Israel unleashed heavy airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs and dozens of villages in the country's south, hours after the militant group launched a major rocket and drone barrage into northern Israel. The attacks mark the formal collapse of the 2024 ceasefire and transform what had been a contained US-Israel confrontation with Iran into a multi-front regional war.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the assault, explicitly framing it as retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in recent strikes. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed it was conducting operations against Hezbollah positions across Lebanon and warned of further intensification, while the Lebanese Health Ministry reported at least 31 people killed and 149 injured in the initial wave of Israeli strikes. Among the casualties was Mohammad Raad, a senior Hezbollah political figure, according to Al-Arabiya reports.
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More than a dozen explosions rocked Beirut's Dahieh district in the early morning hours as Israeli warplanes targeted what the IDF described as "operational infrastructure and weapons storage facilities." Witnesses reported residents fleeing their homes as secondary explosions indicated stored munitions were hit. The strikes extended beyond the capital, with Israeli aircraft hitting targets across southern Lebanon in what military sources characterized as the most intensive bombardment since the 2024 ceasefire took effect.
The IDF issued evacuation orders for residents in over 50 villages across southern and eastern Lebanon, creating streams of civilian traffic on roads leading north. The warnings, distributed via Arabic-language broadcasts and text messages, gave residents limited time to leave designated zones. Lebanon's government found itself in a precarious position, with President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam condemning the rocket launches from Lebanese territory, stating they "undermine efforts to keep Lebanon out of a regional war" even as Israeli jets struck their country.
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The expansion of hostilities to Lebanon represents the regionalization that diplomats have warned against since tensions escalated in recent weeks. What began as strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities has now drawn in Tehran's most capable proxy force, opening a volatile front on Israel's northern border. The fragile 2024 arrangement that kept Hezbollah restrained has shattered, replaced by the reality of a multi-front conflict whose trajectory remains uncertain. Both Israel and Hezbollah now face decisions about how far to escalate a confrontation that neither side can easily contain.
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