Israel strikes Beirut after Hezbollah attack, risking Iran response
· Axios
Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday in retaliation to a Hezbollah missile attack on northern Israel, Israeli officials said.
Why it matters: Iran threatened last week to launch a missile attack against Israel if it attacks Beirut. Such a move could unravel U.S.–Iran negotiations and reignite the war.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
- Israel notified the Trump administration before the strike, a U.S. official and two other sources with knowledge tell Axios.
Driving the news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike answered Hezbollah missiles fired at northern Israel earlier Sunday, which the Israeli military says it intercepted.
- Israeli officials said the Beirut strike targeted a Hezbollah command center in Dahieh — a Shia district known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
- At least two people were killed and a dozen wounded, according to Lebanon's state news agency.
Threat level: A senior Iranian lawmaker publicly threatened retaliation.
- Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, wrote on X that Iran "will give a decisive and painful response to the Zionist regime's attack on Dahieh."
- He told followers to "watch the skies" over Israel tonight.
Behind the scenes: The Israelis told the Trump administration that Hezbollah's continued attacks on northern Israel violate a ceasefire, giving Israel the right to hit Beirut, the sources told Axios.
- The Israelis made clear they will continue hitting the Beirut every time Hezbollah launches attacks against northern Israel.
- The White House and the State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Catch up quick: On Monday, President Trump put the brakes on Israel's plan to launch massive strikes on Beirut in response to Hezbollah's drone and missile strikes.
- Trump lashed out at Netanyahu in an expletive-laden call.
- After the call, Trump announced a partial ceasefire that included an Israeli commitment not to attack Beirut in return for Hezbollah stopping attacks on Israeli border towns.
- On Wednesday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a full ceasefire, contingent on Hezbollah halting attacks and withdrawing its operatives from the area south of the Litani River in Lebanon.
- Hezbollah rejected the terms Thursday. Without Hezbollah's agreement, the ceasefire stayed "on paper."