We have reached a point where there are no red lines for Israel
The attack on Kola is a significant Israeli strike in terms of location, target and messaging.
This is the first time an area in the capital has been hit. Earlier attacks were on its southern suburbs. So this is Israel, very empowered, feeling that it can act with little restraint and that there are no red lines.
But at the same time, even if Hezbollah needs time to regroup, if it does hit Tel Aviv, they don’t know Israel’s counterresponse. Will there be carpet bombing?
Now the target – members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. This is a Palestinian group that really has not been involved in the cross-border violence that began 11 months ago.
So this is Israel being empowered to go after its enemies. We have reached a point where there are no red lines in this campaign against Hezbollah and groups that support it.
What we know about Israel’s attack on Kola in Beirut
Overnight on Sunday and into early Monday morning, the Israeli military attacked the Kola area of Beirut, striking the upper floor of an apartment building.
- There has been no official death toll. But it was the first time the Lebanese capital’s city limits were bombed since Israel started attacking Lebanon.
- The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist-Leninist and Arab nationalist group founded in 1967, said three of its leaders were killed.
- They were identified as Muhammad Abdel Aal, a member of the PFLP’s political bureau and the head of its military security department; Imad Odeh, a member of the PFLP’s military department and military commander in Lebanon; Abdul Rahman Abdel Aal, described as a “comrade martyr hero”.
- There has been no comment from Israel’s military.
Netanyahu ‘lost interest’ in ceasefire deal, freeing captives
As Netanyahu continues to push for attacks in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen, Israeli news outlet Haaretz reports that the PM appears to have “completely lost interest” in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas to secure the return of the captives.
“He still pays lip service to bringing the hostages home, but in practice, he is wholly focused on the fronts with Hezbollah and Iran, which are heating up,” Haaretz said.
The analysis of Netanyahu’s latest decisions found that the Israeli leader, who is receiving praise for going ahead with the Lebanon attacks, seems to be “determined” to continue attacks on all fronts, with a ceasefire being the least of his priorities.
