Israel launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, marking the first strike on the city since a fragile ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict in November 2024. The attack has significantly escalated tensions in the region, already strained by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Associated Press reporters in Beirut reported a loud explosion followed by plumes of smoke rising from an area targeted by the Israeli military. The strike followed urgent warnings from Israel’s army for residents to evacuate parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, claiming it was retaliating against rocket attacks launched from Lebanese territory into northern Israel.
Israeli and Lebanese government responds
“If there is no peace in Israel’s northern communities there will be no peace in Beirut either,” Israel’s Defense Minister stated on Friday, signaling a firm stance. However, Hezbollah denied launching rockets into northern Israel, accusing Israel of fabricating a pretext to justify further attacks on Lebanon.
The Lebanese government ordered the immediate closure of all schools and universities in the Hadath suburb of Beirut, as residents fled the area in cars and on foot.
November 27 Ceasefire
The November 27, 2024, ceasefire had brought a temporary halt to the intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Since then, Israel has conducted near-daily strikes on targets in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has launched rockets, drones, and missiles into Israel. The conflict escalated into a full-blown war in September, resulting in over 4,000 deaths in Lebanon and displacing approximately 60,000 Israelis.
Despite a ceasefire agreement requiring Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanese territory by February 18, Israel has maintained a presence in five locations along the border. Simultaneously, Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions and killing several of the group’s members.
The recent escalation coincides with Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza, where a ceasefire with Hamas has collapsed. Israel has launched a series of strikes, resulting in hundreds of Palestinian deaths, and has halted the delivery of essential supplies to the region’s two million residents.
Emanual Macron reacts
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that there was no activity justifying Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon on Friday and announced that he would contact U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the attacks.
“The framework agreed upon by Lebanon and Israel was not respected today by Israel, unilaterally, and without us having either information or proof of the triggering event,” Macron said.
(With AP Inputs)