Israel strikes two apartments in Beirut’s southern suburbs

Israel carried out an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday after intercepting two rockets launched from Lebanon earlier in the day, marking a significant escalation despite a newly announced ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the attack targeted what Israeli officials described as a Hezbollah command centre located in the Dahiyeh district, a known stronghold of the Iran-backed group.

Israel Responds to Rocket Fire

According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, the strike was conducted under the direction of both the prime minister and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The statement said the Israel Defense Forces targeted the site in response to Hezbollah fire directed toward Israeli territory. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military reported intercepting two rockets launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel, triggering warning sirens in several communities.

Following the interceptions, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would not tolerate attacks on its civilian population and would respond accordingly.

Building Reportedly Damaged

Lebanese media reported that the strike hit a building located between the Beirut suburbs of Mreijeh and Hay el-Sellom, destroying two floors of the structure.

Al-Arabiya television cited an unnamed source claiming that operations targeting Israel had been planned from the location that was struck.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Israel informed the United States about the planned operation before carrying out the attack.

Ceasefire Faces Growing Pressure

The strike comes only days after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a new ceasefire framework brokered by the United States.

However, Hezbollah rejected the agreement shortly after it was announced and has continued exchanging fire with Israeli forces in recent days. The group has argued that any ceasefire arrangement must include broader conditions that were not part of the current deal.

Israel has repeatedly warned that any attacks launched from Lebanon would result in military action and previously threatened to target Beirut’s southern suburbs if rocket fire against northern Israel continued.