Israeli Air Strikes Target Beirut and Southern Lebanon Following Hezbollah Rocket Attack
The Israeli military has launched a series of air strikes across Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, in response to approximately 200 rockets fired by the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah into northern Israel.
Loud explosions were reported overnight from Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold from which thousands have fled amid intense Israeli bombardment over the past week.
Additional strikes impacted other areas of Beirut, including the Corniche seafront. Lebanon's health ministry confirmed at least eight fatalities.
Hezbollah initiated the rocket barrage across the Israeli border on Wednesday evening in a coordinated attack reportedly involving Iran.
On Thursday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the military had been ordered to prepare for an expansion of operations in Lebanon as a retaliatory measure.
Following this, the Israeli military extended a comprehensive evacuation order for southern Lebanon, nearly doubling the area residents are advised to vacate for safety.
The evacuation zone now encompasses nearly the entire region south of the Zahrani river, which runs east to west approximately 40 km (25 miles) from the Israeli border, according to a map circulated online.
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the US ten days ago when Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iran's supreme leader and repeated Israeli strikes since a ceasefire ended their last war in 2024.
Israel has stated that Hezbollah's attack justifies a broader campaign against the group, including intensive air strikes and commando raids within Lebanese territory. The campaign is intended to continue until Hezbollah is disarmed.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed at least 634 people, including 91 children, and displaced approximately 800,000 others since the escalation began.
The Israeli military has reported two soldier fatalities in combat operations in Lebanon.
At Ramlet al-Baida, located on Beirut's Corniche, a large area was cordoned off on Wednesday morning as officials examined the site of a deadly strike.
A military official told the BBC that personnel were addressing unexploded ordnance in the area.
Lebanon's health ministry reported at least eight deaths following what appeared to be a direct hit on a car. Reports indicated a second strike occurred after bystanders gathered to assist, causing additional casualties.
There were no prior warnings about the strike at the seafront, where hundreds of displaced individuals were sheltering in makeshift accommodations.
Khoudor Housseini, whose family had fled the town of Chmestar in the eastern Bekaa Valley and was staying at the seafront, described the attack:
"An Israeli drone flying overhead fired a missile at a parked car. After about two minutes, it targeted the car again. One missile didn't explode. If it had exploded, maybe we would have all died... God protected us."
"I'm one of the people who wanted to go help, but I couldn't. I have a little baby with me."
Mohammed Ali, displaced from Beirut's southern suburbs, recounted his experience to the BBC:
"We were sleeping here peacefully and didn't feel anything until something exploded and we woke up in a panic. They said one strike had happened so we went back to sleep, thinking the targeting was over, but then the second strike happened."
"I grabbed two of my children and rushed them away from the area."
He also expressed concern about overcrowded schools converted into displacement centers in the city, which offer limited options for those fleeing their homes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not commented specifically on the seafront strike but maintain that their military actions in Lebanon target Hezbollah.
Heavy bombing was also reported in Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahieh.
The IDF stated it struck 10 Hezbollah structures there, including an intelligence headquarters and the headquarters of the elite Radwan force, along with dozens of rocket launchers and operatives preparing to use them.
"The IDF is operating with determination against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation as a result of the terrorist organisation's decision to deliberately attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian regime,"the IDF said.
An IDF spokesperson described Hezbollah's cross-border attack on Wednesday as the largest to date in this conflict, involving approximately 200 rockets and 20 drones launched simultaneously, coinciding with Iran firing several ballistic missiles toward Israel.
Hezbollah stated on Wednesday night that it targeted sites in northern Israel in response to what it termed "the criminal aggression against dozens of Lebanese cities and towns." The group later specified that targets included the Israeli military's northern command headquarters near Safed and two bases in Haifa.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) also claimed to have conducted a "joint and integrated operation" with Hezbollah, focusing on more than 50 targets in Israel.
Israeli officials reported one building was damaged in the northern Galilee region, lightly wounding two people.
Another building sustained damage from debris following an interception in Haniel, a farming community in the central Sharon region, with no injuries reported.
On Thursday morning, Israel's defence minister reiterated that the military had been ordered to prepare for "expanding... operations in Lebanon and for restoring quiet and security to the northern communities" in response to Hezbollah's latest attack.
Katz also issued a warning to Lebanon's President Michel Aoun:
"If the Lebanese government does not know how to control the territory and prevent Hezbollah from threatening northern communities and firing toward Israel, we will take the territory and do it ourselves."
French President Emmanuel Macron stated late Wednesday that he had spoken with Aoun regarding threats to Lebanon's security and unity.
"Hezbollah made a major mistake in dragging Lebanon into a confrontation with Israel. It must immediately cease its attacks,"Macron wrote on X.
"For its part, Israel must clearly renounce any ground offensive in Lebanon."
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned of a critical situation for Lebanon:
"The Lebanese people are doing everything they can just to stay afloat right now. And what they most need is Iran and Israel to take war somewhere else,"he told the BBC.
