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Israel carried out an airstrike in a Beirut suburb targeting a Hezbollah precision missile storage facility, as the Jewish state continued to attack sites related to the militant group in the southern part of the Lebanese capital despite a ceasefire agreement. The facility posed a “significant threat” to Israel, which won’t allow Iran-backed Hezbollah to regroup following a war that lasted more than a year, according to a joint statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the defense ministry. The Israeli Air Force fired three missiles at the target, causing damage to buildings and cars in the area, reported Lebanon’s state-run news agency NNA. Live streaming by Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV showed plumes of smoke after the airstrike. No casualties were reported. Israel’s Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee posted an evacuation warning ahead of the attack, which was also preceded by warning strikes from the Israeli army. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the US and France, as brokers of the ceasefire deal reached in November, to “force Israel to stop its aggression immediately,” warning of exacerbating regional tensions. For its side, the Israel Defense Forces said the targeted missile storage infrastructure constituted “a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said in a post on X: “We urge all sides to halt any actions that could further undermine the cessation of hostilities understanding.” On April 1, the IDF conducted an airstrike that killed four people in Beirut’s southern suburb while targeting a Hezbollah operative. It also struck a drone-storage facility belonging to the Lebanese militia in same area of the capital in late March, the first strike in the region since the ceasefire came into effect. Hezbollah started attacking Israel with drones and missiles on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Palestinian group Hamas, a day after Hamas’ incursion into Israel. Israel retaliated by striking Hezbollah’s positions, mostly in southern Lebanon where the Lebanese militia’s presence is robust. The conflict was largely contained after Israel assassinated most of Hezbollah’s senior figures, including long-standing leader Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah and Hamas, also backed by Iran, are designated terrorist organizations by the US and many other governments. The recent Beirut-area strikes are part of Israel’s intensified military operations on different fronts, following a period of relative calm earlier this year. Israeli forces are again conducting ground and air attacks in Gaza after a ceasefire with Hamas collapsed, while regularly hitting targets in Syria. With assistance from Marissa Newman. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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