbollah.
HEZBOLLAH: Hezbollah announced that it targeted the Mossad headquarters in the suburbs of Tel Aviv with a Qader-1 ballistic missile, indicating that the targeted headquarters is responsible for assassinating leaders and blowing up communication devices. pic.twitter.com/nBIU08LIvp
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 25, 2024
In recent days, Hezbollah’s missile strikes have targeted cities in northern Israel, including Safed, Acre, and Haifa, located between 20 to 60 kilometers from the Lebanese border. However, this latest missile launch, reaching Tel Aviv, expanded the range of Hezbollah’s attacks to over 100 kilometers.
The escalation came in response to repeated Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, the most recent of which killed six people, including senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Mohammad Qubaisi, also known as Hajj Abu Musa. Fifteen others were wounded in the strike in the Ghobayri area.
The missile strike triggered a response from Israel’s leadership.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed his departure to the UN General Assembly in New York, scheduling it for Thursday instead of Wednesday night, in order to discuss further military action in Lebanon.
ISRAELI ARMY: The missile fired by Hezbollah towards Tel Aviv is a ballistic missile of a medium range.
ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: Israeli Army Radio said rockets from Lebanon were targeting Tel Aviv for the first time in this war.
KAN (The Israel Broadcasting Corporation): One rocket… pic.twitter.com/LchYNv8UbE
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) September 25, 2024
The use of the Qader-1 missile, a long-range weapon employed for the first time in this conflict, marks a major development in the ongoing confrontation.
Israeli media described the situation as historic.
The situation on the ground is rapidly evolving, with reports of Israeli settlers beginning to flee central areas as a result of the missile attacks.
The ongoing Israeli aggression has resulted in the deaths of over 500 people in Lebanon, thousands more wounded, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
(PC, Al-Mayadeen)
