Israel conducted airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut for the third time since the fragile ceasefire enacted on November 27. In response, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the ceasefire’s guarantors, namely France and the United States, to intervene and halt the ongoing attacks.
The Israeli government stated that the latest strike targeted a building identified as a storage facility for “precision-guided missiles” used by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to preventing Hezbollah from utilizing the densely populated suburbs of Beirut as a base of operation. Witnesses reported seeing smoke rise from the struck building in the Hadath neighborhood, while local television networks broadcast images of fires erupting around it.
Prior to the attack, the Israeli military issued warnings advising civilians to evacuate the area, especially the facility marked in red on a provided map. In a message on X, military spokesman Avichay Adraee underscored the necessity for civilians to distance themselves from Hezbollah-related sites, stating, “You must evacuate.” Netanyahu’s office reiterated that Israel would not permit Hezbollah to strengthen its position or pose a threat from any part of Lebanon.
Israeli military statements declared the storage of missiles at the targeted site a clear violation of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon. In contrast, President Aoun condemned the strike as a blatant breach of the November ceasefire and called on the United States and France to fulfill their roles in enforcing the agreement and halting Israeli assaults.
United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, urged all parties to refrain from actions that could further destabilize the situation and jeopardize the fragile ceasefire. She expressed concern that the recent strikes had instilled panic and fear among residents who had hoped for a return to stability.
In addition to the Beirut strikes, an Israeli drone attack in the border town of Halta reportedly resulted in one fatality. The Lebanese health ministry confirmed the death of an individual working on a chicken farm, although the Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a Hezbollah militant.
Despite the ceasefire agreement aimed at curtailing over a year of escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah—including intense fighting over the past two months—Israel has continued to carry out military operations. As part of the November deal, Hezbollah was expected to relocate its fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle military infrastructure near the Israeli border. While Israel was to withdraw its forces, it has retained a presence at five strategic positions in southern Lebanon.
