Israel launched a late-night air raid targeting a southern Beirut neighborhood, claiming it struck a building housing "precision-guided" missiles for Hezbollah.
Israeli authorities said they ordered an evacuation of the area before authorizing the strike. No immediate casualties were reported.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun swiftly condemned the Israeli assault, calling on international actors like the United States and France to intervene before the situation spirals further out of control. Aoun, who has vowed to disarm Hezbollah and consolidate all weapons under state authority, said earlier this month he hopes Hezbollah’s arms will either be withdrawn or restricted solely to state forces by 2025.
However, Aoun’s optimism faces serious challenges. Israel’s intensified military actions and Hezbollah’s firm refusal to negotiate the status of its weapons are squeezing Lebanon's fragile political landscape. Neither Hezbollah nor Israel appears willing to make concession, leaving Aoun caught in the middle.
Israel maintains that its operations are necessary to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement claiming that missiles stored in Beirut "posed a significant threat to Israel." They reaffirmed Israel’s right to take unilateral action against perceived threats "anywhere in Lebanon" and insisted the Lebanese government "bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats."
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, remains defiant. In a recent televised speech, Qassem demanded Israel’s full withdrawal from occupied Lebanese border areas before any discussion about Hezbollah’s weapons could take place. He declared, "Remove this issue from your vocabulary, as no one will disarm us."
Hezbollah has long insisted that its arsenal forms a part of its resistance strategy against Israel and acts as a deterrent to future aggression.
Since the ceasefire agreement that ended last year’s war between Israel and Hezbollah, regional tensions have escalated significantly. So far, Hezbollah has refrained from serious retaliatory measures. However, officials including Qassem have warned that their patience has limits.
Many Lebanese civilians remain displaced, afraid to return to the country's south where Israeli bombardments continue with apparent impunity.
Israel, for its part, argues that the ceasefire—based largely on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701—requires Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River, roughly 18 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli officials claim Hezbollah’s continued presence in the south constitutes a breach of the agreement.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also condemned Israel’s attacks, calling them acts of terror against civilians "eager to return to normal life." Salam urged the countries that brokered the cessation of hostilities to pressure Israel into halting its strikes and demanded Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
"Lebanon is fully committed to the provisions of Resolution 1701 and the security arrangements agreement," Salam affirmed. He added that the Lebanese Army is expanding its deployment across the south and other regions to extend the authority of the state and ultimately bring all weapons under national control.
Lebanon’s leadership now faces a delicate balancing act: protecting the country from further Israeli escalation while working toward a domestic political settlement that would fully integrate Hezbollah’s arms into state institutions. The more Israel strikes Lebanon, the more it serves as a pretext for Hezbollah to keep its weapons and resist any calls for disarmament.
For now, the path forward appears blocked, as both Israel and Hezbollah harden their positions—leaving Lebanese civilians trapped in the crossfire. The latest Israeli attack has become yet another test for whether the ceasefire will ultimately hold.
U.S. President Donald Trump wants a lasting ceasefire to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Monday that Ukraine is ready to support a full, lasting, and durable ceasefire.
The Kremlin says President Putin confirmed readiness for direct talks with Ukraine during a meeting with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow.
French President Macron says Ukraine is open to an unconditional ceasefire, following talks with Zelenskiyy in Rome.
Efforts to revive Ukraine peace negotiations in London encountered challenges after a high-level U.S. official cancelled his visit, highlighting differences between the United States, Ukraine, and Europe.
Power began returning to parts of Spain and Portugal late on Monday after a massive blackout paralysed both countries, grounding flights, halting public transport, and suspending hospital operations.
Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a state of emergency on Monday after a nationwide power blackout struck much of the Iberian Peninsula.
Israel launched a late-night air raid targeting a southern Beirut neighborhood, claiming it struck a building housing "precision-guided" missiles for Hezbollah.
As Canadians head to the polls on Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals are leading Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in national opinion polls, with Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party (NDP) trailing in third and the separatist Bloc Québécois in fourth. In what is shaping up to be a tight r
The Vatican has announced that the conclave to elect Pope Francis's successor will begin on May 7. Here's a look at the key facts about the conclave, one of the oldest and most secretive elections in the world.
China has rolled out the world’s first 10-gigabit (10G) fixed broadband network in Xiong'an New Area, promising ultra-fast speeds and low latency through cutting-edge optical infrastructure.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
China’s pivot away from U.S. liquefied petroleum gas under new tariffs is shaking global energy flows, slashing demand, and fuelling a scramble for alternatives across Asia, with Middle Eastern suppliers and rival buyers seizing the moment.
A deadly attack targeting tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory has left at least 20 feared dead, marking the deadliest incident against civilians in the region for years, according to security sources.
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan held a meeting with Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a limited format. The talks centered on enhancing bilateral relations and exploring opportunities for increased cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
President Pezeshkian, before his first official visit to Baku, emphasized the potential for Iran-Azerbaijan cooperation in trade, science, and transport, aiming to boost ties through joint investments and regional diplomacy.
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, arrived in the Republic of Azerbaijan for an official visit on April 28.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the founding conference of the Global South NGO Platform.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 28th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Power began returning to parts of Spain and Portugal late on Monday after a massive blackout paralysed both countries, grounding flights, halting public transport, and suspending hospital operations.
Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a state of emergency on Monday after a nationwide power blackout struck much of the Iberian Peninsula.
Israel launched a late-night air raid targeting a southern Beirut neighborhood, claiming it struck a building housing "precision-guided" missiles for Hezbollah.
As Canadians head to the polls on Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals are leading Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in national opinion polls, with Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party (NDP) trailing in third and the separatist Bloc Québécois in fourth. In what is shaping up to be a tight r
The Vatican has announced that the conclave to elect Pope Francis's successor will begin on May 7. Here's a look at the key facts about the conclave, one of the oldest and most secretive elections in the world.
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