Israel launches strong airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs

BEIRUT: Israeli airstrikes hit a building in Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday, marking the first such attack since a ceasefire was agreed on November 27.

The Israeli military said it targetted a "drone storage facility" belonging to Hezbollah in Dahieh, a stronghold for the Shiite militant group near the Lebanese capital.

There is no immediate report of casualties or damage.

Before the strike, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued an evacuation warning via social media, advising civilians to leave a 300-meter radius around the site. IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a map marking the location and urged immediate evacuation.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as families fled their homes, some evacuating schools in haste. Children were seen leaving in pyjamas. The Lebanese Ministry of Education ordered the closure of all public and private schools, secondary institutions, vocational centers, and the Rafik Hariri University Complex near the affected area.

Earlier in the day, rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel, including the town of Kiryat Shmona. The IDF said one was intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system while the other fell within Lebanese territory.

A senior Hezbollah official told Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen that the group was not responsible for the rocket fire. The IDF confirmed retaliatory strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon following the attack.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that "if there is no peace in Kiryat Shmona, there will be no peace in Beirut," holding Lebanon's government accountable for hostilities from its territory.

Lebanese health officials reported two dead and 21 wounded in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, including in Kfar Tebnit and Yahmar. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli warplanes carried out around 40 strikes, hitting areas from Jezzine to Nabatieh.

The November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of border clashes linked to the Gaza war but has been punctuated by sporadic violence, Xinhua news agency reported. Israel maintains forces at five border positions, missing a February 2025 withdrawal deadline, and continues strikes it says are aimed at countering "Hezbollah threats." Hezbollah maintains it adheres to the truce and accuses Israel of fabricating pretexts for attacks.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was informed of an Israeli threat targeting Beirut's southern suburbs during a meeting in Paris with the leaders of France, Syria, Greece, and Cyprus, according to Lebanese media reports.

Aoun relayed the information to the summit's participants and is closely monitoring developments as discussions continue.

At a press conference following the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron, standing beside Aoun, stated that he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming days. He emphasised that "at this stage, no activity can justify today's Israeli strikes," calling them a violation of the ceasefire.