Israeli forces conducted strikes on Lebanon, including the capital city of Beirut on Monday, as confirmed by the military. This action came in response to Hezbollah, a Tehran-backed militant group, launching rockets at Israel following the death of Iran’s supreme leader.
According to the Lebanese health ministry, the “Israeli enemy raids” in Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon resulted in the death of 31 citizens and injuries to 149 others. Loud explosions were heard in Beirut early on Monday, with the Israeli military stating that they had initiated strikes on targets associated with the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon.
Residents in southern Lebanon were seen fleeing in cars, some with mattresses tied to the roof, after Israel issued a mass evacuation warning. These Israeli strikes followed rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon, marking the first assault on Israel claimed by Hezbollah since a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, which ended over a year of conflict between the two parties.
Hezbollah’s capabilities have been diminished following clashes with Israel, which were triggered by its support of Hamas after the Palestinian group’s deadly assault on Israel in October 2023. Israel has been conducting regular strikes on Lebanon since the ceasefire, often targeting the militant group and accusing it of violating the truce.
On Monday, the Israeli military announced that they had “precisely struck” senior Hezbollah members in Beirut and the south. Reports from Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed Israeli strikes in various locations, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah maintains influence.
In response, Israel issued evacuation warnings to residents in approximately 50 towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, known as Hezbollah strongholds. The IDF urged immediate evacuation for safety, instructing people to move at least 1,000 meters away from their homes to open areas.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the rocket and drone assault on Israel, citing retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. The group stated that its actions were in defense of Lebanon and its people, and as a response to Israeli attacks.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized Monday’s rocket fire as “irresponsible,” emphasizing the threat it poses to Lebanon’s security and providing Israel with reasons to continue its assaults. Salam pledged to halt the perpetrators and ensure the safety of the Lebanese population.
President Jospeh Aoun expressed concern that attacks originating from Lebanese territory could entangle the country in regional conflicts. While denouncing the Israeli strikes, Aoun cautioned against actions that could draw Lebanon into unrelated regional wars.
The Israeli military reported that several projectiles fired from Lebanon fell in open areas with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Subsequently, air raid sirens were activated in parts of Israel’s north warning of an incoming drone.
Military chief Eyal Zamir attributed the escalation to Hezbollah’s campaign against Israel and held the group responsible for any further escalation. Reports from Lebanon’s NNA described a significant displacement of residents from Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern areas near the border with Israel as people tried to flee the conflict zones.
Footage from local media showed congested roads as cars evacuated the southern suburbs, while families arrived in large numbers from the south near the Mediterranean coast. The prime minister’s office shared a list of public schools available to accommodate displaced individuals.
Lebanese authorities reiterated their stance of not wanting to involve the country in the regional conflict that erupted following a major US-Israeli attack on Iran. This series of events led to retaliatory missile and drone strikes from Iran on Israel and Gulf nations hosting US military bases.