The Israeli air strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs propmted widespread reactions Tuesday evening.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the “blatant attack.”
Caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib also condemned the attack, announcing that he was planning to lodge a complaint with the United Nations.
Hezbollah media sources and the Iranian agency Tasnim were quick to announce “the failure of the assassination attempt on Fouad Shokr,” a senior Hezbollah official and Hassan Nasrallah’s main military advisor.
As for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, it announced that Israel and the United States bear responsibility for widening tension and crisis in the region.
Tala Hatoum, member of Amal movement’s political bureau, appealed to the crowds from Haret Hreik “to withdraw from the streets to allow rescue and civil defense teams to carry out their mission.”
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced that it wass establishing contacts to prevent the outbreak of war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advised his ministers to avoid making any statements about the operation in Beirut. He is also meeting with top military chiefs with the aim of avoiding a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel.
A senior Israeli official, quoted by Israeli Channel 13, reportedly stressed that “if Hezbollah does not retaliate to the attack on Beirut, we will not be drawn into a war.”
In this context, Israeli army radio reported the possibility of a major Hezbollah retaliation.
Washington is convinced that “a full-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel can be avoided,” according to a White House statement.
On the other hand, the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, said that “the United States would support Israel if it came under attack from Hezbollah.”
Russia, meanwhile, called the strikes on Lebanon a flagrant violation of international law, according to Reuters.
