Israel strikes Beirut for the first time since agreeing ceasefire with Hezbollah
28 March 2025, 17:33
Israel has bombarded the Lebanese capital of Beirut for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire with militant group Hezbollah.
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Reports of a “large boom” were heard in the Lebanese capital on Friday afternoon as Israel launched a series of strikes on the city’s southern suburbs.
Smoke could be seen rising from an area of the city the Israeli military had previously vowed to strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military's strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut marked an "example" of Israel's "determination" to act against its northern neighbour.
"We will not allow firing on our communities, not even a trickle," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.
"We will continue to vigorously enforce the ceasefire, we will attack everywhere in Lebanon, against any threat to the State of Israel, and we will ensure that all our residents in the north return to their homes safely."
Following the strike, the Israeli military claimed it had it a drone storage facility, despite the strikes hitting a residential and commercial area near at least two schools.
The IDF claims the area is a Hezbollah stronghold and civilians are being used as human shields.
It comes after Israel's army urgently warned people to evacuate parts of a Beirut suburb on Friday as it vowed to retaliate against strikes which it said were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel.
Lebanon's government ordered all schools and universities in Beirut's southern suburb of Hadath to close for the day.
In some parts of the southern suburbs, shooting could be heard, warning people to leave their homes and many residents were seen fleeing the area in cars and on foot.
These strikes marked the first attacks on Beirut since Hezbollah’s ceasefire with Israel came into effect on November 27, 2024.
Despite a peace deal being agreed, Israel has struck southern Lebanon nearly every day since.
Last week, Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Lebanon killed six people.
The collapse of Israel’s fragile agreement with Hezbollah comes days after its ceasefire in Hamas was shattered after the IDF killed nearly 400 people, almost half of which were children, in a series of strikes on Gaza.
Israel has said no peace can be agreed with Palestinian group Hamas until all of the remaining 24 October 7 hostages are returned.
