Israel holds Beirut’s first strike as Hezbollah ceased fire

Israel held the first air strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah was based, as the termination of fire with the group came into force in November.

The Israeli military said he had hit a drone storage department used by Hezbollah on Friday after issuing an evacuation warning that caused panic.

The attack came hours after two missiles were fired from the southern Lebanon to North Israel. Israel said it had captured one rocket until the other had been able to cross the border.

Hezbollah said he was not involved. Israel said the attack was a “violation” while Lebanon President Joseph Aun’s cabinet also said Israel’s attack was a “violation of the agreement”.

The strike came after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning about a building in the Hadat area in the Lebanese capital. Videos showed people who leave in panic. The schools were ordered to be evacuated.

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said in a statement on social media that the worse rocket attack, which was responsible “is a gross violation of the understanding between Israel and Lebanon and poses a direct threat to the civilians of the State of Israel.”

“The State of Lebanon is responsible for compliance with the agreement,” IDF added.

The Lebanese Presidency has published on X that Aun, who is in Paris for meetings, informed French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the Cypriot president and Greek prime minister, that “Israeli attacks on the southern suburb and threats are a continuation of Israel’s violation of the agreement, sponsored by France and the United States.”

“The international community must put an end to these attacks and force Israel to comply with the agreement, just as Lebanon is engaged to it,” the statement said.

Recent developments have added additional pressure on the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, supported by Iran and a political group, but so far the deal is likely to survive.

The attack on Friday is an additional proof of the challenges that the Lebanese authorities face in an attempt to control areas in the southern part of the country, where the belligerent groups have been active for decades. Hezbollah is the most powerful of them, but the Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic jihad, also work there.

Despite the deal, Israel has committed close to daily air strikes on people and goals that he believes are connected to Hezbollah, saying that he acted to stop Hezbollane from incarnate. The Lebanon government says that these attacks and the perseverance of Israeli soldiers in five places in the southern Lebanon represent violations of the truce.

The rocket fire aimed at Israel on Friday was the second attack from Lebanon in a week.

On March 22, Israel made numerous air strikes on Lebanon after several rockets were fired from Lebanon to Israel. The Israeli military said it had hit dozens of missile launches and a command center belonging to Hezbollah in the southern Lebanon.

Lebanon Health Ministry said seven people, including a child, were killed and 40 injured in air strikes.

Hezbollah said he did not participate and remained involved in the termination of fire and no other armed group took responsibility.

The termination of fire in November put an end to more than 13 months of conflict.

Hezbollah launched her campaign on the day after Hamas’s attacks against South Israel on October 7, 2023, saying he was acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The long -standing conflict escalates and led to an intense Israeli air campaign in Lebanon and ground invasion of South Lebanon.

The offensive died about 4,000 people in Lebanon – including many civilians – and led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million inhabitants.

Israel’s stated goal in his war against Hezbollah was to allow the return of about 60,000 inhabitants who were displaced by the northern part of the country because of the group attacks and to remove it from the border areas.