On Sunday, Israel's armed forces targeted the southern district of Beirut, striking two residences located in separate structures, following claims that they had stopped two missiles fired by Hezbollah towards Israeli land.
Israel and Hezbollah frequently engage in gunfire exchanges, yet the region located south of the capital—encompassing neighborhoods considered strongholds for the Iran-aligned faction—has remained largely unaffected, suffering attacks just two times since mid-April.
Later, Israel issued an evacuation alert for much of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and nearby areas, which has become a common target for attacks.
"Following the instructions from Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz, the Israel Defense Forces recently targeted a militant headquarters located in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut, as a reaction to Hezbollah's attacks on Israeli land," stated Netanyahu's office.
The demonstrations "focused on two flats within two structures," as reported by Lebanon's government-owned National News Agency (NNA).
A Reuters reporter observed two units affected within a structure located on a small road, along with vehicle gridlock as locals attempted to depart the neighborhood while the Lebanese military arrived at the scene.
This week in Washington, representatives from Lebanon and Israel promoted a temporary ceasefire contingent upon Hezbollah halting attacks, pulling back from areas close to the Israeli frontier, and allowing the Lebanese military to establish "pilot zones" in the region under their sole authority.
However, Hezbollah dismissed the deal, insisting on an complete Israeli pullout from Lebanese soil, while Israel cautioned that it would target Beirut's southern neighborhoods if Hezbollah launched attacks against northern Israel.
Alarms rang out in northern Israel early on Sunday, as the military reported "two missiles that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon were shot down."
It subsequently stated that it "disassembled the launchers employed by Hezbollah militants for the assault."
The Iran-aligned faction did not issue an immediate response following its assertion of carrying out distinct assaults on Israeli forces in Lebanon on Sunday.
– Ceasefire –
A truce intended to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah came into force on April 17, yet has not been completely observed.
Hezbollah and Israel often trade claims about breaches of the ceasefire, with both parties defending their actions by pointing to supposed infractions by the opposing side.
Israel has kept carrying out bombings against its northern neighbor even though a ceasefire was in place, with Lebanon's official National News Agency stating that multiple Israeli attacks occurred throughout the southern region, some resulting in deaths.
The assaults on Sunday occurred one day following reports from Lebanese officials stating that at least five individuals lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes, among them members of the Lebanese military, including a general.
– Tyre warning –
On Sunday, the Israeli forces issued a notice urging residents to leave most parts of Tyre and nearby areas.
A seaside city provides refuge for thousands of refugees and has suffered extensive bombing since Hezbollah brought Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2, supporting Iran.
Around 500 families were removed by civil defense units from schools serving as shelters and relocated to the city's Christian district, which was excluded from the alert, according to an AFP reporter.
Close to Sidon, slightly farther north, three individuals from the same family along with a rescuer were laid to rest on Sunday following an Israeli air strike.
Lebanon's health ministry reported that at least 131 rescue workers lost their lives due to Israeli actions during this conflict.
We don't have rockets; our sole weapon is the bread we bring to people," said rescuer Qassem Foani to AFP. "They went and provided the family with food, but as they left, a drone attacked them.
Lebanon's health ministry reports that Israel's wide-ranging series of air strikes and a land offensive have resulted in over 3,600 fatalities.
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