The Israeli military on Sunday said it attacked the infrastructure of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group in Beirut’s southern suburbs and reportedly destroyed a five-storey building in the compound.
At least two people were killed, and four others were injured in the strike, which targeted an apartment in Dahiyeh, Reuters reported, citing state news agency NNA. Lebanese officials said the Israeli attack on the apartment compound was struck with two missiles.
Visual impact and damage reports
According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, the Israeli strike hit a five-storey building, a video of which has since gone viral on social media.
Smoke was seen over the Lebanese capital, Beirut, after the Israeli strikes. An AP report stated that two lower floors of the building were heavily damaged.
Retaliation and official justification
The attack was in retaliation for Hezbollah’s earlier strikes launched towards communities in northern Israel, the authorities in Tel Aviv said, adding that it was a “blatant ceasefire violation,” Reuters reported. The Israeli military said it carried out a “precise” strike at Hezbollah’s command centre.
People run in front of burned cars that were attacked in an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon. (AP Photo)
A joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said, “The IDF has now attacked terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Dahiyeh neighbourhood of Beirut, in response to Hezbollah’s firing into Israeli territory.”
Geopolitical friction and peace negotiations
The Israeli strikes came ahead of a potential US-Iran peace deal signing and it could also hamper the negotiations, which is already being seen allegedly as a letdown for the Israeli government, AP reported.
Risks to regional stability
The last time Israel extended its offensive in Beirut, a serious escalation took place in the region with Iran launching strikes at Tel Aviv and teetering the fragile ceasefire signed between Washington and Tehran in April.
Iran has reiterated several times that any peace agreement to halt the conflict in West Asia must also include Israel halting strikes in Lebanon.
People gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon. (AP Photo) 
People run in front of burned cars that were attacked in an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon. (AP Photo)
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