BEIRUT — Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, the first such attack on the Lebanese capital since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement took effect, Lebanese officials and Israeli sources said.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the strikes hit residential buildings in the Dahiyeh area, a Hezbollah stronghold, killing at least two people and wounding about 11 to 20 others, according to the health ministry. Israel said the operation targeted Hezbollah command centers in retaliation for projectiles fired toward northern Israel earlier that day, which its military said were intercepted.
The strikes occurred days after a renewed ceasefire understanding was announced following talks in Washington. Under the arrangement, Israel had agreed to refrain from targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs in exchange for Hezbollah halting attacks on Israel, officials involved in the mediation said. Hezbollah has rejected aspects of the broader deal, demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the action responded to what it described as Hezbollah violations. Lebanese officials condemned the strikes as a breach of the ceasefire understanding.
The southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, have been a frequent target in past escalations due to the presence of Hezbollah infrastructure. The group has not immediately commented on the latest incident, according to reports.
The ceasefire framework followed months of conflict that began earlier in 2026. A previous truce took effect in April but has seen repeated violations, with both sides accusing the other of breaches. Israel has continued operations in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has maintained rocket fire toward Israeli territory at times.
In response to the Beirut strikes, Iran launched missiles toward Israel, marking the first such direct action since the earlier ceasefire period. Israel said it intercepted the projectiles, while Iran described its response as a warning.
As of June 9, the situation on the ground remained tense. Israeli forces continued operations in parts of southern Lebanon, and Lebanese authorities reported ongoing clashes in border areas. Details on further diplomatic efforts to stabilize the ceasefire remain unclear.
The United Nations and international mediators have called for restraint from all parties to prevent a wider escalation. Both Israel and Hezbollah have reported casualties from the broader conflict, though comprehensive verified figures were not immediately available.
