Israel Bombs Beirut, Orders Forced Evictions Amid Fragile Ceasefire with Hezbollah

Post by: Raman Preet

Photo : AFP

Beirut: On Friday, Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, for the first time since a ceasefire with Hezbollah was agreed upon in November. The attack came after the Israeli military ordered people in the southern suburbs of Beirut, near a school, to leave immediately. The order applied to everyone within 300 metres of a specific building.

Airstrikes and Panic in Beirut
The Israeli airstrikes hit a building in the Hadath neighbourhood, seriously injuring one person. The attack caused panic as an Israeli drone was heard flying loudly over Beirut. People in south Beirut ran in fear, and some fired gunshots into the air, calling on others to flee.

Schools in the area, which were full of children, were quickly evacuated. Sadly, at least one of the strikes happened while the children were still running away from their school, according to witnesses.

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Thick black smoke rose into the sky as flames tore through the collapsed building. The air was filled with a strong, burning smell as emergency workers and the Lebanese Army rushed to the scene.

Israel Claims Hezbollah Link, Provides No Proof
After the bombing, Avichay Adraee, an Israeli military spokesperson, claimed the building was linked to Hezbollah. However, he did not offer any evidence to support this claim.

Rocket Launches Spark Retaliation
The Israeli military said they carried out the airstrikes in response to two rockets being launched from south Lebanon into Israel on Friday morning. One rocket was intercepted by Israel’s defence system, while the other landed inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah denied having any part in the rocket attack, saying they were still committed to the ceasefire agreement.

Escalation in South Lebanon
Following the rocket launches, Israel launched heavy airstrikes on several towns in south Lebanon, killing at least one person and injuring more than eight, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The Lebanese Army later said they found the site where the rockets were launched, just north of the Litani River, and were trying to identify the attackers.

Schools Closed After Attack
One of the Israeli strikes hit a school in the town of Khiam, forcing schools in Nabatieh Governorate to close for the day.

Lebanese and French Leaders Condemn the Attack
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who was in Paris on a foreign trip, said he was following the situation closely.

During a press conference with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Mr. Macron called the Israeli airstrikes “unacceptable”, describing them as a “violation of the ceasefire” agreed upon last November.

He also said he planned to speak with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming days.

“There is no reason that justifies such attacks,” Mr. Macron said.

Lebanon’s Security Meeting
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held an emergency security meeting to discuss the situation.

He ordered the army chief to quickly find out who was behind the rocket fire and arrest them, saying the attack was a threat to Lebanon’s stability.

Israel Issues Threats
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon that there would be “no calm in Beirut” if attacks continued in northern Israel.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to bomb Beirut if rockets are fired from southern Lebanon.

Ceasefire in Jeopardy
Friday’s rocket launch from south Lebanon was only the second since the ceasefire began in November. However, the truce has not stopped Israel from regularly bombing south Lebanon.

Just a week earlier, three rockets were launched at Israel from south Lebanon, which led to a major Israeli airstrike campaign, causing multiple deaths. Hezbollah denied being involved in that attack as well.

A Lebanese security source told the media that the “improvised” way the rockets were launched suggested that Hezbollah was not behind the attack.

Ongoing Conflict
Despite the ceasefire, Israel still occupies five areas of Lebanese territory, even though it was supposed to pull out last month under the truce terms.

The conflict between Israel and Lebanon has already claimed the lives of over 4,000 people in Lebanon. It started alongside Israel’s war on Gaza but became much worse in September.

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