Israel’s military has carried out an airstrike on the southern part of Beirut, the first since the ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah in late November. According to reports, Israeli combat jets targeted the Hadath neighborhood, which was previously evacuated by its residents at the request of the Israeli military due to the presence of “Hisbollah militia facilities”.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim that the targeted building in Beirut was used by the Hisbollah as a “drone base” and belonged to the group’s 127th Air Unit, responsible for drone attacks on Israel and reconnaissance missions.
The Israeli military operation was a response to a provocation from Lebanese territory, where two rockets were fired at the Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona in the morning. One of the rockets landed in Lebanon, while the other was reportedly intercepted by the Israeli military.
A high-ranking source within Hezbollah told the Lebanese news channel Al-Mayadeen that the group was not involved in the rocket attack and that the recent rocket fire from Lebanon was “part of a suspicious attempt to create a pretext for the continuation of Israel’s aggression against Lebanon”.
Libyan Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the military to “identify and apprehend the masterminds behind the irresponsible rocket attack, which threatens the stability and security of Lebanon”.
Following the rocket attack, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Beirut on Friday morning that “the fate of Kiryat Shmona is the same as the fate of Beirut”, stating that without peace in Israel’s northern border communities, there would be no peace in Beirut either.