Israel Strikes Beirut Suburbs Despite Ceasefire, Raising Fears of Wider War
The strikes came amid heightened regional tensions, with Iran warning that any attack on Beirut could reignite a full-scale conflict across the Middle East.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday without prior warning, just days after a ceasefire agreement reached in Washington took effect and despite a U.S. request urging Israel not to target the Lebanese capital.
The strikes came amid heightened regional tensions, with Iran warning that any attack on Beirut could reignite a full-scale conflict across the Middle East. The warning was issued as Pakistan seeks to revive negotiations between Tehran and Washington, with Iran pushing for any agreement to include an end to the war in Lebanon.
There was no immediate comment from the White House, and no casualties were immediately reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the operation was carried out in response to rocket fire from the Iran-backed Hezbollah group toward northern Israel earlier in the day. According to the statement, the strikes targeted Hezbollah "command centers" located in the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut.
Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for the attacks on northern Israel.
The latest escalation comes only days after Lebanese and Israeli officials, meeting in Washington, renewed a ceasefire agreement in hopes of ending months of fighting that has spread across Lebanon.
Despite the truce, hostilities have continued. Israel has previously struck Beirut's southern suburbs twice since the first ceasefire agreement took effect on April 17, while daily Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and clashes between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops have persisted. Israeli forces are also reported to control roughly one-fifth of Lebanese territory following their ground offensive.
Earlier this week, Israel announced plans to strike Beirut's southern suburbs after Hezbollah claimed attacks on northern Israel. However, urgent diplomatic efforts led by Washington temporarily averted the operation, on the condition that Hezbollah halt attacks on Israeli border communities. Sunday's strikes mark a renewed challenge to those ceasefire efforts.