Israel Orders Strikes on Beirut Suburbs as Hezbollah Rocket Fire Escalates
Israel's government has ordered strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon's capital, as the conflict with Hezbollah intensifies. A joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military would attack targets in Dahiyeh, the Hezbollah stronghold, in response to what they called repeated violations of a US-brokered ceasefire by Hezbollah and attacks on Israeli cities and citizens.
The strikes were ordered after Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel, including the outskirts of Haifa. Many Lebanese fled Beirut's southern suburbs following the announcement, jamming roads leading out of the area, where Hezbollah enjoys wide support.
Ceasefire Fails to Halt Fighting
The US-brokered ceasefire announced in April has failed to end the fighting. Israel's ground forces recently reached their deepest point in Lebanon in 26 years, capturing the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle south of the Litani river. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said their campaign was "not over" and that they were "determined to crush Hezbollah's power."
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel on Saturday of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy and collective punishment." A senior Lebanese government official told the BBC that Lebanon was relying on US mediation to pressure Israel to end its violations and prevent further civilian casualties.
Diplomatic Efforts
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. According to a US official, Rubio proposed that as a first step, Lebanese officials should pressure Hezbollah to stop attacks on Israel, and in return, Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut. This, the official said, would create space for gradual de-escalation.
Casualties and Displacement
Lebanon was drawn into the war on 2 March when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Since then, at least 3,371 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the country's health ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The latest round of fighting has killed 3,412 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people.
Israel says 24 of its soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed over the same period. Another report claims at least 26 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, though these figures have not been independently verified.
Threats and Counter-Threats
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, "We reject Iran's threats outright. Any attempt by Iran to use ties with Lebanon to attack Israel will be met with great force." He also stated that Israel will continue to attack Dahiyeh if Hezbollah continues to attack Israel's northern region.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reportedly proposed to the Security Cabinet that Israel should strike 20-30 buildings in Dahiyeh for every Iranian missile launched towards Israel. The reported logic is that such strikes would affect Iran's calculations regarding its connection to Lebanon.
On the other side, a prominent Hezbollah official, Mahmoud Kamati, the deputy head of Hezbollah's political council, threatened that if the IDF renews strikes in Beirut, the organization would launch retaliatory fire towards central Israeli cities such as Haifa and Tel Aviv. "The equation of Dahiyeh against settlements in the north cannot be accepted in any way," he said in an interview with Qatari outlet Al Araby.
The Yemeni Houthi group also threatened retaliation against Israel if it continues attacks in Lebanon. Mohammed Alfrah, a member of the Houthi's Political Bureau, said on X/Twitter that Israel's soldiers in southern Lebanon "will remain vulnerable to daily killing until the withdrawal."
Outlook
The conflict shows no signs of abating, with both sides vowing continued action. The failure of the ceasefire has raised fears of a wider regional war, as Iran-backed groups threaten further attacks and Israel signals it will respond with force. Diplomatic efforts, including US mediation, have so far failed to stem the violence.