Israel strikes Beirut's southern suburbs after Hezbollah drone attack

WorldPolitics
14 Jun 2026 • 7:51 PM MYT
DPA International
DPA International

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Image from: Israel strikes Beirut's southern suburbs after Hezbollah drone attack
FILE PHOTO - Heavy smoke billows following Israeli air strikes in Beirut's southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold. (is associated with: «Israel strikes Beirut's southern suburbs after Hezbollah drone attack») Marwan Naamani/dpa

Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, hours after the Hezbollah militia launched another drone attack on northern Israel.

A joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said "terrorist targets" were attacked in Dahiyeh.

Dahiyeh, or Dahiya, refers to the densely populated southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital Beirut, which are considered a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

The statement said the strikes were a "reaction to Hezbollah's attack on Israeli territory."

The Israeli military also confirmed the attacks in Dahiyeh, saying it hit a Hezbollah command centre.

The Lebanese state news agency NNA reported at least one fatality and four people injured.

Eyewitnesses said that Hezbollah has an office in the building that was hit.

Arabic TV stations showed pictures of an airstrike in the area, with heavy clouds of smoke emerging.

Residents told local media that there were at least two explosions.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said two impacts were recorded on Israeli territory near the border with Lebanon, but no injuries were reported.

Warning sirens had sounded in several towns along Israel's northern border. Israeli news outlet ynet reported that one drone struck near the border town of Shlomi.

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a post on X that the attack was a test of Netanyahu's "Dahiya doctrine."

A week ago, Israel attacked the suburbs in response to Hezbollah rocket fire in the north of the country, triggering a wave of Iranian attacks on northern Israel.

Israel subsequently vowed to strike the area again if Hezbollah launches further attacks on northern Israel.

Iran, which has been negotiating a framework agreement with the United States to end the conflict, wants a deal to include a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Israel, however, strictly opposes linking the two fronts. It wants to destroy Hezbollah and reach a peace settlement with the Lebanese government in Beirut.

Hezbollah refuses to negotiate with Israel and is demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli ground forces from Lebanon.