Recent Israeli strikes target Hezbollah's top leaders, attack its intel HQ

In its recent attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah, Israel targeted its intelligence headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut and the group's senior leader Hashem Safieddine, who is considered the likely successor of the slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The bombardment was one of the heaviest in the area since Israel killed Nasrallah. Israel hit Beirut at midnight on Oct 3 with a series of airstrikes, allegedly while Safieddine was attending a meeting of senior Hezbollah officials in an underground bunker, a New York Times report said.

However, no official confirmation has been made by either the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) or the Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Safieddine, Nasrallah's cousin and a designated terrorist by the United States since 2017, plays a significant role in Hezbollah's political affairs. He is a member of the group's Jihad Council, which manages its military operations.

He is also known to have close ties with Iranian regime and was considered the 'number two' in Hezbollah.

Hezbollah chief Nasrallah and his daughter Zainab died last week. Following his killing, Iran launched a barrage of missile attacks on Israel, as it sought to avenge Nasrallah's death.

Despite Iran's threat of crushing attacks if Israel retaliated, PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued its attacks on Lebanon with a ground invasion. On Oct 3, it attacked central Beirut — barely meters away from Lebanon's parliament — leaving at least six people dead and seven injured.

The attack came in response to the deaths of eight Israeli soldiers who were killed in combat operations in Lebanon which marked the first loss since its forces crossed the border to target Hezbollah — created in 1982 with Iranian help after Israel invaded Lebanon.

Israel Defense Force (IDF) said a multi-story block in Bachoura, which housed a Hezbollah-affiliated health center was hit in a "precision" attack.

It has also claimed to have killed another senior Hezbollah official, Mohammed Anisi, who worked for group’s development of precision guided missiles.

Israel's policy of targeted killings goes back to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games when Palestinian gunmen from the Black September group killed 11 Israelis. Since then, Israel has targeted and killed much of the group's top brass.

The country was responsible for the 2008 killing of top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in a Damascus car bombing.

Since Hamas's October 7 attack last year, Israel has assassinated several high-profile leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah including Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, and now Nasrallah.

Amidst the ongoing fear of an all-out war in the Middle East, US President Joe Biden affirmed that there isn't going to be a full-blown war.

"We can avoid all-out war in the Middle East. I don't believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it," he told reporters at the White House. "But there is a lot to do yet, a lot to do yet," he added.