Massive Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs early on Sunday, sending shockwaves across the Lebanese capital for nearly 30 minutes. The strikes, targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure and weapons storage, have intensified since the Israeli military eliminated the group’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in a September 27th attack. His potential successor, Hashem Safieddine, is also missing following a strike near Beirut’s international airport. Israel has confirmed its efforts to minimize civilian casualties by providing advanced warnings before airstrikes.
This escalation comes amid Israel’s year-long campaign against Hezbollah and Hamas, which has expanded into Lebanon. Israel has reportedly killed over 440 Hezbollah fighters and destroyed 2,000 targets in southern Lebanon alone. Civilians have borne much of the brunt, with Lebanese officials reporting hundreds of civilian deaths and the displacement of 1.2 million people.
In the latest attacks, Israel has struck areas across Lebanon, including for the first time, Tripoli in the north, where an airstrike killed a Hamas fighter and his family. Hezbollah’s retaliatory strikes have targeted Israeli military facilities near Haifa, although Israel has intercepted many of these attacks. As the conflict continues, international protests grow, and the global community watches warily as tensions between Israel, Hezbollah, and their regional backers like Iran threaten further escalation.
