Cairo/Tel Aviv, June 7 (dpa/GNA) – The Israeli military attacked the suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Sunday, in response to Hezbollah shelling, a move that has raised fears of another wider regional escalation and threatens to undermine ongoing ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the military had targeted “terrorist” headquarters. “We will not allow Hezbollah to fire at our territory or our communities, and we will act accordingly,” Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting on Sunday. He said the Israeli military had “eliminated 350 terrorists in the past week alone” in Lebanon. “We are striking them very hard, and we know that Hezbollah is on the run,” he added.
The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that at least two people had been killed and 11 others injured in the attacks.
Videos from eyewitnesses showed thick plumes of smoke in the densely populated Beirut suburbs known as Dahiyeh, which are considered a stronghold of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Eyewitnesses described severe destruction to several floors of one building.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military had reported renewed rocket fire on northern Israel, saying its air defences had intercepted two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon – where Israel has been fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia since shortly after the beginning of the war in Iran.
The Shiite militia also claimed responsibility for several attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, prompting Israel to continue its attacks there too.
Israel had recently scaled back its attacks on Lebanon, after an official ceasefire came into effect in mid-April. However, Israel had threatened to attack the Beirut area again if Hezbollah fired on Israel, and had urged the residents of the suburbs to evacuate.
In recent days, Israeli and Lebanese representatives agreed to a new attempt to implement the ceasefire, which has so far been largely ineffective in practice. However, Hezbollah rejected the agreed terms, and shortly afterwards launched fresh attacks.
The Lebanese government is not a party to the conflict and only has limited influence over Hezbollah. The militia was not involved in the ceasefire negotiations.Next moves for Hezbollah and IranHezbollah and its main backer, Iran, are now under pressure to respond to the attacks in the Beirut area.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, condemned the attacks and threatened consequences, writing on X that the strikes make US and Israeli bases “legitimate targets.” He said Iran’s armed forces were keeping their options open “as always,” as the other side only understands “the language of power.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have previously warned that an attack on Beirut would reignite full-scale war. There was initially no comment from the United States, which has been mediating between Israel and Lebanon, while simultaneously attempting to reach a framework agreement to end the war with Iran.
There are also fears that the attacks could jeopardize the fragile negotiations between Washington and Tehran, which Pakistan – a key mediator between those two countries – is trying to keep on track. According to Iranian media reports, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has delivered, via Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a sealed message from the Pakistani chief of army staff, Asim Munir, to the new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Since his appointment in March, the 56-year-old cleric has had the final say on all strategic matters, in accordance with the Iranian constitution. Iran has repeatedly stressed that it will only reach an agreement with the US if the ceasefire is observed on all fronts, including Lebanon, where Hezbollah is Tehran’s most important ally against its arch-enemy Israel. The Iranian armed forces, particularly the Revolutionary Guards, have also repeatedly threatened retaliatory strikes against Israel – though these have not yet been carried out.
GNA