Israel strikes southern Beirut for the first time since November ceasefire

(CNN) — The Israeli military struck southern Beirut on Friday for the first time since November, after Israel said that two projectiles had been fired from Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it “struck a terrorist infrastructure site used to store UAVs by Hezbollah’s Aerial Unit (127) in the area of Dahieh, a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold in Beirut.”

The IDF said Hezbollah “systematically embeds its terrorist infrastructure amidst the Lebanese civilian population, a clear example of Hezbollah’s cynical exploitation of Lebanese civilians as human shields.”

The strike came after Israel accused Hezbollah of launching two rocket attacks from southern Lebanon that crossed Israel’s border. Hezbollah has denied this and said it is committed to its ceasefire with Israel.

Shortly before the strikes on Lebanon’s capital, the IDF issued evacuation orders to Lebanese residents in a neighborhood in southern Beirut.

“To everyone located in the building marked in red on the map, as well as the surrounding buildings: you are in close proximity to Hezbollah-affiliated facilities,” the IDF said. “For your safety and the safety of your families, you must evacuate these buildings immediately and move at least 300 meters away, as indicated on the map.”

The area is home to a number of schools. The Lebanese government suspended classes on Friday after Israel’s evacuation order, telling “all students, teachers, and administrative staff” to leave the area, according to Lebanon’s state news agency NNA.

Israel also said on Friday that it had struck “Hezbollah command centers, terrorist infrastructure sites, launchers, and terrorists” in multiple locations across southern Lebanon. An Israeli strike on Kfar Tebnit in the southern governorate of Nabatiyeh killed three people, including a woman, NNA reported, citing the Lebanese ministry of health. At least 18 other people were injured, including six children and eight women.

According to an Israeli official, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other officials were convening Friday for a security assessment about Lebanon.

Katz said that in response to the two projectiles fired at Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel, Lebanon’s capital Beirut would “be treated the same.”

“If there is no peace in Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee communities, there will be no peace in Beirut either,” he said, according to a statement from the defense ministry.

The Lebanese army said on Friday it had found a rocket launch site from which projectiles could have been fired at Israel, adding that it “has begun an investigation to determine the identity of those launching them.”

The army added that Israel’s strike on Lebanon represents “a blatant and repeated violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the security of its citizens, a challenge to international law, and a flagrant breach of the ceasefire agreement.”

Hezbollah said on its Telegram channel that the incident appears to be aimed at creating “pretexts for the continuation of the Israeli aggression against Lebanon.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that, following Friday’s Israeli strikes, his government had been in touch with US officials regarding the ceasefire that came into effect in November.

“There is a ceasefire in place, and both sides are expected to respect the agreement,” Aoun said.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu said Friday that his country would “attack everywhere” in Lebanon in response to any threat against Israel.

“Those who have not yet internalized the new situation in Lebanon received today another example of our determination,” Netanyahu said. “We will not allow firing on our communities, not even a drizzle … We will attack everywhere in Lebanon against any threat to the state of Israel, and we will ensure that all our residents in the north return to their homes safely.”

Tensions have risen in the region in recent weeks following the most significant eruption of violence between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group since a ceasefire signed four months ago brought an uneasy calm to the border.

Israel has conducted dozens of strikes, mostly in southern Lebanon on what it calls Hezbollah targets, since the ceasefire.

On Thursday, the Israeli military struck several vehicles in southern Lebanon as it claimed to target Hezbollah militants in the area. At least six people were killed, Lebanese state media reported.

Israel and Hezbollah exchanged cross-border attacks for more than a year following the launch of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.

In September of last year, Israel launched an intense ground and aerial campaign, decimating the militant group’s leadership and killing more than 2,500 in the following months, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024 brought a significant reduction in violence. However, Israel continues to maintain a military presence at multiple locations in the south of Lebanon, despite having agreed to withdraw as part of the ceasefire deal.

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