On Monday night, Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of Hezbollah, according to Lebanon’s state media. These airstrikes come after several nights of intense bombardment on the area.
The strikes followed warnings from the Israeli military, urging residents of certain neighborhoods in the southern suburbs to evacuate. Prior to the ongoing escalation, the area housed around 850,000 residents, most of whom have since fled.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee shared a map on the social platform “X,” highlighting two buildings in the neighborhoods of Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath. Adraee urged residents living near these buildings to evacuate for their safety, advising them to stay at least 500 meters away.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported two airstrikes, one near the Kafaat area and another in Burj al-Barajneh. Later in the night, the NNA confirmed another heavy strike in the Hadath-Kafaat area.
A reporter from Agence France-Presse (AFP) witnessed smoke rising over the suburbs, and journalists on the ground heard loud explosions following the strikes.
Earlier, the NNA also reported six consecutive airstrikes on different neighborhoods in the southern suburbs.
The attacks were not limited to Beirut’s southern suburbs; Israeli airstrikes also hit areas in southern Lebanon, including coastal villages.
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military announced it would soon target the “maritime zone” and advised civilians to avoid the sea or beach areas until further notice. Following this warning, local fishermen moved their boats from the Sidon fishing port to the north of Awali River to resume work on Tuesday, according to the NNA.
The Awali River flows into the sea near Sidon, approximately 60 kilometers north of the Lebanon-Israel border.