Israeli airstrikes target Beirut first time since November ceasefire

Israeli fighter jets bombed the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday, marking the first such attack since a ceasefire agreement ended hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024.

Israeli attack marks first strike since November ceasefire

Israeli warplanes targeted a building in the Hadath neighborhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs, striking it with two missiles.

The attack caused a massive explosion, with smoke rising from the site. The building collapsed as a result of the bombing. Prior to the airstrike, Israeli drones had launched three attacks on the same area.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee had warned residents to evacuate the area, advising them to maintain a distance of at least 300 meters from the targeted buildings. The neighborhood, which is home to residential buildings and schools, has strong support from the Hezbollah.

After the strikes, the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee released a statement on social media platform X and said,”The Israeli army attacked an infrastructure for storing drones belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah in the southern suburb of Beirut.”

“A short while ago, the Israeli army attacked an infrastructure for storing drones belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah organization (Unit 121) in the southern suburb of Beirut. Hezbollah placed this infrastructure in the heart of civilians, further evidence of the terrorist organization’s exploitation of civilians in Lebanon as human shields. The Israeli army sent evacuation warnings to the residents prior to the raid,” he added.

“The launching of rockets toward the Upper Galilee this morning constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and a direct threat to the citizens of Israel. The Lebanese state bears responsibility for preserving the agreement,” he concluded.

Evacuation order issued for Hadath residents before the strike

In an unprecedented move, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for parts of the Hadath suburb. The warning came after Israel claimed that rockets had been fired from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel.

The Israeli army said it intercepted one of the rockets, while the other landed in Lebanese territory.

The Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education responded by ordering the closure of all schools and universities in the affected area for the day. Educational institutions, including the Rafic Hariri University Complex, were evacuated as a precaution.

Tensions escalate in southern Beirut

The airstrike followed a string of Israeli military actions in southern Lebanon, including airstrikes on Hezbollah positions. The Lebanese National News Agency reported ongoing gunfire in the southern suburbs, though the source of the shots was not identified.

The gunfire reportedly served as a warning to residents in the wake of the Israeli threats.

Despite Israel’s accusations, Hezbollah denied launching the rockets at northern Israel, asserting that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement. The fragile truce, which had largely held since November, has been repeatedly violated by both sides, and the latest Israeli actions further heightened tensions.