Israel Launches Strikes on Beirut’s Southern Suburbs as Hezbollah Conflict Intensifies]

Israel said it conducted airstrikes targeting a Hezbollah site on the southern outskirts of Beirut on Sunday, following an attack by the Iran-backed group on northern Israel.

Iran issued threats of retaliation, marking another escalation in the ongoing conflict that undermines U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire in Lebanon and advance broader peace negotiations with Tehran.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf condemned the Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiya, declaring that “U.S. and Israeli bases and assets in the region” had become legitimate targets. He added that Iran’s military was “free to act,” without specifying potential responses.

Lebanon’s state media reported that Israeli airstrikes damaged at least two apartment buildings in Dahiya, a Shiite-majority neighborhood long controlled by Hezbollah. The attacks killed at least two people and injured several others.

An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the strike, identifying it as a hit on a “Hezbollah command center.” Unlike previous operations, the military did not issue advance warnings to civilians.

The latest violence comes amid stalled U.S.-mediated ceasefire negotiations. Hezbollah rejected a recent proposed agreement as surrender, insisting on parallel concessions from Israel before standing down.

President Trump publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu over the continued military actions in Lebanon, telling Reuters he was “perturbed” by the ongoing fighting. During a recent call, Trump said he emphasized a preference for more “surgical” strikes rather than broad campaigns.

The conflict escalated in late February after U.S. and Israeli forces struck Iran, prompting Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Israel subsequently launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

Israeli leaders have stated they will persist until Hezbollah is disarmed. However, the group has appeared strengthened since the war began, employing advanced drone technology that has challenged Israeli forces.

The fighting has displaced over one million people in Lebanon and killed more than 3,600, according to Lebanese authorities. Thirty Israeli soldiers have died, increasing domestic pressure on Netanyahu to maintain a strong military response.

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