In a dramatic escalation, Israel launched airstrikes targeting what it identified as Hezbollah command centers located in the southern suburbs of Beirut. This response came on Sunday, following Israeli reports that Hezbollah had fired rockets into northern Israel. No immediate claim of responsibility was made by Hezbollah.
The tension flared just days after the United States, Israel, and Lebanon announced a renewed ceasefire agreement. This framework required Hezbollah to cease fire and withdraw from certain areas in southern Lebanon. The situation also followed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) releasing footage purportedly showing their troops dismantling a Hezbollah explosives facility. An external expert noted that the components in the footage resembled shrapnel devices intended to harm individuals on foot.
These strikes represent a significant escalation across the border, coinciding with the announcement of a conditional ceasefire by the U.S., Israel, and Lebanon, which called on Hezbollah to cease fire and pull back from southern Lebanon regions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that these military actions were a direct response to the earlier violation by Hezbollah.
An explosion lights up the sky as an Israeli strike hits a building in central Beirut, Lebanon, on March 18, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)
