Israel has carried out several air strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, saying it targeted Hezbollah’s drone production.
Thursday night’s attacks were on the eve of Eid Al Adha, one of the most important celebrations in Islam, followed by the evacuation warning several of Hezbollah’s buildings in the capital.
The IDF said it has identified a Hezbollah unit, which is funded by “Iranian terrorists” to produce “thousands” of drones underground.
Despite a ceasefire between Israel and armed groups over the past six months, attacks have occurred.
The Lebanese prime minister said he “strongly condemned” the strike.
“I think they constitute a systematic and intentional attack on our homeland, its security, stability and economy, especially on the eve of holidays and tourist seasons,” Nawaf Salam said in an article on X.
After the evacuation warning, thousands of people fled the streets of densely populated areas, causing a traffic stalemate. Then, smoke appeared in the sky.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the strike as a “blatant violation of international agreements”, while noting that it happened “on the eve of the holy religious festival.”
Israeli military said Hezbollah’s “widespread use of drones” was at the heart of the attack on Israel, saying the activity “blatantly violates the understanding between Israel and Lebanon.”
Hezbollah did not comment immediately.
An hour before the air strike, the Israeli military’s Arab spokesman Avicay Adraee ordered residents living near Hadath, Haret Hreik and Borj El-Barajneh to evacuate.
“You are close to the infrastructure that belongs to Hezbollah,” he said in a social media post.
Before the Israeli-Gaza War, Israeli and Iran-backed Hezbollah group engaged in more than a year of cross-border hostilities, leading to a fierce Israeli bombing campaign and invading southern Lebanon.
The offensive killed about 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – resulting in the displacement of more than 1.2 million residents.
Israel said military intervention was a necessary condition for the removal of Hezbollah installations near the border, and it believed that the United Nations peacekeeping mission had not stopped.
Its stated goal is to allow 60,000 residents returning to the country’s northern communities due to the attacks by the group.
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon attacked in late November – but not Hezbollah – Israel withdrew its troops as Lebanese troops took over police in southern Lebanon.
The agreement also states that its commitment “does not exclude Israel or Lebanon from exercising its inherent right to self-defense, consistent with international law”.
Israel has targeted targets in Lebanon, and has been linked to Hezbollah in the following months.
In April, Israel attacked the Allah store of “precision missiles” in the same Dayi region.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said at the time that it launched a similar strike earlier that month, killing Hezbollah officials and three other people.
The Lebanese government said the attacks, along with the continued garrison of Israeli soldiers at five locations in southern Lebanon, constituted a truce violation.
Hezbollah launched a campaign the day after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, saying it was uniting with the Palestinians in Gaza.
