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For the first time since a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect last year, the IDF on Friday carried out a limited strike on a building in Beirut's Dahieh district, following rocket fire at northern Israel.
The IDF released a statement after the attack, saying it targeted a drone storage facility used by Hezbollah’s aerial unit. According to the military, the facility, operated by Unit 127 of the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group, was located in a densely populated civilian area. The military accused Hezbollah of "cynically using the Lebanese population as human shields." "The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel," the statement said.
The strike came after an evacuation warning made by the IDF's Arab-language Spokesperson Avichay Adraee, which was released with a map showing the targeted building in red. The statement said that "all those in the building marked in red, as shown on the map, and in the adjacent buildings, you are located near facilities belonging to Hezbollah."
"For your safety and the safety of your families, you are required to evacuate the buildings immediately and remain at least 300 meters away from them, as indicated on the map.”
The strike also came after earlier in the day Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of retaliation over the launch of two missiles at the northern town of Kiryat Shmona earlier today. The IDF said that one of the projectiles was intercepted and the other did not enter Israeli airspace. Immediately after, the IDF began shelling Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated Friday that “the fate of Kiryat Shmona is the same as the fate of Beirut,” warning that continued rocket fire on Israeli communities would be met with force. However, U.S. officials have urged Israel to avoid escalation and refrain from striking the Lebanese capital.
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A senior Hezbollah official denied the group was behind the attack. Speaking to Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen network, which is affiliated with the Iran-backed group, the source said, “Hezbollah is fully committed to the cease-fire agreement. Hezbollah has no connection to the rockets launched today from southern Lebanon into northern Israel.”
A report in Qatar-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also cited a Hezbollah parliamentary source as saying, “Hezbollah did not fire any rockets from Lebanon and has no connection to what happened.”
Friday's attack follows a similar incident last week, when at least six rockets were fired from Lebanon. Three crossed into Israeli territory and were intercepted. In response, the IDF struck a Hezbollah command center and multiple launch sites in southern Lebanon.
First published: 13:26, 03.28.25