BEIRUT (AP) – On the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday, the Israeli military targeted several sites in the southern suburbs of Beirut, asserting that these locations housed underground facilities utilized by Hezbollah for drone production. This operation marked the first Israeli strikes near the Lebanese capital in over a month and the fourth strike since a US-brokered ceasefire agreement concluded the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in November.
Prior to executing the strikes, Israel issued a warning via X, formerly known as Twitter, informing that eight buildings across four locations would be targeted. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued conducting near-daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, which Lebanese officials claim violate the truce. Israeli officials, however, assert that such strikes are necessary to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping post-war, after substantial losses to its senior leadership and arsenal.
The Israeli army stated, “Hezbollah is working to produce thousands of drones under the guidance and financing of Iranian terrorist groups.” It noted that the militant group had extensively used drones in attacks against Israel and was expanding its drone industry in anticipation of future conflicts. Hezbollah did not immediately respond to the strikes, although a Hezbollah official denied the presence of drone production facilities at the targeted sites.
Israeli strikes prompted condemnation from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Aoun characterized the attacks as a “blatant violation of an international agreement” and a breach of international humanitarian laws, particularly troubling given the various sensitivities surrounding the religious holiday. He accused Israel of using Lebanon as a conduit for messages directed at the United States concerning negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
In a statement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz commended the air force for the operation’s “perfect execution,” reaffirming that Israel would maintain enforcement of the ceasefire rules without compromise. Katz declared that the “Lebanese government is directly responsible for preventing violations of the ceasefire and all terrorist activity against the state of Israel.”
The ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel ignited on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah initiated rocket attacks across the border in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. Israel retaliated with airstrikes, leading to a protracted low-level conflict that escalated into full-scale war by September 2024, resulting in over 4,000 fatalities in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians. The Lebanese government reported that since the ceasefire, Israeli strikes had resulted in 190 deaths and 485 injuries.
Increasing domestic and international pressure has mounted on Hezbollah to relinquish its remaining arsenal. Yet, officials from the group insist they will not disarm until Israel ceases its airstrikes and withdraws from five territories it currently occupies along the southern Lebanese border.
