Daijiworld Media Network – Beirut
Beirut, May 7: The Israeli military carried out an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Wednesday, marking the first attack near the Lebanese capital since a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect last month.
According to a joint statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, the strike targeted a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, a unit backed by Iran. However, there was no official confirmation on whether the commander was killed in the operation.
The strike reportedly hit the densely populated Haret Hreik area in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said an Israeli warship also fired three missiles at a residential building in the locality.
Additional Israeli attacks were reported in southern Lebanon near Israel’s northern border, where clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have intensified in recent months.
“We promised security to the residents of the North. This is how we act and this is how we will continue to act,” Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Katz stated.
Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah resumed in March after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones toward Israel, claiming retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the Iran conflict earlier this year.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the ongoing conflict has claimed more than 2,700 lives in Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in attacks linked to Hezbollah and Iran.
The latest escalation comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts involving the United States and Iran to stabilise the region. Tehran has reportedly warned that it may reconsider the ceasefire arrangement if Israeli operations in Lebanon continue.
Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said Israel remains in close coordination with US President Donald Trump regarding regional security developments.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that negotiations between Israel and Lebanon cannot proceed until the ceasefire is fully implemented. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also indicated that direct high-level talks between the two countries remain unlikely under the current circumstances.
The conflict continues to place pressure on Lebanon’s fragile security environment, with Hezbollah resisting calls for disarmament despite growing international concern.