Airstrikes Target Beirut’s Southern Suburbs, Including Area Near Airport

Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs early Thursday, with one strike hitting close to Lebanon’s only international airport.

The strikes followed a series of attacks by Hezbollah on Israel, including a missile targeting a military base near Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

The raid near Beirut’s airport caused extensive damage to a warehouse used by a heater factory, according to an AFP photographer. Despite the proximity, caretaker Transport Minister Ali Hamieh confirmed that the airport remained operational, with flights taking off and landing as usual.

Some minor damage occurred to airport buildings, including areas used by the national carrier, Middle East Airlines, but the main terminal was unaffected, according to an airport official who spoke anonymously.

Abu Elie, a taxi driver at the airport during the strikes, described the scene: “The car park shook, and people were running with their suitcases on their shoulders.” Once outside, he encountered heavy smoke, forcing him to use his headlights.

Meanwhile, Israel’s airports authority reported that Ben Gurion Airport continued to operate without disruption after Hezbollah’s claim of a missile strike nearby.

The strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs were particularly intense, leaving many residents unable to sleep. Ramzi Zaiter, a resident of southern Beirut, shared the toll of ongoing conflict: “We’ve had to flee multiple times, sometimes even sleeping in our car. Life and death now feel like a matter of chance.”

According to caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad, Israeli strikes on Lebanon since September 23 have claimed over 2,600 lives.