Smoke rises, following an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for the area, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
- Israeli forces target Hezbollah drone sites in Dahiyeh after ordering mass evacuations.
- Strikes occur on eve of Eid Al-Adha, prompting condemnation from Lebanese president.
- November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah shows signs of increasing strain.
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(CAIRO) (Reuters) -The Israeli military said on Thursday that it was attacking Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the Lebanese state news agency reported three strikes.
Reuters video showed smoke billowing from the area after the first strikes on the Hezbollah stronghold in over a month.
Evacuation Orders Precede Strikes
The Israeli army earlier told residents of four neighborhoods in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh to evacuate ahead of strikes on what it said were underground Hezbollah drone-manufacturing sites financed by Iran.
Thousands fled, causing traffic gridlock in an area hit hard in a year-long war that ended in a November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Attacks Coincide With Religious Holiday
The attacks occurred as the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha was due to begin on Thursday. The strikes “generated renewed panic and fear on the eve of Eid Al-Adha,” the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon said on X.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack in a statement. “This blatant violation of an international agreement … on the eve of a sacred religious occasion, is damning evidence of the perpetrator’s rejection of the requirements of stability, settlement, and just peace in our region,” he said.
There was no immediate comment from the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Ceasefire Terms Under Strain
Hezbollah and Israel accuse each other of not entirely living up to terms of the ceasefire, and the truce has looked shaky in recent months.
Israel dealt severe blows to Hezbollah in the war, killing thousands of its fighters, destroying much of its arsenal and eliminating its top leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah.
Separately, the Israeli military also warned residents of a southern Lebanese village to evacuate ahead of strikes, according to a statement from the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson on X.
(Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab; Writing by Enas Alashray and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Cynthia Osterman)
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