Israel strikes kill 3 in Beirut

The Israeli military carried out an airstrike on a building in Beirut's southern suburbs early Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of at least three people.

Israel stated that the strike targeted a Hezbollah militant.

The attack occurred without prior warning, just days after Israel launched an assault on Beirut on Friday—the first such strike on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire ended clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in November. Before the attack, the Israeli military had issued warnings to residents in the densely populated suburbs following the launch of two projectiles from southern Lebanon, which Hezbollah denied responsibility for.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least seven other individuals sustained injuries in the strike.

In a statement, the Israeli military said the airstrike targeted a Hezbollah operative who was assisting the Palestinian Hamas group in Gaza with attacks against Israel. It added that the strike was conducted “under the direction of the Shin Bet,” Israel’s domestic intelligence agency.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the attack, and no further details on casualties were available.

Photos and videos widely circulated on local and social media showed significant damage to the top three floors of an apartment building. Debris from the strike had fallen onto vehicles below.

Jets were heard flying over parts of the Lebanese capital before the strike, which took place near the Hay Madi neighborhood. During Israel’s previous war with Hezbollah, Israeli drones and fighter jets frequently targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area where Hezbollah maintains significant influence and support. Israel considers this region a militant stronghold and has accused Hezbollah of stockpiling weapons there.

“We were at home. It was Eid al-Fitr,” said Hussein Nour El-Din, a local resident, referring to the Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan. “We didn’t know where the explosion happened, but once the smoke cleared, we saw it was the building right across from us.”

On Saturday, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, warned that if Israel continued its attacks on Lebanon and the Lebanese government failed to intervene, the group would be forced to explore other options.

As part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli forces were required to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January, while Hezbollah was obligated to cease its armed presence south of the Litani River along the Israeli border.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Israel has conducted daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Lebanese military has been gradually deploying in the country’s southern region, with Beirut urging the international community to pressure Israel to halt attacks and withdraw its remaining forces from five hilltops within Lebanese territory.