Four explosions were heard south of Beirut in the last hour, local media reported. A massive fireball lit up the skies over Beirut on Sunday as Israel launched intense strikes on Lebanon, nearly a year after the Hamas attack that ignited the Gaza war. In Gaza, Israeli forces claimed they had encircled Jabaliya in the north, citing signs that Hamas was rebuilding despite ongoing airstrikes and heavy fighting.
Lebanon’s southern suburbs were also hit, prompting Prime Minister Najib Mikati to urge the international community to press Israel for a ceasefire. Beirut’s Dahieh region reportedly faced over 30 strikes, with a petrol station and medical supplies warehouse among the targets.
“The strikes felt like an earthquake,” said 60-year-old shopkeeper Mehdi Zeiter. Israel’s military said it aimed at weapon storage facilities and infrastructure while attempting to minimize civilian harm.
Footage captured the aftermath of the strikes, showing a fireball over a residential area, followed by loud explosions. Smoke lingered over the site well into the morning.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops stationed along the northern border, days after the army expanded its ground operation inside Lebanon. Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned Iran as a “continuing threat” following Tehran’s launch of around 200 missiles in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.
An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said the army is preparing a response to Iran’s missile attack, while Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s right to defend itself. Iran, meanwhile, has threatened further retaliation, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declaring the “resistance in the region will not back down.”
The ongoing conflict has left Lebanon facing a humanitarian crisis. The UN refugee agency reported that hundreds of thousands are displaced, with at least four hospitals in Lebanon forced to shut down due to Israeli bombardments.
