Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah official has escaped an Israeli assassination attempt in Beirut, Lebanon, according to a Reuters report.
Safa is the head of Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies. He was targeted by Israel on Thursday night but he survived, according to security sources.
The report further revealed that the Israeli strikes killed 22 people and injured over 100 others in central Beirut on Thursday.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah broke out a year ago when the Iranian-backed group opened fire in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas at the beginning of the Gaza war.
Since then, the conflict has intensified, with Israel bombing Beirut’s southern suburbs in recent weeks.
This latest Israeli strikes hit a densely packed residential neighbourhood of apartment buildings and small shops in the centre of Beirut, with Lebanon’s Health Ministry reporting that 22 people were killed and 117 wounded in the aftermath of the airstrike.