The attack on Thursday is the fourth time Israel has bombed Beirut since a ceasefire with Hezbollah went into effect in November.
It has carried out assassinations and announced strikes that it said targeted Hezbollah sites.
The Wafa news agency reported that 100 housing units were destroyed in Israel’s strikes on southern Beirut.
Later Thursday night, Israeli strikes also targeted the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana, according to Lebanese state media, shortly after further Israeli army evacuation warnings were issued for the area.
The Lebanese government said in April that Israeli strikes had killed another 190 people and wounded nearly 500 since the ceasefire.
On the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, a number of Israeli strikes have targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut. This comes nearly an hour after the Israeli army ordered residents to leave areas it claims contained underground facilities used by the Lebanese group Hezbollah for the production of drones.
Since the implementation of a ceasefire with Hezbollah in November, Israel has bombed Beirut four times since Thursday’s attack. It has carried out assassinations and declared attacks that it claims were directed at Hezbollah locations.
For seven months, the Lebanese government under President Joseph Aoun, Arab countries, and human rights organizations have accused Israel of violating the ceasefire almost every day. Aoun recently urged France and the United States to control Israel.
“Flagrant violation of an international accord … on the eve of a sacred religious festival” and “firm condemnation of the Israeli aggression” were the words of Aoun’s statement released on Thursday following the strikes.
Prior to the attacks, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee had issued evacuation orders to people residing close to buildings in the Dahiyeh suburbs’ Hadath, Haret Hreik, and Burj al-Barajneh neighborhoods.
Using a map of the eight buildings targeted in four different locations, Adraee wrote on social media, “You are next to infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah.”. It said that Israel would soon bomb the region in Arabic.
Lebanese media said that after the evacuation order, the area was almost completely devoid of people who had been getting ready for Eid al-Adha. According to the reports, “warning strikes” were audible, so it was closed.
According to the Wafa news agency, Israel’s strikes on southern Beirut destroyed 100 housing units.
Shortly after additional Israeli army evacuation warnings were issued for the region, Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes also targeted the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana later Thursday night. East of the seaside city of Sidon is Ain Qana.
“A great deal of anxiety.”.
Following the strikes, Zeina Khodr of Al Jazeera reported from Beirut and stated, “There was heavy traffic here as people were making their way out.”. As you might expect, this did lead to a great deal of anxiety. Since the ceasefire went into effect last November, the army has conducted airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on several occasions, but this is the biggest assault to date. “.”.
According to Khodr, up to eight buildings were targeted in four densely populated neighborhoods. Because of the severity of the airstrikes, all local residents were forced to evacuate.
Given that Israel has been killing people “for the last three, four months,” analyst Rami Khouri told Al Jazeera that the attack was “no surprise.”. Since the ceasefire agreement, they have persisted in holding five locations in South Lebanon. “”.
“The primary tool that the Israelis have always employed to subdue their enemies is military force,” he stated. However, the irony is that it hasn’t been successful. It’s only caused a lot of opposition, and we’ll have to see what it means in Lebanon. Hezbollah suffered a setback last year, and they’re clearly getting back together,” he said. He went on to say, “They are regrouping, but we don’t know exactly what they’re doing.”.
After the evacuation warning, people were seen rushing away in video confirmed by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency.
The Israeli military claimed that Hezbollah was “blatantly violating the understandings between Israel and Lebanon” by producing drones in the region.
According to a Hezbollah official, the targeted locations did not have drone production facilities.
It stated that the Israeli military “will endeavor to eliminate any danger to the State of Israel and its people and stop any effort to reestablish the terrorist group Hezbollah.”.
As “Israel warns people to leave in the middle of the night and on the eve of a major religious holiday,” Khodr stated, “If you talk to people here, what they will tell you is that this is terrorism.”.
The strikes were also denounced in a statement by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He urged the international community to force Israel to completely leave Lebanese territory and to stop it from “continuing its aggressions.”.
Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, praised the strikes on Beirut, saying, “We will not allow any entity to create threats against the northern communities and all citizens of the State of Israel. We will continue to enforce the ceasefire rules without any compromises.”. “.”.
Over 4,000 people, including hundreds of civilians, were killed in Lebanon during the 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli strikes have killed an additional 190 people and injured almost 500 since the ceasefire, according to a statement released by the Lebanese government in April.
