Israel launched an attack on Beirut on Friday, marking the first strike on the Lebanese capital since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on November 27, 2024. Associated Press reporters in Beirut heard a loud boom and saw smoke rising from the city's southern suburbs.

Israel's army stated it targeted a Hezbollah drone storage facility in Dahiyeh, which it described as a key Hezbollah stronghold. Israeli military officials claimed they issued advance warnings for people to evacuate the area. The strike hit a residential and commercial area located near at least two schools.

Prior to the attack, Israel urgently warned residents to evacuate parts of Beirut's suburbs, saying it would retaliate against strikes allegedly launched from Lebanon into northern Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered a direct message to Lebanon's government: "If you do not enforce the ceasefire agreement, we will enforce it."

Hezbollah denied responsibility for the rockets fired at northern Israel and accused Israel of seeking a pretext to continue its attacks on Lebanon. The Lebanese government ordered schools and universities in Beirut's southern suburb of Hadath to close for the day, as residents fled the area by car and on foot.

The Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated into full-scale war in September 2024, resulting in:

• Over 4,000 deaths in Lebanon
• Displacement of about 60,000 Israelis
• Israel killing most of Hezbollah's senior leaders
• Dozens of Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon since the ceasefire

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, speaking from Paris, called the strike a continuation "of Israel's violations of the agreement" that was brokered by France and the U.S. French President Emmanuel Macron described the airstrike as "unacceptable" and said he would speak with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The regional tensions come as Israel ended its separate ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza with strikes that killed hundreds of people. Israel has vowed to continue fighting until Hamas returns 59 remaining hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. Gaza's Health Ministry reports that nearly 900 people have been killed since mid-March when that ceasefire ended.

The escalation in Lebanon coincides with Iran's recent military buildup in the Persian Gulf. Last week, Iran's Revolutionary Guards installed new missile systems on three disputed islands near the Strait of Hormuz. These weapons can reportedly target objects within 600 kilometers, according to IRGC naval commander Alireza Tangsiri, further heightening tensions across the Middle East.