The Israeli military carried out strikes on Hezbollah "drone factories" in southern Lebanon and suburbs of Beirut on Thursday, as large plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the Lebanese capital. The Israeli attack marked its biggest escalation in Lebanon since the US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in November. The Israel Defense Forces said it was striking "terror targets of the Hezbollah Aerial Unit (127)" in the southern suburb of Dahieh, Beirut. NNA news reported strikes from Israeli drones, saying that a "series of warning strikes, numbering more than seven" had targeted the city's southern suburbs. The news outlet also said that Israeli drones carried out an airstrike on the town of Ain Qana in Lebanon's Iklim Tuffah region. There were no initial reports of casualties related to the strikes, the spokesperson for Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health told CNN early on Friday morning. The Israeli military had previously warned of a coming strike in the area, intended to target alleged "underground UAV production facilities" controlled by Hezbollah. IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an "urgent warning" via social media earlier on Thursday, urging residents of "Al-Hadath, Haret Hreik, and Burj Al-Barajneh," neighborhoods to immediately evacuate buildings marked in red on attached maps and adjacent structures, and to stay at least "300 meters away" for safety. A second "urgent warning" was issued by the Israeli military via a post on X accompanied by a satellite photo of Lebanon with highlighted zones they said showed the locations of Hezbollah sites. The warning urged residents to evacuate nearby buildings "immediately and stay at least 500 meters away from them." The announcement prompted widespread panic and evacuations, according to NNA. Social media video captured Thursday night showed dozens of cars leaving neighborhoods in the city's south. The strikes were carried out as Muslims in Lebanon prepared to celebrate Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, on Friday. Most Muslims in Lebanon usually celebrate the eve of Eid which fell on Thursday evening local time. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam both condemned the Israeli strikes, with Auon saying that it was a "blatant violation of an international agreement, as well as the basic tenets of international and humanitarian laws and resolutions" on the eve of an important religious occasion. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on X shortly after the strikes were carried out, saying that the country holds the Lebanese government "directly responsible for preventing violations of the ceasefire and all terrorist activity against the State of Israel." "We will continue to enforce the ceasefire rules without any compromises," Katz added. Israel previously struck the same neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold, in late March. A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon had been brokered in November 2024, but strikes on southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah militants and facilities have continued. — CNN
