In its first public statement hours after the Israeli air attack on its stronghold south of Beirut, Hezbollah did not confirm the death of Fouad Shokr, the top military commander whom Israel claimed to have killed, but did acknowledge that he was present in the targeted building.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, the pro-Iranian group said the attack on the southern suburb of Beirut “targeted a residential building in one of its neighborhoods, which led to the martyrdom of a number of citizens, the wounding of others, and major destruction to a number of floors of the building,” adding that “the great jihadist leader, Brother Fouad Shokr (Hajj Mohsen), was present in the building at the time.”
The statement noted that civil defense teams have been working diligently, but slowly, to remove the rubble from the building.
“We are still waiting for the results from the rubble clearance teams regarding the fate of the great and dear leader and other citizens in this location, so that we can act accordingly,” the statement added, indicating that Shokr is still buried under the rubble.
The air strike left four dead, including two children, and 74 injured.
The Ministry of Health said in a statement that the toll was new and not final, adding that the Israeli raid on Beirut’s southern suburbs had resulted in “the death of three people, including a woman, a girl and a child, while the search continues for those missing under the rubble”. The number of injured stands at 74, most of whom have been treated, 65 have been discharged from hospital and nine are still to be hospitalized, five of whom are in critical condition”.
For its part, the Lebanese Red Cross issued the following statement:
“The wounded were transferred to the hospitals of Bahman, Sahel, Zahra, Al Rassul Al Aazam and Saint George, Hadath. The injuries range from serious to minor.
We are appealing for blood donations at the Lebanese Red Cross center in Spears,” the statement concluded.
