At least three people were killed and seven wounded in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs early Tuesday, Lebanon’s health ministry reported, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted a Hezbollah operative “who had recently directed Hamas operatives and assisted them.” The attack comes just days after another Israeli strike on the same area, known as Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, calling it a “dangerous warning” of Israel’s broader intentions, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described it as a “flagrant breach” of U.N. Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire terms.
The targeted building’s upper three floors sustained heavy damage, with balconies blown out, but the floors below remained intact, suggesting a precision strike. There was no prior evacuation warning, and families fled the area in the aftermath.
The US-brokered truce, which ended a year-long conflict last November, has been increasingly unstable. Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violations, with Israel delaying troop withdrawals and Lebanon denying involvement in rocket attacks.
The US State Department defended Israel’s actions, blaming “terrorists” for reigniting hostilities by launching rockets from Lebanon. The Israeli-Lebanese conflict remains closely tied to the ongoing Gaza war, which began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
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