The Israeli military conducted airstrikes on a residential neighborhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday, targeting an area known to be a stronghold of the militant group Hezbollah. The strikes were aimed at infrastructure believed to be used for storing precision missiles.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted that the military's actions were necessary to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening and posing a threat to Israel. They emphasized that the Dahiya district would not serve as a sanctuary for the group and stated that the Lebanese government holds direct responsibility for preventing such threats.
Hezbollah did not provide immediate comments following the attack. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes, claiming that they undermine stability and escalate tensions in the region. He urged France and the United States to intervene and compel Israel to cease its actions, labeling the attacks on Lebanon's sovereignty as unacceptable.
Videos shared on social media depicted large clouds of smoke rising from the area post-strike. A Lebanese news outlet affiliated with Hezbollah reported significant damage resulting from the attack. The Israeli military confirmed that it targeted a weapons storage site, asserting that the presence of missiles there violated prior understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The military claimed to have taken precautions to minimize civilian harm, including issuing warnings and using precise munitions.
Lebanon’s Civil Defense reported efforts to extinguish fires caused by the strikes, stating that emergency teams responded quickly without any recorded injuries. Earlier on the same day, the Israeli military announced it had also conducted strikes in southern Lebanon, resulting in the death of a Hezbollah operative involved in the group's attempts to re-establish its presence in the region.
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the top United Nations official in Lebanon, criticized the strikes, expressing concern over the panic they generated among civilians seeking stability. She called for all parties to refrain from actions that could jeopardize the cease-fire.
Since the cease-fire was implemented, the Israeli military has continued to conduct strikes in southern Lebanon, although attacks near Beirut had ceased until recently. The conflict escalated following a deadly attack by Hamas from Gaza on October 7, 2023, which led to increased hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The World Bank has estimated the total damage and economic loss from the ongoing conflict to be around $14 billion, with Lebanon requiring $11 billion for reconstruction. The Lebanese government has committed to controlling all weapons within its borders, including those held by militant groups, although the timeline and method for achieving this remain unclear. Despite being weakened, Hezbollah retains significant influence in Lebanon and has expressed its commitment to the cease-fire with Israel.