Egypt Daily News – Israel bombed southern Beirut on Friday, marking the first such attack since the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel went into effect on November 27, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The agency reported, “Israeli warplanes struck the Hadath neighborhood in the southern suburbs,” an area densely populated and where schools had closed following an evacuation order from the Israeli military, issued after two rockets were fired towards Israel in an operation for which no group claimed responsibility, and Hezbollah denied any involvement.
The Israeli military warning caused panic in the region, with residents rushing to pick up their children from schools, as reported by AFP correspondents.
Heavy traffic congestion formed at the entrances to the southern suburbs, which had been heavily bombarded during the war between Israel and Hezbollah, while many residents tried to flee the area, according to AFP reporters.
Earlier, the Israeli military issued a warning on Friday for the evacuation of residents from the Hadath area in the southern suburbs of Beirut, marking the first such order since the ceasefire agreement that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Urgent warning for those present in the southern suburbs of Beirut, especially in the Hadath neighborhood, and for anyone located in the building marked in red on the map and the neighboring buildings: You are in proximity to facilities belonging to Hezbollah. For your safety and the safety of your families, you are required to evacuate these buildings immediately and stay at least 300 meters away, as shown on the map.”
Media reports indicated that an Israeli drone had already targeted the building, less than an hour after the warning was issued.
Lebanese sources confirmed that residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut began responding to the Israeli warning, leaving the area by car and on foot.
The Lebanese Ministry of Education also called for the evacuation of schools and universities in the Hadath area following the Israeli warning.
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli military announced that it had launched attacks in southern Lebanon after Defense Minister Katz threatened to retaliate “strongly” following the launch of two rockets from Lebanon towards Israel. A fragile ceasefire has been in place between the two sides since November 27.
