Israel Strikes Beirut, Violating Ceasefire, Lebanon Seeks US, France Intervention

Israel launched an airstrike on southern Beirut, targeting a building it claimed was used by Hezbollah to store precision-guided missiles, marking the third such attack since a fragile ceasefire took effect in late November. The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings prior to the strike, and no casualties were reported, but the attack generated widespread panic among local residents. Israeli leaders asserted that they will not allow Hezbollah to use Beirut as a safe haven or to grow stronger, while holding the Lebanese government responsible for not curbing Hezbollah activities. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike as a violation of the ceasefire and called on the United States and France, as guarantors of the agreement, to pressure Israel to halt its attacks. Western officials and the United Nations expressed concern that Israel’s repeated strikes undermine regional stability and threaten to provoke renewed violence, urging all parties to respect the ceasefire. Israel maintains its operations are in response to perceived threats from Hezbollah, despite accusations of multiple ceasefire breaches.