The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it launched a “large-scale wave of strikes” overnight against targets in Beirut.
The BBC reported that panic spread in southern Beirut after Israeli forces issued warnings urging residents to evacuate entire neighborhoods ahead of the strikes.
The Israeli military stated that it targeted command centers and drone storage facilities belonging to Hezbollah in the suburb of Dahieh, which it said were used to prepare attacks against Israel.
At the same time, Israel continued strikes against Iran. Powerful explosions were reported overnight in Tehran and several other cities. Meanwhile, air-raid sirens sounded multiple times across Israel due to incoming Iranian missile fire, although no casualties have been reported so far.
Hezbollah, a Shiite organization based in Lebanon, operates both as a political party and a heavily armed paramilitary group. The organization is designated as a terrorist group by several Western countries.
Formed in the 1980s with support from Iran, Hezbollah continues to receive funding, weapons, and training from Tehran. In regional politics, it is widely regarded as one of Iran’s key allies and proxy forces in the Middle East.
One of Hezbollah’s founding goals was to fight Israel, particularly during Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon. The conflict between the two sides has lasted for decades and has periodically escalated into major wars, most notably in 2006 and again amid the renewed regional tensions of 2026.
