Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
A series of Israeli strikes targeted the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, late on June 5, with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claiming that the target was drone manufacturing facilities belonging to Hezbollah.
Ahead of the strikes, the IDF said it had “identified that Hezbollah’s aerial unit is working to produce many thousands of UAVs, under the guidance and funding of Iranian terror officials.”
This was taking place “despite the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military added, referring to the ceasefire agreement brokered last November by the United States.
“This activity is a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The Hezbollah terror organization creates challenges for the Lebanese state and thus impairs the implementation of the understandings,” the IDF asserted in a brief statement.
In another statement released later, the IDF said that Hezbollah’s aerial forces launched over 1,000 explosive and surveillance drones at Israel during the war last year, and was currently working to strengthen its capabilities with thousands of additional drones.
“The unit was working to manufacture many thousands of drones under the direction and funding of Iranian terror officials, as part of Iran’s efforts to harm Israel,” the military said.
“Over the years, Iran has funded and directed terrorist attacks through this project, in coordination with Hezbollah. Hezbollah terrorists travel to Iran for training in production systems, which supports the group’s ability to independently manufacture UAVs inside Lebanon,” the military continued.
“The IDF has identified that Hezbollah terrorists have been continuing this activity even since the understandings came into effect, and the IDF is determined to take action against terrorists trained in Iran for terrorist attacks,” it added.
The IDF then went on to issue an evacuation warning for civilians living in the vicinity of four different buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.
“You are located near facilities belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Colonel Avichay Adraee, said on the X social network.
“For your safety and the safety of your families, you are required to evacuate these buildings immediately and move away from them at a distance of no less than 300 meters,” said the spokesman.
The warning led to chaos, with thousands of people fleeing the southern suburbs of Beirut. Soon after, at least 23 strikes hit the designated buildings. No casualties were reported, however.
Following the strikes on the Lebanese capital, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for two areas in the southern town of Ain Qana, and warned that it would soon strike Hezbollah assets in the vicinity.
“You are located near facilities belonging to Hezbollah,” Col. Adraee said in a post to X, calling on civilians to evacuate at least 500 meters from the areas for their safety.
Lebanese media reported a series of strikes in Ain Qana following the warning, again with no casualties. From its side, the IDF claimed that the additional strikes also targeted a Hezbollah workshop used to build drones used for both attacks and surveillance.
Israel strikes have reportedly killed more than 180 members of Hezbollah since then U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect on November 27.
In addition, the IDF has refused to completely withdraw from southern Lebanon in line with the agreement, keeping troops at five strategic posts in the region.
While the recent Israeli strikes on Beirut were not the first to target the Lebanese capital since the start of the ceasefire, the attack indicates that the IDF is planning to further escalate against Hezbollah, which has been adhering to the agreement. All in all, Israel appears to be close to renewing the war on Lebanon, similar to what it did in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.
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