Israel Launches First Strike on Beirut Since Ceasefire/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel launched an airstrike on Beirut for the first time since the November ceasefire with Hezbollah, escalating regional tensions. The strike followed rocket fire from Lebanon into northern Israel, which Hezbollah denies launching. Civilians in Beirut’s Hadath district evacuated before the strike, as fears of wider conflict grow.
Israel Strikes Beirut Amid Rising Hezbollah Tensions Quick Looks
- Israel hits Beirut suburb for first time since Nov. 2024 ceasefire
- Strike follows rocket fire from Lebanon into northern Israel
- Hezbollah denies responsibility for cross-border attacks
- Lebanese schools closed, civilians flee Hadath area
- Israel vows no peace in Beirut without peace in northern Israel
- UN official warns of heightened regional risk
- Over 4,000 killed in Lebanon since conflict escalated in 2023
- Ceasefire breaches continue with daily Israeli strikes in Lebanon
Israel Launches First Strike on Beirut Since Ceasefire
Deep Look
Israel has carried out an airstrike on Beirut for the first time since the November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah, intensifying a fragile and increasingly volatile situation along the Israel-Lebanon border. The strike hit the Hadath suburb of Beirut on Friday, sending shockwaves through the Lebanese capital and prompting evacuations.
According to reports from the Associated Press, a loud explosion was heard across Beirut, followed by a plume of smoke rising from the strike site. The Israeli military had issued urgent warnings earlier in the day, urging residents in the area to evacuate in anticipation of retaliatory action.
Israel’s Defense Minister declared that Israel would not allow calm to persist in Beirut if its own northern communities remained under threat. “There will be no peace in Beirut if there is no peace in the Galilee,” he said.
The Israeli strike came in response to rockets allegedly launched from Lebanon into northern Israel. However, Hezbollah swiftly denied involvement, accusing Israel of fabricating a pretext for continued attacks on Lebanese territory. Lebanon’s government responded by ordering all schools and universities in Hadath closed, while residents fled the area by car and on foot.
This marks the first direct strike on Beirut since the truce between Israel and Hezbollah began on November 27, 2024. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon have continued regularly, often targeting what it claims are Hezbollah positions and operations. Drone strikes have also killed multiple Hezbollah members in recent weeks.
The cross-border conflict reignited after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack from Gaza, which killed roughly 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 hostages. Hezbollah entered the fray shortly after, launching rockets, missiles, and drones at Israel in what it described as support for Hamas.
By September 2024, full-scale war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, with Israeli forces conducting widespread airstrikes that killed most of the group’s senior commanders. Over 4,000 people in Lebanon have been killed since the conflict escalated, and approximately 60,000 Israeli civilians have been displaced from the northern border region.
Under the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from Lebanese territory by late January. However, Israel has remained in at least five contested areas beyond the February 18 extension deadline. The Israeli military argues that its presence is necessary for security and to counter Hezbollah’s continued activity.
Just last week, Israeli airstrikes killed six people at several locations across Lebanon, further straining the fragile ceasefire. Friday’s strike on Beirut marks a significant escalation and may trigger broader confrontation.
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert expressed deep concern, calling the situation increasingly dangerous. “This is a critical period for Lebanon and the wider region,” she said in a statement.
The airstrike on Beirut also comes as Israel officially ended a temporary ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, launching a new wave of airstrikes that reportedly killed hundreds. In addition, Israel has halted humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza’s roughly two million residents, worsening the crisis.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly convened top Israeli security officials on Friday to review plans for the Beirut strike, indicating it had been under consideration for several days. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the meeting was held to greenlight military actions in Lebanon’s capital.
Meanwhile, hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas have stalled. Hamas continues to demand a full ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to still be alive. Israel has insisted that Hamas disarm, relinquish power, and send its leadership into exile.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has reportedly killed more than 50,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, though the breakdown between civilians and combatants remains unclear.
The strike on Beirut signals the possible unraveling of the already tenuous ceasefire with Hezbollah and adds a new layer of instability to a region already gripped by conflict on multiple fronts.
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