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.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy...
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s effor...
China’s GJ-21 carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone has completed its first take-off and landing on board the Sichuan, the co...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
UN human rights experts comprising a group including Special Rapporteurs and independent experts who are part of the UN Human Rights Council, have criticised French authorities over their handling of nationwide student protests.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment