Israel’s military has announced that it conducted a targeted strike on Beirut on Friday (September 20) in response to the firing of 140 rockets by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Security sources in Lebanon reported that the strike targeted key facilities in the southern suburbs of the city controlled by Hezbollah, marking a sharp escalation in the conflict between the two sides.
Eyewitnesses in the southern suburbs of Beirut under Hezbollah control reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising into the air. Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV station reported that the suburb of Dahiyeh was hit. Hezbollah told the Associated Press that the area was targeted by airstrikes, but did not provide further details.
According to Reuters, witnesses heard the sound of jets in the sky during the attack.
As the conflict continues in Gaza, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have significantly escalated this week. Hezbollah launched 140 rockets towards Israel earlier on Friday.
The Israeli military stated that the rockets were launched in three waves on Friday afternoon, targeting locations along the border with Lebanon that have been heavily affected. The Israeli military subsequently struck multiple areas in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure.
Hezbollah claimed to have used Katyusha rockets to strike several locations in Israel, including multiple air defense bases. Hezbollah also claimed to have attacked the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade for the first time.
The Israeli military stated that Hezbollah launched 120 rockets towards the Golan Heights, Safed, and the Upper Galilee region, with some being intercepted. The debris from the rockets caused fires in multiple areas, and firefighters are working to extinguish them.
The Israeli military did not specify if any of the rockets hit their targets or caused casualties.
Additionally, 20 rockets were fired into the areas of Meron and Netua, with most landing in open areas. The Israeli military reported no casualties in these areas.
The day before, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel’s extensive airstrikes in southern Lebanon and not in retaliation for the collective detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah earlier this week.
On Tuesday (September 17), thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously, and on Wednesday (September 18), walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon also exploded en masse, resulting in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries.
Israel has not directly commented on the explosions of the pagers and walkie-talkies, but multiple security sources stated that these attacks were carried out by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
Nasrallah vowed on Thursday that despite the severe damage to their members’ communication devices, Hezbollah will continue its daily attacks on Israel.
On Thursday, the Israeli military stated that it struck “hundreds of rocket launchers” in southern Lebanon, claiming these launchers were “ready to fire towards Israeli territory in the near future,” while also announcing the thwarting of an assassination plot led by Iran.
Hamas carried out a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7 last year, leading to Israel launching the Gaza War in response. The day after, Hezbollah began engaging in clashes with the Israeli military to support its ally Hamas. Over the course of more than 11 months of cross-border violence, the firepower has escalated repeatedly.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. Netanyahu pledged on Wednesday to “safely bring back the evacuated Israelis home.”
On the same day, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the war is entering a new phase, with additional resources and military units being deployed to the northern border.
Prior to the rocket attacks on Friday, the Israeli military ordered residents of the Golan Heights and parts of northern Israel to avoid public gatherings, reduce activities, and head to shelters.