Israel has resumed air strikes on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, for the first time in nearly a week. The Israeli military said it targeted an underground weapons warehouse belonging to Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of the city. The strike occurred around 07:00 local time (05:00 BST), shortly after Israel issued an evacuation order for a single building in the area.
The southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahieh, have long been a stronghold for Hezbollah and have been heavily bombarded by Israeli forces in recent weeks. However, there had been a temporary halt in attacks on the capital following an apparent request from the Biden administration, allowing residents a brief period to return to their homes and assess damage.
This latest attack follows reports of Israeli air strikes killing civilians across eastern and southern Lebanon overnight. In response, Lebanon reported that 50 rockets were launched towards the northern Israeli town of Safed, escalating the already tense situation.
The last airstrike on Beirut, which occurred on 10 October, resulted in the collapse of an entire building in a densely populated area, killing 22 people. That attack came without warning and has not yet been publicly addressed by the Israeli military.
The resumption of strikes on Beirut signals a renewed phase of hostilities in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with further violence anticipated in the days ahead.