Israeli forces carry out airstrike on Beirut

Beirut, April 28 (IANS) Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a building in Hadath area in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The "powerful strike" targeted "infrastructure where Hezbollah had stored precision missiles," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement on Sunday.

The missiles, according to the Israeli leaders, posed a "significant threat" to Israel's security, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes launched three missiles, destroying a hangar and causing damage to nearby buildings and vehicles. No casualties from the strike have been reported yet.

In their statement, Netanyahu and Katz emphasised that Israel would not tolerate Hezbollah strengthening its capabilities or posing a threat to the country from anywhere in Lebanon. They also held the Lebanese government responsible for preventing such threats, saying it "bears direct responsibility" for Hezbollah's armament.

Ahead of the strike, Israeli Army Spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an urgent evacuation warning via social media for residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, particularly in the Hadath district.

"For your safety and the safety of your families, you are urged to immediately evacuate these buildings and move at least 300 meters away, as indicated on the map," Adraee said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, saying that "the United States and France, as guarantors of the cessation of hostilities agreement, must assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to immediately cease its attacks."

"Israel's continued undermining of stability will exacerbate tensions and expose the region to real dangers that threaten its security and stability," he warned, adding that the frequent Israeli attacks "on Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable under any pretext."

Despite a ceasefire that took effect on November 27, 2024, aimed at ending 14 months of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli strikes have continued in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

According to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency, Israeli bombings and shootings have killed 149 people in Lebanon since the truce, while the United Nations reported on April 15 that 71 of the dead were civilians.

--IANS

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