Israel bombs pro-Iran forces as well as Houthis

Israel conducted its first airstrike on downtown Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, since the outbreak of war with the Palestinian armed group Hamas in October last year. The Palestinian armed group ‘Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)’ reported that “three commanders were killed in this airstrike.”

As Israel attacks Hamas, Lebanese Shia armed group Hezbollah, and even the Houthis, concerns are growing about the chance of an all-out war between Israel and the “axis of evil,” or an anti-American, anti-Israel force in the Middle East led by Iran. There are also predictions that Israel, which has recently greatly weakened Hezbollah following Hamas, will continue to carry out airstrikes against other armed groups.

According to the Associated Press, an apartment in Al-Kola, southwest Beirut, was attacked by an Israeli military drone on Monday morning. This apartment is known to be owned by a member of Al-Jamaa al-Islamiyah, a Sunni armed group allied with Hezbollah. However, they denied that they were the targets. Instead, the PFLP disclosed the deaths of three commanders.

On Sunday, the Israeli military mobilized dozens of military aircraft, including fighter jets, aerial refueling tankers, and reconnaissance aircraft. It attacked major facilities in Yemen's Hodeida and Ras Isa, which are controlled by the Houthis. At least four people were killed in Yemen alone after the Israeli Air Force flew about 1,700 kilometers to carry out the operation. This airstrike is interpreted as retaliation for the Houthis' launch of a ballistic missile toward Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport on Friday.


Eun-A Cho achim@donga.com