Israeli airstrike devastates southern Beirut, triggers mass displacement

Israeli forces launched a heavy airstrike on Sunday targeting a building in the Hadath area of Beirut's southern suburb, an area widely seen as a stronghold of Hezbollah.

The strike came after Israeli forces issued warnings, triggering panic among residents and sparking a large wave of displacement.

Videos shared online showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the bombed site, as ambulances rushed to the scene and Lebanese security forces fired warning shots to prevent civilians from gathering nearby.

Israeli forces had earlier carried out three so-called "warning strikes" on the building, while warplanes flew at low altitude over the densely populated suburb. Lebanese authorities quickly closed all roads leading to the threatened site.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli attack, calling on the United States and France to "shoulder their responsibilities and immediately pressure Israel to cease its aggression".

In a post on X, he warned that "Israel's ongoing attempts to destabilise Lebanon will only deepen tensions and expose the region to real dangers threatening its security and stability."

Earlier in the day, an Israeli drone strike killed a Lebanese civilian in the town of Halta, in southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health confirmed the death, while Hezbollah-affiliated media said the attack had targeted a poultry farm on the outskirts of Halta and Wadi Khansa.

The Israeli army later claimed responsibility for the strike, alleging it had targeted a Hezbollah fighter.

Since the ceasefire, Israel has continued to launch attacks deep inside Lebanese territory, frequently justifying its actions by claiming to target Hezbollah personnel or facilities.

Only days earlier, the Israeli military announced it had assassinated Hussein Atwi, a senior commander in the Jamaa Islamiya (Islamic Group), in a drone strike in Lebanon's Chouf region, accusing him of involvement in launching rocket attacks against Israel.

حركة نزوح كثيفة تشهدها الضاحية الجنوبية ببيروت بعد إصدار جيش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي إنذارًا إلى سكان مبنى في حي الحدث@ramezelkadi pic.twitter.com/1rPksTjhd5

— التلفزيون العربي (@AlarabyTV) April 27, 2025

Lebanon calls for international pressure on Israel

Amid ongoing Israeli violations, Lebanese officials are intensifying calls for international action to end the attacks. At the same time, internal discussions about Hezbollah’s arms remain sensitive.

Lebanese authorities maintain that before any dialogue on disarming Hezbollah, Israel must cease its aggression, withdraw from five occupied border points, and release Lebanese prisoners.

Speaking last Friday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed the group's "red lines" for any defence strategy talks, stressing that any dialogue must prioritise "protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty, liberating its occupied lands, and defending it against Israeli aggression".

Qassem added that the group's arms must remain part of Lebanon’s defence strategy and warned against any concessions that could weaken the country or surrender it to Israeli domination.

Since the November 2024 ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Israel has committed at least 2,765 violations of the truce, according to Anadolu figures. These attacks have resulted in at least 194 killed and over 486 wounded.

The war between Hezbollah and Israel, which erupted after Israel’s broader assault on Gaza in October 2023, escalated into full-scale conflict in September 2024. The violence left over 4,000 Lebanese killed and around 17,000 wounded, and displaced approximately 1.4 million people.