The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued a rare evacuation warning for a building and its surrounding area in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Friday, signaling an imminent airstrike targeting a Hezbollah asset. This marks the first such warning in the Lebanese capital since November 27, when the IDF last struck Hezbollah sites just before a ceasefire took effect. The move comes amid escalating tensions following rocket attacks from Lebanon earlier today.
In a post on X, Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, shared a map pinpointing the targeted building. “To everyone present in the building marked in red as shown on the map and the buildings adjacent to it: You are near facilities belonging to Hezbollah,” he warned. The statement urged civilians to evacuate at least 300 meters from the site for their safety, ahead of the planned strike. The IDF did not specify the nature of the Hezbollah asset but emphasized the proximity to civilian areas.
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The warning follows an attack this morning when two rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel. In response, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern statement, declaring, “The fate of Kiryat Shmona is the same as the fate of Beirut,” hinting at potential retaliation against the Lebanese capital. The exchange underscores the fragile state of the ceasefire that has held since late November.
This development signals a potential escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with Beirut once again in the crosshairs after months of relative calm.
