Beirut Under Attack
Israel Strikes Beirut, Killing Two, Violating Ceasefire, Threatening Broader US-Iran Diplomacy
Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern Dahieh district, hitting the Lebanese capital for the first time since a U.S.-brokered Lebanon ceasefire renewed last week, despite a U.S. request not to strike Beirut. Lebanese officials said the attacks killed at least two people and wounded 11. Israeli leaders said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in retaliation for Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel, with additional cross-border rocket launches reported. Both sides were accused of violating the ceasefire, and fears grew that an escalation in Beirut could destabilize broader U.S.-Iran diplomacy aimed at ending the wider war. The BBC and other reports said Washington urged Israel to limit strikes to preserve wider peace efforts; after calls with Netanyahu, President Trump said there would be “no troops going to Beirut” while pressing de-escalation. Iran-linked figures warned of retaliation as U.S.-Iran negotiations remained fragile and Hezbollah rejected linking any ceasefire to disarmament.
Key Points
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the airstrike targeted “the terrorist villages adjacent to our border,” adding: “We are striking them very hard, and we know that Hezbollah is on the run. We will not allow firing at our territory or our communities, and we will act accordingly.”
A senior Iranian political figure warned that the U.S. blockade and its “green light” to Israel made “U.S. and Israeli bases and assets in the region legitimate targets,” citing U.S. actions as justification for retaliation. (Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said this on X.)
In an NBC interview, President Trump said he was not demanding Lebanon be included in any U.S.-Iran peace deal, describing it as a separate track—even as strikes in Beirut threatened to destabilize both diplomacy efforts.
The Israeli military reported intercepting two projectiles that crossed into Israel from Lebanon after sirens sounded in the areas of Yiftah and Ramot Naftali; Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for the launches.
Israel also issued an evacuation warning to residents of Tyre and its surrounding areas on Sunday ahead of possible strikes, according to reporting on the attack’s unfolding.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativePublishers
31
Articles
146
Reach
177
