Israeli Airstrikes Pound Beirut’s Southern Suburbs After Evacuation Warnings

Israel launched multiple airstrikes on Hezbollah’s main stronghold in southern Beirut, sending massive plumes of smoke into the sky above the densely populated area. The strikes on Friday, which were heard across the Mediterranean city, caused panic in the residential neighborhood, which has been a Hezbollah stronghold for decades.

These were the most intense strikes on Beirut’s suburbs since Israel shifted its military focus from Gaza to Lebanon earlier this week, targeting Hezbollah positions across the country and resulting in the deaths of hundreds.

Reports from Israeli media suggested that Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was the intended target of the first strike. However, a source close to the group stated that Nasrallah was unharmed.

Nasrallah, a revered figure among his followers, has remained hidden from public view for years to avoid assassination. He is regarded as the only person in Lebanon with the authority to either wage war or broker peace.

On Saturday, Israel’s military announced that their strikes had killed Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, along with his deputy and other senior officials.

The strikes felt like an earthquake, according to Ahmad Ahmad, a resident who fled the southern suburbs. Another resident, Abir Hammoud, described the fear, saying she thought the building was about to collapse.

Following the initial wave of strikes, which reportedly leveled six buildings, a second round of bombing hit Hezbollah weapon storage sites, though the group denied this. Hezbollah retaliated by firing more rockets into Israel, with no immediate reports of casualties.

In response to the strikes, the Israeli military warned civilians in parts of southern Beirut to evacuate before the second wave of bombings and emphasized that it would not allow Iran to transfer weapons to Hezbollah through Beirut’s airport. They also confirmed strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, near Tyre.

The violence has raised concerns of a broader conflict, with U.N. officials describing it as the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the fight against Hezbollah until Israel’s northern border was secure.

Meanwhile, calls for a ceasefire from international leaders, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have yet to yield results. Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza are seen as key to curbing the fighting in Lebanon and preventing further escalation.

Despite the ongoing conflict, a Gaza ceasefire remains out of reach, even after months of mediation. Hamas’ October 7 attack led to the deaths of over 1,200 people, with hostages still being held in Gaza. Israel’s military retaliation has caused more than 41,000 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to U.N.-verified reports.

Amid the escalating tensions, Iran condemned the strikes on Beirut, calling them a dangerous escalation. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian denounced the actions as a “flagrant war crime.” Israel, in turn, warned Iran that its military reach extends across the entire Middle East, further fueling fears of regional instability.