Israel intensifies strikes on Beirut as Iran launches drones and missiles at Tel Aviv
Israeli military pounded southern Beirut overnight, displacing thousands, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired weapons at Tel Aviv in escalating regional conflict.
4 min ago
The Israeli military conducted intensive airstrikes on Beirut late Thursday and into Friday morning, targeting the Dahiya district in the southern outskirts of the capital, a densely populated area that serves as a stronghold of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The bombardment marked the most intense barrage since a ceasefire in late 2024 paused fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Multiple buildings collapsed during the strikes, and residents fled the area as explosions shook the city. Thousands of people were displaced, with many spending the night on streets in downtown Beirut with nowhere else to go, huddling around small fires in cold conditions.
The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents in the Bekaa Valley, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, indicating that additional airstrikes were imminent in that region. The military confirmed it was striking Hezbollah infrastructure in the Dahiya district.
On Friday morning, the Israeli military continued its campaign, pounding Beirut with fresh airstrikes while issuing more evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon. Smoke plumes rose from strikes in and around the capital as the operation intensified.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps responded by launching a wave of drones and missiles at targets in Tel Aviv on Friday, according to a statement from the force reported by IRNA, Iran's state news agency. Air-raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, and the Israeli military said it had detected missile launches from Iran, though there were no immediate reports of major damage from the Iranian strikes.