Report says Israel tried to hit Nasrallah

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BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A bombing in a Beirut, Lebanon, suburb last week was an Israeli attempt to assassinate Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the daily al-Jareeda reported Tuesday.

Unnamed sources told the Kuwaiti newspaper, Israel received information of plans by Nasrallah to meet with senior officials in a southern Beirut suburb, including Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar, who was freed by Israel in a Hezbollah prisoner swap.

A number of Hezbollah members are believed to have been injured in the Friday blast but there was no confirmation concerning whether Nasrallah was also injured, the Kuwaiti daily said.

One of those believed to have been injured is Mustafa Badr al-Din, a senior Hezbollah official wanted by the Special Tribunal in Lebanon investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the Albawaba.com Web site reported.

After Friday's explosion, Hezbollah said the blast was caused by a gas leak and secured the site barring police or military officials from approaching, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.