Israel Strikes Beirut After Rejecting Ceasefire

Israel Strikes Beirut After Rejecting Ceasefire

On Wednesday, the Israeli military launched attacks in southern Beirut, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon. Netanyahu argued that a ceasefire would leave Hezbollah forces dangerously close to Israel’s border.

Reports indicated that black smoke was rising from Beirut’s Haret Hreik area after two strikes, which followed warnings from the Israeli military for residents to evacuate. One of the strikes targeted an underground facility where Hezbollah allegedly stored weapons.

Netanyahu rejected the ceasefire despite increasing pressure from the United States, which criticized the strikes on Beirut and called for more humanitarian aid access to Gaza. During a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, Netanyahu emphasized that a ceasefire would not resolve the security threats in Lebanon, insisting Israel needed a buffer zone free of Hezbollah fighters along its northern border.

In response, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, called for a ceasefire and warned of expanding missile strikes across Israel, justifying their retaliation due to Israeli attacks on Lebanon.