Israel Strikes Hezbollah Facility in Beirut
World
On Sunday, April 27, Israel's Air Force carried out an airstrike on a target in the southern part of Beirut. In response, Lebanon called on France and the United States to exert pressure on Israel, according to AFP.
According to a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the strike targeted a missile storage facility belonging to the Hezbollah group. AFP reports that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had warned local residents to evacuate the area prior to the strike. Nevertheless, the explosion resulted in a fire in a densely populated district.
There were no immediate reports of civilian infrastructure damage or casualties. Lebanese television channels aired footage showing a fire near a building resembling a warehouse.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strike, calling it a fresh violation of the ceasefire agreement reached between Hezbollah and Israel at the end of November. Earlier reports had already mentioned at least two similar airstrikes.
Aoun urged France and the United States, as guarantors of Lebanon’s security, to pressure Israel and "force it to immediately cease its attacks." Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office argued that Hezbollah's storage of missiles at the Beirut facility itself constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, also condemned the strike. "The strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs sparked panic and fear among those desperately yearning for a return to normal life," she wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). "We urge all sides to refrain from any actions that could undermine the ceasefire agreement."
The airstrike was not Israel’s only attack on targets in Lebanon that day. On the same day, a Lebanese citizen was killed in southern Lebanon by a drone strike. According to the Israeli military, he was a Hezbollah officer overseeing infrastructure reconstruction efforts in the region. However, Lebanese media reported that the victim was a local poultry farmer.
The conflict between the radical Shiite group Hezbollah and Israel flared up again in the fall of 2024. In September, communication devices belonging to Hezbollah militants exploded en masse in Lebanon — Netanyahu later confirmed that Israeli intelligence services had orchestrated the operation, although Israel initially denied involvement. Reports indicate that preparations for the operation lasted nearly ten years.
There were no immediate reports of civilian infrastructure damage or casualties. Lebanese television channels aired footage showing a fire near a building resembling a warehouse.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strike, calling it a fresh violation of the ceasefire agreement reached between Hezbollah and Israel at the end of November. Earlier reports had already mentioned at least two similar airstrikes.
Aoun urged France and the United States, as guarantors of Lebanon’s security, to pressure Israel and "force it to immediately cease its attacks." Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office argued that Hezbollah's storage of missiles at the Beirut facility itself constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, also condemned the strike. "The strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs sparked panic and fear among those desperately yearning for a return to normal life," she wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). "We urge all sides to refrain from any actions that could undermine the ceasefire agreement."
The airstrike was not Israel’s only attack on targets in Lebanon that day. On the same day, a Lebanese citizen was killed in southern Lebanon by a drone strike. According to the Israeli military, he was a Hezbollah officer overseeing infrastructure reconstruction efforts in the region. However, Lebanese media reported that the victim was a local poultry farmer.
The conflict between the radical Shiite group Hezbollah and Israel flared up again in the fall of 2024. In September, communication devices belonging to Hezbollah militants exploded en masse in Lebanon — Netanyahu later confirmed that Israeli intelligence services had orchestrated the operation, although Israel initially denied involvement. Reports indicate that preparations for the operation lasted nearly ten years.
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