Israel bombs Beirut outskirts, orders southern Lebanon evacuations amid escalating tensions

Israel conducted fresh airstrikes on Sunday, targeting the southern outskirts of Beirut and initiating forced evacuations of residents in southern Lebanon. The military stated the strikes hit "Hezbollah infrastructure" in the Lebanese capital.

These strikes followed Hezbollah's launch of drone operations against Israeli military sites in the Galilee region. An Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated via X that Hezbollah drones targeted the towns of Shomera and Shlomi, with two others falling in the Galilee area over the weekend. Adraee warned that Tel Aviv would "continue operations" in Lebanon.

Hours before the airstrikes, Israel issued evacuation orders for residents in 29 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, including Jbaa, Ain Qana, and Ansar. The forced displacement impacts thousands of residents, while Lebanese drone attacks reportedly focused on Israeli occupation forces within southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, are demanding a forceful response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Smotrich urged Netanyahu to implement the "Dahiye Doctrine" with "determination and strength," calling for the destruction of buildings in Beirut's Dahiye district in response to attacks on northern Israeli settlements.