Airstrikes Hit Beirut, Evacuation Warnings Issued

On Saturday morning, three Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, shortly after the Israeli military issued a warning for residents to evacuate the area.

The strikes hit a stronghold of Hezbollah, a militant group based in the southern suburbs. Since Tuesday, this area has been the focus of repeated Israeli attacks. Video footage captured by AFPTV showed smoke rising from three separate locations in the region.

Before the strikes, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a warning on social media, urging residents of the Haret Hreik neighborhood to leave. The message, written in Arabic, identified specific buildings and advised people to move at least 500 meters away, as they were near Hezbollah-affiliated sites that would soon be targeted.

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) confirmed that three airstrikes were conducted near Haret Hreik, with the first strike destroying buildings and causing significant damage in the area. Adraee later issued evacuation alerts for buildings in Haret Hreik, Burj al-Barajneh, and Ghobeiri.

The ongoing airstrikes on southern Beirut have triggered a large-scale evacuation of civilians. However, some residents return during the day to assess the condition of their homes and businesses.

Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, additional Israeli airstrikes were reported on Friday night and early Saturday. Overnight, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching two rocket attacks targeting an Israeli infantry battalion’s headquarters in northern Israel.

Since September 23, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Lebanon, escalating to ground operations after nearly a year of cross-border skirmishes initiated by Hezbollah during the Gaza war.

Lebanese officials report that more than 3,440 people have died since October of the previous year when hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel began. The conflict has inflicted over $5 billion in economic losses on Lebanon, with the World Bank estimating billions more in structural damages.