Early Friday, Israeli forces launched an airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold frequently targeted since the outbreak of hostilities this month. Explosions were heard by correspondents in the area, and footage captured thick smoke rising from the site of the attack.
Lebanon’s National News Agency confirmed that enemy aircraft conducted a dawn raid on Tahouitet al-Ghadir in the southern suburbs. Although Israel had previously issued broad evacuation advisories for this densely populated region, no specific warning preceded Friday’s strike. Since the conflict began, most residents have evacuated the area, leaving the extent of casualties uncertain.
In a significant development hours later, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged inhabitants of Sejoud village in southern Lebanon to move north of the Zahrani River, signaling an imminent offensive against Hezbollah positions.
The conflict intensified on March 2 when Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, launched rocket attacks into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Israel has conducted extensive bombings across Lebanon, focusing on Hezbollah-controlled territories, and deployed ground forces aiming to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah fighters reportedly continued their assaults on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon early Friday. The previous day, Lebanese media documented deadly Israeli raids in the south, while Hezbollah claimed over 90 attacks on Israeli targets both inside Lebanon and across the border.
On Thursday, Israel’s military announced the deaths of two soldiers in southern Lebanon, and Israeli emergency services confirmed that a rocket fired from Lebanon killed a man in Nahariya, northern Israel. Since March 2, Israeli strikes have resulted in at least 1,116 fatalities in Lebanon, including 121 children, and displaced more than one million people, Lebanese authorities.
