Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Israeli strikes hit the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, a stronghold of Hezbollah, on April 27, in a new escalation.
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the strikes targeted the precision missile warehouse of Hezbollah, adding that the missiles “posed a significant threat to Israel.”
“Israel will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and pose any threat to it — anywhere in Lebanon,” the two said, stressing that Israel will not allow Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiya, to serve as a sanctuary for Hezbollah.
Netanyahu and Katz went on to warn that “the Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also said that the strikes targeted a facility where Hezbollah stored precision missiles.
“The storage of missiles in this infrastructure site constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians,” the military said in a statement.
Before the strikes, the IDF issued a warning to civilians in the area. Moreover, Lebanese media reported that several small warning strikes were carried out in the area before fighter jets dropped heavier munitions to destroy the structure. No casualties were reported.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemns the Israeli strikes on Beirut in a statement issued on his behalf.
Aoun called on “the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, to assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to halt its attacks immediately.” He also said that Israel’s continued destabilization will intensify tensions in the region.
Hezbollah accepted the U.S.-proposed ceasefire following a heated confrontation with the IDF that broke out more than a year earlier as a result of the Israeli war on the group’s ally, Hamas, in the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire, which went into effect on November 27, was supposed to end all clashes on the Israeli-Lebanese border by February 18. Nevertheless, the Israeli military continues to launch strikes against Hezbollah. It also maintains troops at five strategic points in southern Lebanon.
This was the third time the IDF has carried out strikes in Beirut since the start of the ceasefire. The first two attacks were carried out on March 27 and April 1 in response to rocket attacks which the group denied responsibility for. The second strike killed Hassan Bdair, a senior intelligence commander of the group.
It is important to note here that the latest strike on the Lebanese capital was completely unprovoked. The strike will likely be followed by many as Israel has established that Hezbollah, which is facing immense pressure from the Lebanese government, will not respond.
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destabilization goes according to usa/nato plan first hamas,hezbollah,syria,yemen and iran.then full concentration on russia through ukraine attacks to destroy,oil,weapon depots and gas storage.
destabilization goes because iran which have enough missile to destroy tel aviv has abandoned its ally hezbollah
eeeeh.
where is ansar allah getting their missiles?
theyre still involved.
just ‘5th gen warfare’ still.
israel too scared of irans abilities to attack directly. so… proxy wars.
hezbollah have demonstrated that they have zero air defence, which unfortunately leave lebanon easy picking for airstrike by israel
the mullah morons and drugdealer assad were told long ago to give hezbolla some good air defence systems, but instead they give hezbollah only few old igla and strela manpads.
anyway, why hezbollah didnt even use these for sir defense and why they dont shoot 10 missiles into haifa or telaviv for each zio terror bomb?
seems houthi the only brave fighters?
as with iran, hezbollah is suffering the expanding costs of its half-hearted support for hamas. gifting the zionist entity the strategic initiative allowed it strategic victory over both, with the option of seeking to decapitate the iranian leadership as well as destroying some nuclear facilities, in order to impose client status that includes abandonment of the nuclear programme. even more so in war, your first chance is also your last.
“axis of resistance”
heheheh