Israeli Army: We Targeted Hezbollah's Naval Base; Captured Several Hezbollah Members

Israel claims to have targeted a Hezbollah naval base in Lebanon. The Israeli army stated on Tuesday, October 23, that the operation took place on the evening of Monday, October 22, and the Hezbollah naval base in Beirut was the target of this attack. According to the Israeli army, Hezbollah members at this training base were engaged in exercises with military speedboats with the intent to attack Israeli naval vessels and targets within Israeli territorial waters. Meanwhile, Hezbollah also reported the capture of several of its members by Israel. Mohammad Afif, a spokesperson for Hezbollah, stated on Tuesday, October 23, in a press conference, without mentioning the number of captives, that Israel is responsible for their safety. Following the terrorist attack on October 7, Hezbollah, as the main proxy arm of the Islamic Republic, unilaterally began its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel. In response, Israel has carried out severe attacks against this group's positions in Lebanon and Syria, killing hundreds of members of this Iran-backed group, including leaders and senior military commanders such as Hassan Nasrallah, Fawad Shakir, Ibrahim Aqil, and Hashem Safi al-Din. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. This designation means there is no distinction made between the political and military branches of the party, labeling both as terrorist entities. Axios reported on Israel's demands for ending the war in Lebanon to the White House. Gallant stated that Hezbollah is 'on the verge of collapse.' With the Israeli airstrikes on a Hezbollah 'intelligence headquarters' in Beirut, 'Abbas Salim' and two other commanders were killed. Gallant, in a conversation with Austin, stated that the goal of Israeli attacks is to weaken Hezbollah's military infrastructure and prevent missile attacks. Netanyahu called his assassination plot a 'big mistake,' asserting a determination to 'change the security reality' in the Middle East. An Israeli general stated that the Iranian government does not know what will happen to Hezbollah. Israel claimed that Hezbollah has hidden half a billion dollars in 'gold and money' under a hospital in Beirut. The Israeli army stated that it has no plans to attack the hospital where Hezbollah's funds are kept. Currency fluctuations and the stock market crash in Iran; the reaction of financial markets to military tensions in the region.