Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday (2 March), after the Iran-backed group launched missiles and drones towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Israeli strikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in southern Beirut and southern Lebanon killed 31 people, Lebanon's health ministry reported.
Residents fled the southern suburbs on foot and by car, clogging the roads, as more than a dozen powerful explosions shook the capital from around 2:40 a.m. (0040 GMT).
Israel said it holds Hezbollah responsible for the escalation after the group said it had fired rockets and drones in response to repeated Israeli attacks and to avenge "the pure blood" of Khamenei. The Israeli military reported no injuries or damage within Israel.
Hezbollah’s attack was its first on Israel since a 2024 war, while Israel’s strikes on the southern suburbs were the heaviest since that conflict.
"Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight and is fully responsible for any escalation," Israeli Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir said.
Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, is one of Tehran’s main allies in the Middle East.
Lebanese state officials criticise attack on Israel
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli attacks but also warned against Lebanon being used as a platform for wars "we have nothing to do with (it)", saying it would "expose our nation once more to dangers".
"This is something the state will not allow to be repeated and will not accept," said Aoun, whose administration has adopted a policy aimed at Hezbollah's disarmament since taking office with U.S. support a year ago.
Lebanese state media reported that the public prosecutor had ordered security forces to immediately arrest those who fired the rockets at Israel, after a phone call from Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar.
Hezbollah's arms have long been a point of division in Lebanon - a country that was shattered by civil war from 1975-1990 - and demands for the group to disarm have intensified since the 2024 war with Israel.
The group emerged from that war greatly weakened, with its leader Hassan Nasrallah killed along with thousands of its fighters.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said launching rockets from Lebanon was irresponsible and jeopardised Lebanon's security.
The initial wave of strikes was followed by a warning from Israel ordering residents of dozens of villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate to from the area.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including senior Hezbollah members in the Beirut area.
Hezbollah said its attack had targeted an Israeli military missile defence facility south of the city of Haifa. The Israeli military said several projectiles that crossed from Lebanon fell in open areas and one was intercepted by the Israeli air force.
Since a U.S.-backed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in 2024, Israel has carried out regular strikes against what it has identified as Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, accusing the group of seeking to rearm.
As the 13th edition of the World Urban Forum ended, Azerbaijan's Pavilion ...
Fighting in the Russia–Ukraine war has intensified sharply, with both sides launching significant strikes...
A Turkish court has effectively removed the main opposition leader, Özgür Özel, in a ruling that has deepened political tensions and...
The 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku concluded with a high-level Women’s Roundtable focused on advancing gender equality and wom...
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Thursday (21 May) they would allow 31 commercial ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. AnewZ...
Standing amidst the shattered concrete, twisted reinforcing bars, and scattered pages of elementary school textbooks, the profound tragedy of war feels very close to home.
A 13-year-old boy was killed in northern Gaza on Thursday (21 May) after an Israeli drone strike hit the town of Beit Lahiya, according to local health officials, as residents reported a renewed increase in Israeli evacuation warnings ahead of attacks.
Activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla detained by Israel at sea have been released from prison and are expected to be deported to Türkiye, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Israeli police have come under criticism after footage showed activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs following their detention by Israeli forces.
Asian stocks surged on Thursday as some vessels resumed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while forecast-beating results at Nvidia and a suspended workers' strike at Samsung Electronics lifted shares of chipmakers.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said Belarus will not be dragged into the war in Ukraine, while also stressing that Minsk and Moscow would jointly respond to any aggression against them.
The penultimate day of the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku will see Azerbaijan's Pavilion highlight post-construction efforts in Garabagh and East Zangezur, as well as host events on the future of Baku and architectural education.
NATO fighter jets were activated on Thursday (21 May) after at least one drone entered Latvian airspace, according to Latvia’s armed forces, marking the latest in a series of security incidents across the Baltic region linked to the war in Ukraine.
A French appeals court has found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 Rio–Paris crash, marking a major development in a case that has stretched on for 17 years.
Fighting in the Russia–Ukraine war has intensified sharply, with both sides launching significant strikes far beyond the front lines as the conflict enters its 1,549th day.
A Turkish court has effectively removed the main opposition leader, Özgür Özel, in a ruling that has deepened political tensions and rattled financial markets.
A 13-year-old boy was killed in northern Gaza on Thursday (21 May) after an Israeli drone strike hit the town of Beit Lahiya, according to local health officials, as residents reported a renewed increase in Israeli evacuation warnings ahead of attacks.
Azerbaijan is stepping up efforts to strengthen its position as a regional hub for investment and connectivity ahead of the second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in Baku this September.
Iran and Pakistan discussed developments in stalled Iran-U.S. negotiations during a visit to Tehran by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsen Raza Naqvi, amid Islamabad’s ongoing mediation efforts.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment