Hezbollah missile reaches Tel Aviv for first time, militant group claims target was Mossad HQ

25 Sep 2024, 08:58 by AFP, https://www.thejournal.ie/author/afp/ · TheJournal.ie

LAST UPDATE | 3 hrs ago

HEZBOLLAH HAS SAID it has fired a ballistic missile targeting Israeli spy agency Mossad’s headquarters near Tel Aviv, saying that recent attacks on the militant group had been planned there.

It is the first time the group has claimed a ballistic missile strike in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah over the last year.

Earlier this morning, Israel’s military had said it intercepted a missile fired from Lebanon after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.

“The Islamic Resistance launched a ‘Qader 1′ ballistic missile at 6.30 am [3.30am GMT] on Wednesday, 25-9-2024, targeting the Mossad headquarters in the outskirts of Tel Aviv,” Hezbollah said in a statement.

“This headquarters is responsible for the assassination of leaders and the explosion of pagers and wireless devices,” it said, referring to the attacks last week that killed dozens of people in Lebanon.

It also said the strike was carried out in support of the people of Gaza and “in defence of Lebanon and its people”.

The Israeli military has it was the “first time ever” a missile fired by Hezbollah reached the Tel Aviv area and was intercepted by Israel’s defence system.

“It is the first time ever a Hezbollah missile reached Tel Aviv area. It was intercepted by IDF (Israeli military),” an army spokesman told AFP.

Pope Francis meanwhile today slammed the “terrible escalation” of the conflict in Lebanon as “unacceptable”.

“I am saddened by the news coming out of Lebanon… but I hope that the international community will make every effort to stop this terrible escalation,” said Pope Francis.

“This is unacceptable, I express my closeness to the Lebanese people, who have already suffered too much in the recent past,” he added.

Longtime foes Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in near-daily exchanges of cross-border fire since last October as Israel bombards Gaza.

The Lebanese health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 558 people on Monday – the deadliest day of violence in the country since its 1975-90 civil war.