Israeli military strikes Beirut's southern suburbs
BEIRUT: Israeli air strikes pummelled the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital late on Thursday, sending thousands of people fleeing on the eve of a Muslim feast day and prompting accusations by top Lebanese officials that Israel was violating a ceasefire deal.
At least 10 strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs – a sprawling area known as Dahiyeh – in a wave of bombing that began about 90 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for four sites in the area.
It was the fourth time that Dahiyeh has been bombed since a US-brokered truce in November ended a year-long war between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hizbollah.
The ceasefire stipulates that Hizbollah must pull all military equipment and fighters out of southern Lebanon and that all non-state armed groups must be disarmed across the country.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that it was planning to strike "underground UAV production infrastructure sites that were deliberately established in the heart of civilian population" in Dahiyeh.
It said Hizbollah was producing thousands of drones there, "with the direction and funding of Iranian terrorists."
There was no immediate comment from Hizbollah, which in the past has denied placing military infrastructure in civilian areas.
A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Lebanon's army had received a notice earlier on Thursday that military equipment was being stored in one area in Dahiyeh. After visiting the site, the army determined there was no such military equipment stored there.
"Then, the Israeli military put out their warning. The army tried to enter Dahiyeh again to search again and prevent the strikes, but Israeli warning strikes blocked the troops from entering the area," the source said.
The strikes sent thick plumes of smoke billowing over the district until midnight, according to Reuters footage. Thousands fled, causing traffic gridlock. Most ended up fleeing on foot to relatives' homes, while others stayed out in the streets.
Israeli strikes also hit the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana, according to Lebanese state media, shortly after evacuation warnings were issued for the area.
The attacks occurred as the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha was due to begin on Thursday. The strikes "generated renewed panic and fear on the eve of Eid al-Adha," the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon said on X.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam both condemned the attacks as a "blatant violation" of international agreements.
Hizbollah and Israel accuse each other of not fulfilling the terms of the truce, which has appeared shaky in recent months.
Israel's military has continually targeted southern Lebanon, and Israeli troops still occupy five hilltop positions in the south. Israel has struck Beirut's suburbs three times since the truce was agreed, mostly in response to rocket launches from Lebanon. Hizbollah denied involvement in those launches.
The latest war between longtime foes Israel and Hizbollah began in October 2023, when Hizbollah launched rockets at Israeli military positions in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas.
Israel escalated the following year in a heavy bombing campaign that killed thousands of Hizbollah fighters, destroying much of its arsenal and eliminating its top leadership, including its then-secretary general Hassan Nasrallah.
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