Israel carries out strikes on Lebanese capital Beirut
Israel has launched air strikes on the Lebanese capital, targeting what it says were "Hezbollah facilities" in the group's southern Beirut stronghold of Dahiyeh.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an "urgent" evacuation warning for a building in the Al-Hadath neighbourhood on Sunday evening local time.
Locals were told to move "at least 300 metres away" from the area, and Lebanese media reported the sounds of gunfire in the area ahead of the strike.
The building was hit almost an hour later, sending smoke plumes across the city.
It is the first Israeli strike against Hezbollah in over a month.
(
Reuters: Mohamed Azakir
)
The IDF later said the building stored some of Hezbollah's supply of precision guided missiles.
A joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strikes demonstrated areas of Beirut would not serve as a "sanctuary city" for Hezbollah.
"Under the direction of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Katz, the IDF strongly attacked an infrastructure where Hezbollah precision missiles were stored in Beirut, which posed a significant threat to the State of Israel," the statement said.
"Israel will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and pose any threat to it — anywhere in Lebanon."
Projectiles could be seen falling from the sky towards the area Israel had issued a warning over.
(
Reuters: Mohamed Azakir
)
The statement added that the Lebanese government bore "direct responsibility for not preventing these threats".
The United Nations' special coordinator for Lebanon urged both sides to stop undermining the ceasefire.
"Today's strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy," Jeanine Hennis posted on social media platform X.
Israel has been accused of repeatedly breaching a ceasefire with Hezbollah, which came into force in November after more than a year of fighting.
Photo shows
crowds of people protest in tel aviv holding signs of the hostages faces who were taken by Hamas
The families demand Benjamin Netanyahu end the war, saying if he refuses, they will "take action to topple him in order to save the hostages".
In early April, Israel launched a strike on Beirut for the first time since that truce began.
Lebanon's health ministry said four people were killed in that attack, while seven more were injured.
Israel had said it was targeting a Hezbollah commander, who the group later confirmed had been killed in the strike.
Lebanon's president and prime minister condemned Israel's actions, labelling it as a violation of the ceasefire.
The United States and France are in charge of monitoring the truce, and are meant to be given advance warning of any Israeli military action.
At the height of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group's leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated.
Israeli spies embedded explosives in thousands of pagers the group was using for communications, killing dozens and maiming thousands more, including civilians.
The deadly attack was planned a decade earlier, according to former Israeli agents in an interview with US broadcaster CBS.
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