Jerusalem: The Israeli military announced it had targeted a building in southern Beirut used by Hezbollah to store precision-guided missiles, further testing the fragile ceasefire with the Iran-backed group.
A massive plume of smoke rose from the building, according to live footage from Reuters, nearly an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the Hadath neighborhood.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz emphasized in a statement that Hezbollah’s precision missiles “posed a significant threat to the State of Israel.” Hezbollah has yet to issue an official response.
This latest strike threatens to strain the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended last year’s intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Today’s strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, said on X.
“We urge all sides to halt any actions that could further undermine the cessation of hostilities understanding and the implementation of SCR 1701,” she added, referring to the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called upon the United States and France, as guarantors of the November ceasefire agreement, to intervene and pressure Israel to halt its attacks.
“Israel’s continued actions in undermining stability will exacerbate tensions and place the region at real risk, threatening its security and stability,” he said in a statement.
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Earlier this month, an Israeli airstrike killed four individuals, including a Hezbollah official, in Beirut’s southern suburbs—the second such strike on a Hezbollah-controlled area of the Lebanese capital within five days.
The renewed attacks come amid a broader escalation across the region. Israel has resumed airstrikes in Gaza following a two-month truce, while the United States has launched strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen to curb their assaults on Red Sea shipping lanes.
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During past conflicts, Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Hezbollah, eliminating thousands of fighters, crippling its arsenal, and targeting key figures within its leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah.
Despite the heightened tensions, Hezbollah has denied any involvement in recent rocket attacks launched from Lebanese territory toward Israel.
