Israel carries out airstrikes on Beirut after Hezbollah rocket and drone attack
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Beirut/Jerusalem: Israeli warplanes launched intense airstrikes at dawn on Monday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, hours after rockets and drones were fired from Lebanese territory at Israel, according to Lebanon’s local television channel al Jadeed.
The Israeli strikes targeted Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, sending residents scrambling from their homes amid fears of further escalation. Ambulances rushed to the affected areas to evacuate casualties, but no official toll was immediately available.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it had launched rockets and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint Israeli–US strikes on Iran over the weekend. In a statement, Hezbollah claimed it had hit the Mishmar HaCarmel missile defence site south of the occupied city of Haifa with a salvo of advanced rockets and a swarm of drones in the early hours of Monday.
The rocket and drone attack triggered air raid sirens in Haifa, the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights. The Israeli military said some projectiles were intercepted, while others landed in open areas; there were no immediate reports of casualties.
For its part, Israel’s military announced it had launched “forceful” airstrikes across Lebanon in response to the Hezbollah attack, saying it was acting “against Hezbollah’s decision to join the campaign.” While it did not specify all targets, Israel’s state owned Kan 11 TV reported that several strikes hit the Dahieh district in Beirut.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the rocket launch from southern Lebanon, warning that it risked drawing the country deeper into conflict. “We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take the necessary measures to apprehend those responsible and protect the Lebanese people,” Salam said. He added that the launch, “regardless of the party behind it,” was a reckless and suspicious act that endangered Lebanon’s security and gave Israel further pretexts for continued attacks.
The escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader and underscores the widening spillover of the conflict into Lebanon.
(Inputs from IANS)