Israel attacks Beirut for the first time since new ceasefire announcement

The Israeli military attacked Beirut this Sunday (7) for the first time since the last ceasefire came into force, after Hezbollah fire was intercepted in northern Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they struck what they described as Hezbollah infrastructure in the Dahiyeh neighborhood. Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said the attack targeted two apartment buildings. Images from the scene showed a huge plume of smoke rising from the neighborhood and at least one apartment building extensively damaged.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the attack on Beirut was a response to Hezbollah fire on Israeli territory. Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said two rockets were launched from Lebanon into Israeli territory and were intercepted.

At his weekly cabinet meeting this Sunday, Netanyahu said: "We will not allow shooting on our territory or in our communities and we will act accordingly."

This is the third time Israel has attacked Beirut since the previous ceasefire with Lebanon came into force in mid-April. Under the agreement, the US prohibited Israel from attacking Beirut, and the Israeli military only struck the Lebanese capital twice, targeting senior Hezbollah commanders.

Last week, under US mediation, Israel and Lebanon announced that they had agreed to a renewed ceasefire, as Israel pledged not to attack Beirut if Hezbollah did not target Israeli civilians. Hezbollah rejected the new agreement.

Understand what Hezbollah is and how the Lebanese group came about

Source: CNN