The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it targeted a southern Beirut building, identified as a storage site for precision missiles linked to Hezbollah. This airstrike further strains the fragile ceasefire established following last year’s conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group.
Footage from Reuters showed a large plume of smoke rising from the site around an hour after the Israeli forces issued an evacuation order to local residents in the Hadath neighborhood. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that Hezbollah’s precision missiles represented a serious threat to Israel’s national security.
The airstrike exacerbates tensions surrounding the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which has been under pressure since its inception following the previous conflict with Hezbollah. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, expressed concern about the ensuing panic and fear among residents, calling for all parties to cease actions that could undermine the truce and adherence to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun appealed to the United States and France to act as guarantors of the ceasefire and urged them to pressure Israel to halt its ongoing operations. He cautioned that Israel’s actions threaten regional stability and may risk escalating tensions.
Earlier this month, another Israeli airstrike in Beirut resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including a significant Hezbollah official, marking the second strike on a Hezbollah-controlled area in just five days. In a broader context, Israel has ramped up its military actions, including resuming strikes in Gaza after a fragile truce, reflecting an uptick in regional hostilities.
This series of events highlights the precarious nature of peace in the region, yet it also underscores the ongoing calls from international leaders for dialogue and resolution. The participation of global entities like the U.N. shows a commitment to stabilizing the situation and addressing the urgent humanitarian needs arising from the violence, fostering hope for ultimately achieving long-lasting peace.
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